Your family will swoon over this delicious Apple Dutch Baby that puffs up high in the oven as it bakes. Light and airy yet satisfying and filling, serve this hearty breakfast dish straight from the oven with a dusting of powdered sugar.
If you've never had a Dutch baby, you must try this dish! My Apple Dutch Baby is a delicious and satisfying breakfast or brunch dish that the whole family will love.
It features lovely fall apples that are baked into the batter for a boost of flavor and nutrients. I also make a delicious Pumpkin Spice Dutch Baby and a Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- It's easy- just blend all the ingredients together in a blender!
- It's delicious- warm cinnamon apples baked in a tender pancake- yum!
- It's fun- your family will be impressed when you serve this Dutch baby puffed up high straight from the oven.
- It's perfect for entertaining- it's an elegant dish to serve for brunch.
What is a Dutch baby?
A Dutch baby, also called a German pancake, is a baked breakfast dish that’s like a cross between a popover and a pancake. It’s traditionally baked in the oven in a cast iron skillet and puffs up very high as it cooks.
A Dutch baby pancake has a delightfully light, tender and eggy interior, similar to a popover, with crispy edges. It's perfect for Sunday brunch as it's all made in one pan and can be served straight from the skillet.
The batter is extremely easy to make. Simply throw all of the ingredients into a blender and blend away! You can make many different types of Dutch babies, using various fruits and other ingredients.
What makes a Dutch baby rise?
The answer is- heat! There are no chemical leavening agents (like baking powder) in a Dutch baby. Rather, the batter rises from the blast of heat it gets in the oven. The gluten in the flour and protein in the eggs create a structure that traps steam in the Dutch baby, making it rise.
Heat is key here so it's really important to make sure your ingredients are room temperature or warmer. Leave your eggs out so that they can come to room temperature (or you can place them in a bowl of warm water to speed things up).
Heat the milk slightly so that it is warm. If you use cold eggs and milk, your Dutch baby pancake won't get as much height.
Also, your skillet should be hot. In this Apple Dutch Baby, I cook the apples in a skillet on the stove first so that heats it up enough. If you're making a different flavor Dutch baby that doesn't involve sautéing fruit first, then you should heat the skillet in the oven for a bit before pouring the batter in.
How To Serve This Apple Dutch Baby Pancake
Serve this Apple Dutch Baby straight from the oven while it’s puffed up high because it will start to fall soon after you take it out. Top it with a dusting of powdered sugar for the perfect finishing touch.
Cut it into slices and serve it directly from the skillet. I like to serve it with maple syrup on the side as well.
More Tasty Apple Recipes
Looking for even more apple recipes? Check out my Best Apple Recipe Round Up! More breakfast recipes
Recipe
Apple Dutch Baby
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large apple, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup reduced-fat milk, warm
- ¾ cup flour (I use a mixture of all purpose and white whole wheat flour)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar (optional)
- Maple syrup for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (preferably cast-iron). When it is melted, add the apples, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Cook until apples start to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- While the apples cook, melt the remaining tablespoon butter in the microwave. Pour it into a blender along with the eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Blend until smooth. Alternatively you can whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl until blended and light yellow. Then whisk in the flour, vanilla, salt, and sugar until smooth.
- Pour the batter over the apples in the skillet and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup, if desired. Serve immediately, as it will start to fall within minutes of being taken out of the oven.
Notes
Nutrition
About the author
Dr. Sonali Ruder
Meet Dr. Sonali Ruder aka The Foodie Physician- ER doctor, chef, culinary creator & mom.
Lisa Lin says
Sonali, this dutch baby looks perfect! Love the apples tucked in here!
sonaliruder says
Hi! Although it's hard to generalize for all recipes, I think almond milk could be used as a substitute in most dishes. In this recipe, it's the gluten in the flour along with the high heat of the oven that causes the Dutch baby to rise so substituting almond milk for regular milk should be fine. If you use vanilla flavored almond milk, it is already sweetened so decrease the amount of sugar in the recipe. I hope you try it out!
Tena Lock says
This looks so interesting, I've never heard of "Dutch Baby" before and my ancestry is Dutch. lol My Fiance is allergic to something in regular milk but I can use reconstituted powered milk and he's ok, it's not lactose, it's just something they now add in the milk. The questions I have would encompass any of your recipes that use milk. Though, I have experienced that puddings and other dishes like custards and such that need milk for them to set, reconstituted milk is a disaster. Is it possible to use the reconstituted milk in your recipes and what should I use for the recipes that need the milk to make it set? The only other product we have tried is "Blue Diamond's, Vanilla Almond Milk" but only in cold cereal. Is it possible to use that?
breakfast_value says
this dish really looks good. I always find myself short of options when it comes to breakfast. Now i will add this dish to my breakfast menu:)
thanks
sonaliruder says
Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
CookWith Manali says
wow this looks so good! Awesome for brunch on weekends 😀 Pinning this!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Manali!
Min Kwon says
I've actually never ever had Dutch baby. Is that crazy? And I always thought it was super complicated to make, but if you say it's simple then I believe it! Does this have to be prepared in a cast iron skillet or can I just use a nonstick pan?
sonaliruder says
Totally crazy 😉 A cast iron skillet is traditionally used but any oven-safe nonstick pan should work fine. Thanks Min!
Cotter Crunch says
This is lovely! now i'm pondering how to make it GF!any ideas for flour substitutes/ ?
sonaliruder says
Thanks Lindsay! I think almond flour would work really well in this recipe. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try 🙂
Cecilia says
Hi Sonali, wow, that looks so amazing. I never heard of this dish, but now I have to try it. Thanks for sharing. Have a nice day!
sonaliruder says
Hi Cecilia! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such a lovely comment!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
I love Dutch babies!! this one is perfection!
sonaliruder says
Thanks Alice!