34 Comments
A beautiful, puffy cinnamon apple dutch baby. Crispy buttery edges and dreamy honey crisp apples makes this breakfast recipe total perfection. A dust of cinnamon sugar completes it.
Whether you're in to fluffy pancakes, buttermilk waffles or a brunch quiche, I think we can all agree breakfast reigns supreme!
This recipe was originally published on July 17, 2017.
My absolute favorite way to eat pancakes, is by preparing my Great Grandmother's recipe for german pancakes with apples.
Although, I've come to find out that they are more commonly called dutch baby pancakes, how cute is that?
It's not your typical pancake but man is it good. Today we're going to make my Great Grandmothers recipe!
And as soon as fall rolls around it's my favorite breakfast, that and a batch of pecan sticky buns or a loaf of a banana bread. All of these are such yummy fall recipes.
Jump to:
- How Do you Make A Dutch Baby?
- What is A German Pancake? What is A Dutch baby?
- FAQ
- more breakfast recipes
- Cinnamon Apple Dutch Baby
How Do you Make A Dutch Baby?
This recipe couldn't be any simpler.
If you have a blender then it will be a breeze to prep because you can blend up your ingredients.
Once the batter is done pour it in your cast iron skillet and bake at high heat.
The edges rise way up and creates these crisp but puffy edges. Those crisp edges have a buttery taste to them, perfect.
15 years ago my mother handed down this recipe for german pancakes to me, the same recipe she made for me as a kid, and her mother made for her and my great grandmother made for my Oma.
What is A German Pancake? What is A Dutch baby?
A german pancake and a dutch baby are the same thing, just different wording. It's made with more eggs than a traditional pancake.
It's a heartier pancake with an egg like texture. Typically you cook this in a cast iron skillet or a metal pan, when it bakes the edges rise way up! It's so fluffy and delicious.
The vanilla extract smells so intoxicating and the apples are the best balance.
A tip for cutting the apples, too thin they get mushy, too thick they don't fully cook. ⅛th inch is the perfect size and I don't get out a ruler (that's just crazy) I use a mandolin and set it to the ⅛th inch setting or you can use a sharp knife and just make thin slices.
If you like a bit of bite to them then cut them thicker.
My favorite thing about making my great grandmothers cinnamon apple dutch baby recipe (besides being insanely delicious) is that you don't have to worry about combining wet/dry ingredients and question if you over-mixed the batter.
Can I get a hallelujah?
Once it comes out of the oven you hit it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar and a dash of powdered sugar!
Most of the time I can't even wait to get the dutch baby out of the skillet and wind up eating it straight out of the pan.
If you eat it RIGHT AWAY then it's actually super puffy (photo below)! It starts to deflate pretty fast.
FAQ
My dutch baby didn't puff up?
You may not have whipped enough air into the batter, or did not let it cook long enough. It definitely takes 20 minutes to really puff up high, at 10 minutes it just barely starting to rise.
Can I use any kind of apple?
Certainly.
Can I peel my apple?
Yes, you can peel the apples if you want, it won't change the taste.
Do I have to use a skillet?
I'd recommend for the best results, but reviewers have use regular pans and sheet pans even with success.
more breakfast recipes
- Buttermilk Waffles
- Soft English Scones - this recipe is so easy to follow
- Fluffy Buttermilk Waffles - the fluffiest most delicious waffles
- Blueberry Dutch Baby - if you love this apple pancake you'll love the blueberry version
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Potato, Bacon and Green Onion Quiche - the heartiest quiche you'll ever eat
- Blueberry Crumb Muffins - with a dollop of cream cheese on it, this is one of my favorite breakfast treats
- The Fluffiest Buttermilk Pancakes - these are hands down the absolute best homemade pancakes
Cinnamon Apple Dutch Baby
Yield: 1
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
A beautiful, puffy cinnamon apple dutch baby. Crispy buttery edges and dreamy honey crisp apples makes this breakfast recipe total perfection. A dust of cinnamon sugar completes it.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- ⅔ c milk
- ⅔ c flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 honey crisp apple, skin left on, thin sliced
- 3 tbsp butter
- cinnamon and sugar mixture
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Place a skillet in the oven from the start of the preheat
- In a blender combine the eggs, flour, milk, vanilla, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon
- Pulse until it's combined, about 20 seconds
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven
- Put the 3 tbsp of butter in the pan, swirling it around until melted (it should be all foamy)
- Pour the batter directly in the center of the skillet
- Place the apples in the skillet, staying away from the out 1" edge, this helps maintain that big puffy dutch baby edge
- Place the skillet back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes
- Don't peek and don't remove it before 20 minutes! Between 15-20 minutes is where the edges really get that big rise
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle over top cinnamon/sugar mixture and some powdered sugar
- Serve immediately!
Notes
Items used in this recipe (affiliate links - I earn a very small commission)
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 400Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 203mgSodium: 327mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 4gSugar: 50gProtein: 9g
This information comes from online calculators. Although moderncrumb.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Orange Sweet Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Mom's Basic Quiche Recipe
- Cranberry Orange Poppyseed Muffins
- Maple Pecan Scones
Reader Interactions
Comments
Meri
What a great breakfast/brunch addition. Made this for a family brunch and it was nice to be able to whip up the "cake" ingredients in the Vitamix prior to everyone coming, and then easy enough to throw together once they'd arrived and other food was ready. Everyone loved it - I set out maple syrup and homemade whipped cream as topping options - YUM!
Reply
Judy
I just made this for dinner, its simple to make with great results. I used blueberries and apple. I made a simple whip of 250 ml sweetened whipped cream, folded in 1/4 c.sour cream and 1/4 c. plain yogurt. A bit like crème fraiche
Reply
PL
This recipe worked wonderfully. My recent attempts to make a apple Dutch Baby Pancake have ended up flat (previously they were fine) and I wasn't sure why so thought I would try a new recipe. The tip to keep the apples "...away from the out 1" edge" was helpful. And these ratios also worked perfectly - puffy, golden brown, and tasty with the cinnamon & sugar sprinkling! It did call for 1 more egg than usual, but we all liked it just as much. Thank you!
Reply
Sarah
Love this recipe!! I’ve made it multiple times and I’ve even made it in advance for when we have company over and let it cool and wrapped it up to put in the freezer. Pull it out the night before and let it thaw in fridge, nuke it in the microwave and it tastes awesome! Saves me from having to spend time in the kitchen when we have guests. Love love love it! 💚
Reply
Tara Moore
Thank you Sarah!
Reply
Sandy
What size cast iron skillet?
Reply
Tara Moore
I use a 10.25" and also 12", both work.
Reply
Jen Schoenbein
I used peaches and cinnamon, excellent taste! AlthoughI used this as a light dinner and ate 2 1/2 servings. 🙂
Reply
Tara Moore
Sounds so delicious! Peaches would be great in this 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Jen!
Reply
Maggie Martin
Sounds like an excellent dinner.
Reply
Justine Johnson
Made my first ever Dutch baby today! Also known as a German pancake, it’s basically a huge popover cooked in a skillet (often a cast iron skillet but we don’t currently have one - this skillet worked just fine!). The batter (which is very egg-heavy, this contains SIX!) has lots of air incorporated into it (I mixed it in the blender) and is then poured into the pre-heated skillet which goes into the oven to bake. As it does so, the pancake puffs up and climbs up the sides to produce a pretty impressive final product (it was even puffier than this initially but it falls within a couple minutes). The taste and texture is much more like thin French toast than pancake (again, think popover), and it has lots of protein from all them eggs! ??? Recipe thanks to @moderncrumb - minus the apples since ours were all squishy ?
Reply
Tara Moore
Thanks so much for the great review Justine! I hope you'll try out some other recipes too 🙂
Reply
Casey
Way too many eggs in my opinion. it came out incredibly dense in the center. next time I would cut it down to 3 eggs and whip it much more to incorporate as much air as possible.
Reply
Tara Moore
I think my Great Grandma's recipe is perfect as is 🙂
Reply
Brooklin
It turned out perfectly and tastes great!
Reply
Tara Moore
Thank you Brooklin!
Reply
Kristen
I followed this recipe for my first attempt at a Dutch baby, and it did not disappoint - absolutely delicious! I used gala apples since that’s what I had on hand, and it tasted wonderful. Adding this to my recipe box and can’t wait to make it again!
Reply
Tara Moore
Hi Kristen, so happy to hear it went well for your first try! - Tara
Reply
Susan
This recipe is amazing. Dessert for breakfast, dessert for dessert, dessert for a snack, heck even a sweet dinner. It covers all bases. So easy to make. My honey crisp apples were very small so I used 2 apples. My family love it.
Reply
Tara Moore
Thank you Susan! I could eat this for any meal too, hehe. 🙂
Reply
Rendee
Oh my gosh so good I used an envy apple and it was amazing !! Thank you for this recipe it’s a new favorite!
Reply
Tara Moore
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Reply
Wendy
I used to order and share this pancake with my parents at a chain restaurant in Chicago. While looking for something to do with apples, o came across this recipe. It was too simple to be true. I tried it and the rest is history. I loved making it for my family brunch. Can’t wait to make it again.
Reply
Tara Moore
Thank you Wendy! This recipe has been in my family for generations, I'm so glad you were able to relive a special memory 🙂
Reply
Anna
Thoughts on using a Dutch oven or casserole dish?
Reply
Tara Moore
Hi Anna, I haven't tried either - if you do, please share how it went 🙂
Reply
Susan Jeffries
I didn't see what size cast iron skillet you use. I have several sizes so wasn't sure. Thanks
Reply
Tara Moore
Hi, it's a 10.25"
Reply
Angelene
What do you think about doubling the recipe and putting it in a 9x13 metal cake pan? Would I change baking time?
Reply
Tara Moore
Hi Angelene! I used to make them in a round metal cake pan for years, the only thing different about the cake pan is you don't get as much lift around the edges, but it still works! I think you should be fine using a 9x13 and you could add a few extra minutes, just turn your oven light on to see how it's doing at 20 🙂
Reply
Jeri
My husband and I love your recipe! So easy and came out perfect! Thank you!
Reply
Tara Moore
Thank you so much Jeri! It's one of my favorite family recipes 🙂 Have a great day!
Reply
Georgina
Hi! I just made this recipe however I can’t tell if I did it correctly for sure because there wasn’t any flour listed in the ingredient list but it’s in the instructions. So I estimated maybe about 3/4 of a cup. It’s baking now so I hope it turns out ok! I’d recommend adding flour + amount to your ingredient list. Thanks!
Reply
Tara Moore
Hi Georgina! Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention, I just recently added my recipes from within the blog to recipe cards and this was an oversight. I appreciate you letting me know 🙂 It calls for 2/3 c so 3/4 was a great guess! - Tara
Reply
