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German Pancakes are a hot and puffy golden pancake that only requires 5 minutes of prep! This classic breakfast is always a huge hit at our house!
We love a good classic breakfast at our house. Try this Breakfast Casserole, these delicious Quick 45 Minute Cinnamon Rolls, or my Grandma’s Perfect Fluffy Pancakes for a breakfast the family won’t be able to get enough of!
German Pancakes Recipe
Breakfast is always a struggle at our house because mornings are always so busy! I love to surprise the kiddos with a delicious and hot breakfast at least once a week before school. That is why we love German pancakes at our house. They only take 5 minutes of prep with ingredients that you have on hand. This breakfast is totally doable, even for the busiest families!
My kids love to watch things baking in the oven and this recipe is the best to watch! As the german pancakes bake in the oven, they get puffy and golden. Once we take them out, I love sprinkling them with some powdered sugar and topping them with some syrup and berries. But the best part about pancakes is that you can make them however you like!
Are German Pancakes really from Germany?
German Pancakes or Dutch Baby Pancakes are not German Pancakes the way they are prepared in Germany. The American “German Pancakes” are more like a popover, either entirely baked in the oven or started in a pan and finished in the oven.
German Puff Pancakes Ingredients
If you haven’t tried this classic breakfast, you need to make it. We absolutely love it at our house, and it is so fun and easy to make! It is sure to be a huge hit with family or guests!
- Flour: All-purpose flour is best for it to thicken.
- Eggs: This helps with the form and taste of the pancake.
- Milk: This helps make the batter creamy and smooth.
- Butter: Melt the butter before adding it to the batter.
- Sugar: The sugar sweetens the pancakes up!
- Salt: Just a pinch will help it rise.
How to Make German Pancakes from Scratch?
Make this German pancake recipe even easier by adding the batter to a blender for about 30 seconds. Start with blending the wet ingredients together first and then add the dry ingredients until they are smooth. Once the lumps are out, place the batter in the cast iron skillet.
- Whisk Together: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, salt, and sugar. Add the flour and stir until incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Bake in a Skillet: Add one tablespoon of melted butter to the bottom of a 9 or 11-inch cast iron skillet. Pour the batter into a skillet and bake for 12-18 minutes or just until the edges start to brown. Top with desired toppings.
Tips and Tricks
The best thing about baking German pancakes is watching them rise up and over the pan while baking in the oven. Getting that nice fluffy texture and high rise takes a few tips and tricks to make the perfect German pancakes.
- Eggs: Fresh eggs are best! Taking the time to whisk each egg individually will also help fluff up the pancake. This does take extra time but can be so worth it!
- Flour: For best results, use all-purpose flour to help with the rise and thickness of each pancake.
- Preheating the pan: Before adding the batter to the pan, it helps to melt butter ahead of time to help the pancake rise. The butter will help as a non-stick agent, which creates a taller rise and also keeps the pancake from sticking to the pan.
- Golden Brown Color: German pancakes are a little tricky to know whether they are done. As it is baking in the oven, the sides of the pancake will rise about 1 to 2 inches and even creep over the top of the skillet. Once the edges and top of the German pancake is nice and golden brown, you know to remove the pancake from the oven. The middle of the pancake will be a yellow egg color. Once the pancake is removed from the oven, in a short amount of time, the German oven pancake will fall a bit. This happens as it is cooling.
Optional Toppings to Try
Traditionally adding syrup or sprinkling powdered sugar are always popular choices. Once the German pancake is baked and ready to serve, add your favorite toppings and create a delicious breakfast everyone will love.
- Syrup: Buttermilk syrup or any berry syrup.
- Jam: Strawberry jam is my favorite!
- Fresh Berries: Raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries go together so well and balance out the sweet flavor of German pancakes.
- Powdered Sugar: Sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top!
- Chocolate Chips: Add the chocolate chips right on top of the pancake while it is warm.
- Cinnamon Sugar: A little more sweetness!
- Nutella: This adds a delicious, chocolatey taste!
More Delicious Breakfast Ideas
Breakfast might just be the best meal of the day! It can be sweet, savory or anything in between! I’ve gathered up a few more of my very favorite breakfast recipes that you must try. You’re entire family will love them!
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German Oven Pancake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons melted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium sized bowl whisk the eggs, milk, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, salt and sugar. Add the flour and stir until incorporated being careful not to overmix.
- Add 1 tablespoon melted butter to the bottom of a 9 or 11 inch cast iron skillet. Pour the batter into a skillet and bake for 12-18 minutes or just until the edges start to brown. Top with desired toppings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I use coconut oil instead of butter? And can I store the batter overnight?
Hi again! I have a second question. Does this recipe use 3 or 4 tbsp of butter total? I wasn’t sure if all 3 tablespoons of melted butter go into the batter and then you add an extra tablespoon of butter to the skillet or if you save 1 tablespoon for the skillet. Step 1 says to mix the melted butter into the batter, but doesn’t specify the amount. Thanks so much!
I wasn’t sure either and ended up using all 3Tbsp in the batter and an extra one on the skillet. It turned out just fine! But after reading through the comments, next time I’ll just use 3 total. But either does work! ??
Hi! This looks delicious! Could you add a bit more specifics about the order of mixing the ingredients together? I tried this recipe this morning and added the butter, then sugar, then milk, then salt, then eggs. The cold milk solidified the melted butter and the ingredients didn’t incorporate and the batter was ruined. Thanks so much!
i incorporated the berries in before baking and it was absolutely delicious all melted in the batter! Great recipe!
Can I make this with pancake mix instead of flower….?
How many adult servings does this make? I would like to have it feed 6 adults. Can you suggest recipe adjustment to accommodate? God bless!
I would say this would feed about 4 adults. 🙂
hi can i make this with coconut milk? i am lactose intolerant 🙁
You probably already made this but I used almond milk and it turned out beautifully d:
This was easy, elegant and fantastic. We topped ours with defrosted mixed berries and powdered sugar. The juice from the defrosted berries was scrumptious drizzled over the whole thing. My Swedish mother made something similar when I was little, but I hadn’t been able to recreate it. So glad I found this recipe. Will be a regular in our house.
I was looking for the breakfast pancake recipe to make it this weekend to surprise my wife and kids and this is the one! Honestly, I’m not good at cooking but this pancake recipe seems easy. I’ll make it tomorrow morning!
Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
I hope it turns out great for you!!
Quick, easy, delicious, and surprisingly, turned out great with first attempt. Forgot to add the melted butter until the mix was in the pan, quickly whisked it in, still turned out great. If it helps… For those using celsius I had the oven on 230 C. The pan I used was 26cm wide. My 2 and 4 year old girls were able to help make it and thought it was very yummy. We put chopped up banana, golden kiwi fruit and maple syrup on when cooked. They were most impressed. ? 5 Stars (Can’t seem to get the star rating to work.)
I made this for Sunday morning brunch and topped it with cherries and homemade honey. My boyfriend was skeptical since he doesn’t typically like pancakes, but this was so delicious and ridiculously quick to make. Thanks for sharing!
It says to divide the butter. how much goes in the actual pancake?
2 tablespoons.
It’s 3 actually
It looks so delicious ….. yum! how many can you feed with this? Thanks
I used a 10 inch skillet and it fed our family of 5 great!
Can I make this without a cast iron pan ?
Yes. You can make it in a 9×13 inch pan. 🙂
Yes! I’ve used a pie plate! And it turned out great!
oh I would love this!
Um yeah, so this looks AMAZING!!!! And I NEED It!!!
Thanks Yvonne! xo
My family and I love this pancake. Thanks for sharing.