A German apple pancake or Dutch baby pancake is scrumptious for either breakfast or dinner. With a custard filling and sweet apples, you can’t go wrong with this easy and delicious baked pancake.
When you’re stumped for dinner, try an apple pancake.
A German baked apple pancake is my favorite thing to make for dinner when I have nothing in the fridge and I don’t feel like cooking. I almost always have a couple of apples, eggs and milk and it only takes about 15 minutes to prep. Most of that time is spent peeling the apples.
I love the texture of a baked pancake, whether it has apples or peaches. Custardy on the inside and crispy on the outside, kind of like a popover but with more custard.
Why you’ll love a German apple pancake
- This is a great way to incorporate apples into your meal and naturally sweeten your dish
- It comes together quickly
- No standing over the stove waiting on regular pancakes
- Everyone can eat at the same time
- It’s sweet enough by itself but even better with a bit of powdered sugar or syrup
What you’ll need
- Apples – you only need 2-3 apples; mix and match your apples for sweet and tart flavors
- Staples – flour, milk, brown sugar, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt
How do you make a Dutch baby pancake
Step 1: First, melt some butter and brown sugar in an oven proof skillet in a hot oven and then add the apples and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and let the apples caramelize in the oven for a few minuets.
Step 2: Second, while the apples are cooking, make the pancake batter with eggs, milk, vanilla and nutmeg, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Pour the egg mixture over the apples in your hot skillet and put it back in the oven to bake.
While it cooks, it will get puffy and gorgeous, but as soon as it starts to cool, it will deflate.
This is best just a few minutes after it’s been removed from the oven.
Pro Tip: An iron skillet is perfect for this, but if you don’t have one, any oven proof skillet will work. If you don’t have an iron skillet Le Creuset is a great one to add to your Christmas list. This will cook a little quicker in an iron skillet than in a regular oven proof skillet.
How to serve a baked pancake
- Serve your Dutch baby pancake right away, it gets cold quickly.
- This is naturally sweetened from the apples baked inside, so you can serve this dish as is.
- If you want to spruce it up, sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top or a drizzle of syrup.
Not only is an oven baked pancake quick and easy, it tastes wonderful. We decided that it’s almost like a Clafoutis but not as sweet. Taylor said it reminded her of Kugel. The first time I made one it smelled so good that we couldn’t wait for photographs. I make it all the time and every time I make one, my crew always asks why I don’t make it more often. It’s my go-to meal for when I have nothing planned.
What can I serve with an apple pancake?
- Hashbrowns
- Scrambled eggs
- Fresh fruit or spicy fruit salad
- Yogurt
- Bacon, sausage or ham
A Dutch baby pancake is great for dinner or breakfast and if you have leftovers, it’s not bad at room temperature, not quite as light and fluffy but still tastes fantastic. I love to serve this on Christmas morning. It takes no time to prep and everyone loves it. They’re not as heavy as traditional pancakes and you don’t have to stand over the stove.
You won’t need to add syrup or even powdered sugar to this, the apples that have caramelized with the sugars add sweetness. We like this so much that when peaches were ripe, I developed a recipe for Peach Dutch Baby Pancake.
FAQs and tips
You may have heard these called German Pancakes, or Dutch Baby Pancakes. Either way, it’s a custardy pancake that is baked in an iron skillet. I love that it’s made all in one skillet and everyone can eat at the same time, like with Sheet Pan Pancakes.
A Dutch baby pancake is completely different from a traditional pancake. It tastes more like a crepe or a popover.
If you leave out the fruit, you’ll have a delicious custard like pancake similar to a clafoutis.
A German apple pancake doesn’t have yeast or baking powder, it rises because of air in the batter and steam in the oven. Make sure you let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes to let the gluten in the flour rest. This will help trap air and give it a nice pillow like texture. Also make sure the skillet is very hot when you add the batter.
You can enjoy this German apple pancake at room temperature but it’s best served minutes out of the oven when it’s light and fluffy.
Place any leftovers in an air tight container and refrigerate it for 3-5 days.
Looking for more Apple recipes
German Apple Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 apples About 3 cups, peeled and sliced and cut into pieces
- 4 tablespoons sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 5 eggs
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400º.
- In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Cut butter into chunks and place in a cast iron skillet,or oven proof pan. Place in oven and let melt for 3 minutes. Remove and add brown sugar to the butter. Spread apples on top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes until apples are carmelized, stirring half way through.
- While the apples are cooking, whisk together the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until there are no lumps. Beat in the vanilla and eggs with a hand mixer, beating for 2 minutes until foamy. Let the batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from the oven and pour batter over the apples. Bake for about 20 minutes until browned and the center is set. The pancake will puff up substantially and then fall once removed form the oven.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- You can also use a blender or a food processor to combine the ingredients.
- Make sure you let the batter rest for at least 5 minutes and up to 20 minutes if you have time.
- This is delicious even without the apples.
- If you aren’t using an iron skillet, it may take a little longer to cook.
Nutrition
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