Gluten-Free Dutch Baby (German Pancake)

overhead shot of german pancake in glass pan with berries

Meaningful Eats

Gluten-Free Dutch Baby (German Pancake)

This gluten-free dutch baby (also known as a German pancake) is an easy breakfast favorite! With a light custard base, fluffy sides and edges, and a rich buttery flavor, you’d never guess this is gluten-free!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Author Erin Collins

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour I highly recommend the brand Cup4Cup for this recipe
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk preferably whole milk
6 eggs

For the Buttermilk Syrup: (optional but delicious!)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the butter in a 9X13-inch baking dish (we've found a GLASS pan works best!) and put the pan in the oven while it preheats (keep an eye on the dish so the butter doesn't burn; take it out when the butter is melted).
Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until just combined and smooth. Don't over-blend or the pancake will be tough.
Take the pan out of the oven and pour the batter into (Tip: When pouring the batter into the pan, swirl the batter in a figure-8 pattern: This helps give the German pancake peaks and valleys and a delicious texture.)
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pancake is puffy and lightly browned on the bottom and edges.
Serve immediately with butter syrup (recipe below), maple syrup, powdered sugar, berries or jam. Enjoy!

For the Buttermilk Syrup:

In a larger than you think saucepan (it will foam and triple in volume at the end), combine the sugar, buttermilk and butter and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Off the heat, add the baking soda. Whisk quickly to dissolve, the volume of the syrup will greatly increase. Stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm with the dutch baby.

Notes

After lots of trial and error here are my tips:

Use a glass 9x13 pan
Use Cup4Cup gluten-free flour (I usually use the brand King Arthur but Cup4Cup works better here.)
Use whole milk - we like A2 milk.
Don't overblend the batter. Just pulse until smooth and combined.
Swirling the batter into the pan in a figure-8 pattern helps give the German pancake peaks and valleys which contributes to a better overall texture.

MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: I've made this with vegan butter and almond milk. The pancake won't get as puffy and brown with almond milk.

Nutrition