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German Apple Pancake

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The scents and spices in this German apple pancake remind me of autumn, but truly it’s a great breakfast or dessert any time of year. A German pancake is basically the same thing as a Dutch Baby, a skillet sized baked treat filled with sliced apples and a sweet dough with a texture a bit like a popover. It’s also a bit like a clafoutis, a French recipe that’s a cross between a pie and bread pudding.
Overhead look at a baked German apple pancake in a white Staub cast iron pie pan on top of a beige napkin with a green apple to the side.
 
The best thing about this recipe, though, besides the flavor, is that it’s easy to make and great for serving a crowd. Depending on the season, you could also swap the apple with peaches or blueberries. Check out the step-by-step photos below, or hit the “jump-to recipe” button to get the full printable German Apple Pancake recipe below. 
Overhead photo of a black and white striped plate with a slice of German apple pancake topped with syrup and fresh raspberries with a gold fork.

German Apple Pancake vs Dutch Baby

A German apple pancake is similar to a Dutch Baby. Though, the dish originated in Germany and not the Netherlands. According to Cooks Illustrated, an American restauranteur shortened the word Deutsch (which is German for “German”) and started coining the recipe as a Dutch Baby as they made mini (baby-sized) versions of a German pancake.
 
Overhead photo of baked German apple pancake in a white staub enameled cast iron pie pan.

Ingredients  – Here’s What You’ll Need

Ready to make this recipe? Here’s a list of what you’ll need:

Overhead look at all the ingredients to make a German apple pancake: three green apples, six eggs, flour, sugar, brown sugar, milk, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla.

  • eggs
  • milk
  • flour
  • sugar
  • salt
  • vanilla
  • cinnamon
  • butter
  • apples
  • light brown sugar

Pouring syrup on a slice of german apple pancake on a black and white striped plate.

German Apple Pancake Recipe: Step-by-Step Photos

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is pre-heating, core and slice the apples.

Chopping green apples on a white cutting board.

Create the batter for your German apple pancake. In a blender mix the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, until well blended.

Pancake ingredients in a blender before blending.

Pancake batter in blender.

To bake the German apple pancake, you’ll need a cast iron skillet or pie pan. An enameled skillet works great too. Add butter to the dish and place it in the oven until the butter is melted.

1/4 stick of butter in a white Staub pie dish.

Butter melted and covering the bottom of a white Staub pie dish.

Carefully remove the pie dish or skillet from the oven. Then, add in single layer apple slices. Don’t forget your oven mitts! The dish may still be hot from melting the butter.

Apple slices on top of melted butter in a white Staub pie dish.

Next, pour the German apple pancake batter over apples.

Pancake batter poured on top of apple slices in a white staub pie dish.

Sprinkle the top of the German apple pancake with brown sugar and bake for 45 minutes to one hour.

Overhead look at a baked German apple pancake in a white Staub cast iron pie pan on top of a beige napkin with a green apple to the side.

When it’s done, it’s delish. Every bit as sweet as it looks and sounds. Besides breakfast, I would also put this down in my list of desserts. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s a great alternative to apple pie. 

Slice up and serve like a pie. Enjoy!

Overhead photo of a black and white striped plate with a slice of apple pancake topped with syrup and fresh raspberries with a gold fork.

German Apple Pancake

German Apple Pancake

Yield: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

An easy German Apple Pancake recipe with step-by-step photos. It's the perfect skillet breakfast for weekend brunch at home.

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 1/2 Cups milk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 stick butter
  • 3 apples, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While the oven is pre-heating, core and slice the apples.
  2. Mix the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon in a blender to make the German apple pancake batter. Pulse the ingredients together until well blended.
  3. In a 12-inch dish (a pie pan or skillet both work great), add butter and place it in the oven until the butter is melted.
  4. Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Adda single layer apple slices to the pan with the melted butter, then pour pancake batter over the apples. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar.
  5. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve immediately with warm maple syrup. Serves 6-8.

Notes

Serve with bacon or a slice of grilled ham and fresh fruit.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 364mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 8g

Nutrition information provided is only an estimate.

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© Rachelle Lucas
Cuisine: German / Category: Breakfast

Here Are More Popular Breakfast Recipes To Try!

The recipe originally published on Inn The Kitchen, Aug 1, 2009. Updated 2022.

 

About Rachelle Lucas

Rachelle is the founder of TheTravelBite.com and was named one of USA Today's 10Best Food and Travel Bloggers. She believes the best way to learn about a destination is through its flavors and collects recipes from her trips to recreate them here on The Travel Bite. In her spare time she enjoys running and yoga to balance out her food obsession.

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