Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (2024)

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Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (1)

by: Gerhild Fulson / Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

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Discover the history behind the German Apple Pancake recipe, aka Apfelpfannkuchen. Quick, very easy, and wunderbar!But is it German? Check the history of it below.

This delicious German pancake is also known by many other names, such as Dutch baby pancake, Dutch babies, Bismarck, Dutch puff, puff pancake, puffed apple pancake, and caramelized apple soufflé pancake. All interesting names for a wonderful dish!

As for us, we call it Apfelpfannkuchen, or, German Apple Pancake. Whatever you want to call it, it is absolutely scrumptious! If you have company, this is sure to impress.

Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (4)

This puffy oven pancake is typically served for breakfast or brunch, but it's also perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, and it can also make a wonderful dessert when served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yum!

It's very similar to a large popover or Yorkshire pudding, and some think its origins could be from this as well.

Unlike most pancake recipes, a German pancake is baked as a single large pancake in the oven, rather than multiple smaller pancakes fried individually on the stove top.

As the Dutch baby bakes, the sides puff up beautifully along the edges of the pan while the center is more custard-like. Absolutely wunderbar!

Is this recipe really German?

The idea of a Dutch baby pancake may have been derived from the German Pfannkuchen, but the current form seems to have originated in the US in the early 1900s.

Some say it was brought to the US by German immigrants a long time ago, but what is known as a German pancake in the US is different than the traditional German pancake that is known and made in Germany.

According to the most popular origin story, Dutch babies were introduced in the United States in the first half of the 1900s at a family-run restaurant in Seattle, Washington called Manca's Cafe.

While these pancakes are derived from the German pancake dish, it is said that the name Dutch baby was coined by one of the owner's daughters who mispronounced the German word Deutsch as "Dutch." Apparently, it was first served as 3 small pancakes, hence the name Dutch baby.

Another theory is that it's a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe, whenstemming from when many 18th-century Germans fled the religious persecution of their home country and settled in Pennsylvania.

What is, however, widely accepted that the Dutch Baby Pancake is actually German-American and closely related to German pancakes like pfannkuchen and apfelpfannkuchen (apple pancake).

Most Dutch baby recipes now-a-days are typically made without fruit. Adding the apples to this yummy puffed pancake makes it even more German.

How to make this German Apple Pancake recipe

If this is your first time making this German pancake, it just might become your favorite way to make pancakes from now on. It's baked in the oven, so you're not standing there, making one pancake after the other on the stove top. Surely an easy way to make delicious-tasting German food!

Start by mixing together 6 large eggs with some milk, flour, sugar, and salt. This can be done with your blender or food processor. Or, if you prefer, use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Or just put it all in a large bowl and use a regular hand mixer or whisk. Anything works! Just make sure the batter is mixed until smooth, but don't over mix it.

Put 8 tablespoons of butter in a baking dish or ovenproof skillet and place in the oven that has been preheated to 425 degrees F to melt the butter.

Then add thin slices of apples to the baking dish and leave it in the oven until the butter sizzles. This can take about 5 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and pour the batter over the warm apples. Sprinkle with some brown sugar, if you wish. (Personally, I usually leave out the brown sugar. The pancake is sweet enough... especially when accompanied with wonderful local Canadian maple syrup!)

Return the dish to the oven and bake 20 minutes or until the edges of the pancake are a deep golden brown and nicely puffed. Depending on the dish size (see the video below), this can take an extra 5 to 10 minutes.

You'll see that it's sort of like a soufflé. It's nicely puffed as soon as it's out of the oven, but will slowly fall as you start to serve it.

Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (5)

That's why I usually call everyone to the table, just before I'm ready to serve. That way, they get to see it in all its puffed splendor.

Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (6)

If you end up with leftovers, they taste great cold as well. :)

Use buttermilk instead?

I had some buttermilk that needed to be used. I thought, "Why not try it in this German apple pancake recipe?" I made no changes to anything else. Just subbed the buttermilk in place of the regular milk.

The end result?

YUMMY! In fact, I may just plan on buying buttermilk on purpose, just for this.

The resulting pancake with the buttermilk is just a bit fluffier. Wunderbar! Here's how it looked:

Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (7)

If you'd like extra fluffy pancakes but don't have buttermilk at home, you can easily make a substitute by adding vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk.

To make 1½ cups of buttermilk substitute, add 1½ tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then, add milk to the 1½-cup line and stir.

Oma's Says

I used this German apple pancake recipe to show my two young granddaughters how to make pancakes. Their dad likes to make them pancakes on Sunday mornings, but this one is just a bit different from what they are used to.

It's become an "Oma" tradition when they sleep over. That's what they come to expect for a late breakfast the next morning. Late, because it's always holidays and we stay up late the night before.

Because it's usually late in the morning, this oven-baked puffy pancake filled with fresh apples and served with maple syrup is usually all they want until an early afternoon snack.

In fact, it's become a comfort food for us. I'll often make this German pancake recipe for supper for hubby and I after a busy day and I've not had a chance to prepare anything. The ingredients for this are always available in my pantry and fridge. Easy breezy supper that we both love.

Need that “all’s good with the world” feeling? Comfort food will do that. Get your copy of Oma's German favorites in herComfort Foods e-Cookbook.

Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (8)

Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

What to serve with fluffy German pancakes

This recipe is delicious all on its own, sprinkled with a little bit of powdered sugar and/or drizzled with maple syrup. But if you're having company or you just want a more substantial meal, here are some ideas.

You can stick to an all-sweet breakfast, brunch, or dinner:

  • Serve with fresh berries, or other fresh fruit such as extra apple slices, banana slices, peach slices, or mandarin segments (or make a fruit salad!)
  • Serve with extra caramelized apples and a dollop of whipped cream
  • Serve with waffles and/or French toast
  • Serve with blueberry syrup, strawberry syrup, or raspberry syrup
  • Serve with jam, marmalade, or applesauce
  • Serve with plain or fruit yogurt

Or you can add other breakfast favorites for a sweet-and-savory affair:

  • Serve with scrambled eggs and ham
  • Serve with hash browns or home fries and toast
  • Serve with a delicious spinach quiche
  • Serve with breakfast sandwiches

Want more delicious German apple recipes?

  • Oma's Apfelstrudel ~ German Apple Strudel Recipe
  • Heidi's Apple Pudding Cake
  • Oma's German-Style Apple Crisp
  • Oma's Apfelkuchen ~ German Apple Cake Recipe

Oma's favorite breakfast recipes

  • Kaiserschmarrn ~ Oma's German Torn Pancakes
  • Oma’s German French Toast ~ Arme Ritter
  • Oma's Sweet Roll Recipe
  • Mutti's Berliner Hoppel Poppel
  • Oma's Scrambled Eggs with Ham
  • Oma's Easy Waffle Recipe

Ready to make delicious apple pancakes?

Is the recipe below locked?Here'swhy.

Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (10)

Apfelpfannkuchen -The Tasty, “Controversial” German Apple Pancake Recipe

My German Apple Pancake recipe, aka Apple Dutch Baby, is so quick and easy to make and tastes absolutely wunderbar! Made with simple ingredients, this is an easy breakfast casserole or brunch dish that the whole family will love. But, is it German. Check the article above!

It's also one of those special breakfasts that is perfect for Christmas morning, since the batter and the apples can be prepared a day ahead of time.

Prep Time

20 minutes

Bake Time

25 minutes

Total Time

45 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 6 large eggs
  • 1½cups (360 milliliters) milk or buttermilk
  • 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons (39 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½teaspoon (3 grams) salt
  • ½cup (114 grams) butter
  • 2 large apples, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons(30 grams) brown sugar (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
  2. In a blender jar or food processor, add eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and salt. Blend until smooth. Or, if you prefer, just put into a large mixing bowl and use a whisk or hand mixer till smooth.
  3. Place butter in 10x13-inch baking dish (see video above for more ideas) and place dish in the hot oven to melt butter.
  4. Add apple slices to baking dish and leave in oven until the melted butter sizzles. This can take about 5 minutes. Do not let the apples brown.
  5. Remove baking dish from oven and pour batter on top of the apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar (if using). Return to the oven and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and nicely puffed. Depending on the dish size (see video above), this can take an extra 5 to 10 minutes.
  6. Serve immediately.

Notes/Hints:

  • Best apples for this recipe? Whatever you happen to have handy in your crisper!
  • Sprinkle with ½ cup (50 grams) of sliced almonds after the batter has been poured over the apples.

  • Add 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) almond or vanilla extract to pancake batter.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon (0.75 gram) ground cinnamon to batter, or top baked pancake with cinnamon sugar (mix ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar with 1 teaspoon (3 grams) ground cinnamon).
  • Add some raisins to the apples.
  • Try it with pears instead of apples.
  • Wanting to make an exceptional German pancake? Try Kaiserschmarrn!

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

05.13.2023 revision update

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Meet with us around Oma's table, pull up a chair, grab a coffee and a piece of Apfelstrudel, and enjoy the visit.

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Proverbs 15:28

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Apfelpfannkuchen: The Tasty, Controversial German Apple Pancake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is Dutch baby called Dutch baby? ›

While these pancakes are derived from the German pancake dish, it is said that the name Dutch baby was coined by one of Victor Manca's daughters, where "Dutch" perhaps was her corruption of the German autonym deutsch. Manca's Cafe claimed that it owned the trademark for Dutch babies in 1942.

What's the difference between a German pancake and an American pancake? ›

How are German Pancakes different than American Pancakes? German pancakes use a whole lot more eggs and no added leavening agent. German Pancakes are also baked in the oven to a golden perfection.

Why are German pancakes called German pancakes? ›

German pancakes and Dutch babies are essentially the same thing, but the dish is said to have originated in Germany, not the Netherlands. The term “Dutch baby” was coined by an American restaurateur whose use of “Dutch” was a corruption of the word “Deutsch” (“German” in German).

What's the difference between a Dutch baby and a pannekoek? ›

Both Netherlands-style Pannenkoeken and Dutch Baby pancakes make a wonderful breakfast option as the batter can be made the night before and, in the case of the Dutch Baby, the pancake is baked in the oven, making it a relatively hands-off recipe.

Why did my Dutch baby fall? ›

Why did my Dutch Baby collapse? Usually this happens if the pan/butter aren't hot enough. After a lot of tests, I found that if too much of the butter in the pan swirls into the batter, it can prevent it from puffing in the first place.

Why are my German pancakes so thin? ›

The center of a German Pancakes is supposed to be flat. If the edges are flat, then it likely is a result of either the oven or the pan not being hot enough. It the dish isn't hot, then steam won't be created when the batter is poured into the pan, and instead, the batter will set and bake evenly.

What is a pancake in Dutch slang? ›

Pannenkoek — Among the more benign Dutch insults you could call someone to let them know that they're an idiot? A pancake.

Is a German pancake the same as a Yorkshire pudding? ›

Dutch babies, popovers, German pancakes, Yorkshire pudding are all the same thing just different names. Technically these are all baked puddings and delicious. Try serving them with my delicious strawberry syrup.

What is the Norwegian blood pancake? ›

Blodplättar (in Swedish; blodpannekaker in Norwegian, veriohukainen, verilätty or verilettu in Finnish; verikäkk in Estonian), or blood pancakes in English are a dish served in Finland, Estonia, Sweden and Norway made of whipped blood (typically reindeer blood), water or pilsner, flour and eggs.

What are pancakes called in Berlin? ›

The people of Berlin call their pancakes Eierkuchen, which translates to "egg cakes".

What does the name Dutch mean for a baby? ›

Origin:Dutch. Other Origin(s):British, German. Meaning:From The Netherlands; Of the people.

What is the science behind Dutch baby? ›

A Dutch baby is no different. Specific ratios and combinations of butter, eggs, flour, and milk are whisked together at high speed to produce a stable emulsion and foam that is then supplied with a tremendous amount of energy via the heat from the oven to change the physics and chemistry to create the fluffy pancake.

Are Dutch babies supposed to be eggy? ›

If you would like the inside of the finished dish to be a little less "egg-y" then cut the number of eggs down to 3, and many many reviewers also found that just 3 Tablespoons of butter worked better for them.

Do Dutch babies sleep more? ›

Highlights. Many Dutch parents emphasize rest and regularity for their infants. 8-Month-old Dutch babies slept 1.67 h more than U.S. babies. They also showed a more mature pattern of Quiet Sleep.

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