Mini Dutch Babies Perfect For Mother’s Day

Fresh out of ideas for Mother’s Day? This year, make mom or grandma a top-your-own Dutch baby breakfast. This puffy, eggy pancake, also known as a German pancake, is made from a batter that comes together in less than 5 minutes in the blender. Baked in a preheated pan, the crisp golden edges of the Dutch baby puff up dramatically from the steam trapped within the batter, offering an impressive mile-high rise similar to that of a British popover. Meanwhile, the center of the pancake remains tender and eggy, like a thick, custardy crêpe. Typically baked in a large oven-proof skillet, the Dutch baby comes out of the oven quite a sight to behold. The only problem—if you can actually consider it a problem—is that this big pancake can only be topped a single way.

To give room for individualized toppings, we’re offering a recipe for miniature Dutch babies that can be sprinkled, drizzled, or filled with whatever Mom, Grandma, you, or anyone else would like. Just like crêpes or traditional American pancakes. Rather than pouring all of the batter into a skillet, the batter is divided among the wells of a preheated and buttered muffin pan instead. Give each person two or three Dutch babies with a few garnishing options at the table, add a bowl of fruit salad and bacon or breakfast sausage, and Mother’s Day breakfast is served!

Need some help with topping ideas? Here are a few to get you started:

-lemon curd with blueberries

-powdered sugar with strawberries and blackberries

-shredded gruyere and finely diced ham

-herbed yogurt or crème fraiche and smoked fish

-maple syrup and raisins

-sautéed spinach and feta

-pesto and sautéed mushrooms

-honey and chopped toasted almonds

-warm fruit compote

-crumbled crispy bacon or prosciutto

-sautéed pear or apple bits

While the basic Dutch baby recipe can be used for the greatest amount of flexibility (most notably the ability to utilize both sweet and savory toppings), you can also try incorporating the following flavoring components directly to the batter for additional variation:

-folding in chopped fresh herbs

-adding vanilla or almond extract

-adding spices

To prevent the Dutch babies from deflating early, don’t be tempted to keep opening up the oven to check for doneness. 

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

1. Place a 12-well muffin tin in an oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. While the oven is preheating, place the eggs, milk, salt and flour in a blender. Cover and blend on medium-high speed until smooth, stopping the blender to scrape down the bottom and sides of the container as needed.

3. Remove the hot muffin tin from the oven and quickly brush the bottom and sides of 10 of the wells with the melted butter. Divide the batter evenly among the wells, filling each about halfway. 

4. Bake until the Dutch babies have puffed up and are golden brown, about 17 minutes.

5. Using a butter knife or small offset spatula, remove from the Dutch babies from the pan and top with desired toppings.  

Makes 10 miniature Dutch babies