Breakfast is one of my favorite meals to eat, but not my favorite to make. I feel as if no matter what I make I’m always tied to the stove while everyone else is eating, talking and drinking coffee and mimosas. Weekday breakfast in my house is very low key, but for vacation or a weekend I like to impress. While I love pancakes, I don’t love having to make them. I find it super time consuming and by the end I’m over the whole experience. Making a Dutch Baby solves all of those concerns and will make everyone at your table smile with delight.
If you’ve never had a Dutch Baby you are really missing out. While the name may have you thinking that it originated in Europe, it was created at a diner in Seattle and trademarked in 1942. It’s an amazing combination between a crepe, pancake and popover. You can fill it with literally anything or leave it plain and have a toppings bar. The pictures and recipe below are for a sweet Dutch Baby, but you can also make a savory one (look out for that in the coming weeks). It is the ultimate item to serve at a breakfast or a brunch because you can make the batter ahead of time, and just pop it in the oven when you are ready. It also has the wow factor when you take it out, and it’s risen so beautifully. Don’t be intimidated by the name or look of this – you can pull it off! Thanks for follow along ~LC
As always, start off by gathering your ingredients. You will need a 10 inch oven-safe skillet for this – I used a non stick since my cast iron is 12 inch. I have two different sweet toppings for this Dutch Baby: 1. Nutella, strawberries and bananas, 2. Blueberry Lemon compote. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine your dry ingredients and whisk together to combine. Next combine the milk, eggs and vanilla. I like to use a large glass measuring cup for this. I pour the milk in first, then crack the eggs and add the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk to combine. The batter will be thin. Let rest for about 10 minutes. While the batter is resting, place your butter in the pan and place in the oven to melt the butter, about 2-3 minutes. OPTIONAL: At this stage you can place the batter in the refrigerator covered overnight. Just let sit out for about 20-30 minutes before you bake it if you choose to go this route, whisk gently prior to pouring into hot skillet.
If you are making the blueberry lemon compote, start now. Combine 2 cups of the blueberries with the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until some of the berries begin to burst. Remove from heat and fold in the remaining cup of blueberries and allow to rest for 20 minutes so that it’ll begin to thicken. You will want to fill the Dutch Baby once it emerges from the oven.
Carefully, with an oven mitt, remove the hot pan from the oven. Swirl butter around to ensure it is coating the sides of the pan. Pour batter into the hot pan and place back in the oven for 20-25 minutes. It will puff up super high in the oven, so make sure that the rack above it isn’t too close.
While baking get your filling ready to go if you are making the Nutella, strawberry and banana center. Wash and slice strawberries. Remove peel from bananas and slice as well. Set aside.
Your Dutch Baby will rise beautifully while cooking and the center will start to fall as it cools. This is totally normal! Let it cool for a minute and then fill with Nutella and fruit or blueberry lemon compote. Serve directly from pan and enjoy!
Sweet Dutch Baby
4 Tbsp salted butter
3 large eggs
¾ cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup whole milk
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp fine sea salt
Nutella Filling
1/3 cup Nutella
½ pint strawberries
2 bananas
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. In a large glass measuring cup mix milk, eggs and vanilla.
3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Let rest for 10 minutes before pouring into hot pan.
4. Place butter in a 10 inch ovenproof skillet (I use non stick but cast iron is traditional for this). Pop into the oven for 2-3 minutes to let the butter melt. Remove from the oven using an oven mitt. Swirl butter to ensure the sides of the pan are coated. Pour batter into hot pan and place immediately back in the oven for 20 minutes.
5. While your Dutch Baby cooks, prepare the filling. Wash and slice strawberries. Remove bananas from peel and slice.
6. Once Dutch Baby is done cooking, remove from the oven with an oven mitt. Let rest for one minute, then carefully dot Nutella around the center and spread gently. Arrange sliced fruit. Slice and serve – enjoy!
Blueberry Lemon Compote
3 cups of blueberries
¼ cup organic cane sugar
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 Tbsp water
1. Combine 2 cups of the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and water.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until blueberries begin to burst – about 8 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and fold in last cup of blueberries.
4. Allow to cool for 20 minutes – this will allow the compote to thicken, but still be warm. Fill the center of the Dutch Baby and enjoy.