Brown Sugar Dutch Baby
Published: January 3, 2022 | Updated: February 7, 2024.
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My 30-minute baked Brown Sugar Dutch Baby for two is one of our favourite recipes. Thick, chewy and deliciously buttery, it’s the perfect starting point for your sweet or savoury toppings of choice!
A Dutch baby is essentially a giant pancake made with six ingredients – eggs, butter, milk, flour, sugar and vanilla – then baked in a cast iron skillet until extra puffy. Each bite is sweet, so fluffy and truly delicious.
The eggs are what gives a Dutch baby its custardy texture. The steam generated by the oven is what causes it to magically rise to billowy heights while baking. Taken together, it’s a simple recipe that results in a mostly hands-off, impressive presentation. No hovering over the stove or flipping required.
A brown sugar Dutch baby made with 2/3 cup fresh blueberries.
Whether served with sweet or savoury toppings, my brown sugar Dutch baby is such a delicious and versatile option for any time of day. Satisfy your early morning cravings by topping it with your favourite berries and maple syrup. Or serve it with a couple of eggs, your favourite cheese, herbs and lots of greens for a savoury brunch that would work just as well for dinner, too.
Brown Sugar Dutch Baby
Makes 2 servings; prep time 10 minutes, cook time 15 minutes.
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter
Optional toppings: Your favourite berries or fruit of choice; a dusting of confectioners’ sugar; maple syrup; poached or soft-boiled eggs, salty bacon, labneh and lots of greens.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425ºF (220ºC).
Reserving the butter, whisk together all remaining ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl until smooth and there are no lumps in the batter. A high-speed or immersion blender may also be used.
Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven on the middle rack and heat for 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and add butter, swirling it around until melted and it covers the bottom. Pour in batter and return skillet to oven to bake for about 15 minutes just until the edges are browned. *Do NOT open the oven or the Dutch baby won’t rise properly!
Remove from oven, add toppings and serve!
Notes:
Make it gluten free: Use an equal amount of your favourite, good quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
Sugar: The dark brown sugar adds a lovely rich, caramel taste in this recipe. Feel free to substitute granulated sugar if that is what you have on hand.
Butter: I use dairy-free butter in almost all my baking. Both salted and unsalted butter also work well in this recipe.
Nutmeg: Nutmeg has a warm, nutty flavour with notes of clove. Cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves are all delicious substitutes.
Skillet: If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet you can also use a 9 or 10-inch pie plate.
