Looking for a quick, easy, and nourishing meal? Look no further than this Savory Dutch Baby pancake. Made in a cast-iron skillet, this giant oven pancake is made with wholegrain flour, Parmesan cheese, and lots of black pepper for a satisfying, savory dish that's perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
You're going to love this baby!
My favourite meals are always those that are simple enough to pull together on a weeknight, use only a few ingredients, and create minimal dishes/mess to clean up. Even better if it's something like our family's favorite Swedish pancakes that can do double duty for breakfast or dinner.
But if we're going to be having pancakes for dinner, why not go for a Savory Dutch Baby Pancake? A giant cast iron skillet pancake that puffs up with gloriously crisp, dramatically high sides, all the while maintaining an impossibly soft, custardy center? It's like a gigantic Yorkshire pudding, except better, if you can even imagine. And the fact that it's packed with protein thanks to the high ratio of eggs and milk? Yes please!
After testing a dozen or so Dutch Baby recipes, I decided to throw in a handful of Parmesan cheese and a judicious amount of black pepper into the mix, add in a little bit of wholegrain flour, and serve the whole thing with hot, buttery peas in the middle. Well, I gave myself a mighty big pat on the back after that recipe test—it is every bit as good as I hoped it might be. If you're in to the savory baked goods vibe, I think you'll also enjoy our viral savory cottage cheese muffins recipe, but I'll let you be the judge of that.
So let's get into it, and make this gloriously cheesy, puffed up drama queen of an oven pancake together.
Let's make a savory dutch baby together!
You'll find detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. But for now, let's walk through it together, with visuals!
Oh, and first things first—preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C with your cast-iron skillet in the oven. It's important that the skillet is nice and hot when the batter goes in.
Step 1: make your batter
Time to get cracking! Add your eggs and milk to a large bowl, and whisk 'em on up!
Then add your flour (I use half all-purpose and half wholegrain spelt flour, but you can use whatever suits you best), and mix it on up. Then add the cheese, salt, and pepper.
Step 2: pour and bake
Open the oven and throw 3 tablespoons of cold butter into the cast iron skillet. Close the oven door, and allow the butter to melt, foam up, and even brown a tiny bit.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the butter so that it evenly coats the pan. Immediately pour the savory pancake batter into the pan, and place into the oven.
Bake your savory dutch baby for 20-25 minutes.
It is done when the sides have risen dramatically high, and are crisp and golden. The center should still have some jiggle to it, with a bit of a golden crust.
Remove from the oven, and serve immediately.
Savory Dutch Baby Oven Pancake
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup whole grain spelt flour
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons butter cubed
Instructions
- Place a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet in the oven, and turn the oven on to pre-heat to 400°F/ 200°C. It's important that the skillet is nice and hot when the batter goes in.
- While the skillet is pre-heating, crack six eggs into a large bowl.6 large eggs
- Add milk, and whisk well.1 cup whole milk
- Add ½ cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup wholegrain spelt flour to the egg mixture, and whisk until smooth.½ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup whole grain spelt flour
- Add shredded Parmesan cheese, along with the salt and pepper.½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt, ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Open the oven and throw 3 tablespoons of cold butter into the cast iron skillet. Close the oven door, and allow the butter to melt, foam up, and even brown a tiny bit.3 Tablespoons butter
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the butter so that it evenly coats the pan. Immediately pour the savory pancake batter into the pan, and place into the oven.
- Bake your savory dutch baby for 20-25 minutes. It is done when the sides have risen dramatically high, and are crisp and golden. The center should still have some jiggle to it, with a bit of a golden crust.
- Remove from the oven, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- This is one of the few recipes I make that I do not recommend making in advance. If I've got a busy day and I want to make a Savory Dutch Baby for dinner, I'll whisk together the batter in the morning and keep it, covered, in the fridge, until I'm ready to use it in the evening. That way, all I need to do is get the cast iron skillet screaming hot, pour the batter in, and sit back with a glass of wine while it does its thing. Having said that, leftovers, if there are any, are perfectly delightful either eaten cold, straight from the fridge, or lightly warmed in the microwave.
Kate says
Could you comment on why you chose spelt flour? Can I use ap? Thanks
Katie Trant says
Hey Kate - you can definitely use all purpose if that's what you have on hand or that's what you prefer! I use a combination of spelt and all purpose because I like the extra nutritional value the wholegrain spelt flour brings to the table - namely extra protein, extra dietary fiber, and a range of nutrients that are found in the husk of the grain. I also love the nutty flavour of spelt flour!
pamela says
Delicious! I used a 10-inch pan, so mine was enormous. But it tasted great!