Get ready to elevate your breakfast game with this delicious Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby. This show-stopping breakfast dish combines the tangy zest of lemon with the burst of juicy blueberries, all nestled in a fluffy golden skillet pancake.
I'm a big fan of breakfast food, whether it's a quick make-ahead breakfast burrito on busy weekday mornings, a refreshing green smoothie to take on the go, or a hearty baked oatmeal on lazy Sundays.
Now I'm excited to bring you this easy and elegant Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby. This delicious baked pancake is infused with lemon and studded with sweet, juicy blueberries.
As this delightful creation bakes in the oven, it puffs up high, creating a dramatic centerpiece that is sure to impress your guests. This brunch masterpiece is the perfect combination of tangy, sweet, and utterly irresistible.
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What is a Dutch Baby?
Have you ever had a Dutch baby? If you haven’t, you must make this dish now! A Dutch baby, also called a German pancake, is a baked breakfast dish that’s a cross between a popover and a pancake. It has a light, tender, and eggy interior with crispy edges.
A Dutch baby pancake is an elegant dish that’s deceptively easy to make. You simply blend all of the ingredients in a blender, pour the batter into a hot skillet (typically a cast iron skillet), and pop it in the oven.
As it bakes, it puffs up high. A simple dusting of powdered sugar and breakfast is served! It’s nice enough to serve to guests but easy enough for a lazy Sunday family brunch.
What Makes a Dutch Baby Rise?
There is no baking powder or leavening agent in a classic Dutch baby recipe. It only has a few basic ingredients- eggs, milk, flour, butter, sugar, and salt. It’s all about using the proper technique to get that beautiful lift that we love.
You need two things for a Dutch baby to rise properly- a well-developed batter with enough air and a super hot skillet and oven.
A Dutch baby pancake gets its height from the gluten in the batter and the blast of high heat in a very hot oven. The batter must be whisked properly to incorporate a lot of air.
Then you must let it rest to give the gluten time to develop. The gluten, or protein in the flour, creates a web that traps steam in the batter and makes the Dutch baby rise.
Resist the urge to open the oven door and peek while it's baking otherwise your Dutch baby pancake won’t rise well.
Blueberry Dutch Baby
I decided to make my latest Dutch baby with one of my favorite fruits- blueberries. Blueberries are a great way to add natural sweetness and a boost of nutrients to your dishes.
To complement the blueberries in this Dutch baby pancake recipe, I add fresh lemon zest. After all, lemon and blueberries are a natural pairing.
Instead of serving this lemon blueberry Dutch baby with maple syrup, my preferred topping of choice is a bit of powdered sugar and lemon curd. Lemon curd is a rich and creamy spread made with lemons, egg yolks, sugar, and butter. It has an intense lemon flavor that takes this dish over the top!
You can make your own lemon curd or you can buy it. If you don't have lemon curd, a dollop of Greek yogurt makes an excellent topping for this blueberry lemon Dutch baby.
Why You'll Love This Dish
- Irresistible flavor combination- sweet blueberries and zesty lemon are the perfect pairing!
- Easy to make- unlike traditional pancakes, a Dutch baby is hands-off and can simply be popped in the oven.
- Elegant- a show-stopping dish that will impress both guests and family members alike.
- Versatile- enjoy this dish as a sweet breakfast or brunch option, or even as a delectable dessert.
Doctor's Tips
- I always have fresh or frozen blueberries in my fridge or freezer. I add them to to smoothies, sandwiches, oatmeal or yogurt for a natural boost of sweetness and nutrients.
- Blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber.
- Vitamin C plays an important role in immune function and helps to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. One serving of blueberries provides almost 25 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredient list:
- Blueberries- can use fresh or frozen blueberries
- Flour- although I like to incorporate whole grains in my recipes, all purpose flour works best in this dish and will help the Dutch baby rise more.
- Milk- use room temperature milk, any type. I typically use whole or 2% milk.
- Lemon curd- I love topping this lemon blueberry Dutch baby with lemon curd, a creamy spread with an intense lemon flavor.
How To Make Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby Step-By-Step
See recipe card below for full recipe instructions.
- Step 1- Add eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, sugar, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth and frothy. Let the batter rest at least 30 minutes.
- Step 2- Preheat oven to 425°F. When oven it hot, place a 10-inch oven-safe skillet on the middle shelf. Let the skillet heat up in the oven for a good 10-15 minutes. Then, carefully remove skillet from the oven using oven mitts (it will be hot) and place it on the stove. Add the butter and swirl it around until melted. Be careful, as the butter may splatter in the hot skillet.
- Step 3- Add the blueberries to the skillet and stir to coat them with the butter.
- Step 4- Pour the batter over the blueberries and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake 18-22 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.
Remove skillet from the oven. Drizzle lemon curd on top and dust with powdered sugar. The Dutch baby will start to fall within minutes of being taken out of the oven.
Chef's Tips For Making The Perfect Dutch Baby
- Use a 10-inch skillet for best results. You can use a cast iron skillet or any oven-safe skillet.
- The oven must be really hot- be sure to preheat it well.
- The eggs and milk should be at room temperature or slightly warm. Take the eggs out a few hours ahead of time or if you take them directly from the fridge, put them in a bowl with warm water for 10 minutes to get them to room temperature. The milk can be heated gently in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Aerate the batter well- blend it until it is light and frothy.
- Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the gluten to develop. The longer it rests, the better. You can even make it the night before and refrigerate it. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before baking.
- The skillet should be piping hot. Heat it for several minutes in the oven before pouring the batter in.
- Bake the blueberry Dutch baby in the middle of the oven. If it's too close to the top of the oven, it may brown too much.
- Resist the temptation to open the oven door and peek. The blast of high heat is what gives the Dutch baby its rise and if you open the oven door, it won’t rise as well.
Recipe FAQs
A Dutch baby gets its rise from the combination of air in the batter and the high heat of the oven. The gluten, or protein in the flour, creates a web that traps steam in the batter and makes the Dutch baby rise in the hot oven.
There are a lot of reasons why a Dutch baby doesn't rise. Make sure your ingredients (eggs and milk) are at room temperature and are not cold. Be sure to blend the batter well to incorporate a lot of air into it. Then let it rest to allow the gluten to develop. Heat the skillet in the oven so that it is piping hot when you pour the batter in. Finally, don't open the oven door to peek while it is cooking or your Dutch baby won't rise as well.
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Recipe
Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup milk at room temperature
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup blueberries
For serving (optional):
- Powdered sugar, lemon curd, maple syrup
Instructions
- Add eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, sugar, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth and frothy. Let the batter rest at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. When oven it hot, place a 10-inch oven-safe skillet on the middle shelf. Let the skillet heat up in the oven for a good 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully remove skillet from the oven using oven mitts (it will be hot) and place it on the stove. Add the butter and swirl it around until melted. Be careful, as the butter may splatter in the hot skillet.
- Add the blueberries to the skillet and stir to coat them with the butter.
- Pour the batter over the blueberries and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake 18-22 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Do not open the oven as it bakes.
- Remove skillet from oven and serve (Dutch baby will start to fall within minutes of being taken out of the oven). Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a drizzle of lemon curd (or maple syrup), if desired.
Notes
- Use a 10-inch skillet for best results. You can use a cast iron skillet or any oven-safe skillet.
- The oven must be really hot- be sure to preheat it well.
- The eggs and milk should be at room temperature or slightly warm. Take the eggs out a few hours ahead of time or if you take them directly from the fridge, put them in a bowl with warm water for 10 minutes to get them to room temperature. The milk can be heated gently in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Aerate the batter well- blend it until it is light and frothy.
- Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the gluten to develop. The longer it rests, the better. You can even make it the night before and refrigerate it. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before baking.
- The skillet should be piping hot. Heat it for several minutes in the oven before pouring the batter in.
- Bake the blueberry Dutch baby in the middle of the oven. If it's too close to the top of the oven, it may brown too much.
- Resist the temptation to open the oven door and peek. The blast of high heat is what gives the Dutch baby its rise and if you open the oven door, it won’t rise as well.
Darrell Featherston says
I made this blueberry & lemon Dutch baby this morning and it turned out great, and it was so delicious!! I highly recommend this recipe.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
That’s great to hear, Darrell! I just made this dish for brunch too 🙂 So happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for leaving a review!
Aksummergal says
The recipe is delicious for an oven pancake. I made it twice to make sure I followed the recipe correctly, I didn’t get any rise like a Dutch pancake should. Looking at your photographs I realized mine looked just like yours… a pancake. Dutch pancakes should puff up then fall as they cool. Needs the crevices to hold syrup and powder sugar.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Thanks for your comment! I recently retested and updated this recipe to make sure that it gets a nice rise. I have also included a new section entitled "Chef's Tips for Making the Perfect Dutch Baby." I hope you try it out again!
Wendy says
So this looks delicious! Does it have to be eaten right away or can it be taken to work with me and reheated in a microwave? Thank you! Can’t wait to try it!
sonaliruder says
Thank you! You can definitely reheat it in the microwave- it’s perfect to take to work. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Kris ~ Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies says
I've always wanted to try a Dutch Baby, and never have. I am putting this on the weekend menu lineup.
Husband will be thrilled with such a tasty breakfast!
Kristy from Southern In Law says
I've never tried a dutch baby before but this looks incredible! What a delicious flavour combination!
Sandra Laflamme says
I can't wait for blueberry season now! I have only had a Dutch Baby once and it was amazing. Yours sounds so good!
Maria says
How easy is this! And i love the flavor combo. I'm sure this will be a holiday hit for many 🙂
vicki says
Looks delicious - but I can't find how many servings the recipe makes?
sonaliruder says
It makes 4 servings- I just updated the recipe. I hope you try it out!
Katherine Edgecumbe says
That combination of blueberry and lemon is heavenly! I can't wait to try this recipe out 🙂
Sarah says
LOVE everything about this! Lemon and blueberries have been a combo I've always loved and Dutch Baby's because they're so good. Can't wait to make this, maybe this weekend.
Kristina @ Love & Zest says
Lemons and blueberries are such a great combination. I love those flavors together. This looks great, thanks for sharing!
Jessica @Nutritioulicious says
Blueberries and lemon are such a delicious combo! This sounds perfect for breakfast this weekend!