These German pancakes are a light and fluffy version of American pancakes baked in one pan. Easy to make with only 6 ingredients they are a family breakfast favorite!
Easy German Pancake Recipe
We love to make this German pancakes recipe together as a family. They are so simple and my kids love to help. They also like to help me make blender crepes, buttermilk pancakes and Swedish pancakes.
This German puff pancake is a family favorite! My mom would always make them growing up and now I make them with my kids. You may know them by the name fluffy pancakes, Dutch baby pancakes or Hootenanny.
Whatever you call them, this pancake recipe is light, fluffy and baked to perfection. We love them topped with fresh berries, maple syrup or buttermilk syrup, powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.
Ingredient Notes
You only need 6 ingredients to make German pancakes, and they are baking staples you probably already have on hand. Easily double it for a crowd or triple it like my mom does!
- Fresh eggs. Personally, I think one of the main keys to the fluffiest German pancakes is using fresh eggs. Also, beating each egg, one at a time for 30 seconds will help them rise better.
- White flour. I prefer to use all-purpose flour, as I’ve found the best results when using that specific kind.
How to Make German Pancakes
Baking German pancakes in the oven is a lot easier then cooking regular pancakes on the stove because you can just pour the batter into the pan and bake it, rather than flip individual pancakes.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice butter and add to 9×13″ pan. Then place pan into oven for about 2 minutes, until melted.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Next add milk and vanilla. Then beat in ONE egg at a time until smooth. The batter will be thinner than normal pancakes, which is what you want!
Pour batter over melted butter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice and serve warm with toppings of choice.
Recipe Tips
- Blender: You can also make the batter in the blender. They might not be as fluffy, but they will still turn out delicious. Blend the liquid and eggs first for about 30 seconds, then add the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Preheating the pan. Heating the buttery pan up in the oven prior to adding the batter helps them rise. The butter acts as a non-stick agent, allowing the pancakes to rise taller and not get stuck to the pan.
- How to tell when they are done: Both the edges and top of your German pancakes will be nice and golden brown. They will have risen a couple of inches and be light and fluffy.
- Check the middle: Before removing from the oven, check that the middle has set and cooked all the way through. This ensures that it will easily pop out of the pan.
- Serve right away: Serve fresh out of the oven when they are fluffy and warm. We love them with butter, maple syrup, fresh berries and powdered sugar.
Storage
- Store: Cover and store leftovers in your refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in oven, toaster oven or the microwave.
- Freezer: Cool completely then cut into serving size pieces. Wrap each individual piece tightly with plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag. To reheat, place on a baking sheet and cover with foil and heat in the oven at 350°F until warm.
Looking for more breakfast recipes? Try my liege waffle recipe, breakfast pie, apple crepes or coffee cake.
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German Pancake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
Optional toppings: Syrup, jam, powdered sugar, fresh berries, cinnamon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the butter and add to a 9×13″ pan. Then place into the oven until melted (about 2 minutes).
- Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in medium-sized bowl. Add milk and vanilla. Then beat in ONE egg at a time until smooth. For extra fluffy pancakes, beat 30 seconds per egg.
- Pour mixture over melted butter and bake 18-20 mins., or until golden brown. Slice and serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Breakfast, Kid-Friendly, Sweet Breakfast
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
They sound a little like our Yorkshire puddings except the vanilla. Giving these a try as I’m sure the kids will love them
Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Love this idea! I have to try it! Thanks for sharing!
Hope you enjoy! It has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl!
We make these as well and top with seasonal fruit but our fav is apples (pears, too): while the pancake is in the oven (I put it in a pie dish), I saute up apple slices in a little bit of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans (or walnuts) and freshly ground nutmeg till the apples are lightly cooked. It usually makes a bit of “syrup” with it which drizzles on the pancake nicely with the fruit. Great breakfast on a fall morning!
We love topping ours with apples in the fall too! Such a delicious breakfast!
We always try to get together as a family for a big breakfast over the weekend. We love to try new things. This recipe is perfect!
Love making these types of pancakes. Such a fun presentation besides being delicious.
HI,
Looks Yummy. I’m sure my toddler is gonna love it.Since we dont eat eggs, is there any substitute or even with any eggs the pancakes will taste the same.
One of my sons has an egg allergy and it’s quite difficult to do egg substitutes. There’s a few different things on the market, but the best luck I’ve found is cooking equal amounts tapioca flour with water until thick and gooey, let cool for 10 minutes then substitute 1/4 cup of the mixture for each egg – but I’ll warn you, it’s still not at all the same as using eggs in an recipe. Best of luck!
We used to make german pancakes all the time, but we haven’t made them in months! We’re going to have to make them one night this week!
Paige
Those German pancakes look really yummy!
Easy to make also!
Thanks for sharing.
My daughter will love this recipe.
Hugs!
Looks yummy!
I haven’t heard of these before. It “seems” like it must be healthier than traditional American buttermilk pancakes. Right? Lol
I have heard of, but never made, Dutch Babies. Are these similar??
I don’t know about healthier with all the butter…but they are sure delicious! :) I haven’t heard of dutch babies before, but they may be similar.
From the addition that you can just melt the butter in the pan while the oven is heating, I am assuming it is 3 tablespoons of butter, melted. Not 3 tablespoons of melted butter? Right?
Hi Jennifer! Yes, correct. Just 3 TB of butter.
YUM! These look delish. I’ve never even heard of German Pancakes before. I’ll definitely be trying these over the weekend. Thanks for sharing :)
They’re so good! You’ll have to let me know how you like them. :)
Ahhh I have been craving and eating waffles all week long! I am so excited to try these out. They look delicious.
haha I’m always craving breakfast foods too! Let me know how you like them! Have a great weekend.
How funny I ran across your post today, I’ve been craving these for days. I learned how to make these in my cooking class in middle school and have loved to make them ever since. I usually squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon juice over the top for a little bit of tang.
Thanks for sharing your version! I need to make these tomorrow morning.
I’m going to have to try the lemon juice next time! Sounds amazing!
YUM!! My mouth is watering!
This looks delish!
yummers!!
thumbs up!
happy crafting!
Linda
Oh my god! I made these right after I read your post! Thank you sooooo much they are delicious!!!
Oh so glad you liked them!! They are so yummy!
My sister is famous for these! This is a great post for Mothers Day because they are so easy that kids can make them… hint hint!