German Pancakes

By Maria Lichty

Published on September 29, 2021

View RecipePin Recipe4.6992

Our family LOVES a good breakfast. We love making French toast, waffles, pancakes, egg casseroles, smoothies, and more!

German Pancakes are definitely a staple at our house. They are super easy to make and SO fun! If you haven’t tried a German pancake, let me introduce you! I guarantee they will be a favorite breakfast at your house. Hint, you only need 5 minutes of prep time and they are made with basic ingredients!

What are German Pancakes?

A German pancake, sometimes called a Dutch Baby, a Bismarck, a Dutch puff, or a Hootenanny, is a large American crepe-like popover pancake. You only need six ingredients and you don’t have to stand by the skillet filliping pancakes all morning.

You make the giant pancake in the oven in a large baking dish or an oven-safe skillet. The pancake puffs up while baking and climbs the sides of the pan. Kids love watching this step because the pancake is like magic. It gets puffy, golden, and forms a different shape every time. The pancake is supposed to look a little crazy and that is all part of the fun!

German Pancake Ingredients

You only need 6 ingredients to make this giant German pancake, and the ingredients are VERY basic! This is a no-fuss recipe!

• Butter– You will melt the butter in the oven, in the pan!
• Flour– Use all-purpose flour.
• Salt– A little salt to bring out the flavors!
• Milk– I recommend using whole milk for a rich pancake, but any milk will work.
• Vanilla extract– Vanilla adds the best flavor, don’t skip it!
• Eggs– You need 6 large eggs for this recipe! The pancakes are more “eggy” and taste similar to crepes or popovers.

How to Make German Pancakes

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. You want to bake the oven in a hot oven so it can puff up!
• Put the butter in a 9×13-inch pan and place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the milk and vanilla and whisk until combined.
• Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well in between each addition, this will make sure the German pancake is nice and fluffy! Alternatively, you can use a blender to blend all of the ingredients together.
• Remove the pan from the oven and swirl it around so the butter evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Make sure the butter is hot when you pour in the butter.
• Pour the batter slowly into the pan, in a figure 8, swirling motion, so the batter hits the hot butter. Don’t just pour it in in one spot. You have to swirl!
• Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 15 to 23 minutes or until puffed up and light golden in color.

How to Serve German Pancakes

The German pancake does get nice and puffy in the oven, but when you remove the pan from the oven the pancake will start to deflate as it cools.

I recommend serving the pancake immediately! It is ok if it falls a little, it will still be good, but German pancakes are best right out of the oven!

Use a sharp knife to cut the pancake into squares.

The pancake fills a 9×13-inch pan, BUT because the pancake is so light and airy, it doesn’t feed a ton of people. One pan typically serves 4-6 people. If you have a large crowd or a big family, I recommend making two pans.

German Pancake Toppings

Now for the fun part, the toppings! We usually keep things simple and top our oven pancake with berries, whipped cream, maple syrup, and a dusting of confectioner’s sugar.

Here are some other topping ideas!

• Confectioner’s sugar– It’s so pretty! My boys call it snow, ha!
• Fruit: Berries, peach slices, banana slices, or cinnamon skillet apples are all good options! Use whatever is in season!
• Whipped Cream– you can’t go wrong with whipped cream!
• Syrup– Syrup is a classic pancake topping. Use traditional maple syrup, strawberry syrup, or even brown butter buttermilk syrup!
• Lemon & Sugar– Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the warm pancake and sprinkle with granulated sugar! So refreshing!
• Nut Butter– Spread peanut butter or almond butter on top of your pancake!
• Nutella– So decadent and divine, especially with strawberries or raspberries!
• Cottage cheese or Greek yogurt– This may sound odd, but I promise cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are good toppings! Plus, you get an extra boost of protein!

How to Store German Pancakes

I highly recommend enjoying the pancakes RIGHT out of the oven. You can’t beat a fresh German Pancake.

If you have leftovers, we rarely do, you can store them in the refrigerator for up 2 days, BUT they tend to get a little rubbery after being reheated. Still edible, but not the very best:)

More Pancake Recipes

• Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
• Best Buttermilk Pancakes
• Easy Blender Pancakes
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Chocolate Chip Pancakes

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Breakfast/Brunch

German Pancakes

You only need 6 ingredients to make this delicious oven pancake. The giant, buttery pancake puffs up in the oven, creating a fun, light, and fluffy pancake that kids and adults love! Serve hot, right out of the oven with confectioner's sugar, berries, maple syrup, or your favorite pancake toppings!

4.69 from 22 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Cuisine German

Servings 4

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• For serving: confectioner’s sugar, berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the butter in a 9×13-inch pan and place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted, about 2 to 5 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Pour in the milk and vanilla and whisk until combined.
• Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well in between each addition, this will make sure the German pancakes are fluffy.
  
• Remove the pan from the oven and swirl it around so the butter evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Make sure the butter is hot when you pour in the batter. Pour the batter slowly into the pan, in a figure 8, swirling motion, so the batter hits the hot butter.
• Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 15 to 23 minutes or until puffed up and light golden in color.
• Remove the pan from the oven and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into squares and serve immediately with berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup, if desired.
  

Notes

The pancake will rise above the pan in the oven and deflate after it comes out of the oven, that is normal.

You can make German pancakes in a blender. Put all the ingredients in a blender, except the eggs. Blend, then add the eggs ,one at a time, blending about 15 seconds between each addition.

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 282mg, Sodium: 413mg, Potassium: 210mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 810IU, Calcium: 114mg, Iron: 3mg

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