This easy gluten-free Dutch baby (aka German pancakes) puffs dramatically in the oven, then settles into a tender, open center perfect for filling with fresh berries, a drizzle of maple, powdered sugar, or savory finishes. Ready in about 30 minutes, it's a one-pan showpiece that's simple enough for weekend breakfasts and impressive enough for guests - use wheat flour if you're not GF. I've made it both ways. No fancy tools or ingredients required.
This Dutch baby pancake recipe is from my husband's grandmother Della who ran a diner. She called them oven pancakes, though you may also see them listed as a Dutch puff, Hootenanny, Bismarck, or German pancakes. The batter is absurdly simple: whisk together, pour into a blazing skillet in the oven, and bake for about 20 minutes; top with fresh berries and maple syrup or go savory with cheese and herbs.
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Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Dutch Baby
- Fun and easy to make - Simply whisk, pour, and bake,
- Made with simple ingredients - Just eggs, flour, milk, and butter.
- Customizable with your favorite toppings - Go sweet or savory.
- Easy to make dairy-free - With non-dairy milk and plant butter.
- Flour options - Make it gluten-free or with wheat flour.
For another special breakfast treat, try these golden gluten-free waffles.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Flour - Use gluten-free flour blend or regular all-purpose flour (wheat). I've used both King Arthur M4M GF blend, and Fioreglut GF flour.
- Eggs - Large eggs, help the batter rise and set properly.
- Milk - Use dairy milk, or dairy-free milks such as almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk.
- Butter - Unsalted butter, clarified butter, or a good-quality plant-based butter.
- Heavy whipping cream - Dairy cream or whipped coconut milk.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, and salt.
Chef's tip: This Dutch Baby recipe scales easily for a larger pan and bigger appetites. I've made it in a 2 ¼ quart braiser and a 1 ½x recipe, better for 4 hungry people, and still bakes in about 20 minutes.
Dutch Baby Pancake Toppings
Go sweet or savory. Our family favorite is berries and whipped cream, but there are so many delicious ways to top a Dutch baby pancake. For a sweet version, you'll need heavy whipping cream whipped softly with a little vanilla extract and sweetener.
- Fresh fruit - such as raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, or what's best in season.
- Jams - store bought or homemade lemon curd.
- Syrup - A drizzle of maple syrup, zero-sugar maple syrup, or coconut syrup.
- Powdered sugar - or powdered monk fruit or allulose.
- Bacon - Crisp bacon crumbles add that salty savory addition.
- Chocolate - Try chocolate chips regular or the mini size, or chocolate shavings.
- Sautéed mushrooms - good for a savory Dutch Baby.
- Smoked salmon - with horseradish whipped cream.
For another sauce option, try this easy homemade strawberry couli. Make it ahead, it freezes beautifully.
Chef's tip on cassava flour: While cassava flour is popular as a gluten-free alternative, disappointing recent testing by Consumer Reports and Lead Safe Mama raises serious concerns about its safety-even from well-known brands. In light of this, I don't recommend using cassava flour unless things change.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add a little vanilla extract to the batter for a sweet-style Dutch baby.
Chef's tip: Rest the batter for a better rise. If you're using gluten-free flour, let the batter rest for 15 minutes before baking if you have time. This allows the flour to fully hydrate, improving texture and helping the Dutch baby puff properly.
How to Make A Gluten-Free Dutch Baby
I recommend a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or enameled cast iron to make an oven-baked pancake because they are heavy and hold heat.
- Whisk eggs until smooth.
- Add the flour, milk, salt, and whisk until smooth and any lumps are gone.
- Add the butter to the pre-heated hot pan, wait a few seconds until melted and brown.
- Pour batter into the hot cast iron pan quickly.
- Place the dutch baby into the hot oven to bake for 18-20 minutes.
- When puffed and golden brown, it's ready (about 20 minutes). Remove from the oven, slice.
Chef's tip: Use a hot skillet. For the best rise and crisp edges on your dutch baby, preheat your cast iron skillet in the oven until it's really hot (425°F)-then swirl in melted butter and pour in the batter quickly. The sizzle helps the pancake puff dramatically. And don't open the oven door to peak! Pre-heating the pan in the oven is a must!
Serving Suggestions
Cut gluten-free dutch babies into 4 pieces and top as you please! Our favorite way to enjoy them is topped with fresh berries and lightly sweetened whipped cream. But there are plenty of other ways to serve it-sweet or savory. Serve it warm right out of the oven while it's still puffed and golden.
A single recipe serves 4 (but my husband will happily eat 2 pieces), so the number of serving you get will depend on what you serve with it, and how big the appetites are. If you have a second cast iron skillet, place it in the oven under the one baking and have more batter ready to go. When you serve one, start another right away.
Recipe FAQs
Dutch baby pancakes are also called German pancakes, oven pancakes, puffed pancakes, a hootenanny, a Dutch puff, puff pancake, a Bismarck, or baked pancake. Dutch baby and Yorkshire pudding are closely related, but they're not quite the same. Both are egg-based batters that puff dramatically in a hot oven. Whatever you call them, make one! They are fun, easy, delicious, and customizable. Great for weekend breakfast, holiday breakfasts, and brunch.
If your Dutch baby is not puffing up, either your oven is not hot enough or you did not pre-heat both the oven and the pan. A heavy pan like a cast iron skillet works well for a Dutch baby pancake as they retain their heat well.
The Dutch baby pancake is actually of German origin, not Dutch. It was originally served in a now-closed Seattle diner in the U.S for the first time.
You bet! Make a gluten-free Dutch baby pancake by using a gluten-free flour blend instead of all purpose white wheat flour. Both flours work great. I've made them both ways. And honestly, no one would ever know they are gluten-free, they taste the same - delicious!
More Breakfast Recipe Inspiration
Of course smoothies are a healthy, easy breakfast. Try a green smoothie with mango, a chocolate blueberry smoothie, or in fall, this terrific pumpkin pie smoothie.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make this gluten-free dutch baby, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Dutch Baby (German Pancake)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dutch baby pancake
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk dairy or almond milk
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend or all purpose flour (wheat, not GF)
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or plant butter
Optional Toppings (see list in notes)
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar or 2 T powdered allulose for sugar free
- 1-2 pints fresh berries
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven
- Place a rack in the center of the oven. If there is a rack directly above, move it lower or higher but out of the way. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F degrees.
Make batter
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together until smooth. Whisk in milk until smooth. Whisk in flour and salt until smooth. Set batter aside near oven, and let it rest for 15 minutes to hydrate.
Bake the dutch baby
- When the oven is at temperature, place a 10″ cast iron skillet on the center rack in the oven and allow it to heat up. Add butter and wait 30 seconds until melted and browned. Pour in the batter. It should sizzle. Pour in the batter and carefully slide the rack back into the oven. Bake until pancake is risen, puffed and has golden edges. Timing will depend upon your oven, about 18-20 minutes. Judge by the look and not just by timing.
Serving
- When done, remove from the oven. Slice into quarters and serve with either sweet or savory toppings of your choice.
Notes
- Fresh berries.
- Frozen berries, thawed and warmed or pureed into a sauce.
- Whipped cream sweetened with a little sugar or monk fruit.
- Honey sweetened creme fraiche.
- Crumbled cheddar cheese or crumbled goat cheese.
- Sautéed mushrooms.
- Your favorite jam,
- Crisp bacon crumbles.
- Finely chopped chives.
- Nut butters.
- Nutella.
- Chocolate sauce.
- Chocolate chips.
- Horseradish cream for a savory option (and try some smoked salmon).
- Lemon curd (is delicious!).
Nutrition
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Porsche guy says
Love these! Just like my grandmothers and so easy to make. My Sunday favorite breakfast. Thanks for the recipe.
Izabela says
Amazing! Family favorite and so incredibly easy and versatile.
Sally Cameron says
Thanks for commenting. So glad you like it! I'm making some tomorrow.
Michaela says
This is so freaking good! I've just tried and ate two serving immediately! thanks for sharing