5-Ingredient German Pancake (or Hootenanny) Recipe
These deliciously light and fluffy oven pancakes are sometimes called dutch babies, german pancakes, or hootenanny. Whatever you call it, that buttery, rich flavor makes a breakfast perfect for special occasions!
If you’re not familiar with german pancakes, they’re an egg-heavy pancake that puffs up dramatically while baking. It’s almost impossible to capture on camera, because it deflates within seconds when you remove it from the oven, but it’s something to see! The batter makes this crispy and golden on the edges, but custardy in the middle, and you bake it in a literal pool of butter, so it’s buttery and rich at the same time.
This dish goes by a ton of names, including german pancakes, dutch baby pancakes, german puff pancakes, volcano pancakes, dutch puffs, dutch pancakes, Pfannkuchen, Bismarks, and hooligans.
This delicious recipe is actually my grandmother’s from the 1950s. It’s been served every Sunday in my family’s home, both when I was a kid and now that I’ve got my own family. So here hoping that my old family favorite will be come your new family favorite!
What’s in 5-ingredient german pancakes?
This german pancake recipe uses a few basic ingredients to make a fantastically light breakfast.
- Eggs: You need six eggs. The number of eggs may seem high, but they form the base of this breakfast recipe. Do not substitute the eggs — egg substitutes like banana or vegan eggs do not work in this recipe.
- Flour: This hootenanny pancake batter uses all purpose flour.
- Milk: You can use any dairy milk you’d like, from skim to whole. Plant milks do work, but the final product is significantly less rich.
- Butter or Margarine: When my grandma developed this recipe, she actually used margarine! Both butter and margarine work here, and the only real difference is the flavor.
- Salt: You can omit this when using salted butter.
Making puffy oven pancakes
Step 1 | Melt the Butter
Place your stick of butter or margarine in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish.
Put the dish in the oven, then preheat the oven to 400°. The butter will melt as the oven preheats and will be ready to fry your batter at just the right time!
Note: If you leave the butter in the oven too long it can burn. Pulling it out when the oven is preheated saves you from butter burn!
Step 2 | Batter
While the butter is melting in the preheating oven, beat the rest of the batter ingredients in a large bowl.
I start by beating the eggs, then whisking in the milk. I finish by adding the flour about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking it in as I go. This keeps clumps from forming in my batter!
Step 3 | Cook
Once the oven is preheated, your butter should be completely melted. Pour your batter directly into the middle of the melted butter.
Return the hot pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. The pancake will fluff up really big, and the edges will turn golden brown. That’s when you know it’s done!
Step 4 | Enjoy!
Let your german pancake sit for a minute or two. During that time, the pancake will deflate. Don’t worry — it still tastes great!
You can sere your german pancake with your favorite topping. Some of our family favorites are powdered sugar, lots of berries, fresh fruit, brown sugar, chocolate chips or a drizzle of maple syrup!
More Special Occasion Breakfasts
FAQs
They’re best enjoyed right out of the oven for maximum puff and texture, so I wouldn’t recommend making in advance.
Absolutely. Just pour the batter into a well-greased muffin tin and bake for about 15–20 minutes. This creates mini popovers that are fun to serve individually.
Several things can affect the puff: make sure your oven is fully preheated, use a glass or metal pan (not ceramic), and don’t open the oven door while baking.
5-Ingredient German Pancakes (or Hootenanny)
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp butter or margarine (1 stick)
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place butter or margarine in 9×13 baking dish. Place the dish in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 400°. The butter will melt while the oven preheats.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and milk. Add the flour in 1/4 cup amounts, whisking in between to avoid creating clumps.
- When the oven finished preheating, pull the pan and melted butter out. Pour the pancake batter into the melted butter and return the pan to the oven.
- Bake the pancake for 15 minutes at 400°. The pancake is done when it has puffed and the edges are golden brown.
- Serve the pancake warm with your favorite toppings!
