These German pancakes are a light and fluffy version of American pancakes baked in one pan. Easy to make with only 6 ingredients they will be a new family favorite for breakfast!
My family loves pancakes for breakfast including buttermilk pancakes, ricotta pancakes and Swedish pancakes!
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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, ricotta pancakes and biscuits and gravy.
It’s a family favorite! My mom would always make them growing up and now I make them with my kids and they always get so excited when we have them.
They are light, fluffy and baked to perfection. They taste extremely delicious topped with fresh berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar, jam or cinnamon sugar. Croissant breakfast casserole recipe and brioche French toast are two other must-try recipes!
What is a German Pancake?
German pancakes are also known as fluffy pancakes, Dutch baby pancakes, and Hootenanny. They are baked in the oven until they puff up, in the summer we love to make this lemon blueberry Dutch baby recipe.
The pancake recipe is typically made with flour, eggs, sugar and milk. A German pancake has a thicker and fluffier consistency than a buttermilk pancake or Swedish pancake, however they do fall a little as they cool.
Top them with powdered sugar and they are so delicious!
Recipe Ingredients
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, my mom has been known to triple this recipe whenever we get together!
How to Make German Pancakes
This recipe is SO easy to make! 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.
1. Heat the pan. Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice butter and add to 9×13″ pan. Then place pan into oven for about 2 minutes, until melted.
2. Make batter. 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!
3. Bake in oven. Pour batter over melted butter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice and serve warm with toppings of choice.
What Makes Them Rise and Get Fluffy?
The fun thing about these puffy oven pancakes is watching them rise a few inches and get nice and fluffy in the oven. Here are a few tricks I’ve learned for the fluffiest German pancakes possible:
- Fresh eggs. Personally, I think one of the main keys 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.
- Preheating the pan. I also think that 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.
Expert 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.
- 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 will be light and fluffy.
- Check the middle: Before removing from the oven, check that the middle has set and cooked all the way through. It should easily pop out of the pan when ready to serve
- Serve right away: These taste best fresh out of the oven when they are fluffy and warm!
Pancake Toppings
There are so many delicious ways to top this giant oven pancake!
- Syrup (homemade buttermilk syrup, maple syrup or cinnamon pancake syrup)
- Strawberry jam
- Fresh strawberries
- Caramelized bananas
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate chips
- Lemon curd
- Cinnamon sugar
- Nutella
FAQs
German pancakes are also known as fluffy pancakes, Dutch baby pancakes, and Hootenanny. Made with a batter of flour, eggs, sugar and milk they are baked in the oven until they puff up. They are thicker and fluffier than a regular pancake, however they do fall a little as they cool.
There are so many favorite breakfast recipes to choose from, but some of our favorites include bacon, breakfast potatoes, and coffee cake.
Don’t be alarmed, this is typical of German pancakes as they cool. Some say that baking in a metal pan vs a glass pan will help. If you try, let me know in the comments.
A pancake by many names! You might here them called, puff puff, Dutch puff, Bismarck, Hootenanny, German puff pancakes, Dutch babies. No matter what they are called they are delicious for a holiday breakfast or weekend brunch!
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 degrees 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
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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!