Easy and delicious banana Dutch baby, with all the flavours of Bananas Foster baked in. Enjoy for breakfast, brunch or as a lovely, warm dessert.
It’s been awhile since I shared a Dutch Baby recipe, so I thought I was due. If you aren’t firmly on the Dutch Baby wagon yet, maybe this delicious Bananas Foster Dutch Baby will win you over.
I have two basic Dutch baby batter recipes. This is the one I use for sweet Dutch babies. It’s wonderfully custard-y (think shades of creme brulee or creme caramel) and pairs beautifully with fruit. Enjoy this easy and delicious Bananas Dutch baby for breakfast, brunch or as a warm dessert.
What I love about Dutch babies is that they are 1) super easy, 2) warm and delicious and 3) endlessly customizable. Dutch babies can take you from breakfast, to brunch to a quick and easy dessert idea. So much to love!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you’ll need …
✓ Whole milk: This would be 3 – 3.5% butterfat milk (not 1 or 2%). You could probably use 2% in a pinch, but I wouldn’t go any lower in butterfat than that. I haven’t tested this recipe with nut milks.
✓ Eggs: You’ll need 4 large eggs. Take them out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before mixing the batter, for best results.
✓ All-Purpose Flour: I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour alternatives.
✓ White Sugar: There’s just a touch of white sugar in the Dutch baby batter. If you want, you could omit in the batter, as we will be adding brown sugar to the mix later.
✓ Vanilla: Vanilla is added to the Dutch baby batter just as a flavouring. If you don’t have vanilla on hand, you can omit.
✓ Bananas: Start with ripe, but still firm bananas.
✓ Dark Brown Sugar: The recipe specifies dark brown sugar, for it’s rich flavour, but if you only have light brown sugar on hand, go ahead and use that instead.
✓ Butter: You’ll need 2 Tbsp of melted butter for the Dutch baby batter. Allow it to cool slightly before using. For the bananas, you’ll need an additional 2 Tbsp. Having that butter at room temperature simply allows it to melt more quickly. If you forget to take it out of the fridge early, just use it cold.
✓ (Optional, but recommended) Ice Cream, for topping: If serving this Dutch baby as a dessert, ice cream is the perfect topping. If you’re enjoying for a late breakfast/brunch treat, you can easily skip it and still have an enjoyable treat.
Tips for Perfect Dutch Baby Pancakes
- Mix the batter first, then allow to rest before baking (20-30 minutes). Quickly re-blend before pouring into the hot skillet.
- Start with room temperature milk and eggs for the batter, for best results.
- Always pour batter into a hot pan. Either heat the pan in the oven while it is preheating or on a hot burner on the stove-top.
- Don’t open the oven while the Dutch baby is baking. It’s totally fine to turn on the oven light and peek through the glass though :)
- You can make the batter up to 24 hours in advance. Simply store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator to store. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes or so before baking, so it comes to room temperature before adding to a hot pan.
How to make a Dutch baby without a cast-iron skillet
Cast-iron skillets are a great for making Dutch babies, as they retain heat really well and go easily from stove-top to oven. That said, any oven-proof baking pan (metal or glass) of similar size will work just fine. Try a 9-inch round cake pan or a deep dish pie plate. If the particular recipe requires cooking on the stove-top first, opt for an oven-proof skillet, so you can go from stove-top to oven with one pan.
Recipe Tips
The brown sugar/butter sauce will be absorbed into the Dutch baby as it bakes, so you won’t have a sauce at the bottom of the skillet (all the flavour will be in the pancake though!). If you happen to have caramel sauce around, or you want to make some, I wouldn’t judge if you put some extra on top of the ice cream.
Dutch babies puff up as they cook, but will deflate soon after removing from the oven. This is normal and to be expected.
If you feel like boozing this one up, remove your skillet from the heat (before transferring to the oven) and add a splash of rum or brandy before pouring the batter in.
Top Tip
Adding the Dutch baby batter to a hot pan is the secret to a great rise, so don’t be timid when heating the skillet on the stove-top.
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Get the Recipe: Bananas Foster Dutch Baby
Ingredients
Dutch Baby Batter:
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt, omit if using salted butter
For the skillet bananas:
- 2 large bananas, ripe but firm
- 2 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
Equipment
- Oven-proof skillet, preferably cast-iron skillet (9 to 10-inch diameter)
- Blender recommended (or bowl and whisk)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (not convection/fan assisted) with rack in centre of oven. Take your milk and eggs from the fridge to warm to room temperature.
- Make the Batter: Melt the 2 Tbsp butter in the microwave or a small saucepan. Pour into a blender or medium bowl and let cool slightly, if hot. Add the milk, eggs, flour, white sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Blend batter until smooth. Let sit in blender for 30 minutes, while oven preheats and you prepare the other ingredients. (Make Ahead: you can refrigerate the batterin an air-tight container up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before using).
- Peel bananas and slice in half length-wise. Set aside.
- Heat a 10-inch top-diameter cast-iron skillet (or similar sized oven-proof skillet) over medium-high heat on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and stir to melt. Once butter is foaming, add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the halved bananas, round side down. Swirl in pan, then flip the bananas so the flat side of the bananas is down. Quickly re-blend or re-whisk your resting batter, then pour the batter all at once into the hot skillet. Immediately transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until puffy and golden. *Don’t open the oven door while the Dutch baby is baking. You can monitor it’s progress with the oven light on and through the glass.
- Remove from oven. Pancake will deflate as it cools. Dust with icing sugar, if desired. Top with ice cream and serve warm from the skillet. *Remember the cast-iron handle is hot. Wrap with a tea towel to avoid someone accidentally grabbing it.
Notes
More Dutch Baby Pankake Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I put mine in the oven 14 minutes ago, and it’s smells amazing but only the edges have puffed up. Hope it tastes as good as it smells! I made it out of whole wheat flour and for the banana mixture, I used 1/2 of a third cup brown sugar and the rest as honey. As I’m typing this the middle is starting to rise as well 😁. Can’t wait!
Sounds like it’s coming along nicely :) Enjoy!
I don’t know how I missed this recipe when it was first posted a couple weeks ago, but I am thrilled I am seeing it now!!! Dutch babies are delish, but this version may take the cake…or should I say Dutch pancake? ;) Just when I thought bananas foster and a dutch baby couldn’t get any better you went and combined the two!! This is truly BRILLIANT! I can’t wait to make this!!!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne! This was one of my favourites :)
I made this last night, it was my first time trying a Dutch baby! It was so yummy, so I’m excited to try more of your Dutch baby recipes. The one thing I will say is the brown sugar at the bottom was a challenge to clean out of my cast iron 😅
Hi Sierra and so glad you enjoyed it! I didn’t have any sugar on the bottom of my pan. Is your cast iron new-ish? Mine is super old and very well seasoned. Maybe that’s why. Thanks :)
I’ve tried your Dutch baby skillets before and look forward to making this one! Your description and the looks of it are quite persuasive:)
Thanks so much, Milena :) I am such a fan of Dutch baby desserts. There is just something so satisfying about putting down a warm skillet and having everyone dig in and enjoy. And so simple!
I love skillet desserts and this one is no exception! Perfect to share on Friday night to kick off the weekend :)
Thanks Dawn and yes, a perfect TGIF dessert :)
Oh wow – another amazing Dutch Baby recipe to try! With rum, yes please :) Pinned!
Thanks so much, Tricia :)
What a delicious idea for a Dutch baby Jennifer! Bananas Foster has always been one of my favorite desserts. Pinned !
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)