Hands down, the most requested breakfast and brunch dish that we eat in our house is German Pancakes. They are an easy breakfast – so simple to make and require just 5 minutes of prep work. Common ingredients including eggs, milk, flour, and vanilla are blended together and baked with butter. Typically, we serve ours with lemon juice and powdered sugar sprinkled over the top of the german pancake; we also add berries on the side.
The pancake cooks up so gorgeous – with big, puffy golden brown edges and buttery crispiness across the top. It uses simple ingredients and takes about 30 minutes to bake – you’ll know it’s done when the edges are puffy and deep, golden brown. Unfortunately, the pancake falls some within a few minutes of removing it from the oven, but it still looks cool and the best part is eating it, anyhow!
It makes a lovely addition to the common French Toast or blueberry pancakes (Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes) with maple syrup rotation. Growing up, my mom would bake these puffy oven pancakes for special occasions like a Sunday morning or Christmas morning and this has become one of our favorite breakfast recipes of all time.
Nearly every weekend and sometimes on a good weekday, my husband makes German Oven Pancakes for the kiddos. Sometimes we spring for a breakfast casserole like this Cheesy Egg Bake or absolutely scrumptious Breakfast Crepes, but our favorite is this puff pancake recipe. We also keep it simple and make my Popover Recipe, they can be dusted with butter/sugar/cinnamon for a sweet bite for breakfast or made with savory cheese for a brunch item!
If you are craving a delicious warm homemade bread, try our simple recipe of Dutch Oven Bread!
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German Pancake Recipe Video
🥞 Ingredients:
- whole milk – 2% or even nonfat milk can be substituted
- eggs – room temperature eggs will incorporate more air during blending and result in a greater puff pancake.
- vanilla extract – the vanilla compliments the subtle sweetness of the German pancake
- all-purpose flour – There is a relatively small amount of flour in the recipe. As discussed, a gluten-free flour mixture can be substituted, but the gluten in the flour adds to the overall lift of the pancake.
- sugar – The sugar sweetens the pancake a bit. You can omit the sugar for a more savory German pancake.
- butter – salted or unsalted butter will work here. This recipe is heavy on the butter, resulting in an indulgent and delicious pancake. You can reduce the amount of butter with no change to the texture of the dish.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
Lemon juice, maple syrup, powdered sugar, raspberries, blueberries, a strawberry syrup, passion fruit syrup, sliced apples, toasted nuts – all of these options are delicious.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free German pancakes – As detailed below in the FAQ section, simply swap gluten-free flour mix for the all-purpose flour in the recipe and your oven pancakes will turn out delicious, albeit with a little less puff.
- Butter – Reduce the butter to anywhere from 2 tablespoons up to the indicated 8. The pancake will cook up the same, though the buttery deliciousness of these dutch baby pancakes will not be there.
- Add sliced fruit to the bottom of the baking dish to cook inside the pancake. Apples are a popular choice.
- Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet, pour the batter into the hot skillet, and transfer to the oven to bake. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to halve the batter ingredients.
🔪 Instructions:
Step 1: Turn on the oven to 400 degrees and place a stick of butter (½ c.) in a 13 x 9 inch glass casserole dish; place the pan with butter in the oven while it’s heating. I find that the butter melts more quickly if you cut it into several pieces before placing in the oven.
Step 2: While the butter is melting in the oven and the baking dish is heating, mix all the other ingredients, milk, eggs, flour, vanilla extract, and sugar together in a blender.
Step 3: Wait until the butter has completely melted AND the oven has reached 400°F.
Step 4: Pour batter over a metal spoon into the melted butter.
Step 5: Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the oven pancake is puffed and the edges turn golden brown. The base of the pancake will be dense and almost like a thick custard – an eggy texture.
GARNISH/SERVE: Sprinkle with powdered sugar, squeeze lemon juice over the pancake, or serve with berries and maple syrup. Note that the grand puffiness of the pancake will deflate shortly after removing it from the oven.
Recipe FAQs
With the rise in grain-free and gluten-free recipe needs, I have been asked a number of times if this oven pancake recipe can be made gluten-free. I’m here to tell you – YES!!! I simply substituted the all-purpose flour in the basic recipe with a gluten-free flour (I used the all-purpose gluten free rice/potato/tapioca flour from Trader Joe’s.)
Aside from puffing just a tad bit less than the traditional puffy german pancakes, the taste and texture of this gluten-free version is indistinguishable from the original version. We served this gluten-free version with our favorite combination of powdered sugar and lemon juice and even the kiddos thought it tasted exactly the same.
Okay, okay, I know that the traditional recipe has an entire stick of butter in it – you can see the delicious butter pooling on the top of the pancake and I, personally, think it’s absolute heaven! But the teeny tiny healthy voice in my head, as well as maaaannnnny a commenter, have cried for an oven pancake version with less butter. I HAVE HEARD YOUR CRIES! If you need to feel less guilty, you can simply reduce the amount of butter in the recipe. Cut it in half, reduce it down to even just a couple tablespoons. The puff pancake will still turn out golden brown and yummy, and your guilty conscience will back off a bit. (But I stand firm in that the butter makes this breakfast a true splurge in all the best ways!)
If you need to cut the butter completely out of this recipe, you can swap in the health community favorite – Coconut Oil.
As you can see in the photos, substituting coconut oil in this recipe still results in a gorgeous, golden brown German pancake with a huge degree of puff (more than usual, even). The flavor is still good – it’s just not buttery. Obviously. The texture remains the same, and you actually can use a whole lot less coconut oil – try just 2-4 tablespoons.
You will taste the coconut oil in the baked pancake, and as long as you like coconut flavor, this is a wonderful variation. I served the coconut oil version of this oven pancake with passion-fruit syrup and orange slices on the side and it was exquisite! So so delicious. 
Of all the variations, substituting almond milk for the cow’s milk had the biggest impact of all. I did a straight swap without changing anything else in the recipe which means I did still use butter. If you need absolutely no dairy, try combining this version with the coconut oil version above. The German pancake did not puff as much, and the texture was less dense.
The pancake didn’t taste bad, and if you can’t drink cow’s milk, this dairy free version will work. I’m now curious how the recipe would turn out if I tried other types of milk. The almond milk did give the pancake a different flavor – and it no longer tasted right with my usual lemon and powdered sugar topping. However, serve this version with maple syrup and you have yourself a win.
Adding fresh fruit, fresh berries, or even fresh blueberries are a popular serving suggestion. I have had lots of people tell me that they make their German pancakes with apples and cinnamon baked in. I was excited to give this version a whirl. To make this recipe, follow all of the ingredients and instructions to make your basic oven pancake batter. Add in a bit of cinnamon if you wish. I also like some additional sugar. Peel and slice one to two apples and sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. Add them into the baking dish along with the butter as you are pre-heating the oven.
Once the butter has melted, proceed by pouring the batter over a metal spoon and into the prepared pan. Cook per the recipe until the pancake is puffy and golden brown. If you wish, sprinkle some sliced almonds over the top of the pancake during the last 10 minutes of baking. This apple German pancake was tasty and less sweet than some of the other versions. Consider topping with an extra dose of cinnamon sugar, some homemade buttermilk syrup, or a big heap of sweetened whipped cream!
I’m not certain that anyone has a definitive answer to this common question. My recipe was passed down from my mother and although my maternal side immigrated from Germany, I don’t believe my recipe came from Germany. I think that what we make and call a German pancake nowadays is a recipe that was developed in America in the early 1900’s.
I’ve had many readers comment that yes, indeed, a German pancake is from Germany. Other readers who are German have never heard of such a thing. Essentially, the German Pancake is a large popover. These fluffy pancakes are a favorite among brunch recipes. It is very similar to a Yorkshire Pudding, but is made with butter rather than the traditional beef drippings. It probably has its recipe roots in Germany or Europe at large, but this version is more popular as an American recipe. Wherever its origins, it is a dish that spans generations and nationalities.
My understanding is that the term “Dutch Baby” came from an American restaurant owner. His little girl, unable to pronounce the word “Deutsche” (meaning German), began calling them Dutch babies and the name stuck. These pancakes are not from the Netherlands.
The butter and pan need to be hot when the batter goes in. This allows the pancake to rise and creep up the sides of the pan before the dry ingredients weight it down. If you want puffy pancakes, be sure to follow the steps for melting the butter and heating the pan. If you use a cast iron skillet, heat the butter then, too, for fluffy german pancakes. Using gluten free flour is another contributor to a less puffy batch of german pancake.
Do you make this breakfast at home? Do you call them something different like oven pancakes or German puff pancakes? I still would like to try cooking them on the stove top in a cast iron frying pan – maybe next time!
If you try these German Pancakes or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
German Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 eggs large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup salted butter (melt in pan)
- 1 lemon for serving
- powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Place ½ cup butter in a heavy 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
- Set baking dish (with butter) in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
- In a blender, combine milk, eggs, vanilla, flour, and granulated sugar.
- When the butter is completely melted (before it browns or burns, though!), pour the batter over a metal spoon into the baking dish.
- Cook 30-40 minutes or until the pnacake is set in the middle and the edges are very puffy and golden brown.
- Remove from oven. Garnish with lemon juice and powdered sugar and serve immediately.
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Comments & Reviews
Olivia says
Just made this for breakfast yesterday. We had guests in town and wanted something simple and delicious. This was both and it was a wonderful presentation. Sooo yummy! Thank you for the recipe!
Rina says
OHMAGAWRD!!! I made this this morning on a whim… I started mixing the ingredients and realized I didn’t have any Vanilla Extract so I added some Pure Maple Syrup instead… SIMPLY DIVINE!!! We topped them off with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar!! This will be a nice recipe to keep for brunches and potlucks!! 🙂
Muv says
What a smart idea by adding the pure maple syrup, thanks a bunch on that tip!
Marsha Ramsdell says
Made this for lunch today. Family loved it! Thank you so much.
Kaala says
i dont know if its just my oven or not – but after an hour in, the middle was still slightly undercooked. They were felicious, though!
Doris says
Hi Stef, ich bin Deutsche, kenne das Rezept so aber nicht. Es hört sich aber genial an, wird am Sonntag
ausprobiert.
Vielen Dank
Doris
Lisa Hugebeck says
i have made this deliciousness 4 times now however while the first two times it puffed up just like the picture the next two times it baked more like a cake, no puffiness although still delicious. Do you know what I did wrong?
girlinspired says
Make sure your pan and the butter go into the oven first until the butter is melted. The hot pan and butter help the batter to puff when it hits the heat.
Carol says
There was a restaurant in Minneapolis called Pannekoeken that served “oven pancakes” described as “Dutch.” Since German “deutsch” and “Dutch” are frequently confused, maybe these are Dutch pancakes.. .
Heather says
Just got done eating and falling in love with this!! So delicious!! My son gave it an “8” and says on his scale, 8 means great!!
Jana says
I have been seeing these a lot lately and I wonder why they are called ‘german’ pancakes. Does someone know? I am german and have lived in germany almost my entire life and I have never heard or seen these. I’m very curious…
Floral says
They’re often referred to as “Dutch Babies” (and baked in a skillet), which apparently is a term that was coined because a restaurant owner in Seattle had a daughter that could not pronounce “deutsch.” In my research (limited as it is), the recipe seems to be derived from either German popovers or apfelpfannkuchen, but I could be totally wrong. Just a guess, hope it helps! Either way, they’re delicious.
Sadie says
It’s actually called smorn. We usually cook it in a skillet but lost the recipe.
katja prater says
Fyi… dutch is not deutsch, it’s considered the Netherlands.
I’m geman and I never heard of German oven pencakes neither lol. But 8 had it in the Netherlands as a child
Audrey says
Deutche is usually referring to the Pennsylvania Dutch, German Americans. My grandmother was Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutche).
Haley says
My Grandmother who was a home ec teacher always told me German pancakes a pop-overs are literally the same. The recipes are interchangeable.
According to Sunset magazine,[3] Dutch babies were introduced in the first half of the 1900s at Manca’s Cafe, a family-run restaurant that was located in Seattle, Washington and that was owned by Victor Manca.[4] While these pancakes are derived from the German pancake dish, it is said that the name Dutch baby was coined by one of Victor Manca’s daughters. In 1942, Manca’s Cafe owned the trademark for Dutch babies, although the cafe later closed in the 1950s.[citation needed]
The “Dutch” moniker refers to the group of German-American immigrants known as the Pennsylvania Dutch, where “Dutch” is a corruption of the German autonym deutsch.[5]
Lynda says
I am German and my mom has always made these for us as kids and even today, my favorite is with apple.
You can also make them in a pan (stove top) much quicker when your really starving.
Valerie says
My first encounter with this recipe was at a state fair, and they were called “Finnish Pancakes”…Pannukkau. I’d say there are many versions of it and it doesn’t really resemble a pancake (as Americans would see it, at least) but something like a marriage of custard and the thickest crepe you ever had!
Anyway, they’re wonderful and last a few days, even, if kept in the refrigerator. They reheat in the microwave just fine, too. I put maple syrup, jam, or sprinkles of sugar on them. I also added some cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter.
Rita says
It’s a misnomer. Not unlike French Ffies or French Toast which have nothing to do with France! The French do have Bon Frit which is their version of a fried potato…but you get the idea! LOL!
T. Coffey says
I love these with strawberries, a little powdered sugar and whipped cream. Fabulous! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Since my recipe is a little different, adding an extra step, I plan to try yours next time.
Heidi Deckert says
I went to post this recipe and was delighted to find it is YOUR site. You are so amazingi and I could not be more proud of you and your accomplishments.
Inga Guenther says
Could you substitute anything for the lemon? My husband is not a fan of lemon and I would like to make this dish because it sounds and looks amazing!
girlinspired says
Lots of people like to eat it with fruit or maple syrup!
Cassie F says
We don’t put the lemon. We sprinkle light powered sugar and use Steens Cane Syrup drizzled on it!
marissa | rae gun ramblings says
these are one of my favorite things to make for breakfast but I haven’t forever I think we need to fix that
Susan says
Can you melt the butter in the microwave and pour it into the pan first to prevent the dish from breaking?
girlinspired says
I haven’t tried that, but it sounds like something to try!
Bon says
I made these n they were delish. Made this again evan more delish. Thanks
marcy says
I haven’t make these in a long time but I always just put melted butter in the bottom of the pan added the batter and then just baked them turned out perfect.
Linda says
Actually, the reason the egg bakes the way it does is due to the really hot pan. If you are concerned you can bake it in a cast iron fry pan as I have done for eons. The presentation just isn’t as perfect.
Mary E says
I don’t think so. The batter puffs up and you really need the hot butter. Oleo will not do I’m sure. This method makes the perfect oven pancake. Just try it first before you change method.
Michelle says
That’s not what makes the dish crack. They say a dish could crack if it’s a bit dish and something cold is poured into. So, that being said, if you pour hot butter into a warming plan is not going to make a difference. It’s likely not going to crack.
Robyn says
I think what makes it rise and puff is the heat difference between then pan and the batter. You need the pan hot so I would not microwave it. When I pour the patter in the hot pan I can see the edges start cooking which makes the “shell” of the pancake
Natalie says
You can also use cast iron. That’s what I use when I make Dutch baby pancakes and they are nearly identical.
Veronica says
My tummy is growling now, Stef! These look so yummy. I’ll have to try these for breakfast over the weekend. Thanks!
ev says
I use my cast iron skillet and it makes a bowl to put in banana foster.
Charity says
I actually did have a glass pan break when making German oven pancakes once… I think it might depend on the type or thickness of the glass. I’ll have to try the metal spoon trick! =)
These look amazing… I need to try it with the lemon like this!
Suemo says
When I was told the ‘pouring in over a spoon trick’ the explanation given to me was that it stopped the mixture from splashing up, whereas a room temp metal spoon just placed in a receptacle you are pouring into is enough to prevent a crack.
Suemo says
This recipe reminds of a Yorkshire Pudding traditionally served with roast beef, but in this case, sweetened & vanilla added. In the Uk, they may also once have served it for dessert with golden syrup among other things. Delicious whichever way!!
Susan says
Yes like Yorkshire pudding ( we love ) and I leave out the sugar here also because I serve it with either asparagus or cauliflower and Hollandaise sauce….
Mary E says
Yes. For pouring hot water or hot beverage in a real bone china cup, the spoon absorbs some of the heat so as not to crack the cup. (English background here).
Kim says
Very true it absorbs so no cracked dish.
Jeanne says
Sorry I don’t understand the pouring over the spoon( never heard of it). Do I hold the spoon and pour or put the spoon in the dish. Can you help, I’d love to make this. Thanks
girlinspired says
Hi Jeanne! I hold the spoon over the pan in one hand and pour the batter from the blender with the other hand.
Rufaida says
Sorry I stil don’t understand the pouring over the spoon.. I tried the recipe Bt I jst poured the batter without spoon and it was chewy when done.. is it supposed to be so… I really liked ur recipe… and is there no baking powder at all?
Bibiana says
Hi… I don’t get the spoon trick.. is it to figure how much of the batter you put into the dish or what…? 😊
Pat Wilson says
When I made this pancake I had it in the oven for over 45 minutes but the middle did not set properly and the butter was like a puddle.
phyllis panza says
any time you have hot going into glass, put the spoon touching dish, not up in the air and let hot stuff hit spoon first. always works for me.
Ruth says
I believe you use the spoon to prevent the batter hitting the hot butter and splashing out.
Susan says
The spoon is a barrier between hot glass and cold liquid, it tempers the batter a little to prevent the class breaking, cracking and shattering…same as pouring boiling water in a glass pitcher with tea bags for iced tea, the spoon takes some of the heat away from the glass.
Mary Early says
Caught a similar recipe in our Sunday Paper a while back. They too called it a Dutch Baby or a Bismark.
I ts made with apples and cinnamon. Cut up an apple or two sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and place that in glass pan in microwave while melting the butter with it.
This can be done while your making the batter and waiting for your oven to preheat.. Pour the batterinto the glass pan of apples and butter and pop it into the oven and bake it gets really puffy and then falls. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. What a treat!!!
Mariel says
I want to try this version! DO you use the same recipe as here just add the apples at the beginning? Thanks in advance. 🙂
Linda says
Gee that sounds great with Pple & cinnamon.
Can you pass along that baby apple to me.
Sure would enjoy. & would appreciate that very much. Linda
Email…
Linmax2k@aol.com
Dale Mills says
Grate some apples on a cheese grater and add Cinnamon and sugar , then put it in the glass dish with butter .
Mary says
Just found you! I have made this as a German pancake but in the heaviest black fry pan! Must be very hot with melted butter. Good luck! I’ll catch up now…
Madlyn Cole says
Your Pyrex dish must be made in USA or it can crack. The tempering process is better.
Amber says
The trick is that the ORIGINAL PYREX glass formulation is very heat tolerant but the letters on the bottom must be in all capitals. If it says pyrez then it is their new formulation and it does NOT withstand heat as well…type of glass they use. Forgot the name. And it will shatter in your face. Beware. Happened to me so i did extensive research and found out the truth. Only other countries still have access to the original PYREX. So if you have the good ones keep them. If you hVe the pyrex get rid of them now.
Gale says
Is there any reason you could not use room temp ingredients, so you wouldn’t have to worry about the glass pan breaking?
TAWNI says
I made these for the first time about a month ago. Absolutely in love. I had no powdered sugar, so I drizzled honey after the lemon. YUM!
I’m actually making them again right now, lol. Full house so 3 batches following recipe exactly this time. On 1st. 2nd is going to be like the 1st time, w/ honey. And number 3 will be w/ almond milk, almond extract & olive oil. Topped w; powder sugar, & fresh blackberries & raspberries