German Pancakes

 I’ve heard these yummy pancakes called all kinds of things: Puffy Pancakes, Dutch Babies, Bismarks, Dutch Puffs, and the name I call them, German Pancakes. We love pancakes and often have these Copy Cat Diner Style Pancakes for dinner.

Would you believe I was well into my 20s before I ever ate a German Pancake? I can’t believe my mom wasn’t utilizing this amazingly easy and delicious recipe to feed her seven hungry children. My sister was the first one to make these for me when I was visiting her once. I was in total awe.

They’re so cool. The way they puff up when you cook them and the buttery goodness sprinkled with powdered sugar. YUM! Just like regular pancakes, you can drizzle or spread on whatever kind of syrup or topping suits your fancy. Maple syrup is always a favorite at our house but we also love buttermilk syrup or even just a squirt of fresh lemon juice with a little extra powdered sugar. (My fave.)

More Breakfast Recipes for Dinner

• Easy Cheesy Breakfast Casserole
• The Best Easy Baked French Toast
• Easy Quiche Recipe
• The Best Skillet Potatoes with Cheese and Bacon
• Homemade Whole Wheat Waffles
• Down Home Biscuits and Gravy

German Pancakes are the perfect recipe to keep in your back pocket. Whether you forgot to go shopping and hardly have any food in the house or if you forgot to get dinner started when you needed to and need something fast, these pancakes are your new best friend. They only have 5 ingredients, all of which you probably always have on hand–flour, butter, eggs, milk, and powdered sugar.

With six eggs in them, I feel like they pack a little more protein punch than regular pancakes. Serving these to my kids with a smoothie that has protein powder or greek yogurt in it is a great go-to for stressful “What am I going to make for dinner?” nights.

how to make german pancakes

• Put the butter in a 9×13 pan and place the pan in the oven while it preheats to 400 degrees.
• Butter will melt while the oven is preheating. During this time, put the milk, flour, eggs, and pinch of salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and whisk until completely blended.
• Carefully remove the 9×13 pan from the oven. Pour the batter right into the pan. 
• Return to the 400-degree oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until pancakes are lightly brown on the edges and the center is completely cooked.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle or sift powdered sugar over the finished pancakes.
• Serve warm with your favorite topping or syrups. We like Maple Syrup, Caramel Syrup, or fresh lemon juice.
• Enjoy!

Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner–you really can’t go wrong. German Pancakes are the BEST!

Tips for making German Pancakes

• If you are out of milk, you can use powdered milk (reconstituted, of course). This recipe also works well with almond or coconut milk. The last time I made them I used 1/2 butter and 1/2 this coconut butter spread. (It’s from Aldi.) It worked great.
• Sometimes instead of making these in a 9×13 pan, I use two 8-inch round cake pans. That is what I did when I made these Pumpkin German Pancakes. It is fun to eat them in “pizza slices.”
• German Pancakes are a great recipe for kids who are just learning to cook. It’s a simple dish they really can’t mess up. And in case you didn’t know, KIDS LOVE CRACKING EGGS! They will love making this recipe, and it will help them start to love cooking.

cook’s tools:

• 9×13 Baking Dish
• Mixing Bowl
• Measuring Cups
• Whisk
• Powder Sugar Sifter