These mini Dutch baby pancakes bake up perfectly in a hot muffin pan, so they are easier to make than regular pancakes, and you can serve everyone at once! Serve with warm blueberry sauce or the topping of your choice.
These mini Dutch baby pancakes bake in a hot muffin tin, so you can make 12 puffy Dutch babies at once with no standing at the stove flipping batches of pancakes. They are crisp around the edges, soft and custardy in the middle, and naturally form little cups for warm blueberry sauce, maple syrup, fruit, or other favourite toppings.
The batter comes together quickly in a blender, and the baked mini Dutch babies can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated for an easy breakfast, brunch, or breakfast-for-dinner.
Love Dutch baby pancakes? Browse all my Dutch Baby Recipes for more variations.
- Ingredients and substitutions
- How to make mini Dutch baby pancakes with blueberry sauce: step-by-step
- How to make mini Dutch baby pancakes with blueberry sauce: video
- Tips for perfect mini Dutch baby pancakes
- FAQ
- Mini Dutch baby topping ideas
- Making ahead, storing, reheating and freezing
- Get the Recipe: Mini Dutch Baby Pancakes
- More mini Dutch baby pancake recipes to love!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Blueberries – You can start with either fresh or frozen blueberries for the blueberry sauce. You could also adapt this same recipe to make a strawberry or raspberry sauce, instead, if you prefer.
Lemon juice – No worries if you don’t have a lemon handy. Simply omit.
Milk – A fuller-fat milk, such as 2–3.5% milk, produces a richer-tasting Dutch baby. I have not tested non-dairy milk in this recipe.
All-purpose flour – Use regular all-purpose flour (not use self-rising flour). I have not tested gluten-free flour in this recipe.
How to make mini Dutch baby pancakes with blueberry sauce: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Melt the butter needed for the batter and the pan. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Add the Dutch baby batter ingredients to a large measuring cup or bowl and blend with an immersion blender (or use a regular blender).
Step 3: Add the cooled melted butter and mix in well.
Step 4: Set aside the batter to rest while you make the blueberry sauce.
Step 5: Add the ingredients for the blueberry sauce to a small saucepan.
Step 6: Cook the blueberry sauce until thickened. Set aside.
Step 7: Brush the hot muffin tin with melted butter.
Step 8: Add the Dutch baby batter to the muffin cups.
Step 9: Fill all 12 cups about 1/2-2/3 full.
Step 10: Bake immediately. The Mini Dutch babies will puff up a lot while baking.
Step 11: Remove from the oven. The Dutch babies will immediately deflate. That’s normal!
Step 12: Serve warm with a spoonful of blueberry sauce and dusted with icing sugar.
How to make mini Dutch baby pancakes with blueberry sauce: video
Tips for perfect mini Dutch baby pancakes
- Use a metal or cast-iron muffin tin, not silicone, and preheat it in the oven. A hot pan gives the batter its best initial lift; silicone muffin pans are not recommended.
- Blend the batter until smooth and bubbly. Let it stand while you make the blueberry sauce, then briefly re-blend just before filling the hot cups.
- Work quickly once the tin is out of the oven. Butter the cups, fill them, and return the pan to the oven immediately.
- Do not open the oven door while they bake. The pancakes need uninterrupted heat to rise well.
- Expect them to deflate after baking. This is normal and creates the small centre pocket for fruit or sauce.
- Lift them from the muffin tin promptly. Leaving them in the hot cups traps steam and can make them soggy.
FAQ
A Dutch baby is not quite a pancake and not quite a popover. It’s somewhere in between, being richer than a popover and lighter than a pancake. And no, they aren’t Dutch. Dutch Babies are just another name for German Pancakes. It’s thought that the name may have come from the word “Deutsche” meaning German, that become “Dutch” somewhere along the way.
As Dutch baby pancakes need a hot pan to rise properly, any metal muffin tin (or cast-iron muffin tin) will work fine. Silicone muffin tins are not recommended. Don’t use a popover pan, as they are too deep for these.
I have not tested all of these variations myself. Readers have reported good results with gluten-free flour, dairy-free milk, vegan butter, and sugar substitutes, but results may vary. For the most dependable rise and texture, use the ingredients listed in the recipe.
They are supposed to deflate shortly after they leave the oven. The steam that creates their dramatic rise escapes as they cool, leaving a tender centre that is ideal for holding blueberry sauce or other toppings.
Mini Dutch baby topping ideas
- I’ve included a recipe for an optional warm blueberry sauce in the Recipe Card. I sometimes stir some maple syrup in with the warm blueberry sauce, too.
- You could also make a strawberry or raspberry sauce instead, simply by substituting different fruit into that base recipe. You may want to reduce the sugar just a tad for the sweeter berries.
- Spoon fresh fruit on them! Think fresh strawberries with a dollop of whipped cream, or maybe Nutella™!
- Try spooning a little lemon curd onto them, maybe with some fruit, too. This would be a perfect option for a special Spring or Easter brunch!
- For the Fall and Winter, try sautéeing some apple or banana with brown sugar and butter and spooning on top of warm pancakes. For an apple version, try my Individual Apple Dutch Baby Pancakes.
- And of course, these mini Dutch baby pancakes are also lovely enjoyed simply, with just butter and maple syrup!
- For a citrus variation, try these Mini Lemon Dutch Baby Pancakes.
Making ahead, storing, reheating and freezing
These mini Dutch babies can be made ahead and reheated. Cool completely, then refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2–3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat refrigerated or frozen mini Dutch babies, place them on a baking sheet, loosely cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven for 8–12 minutes, or until heated through. Rewarm the blueberry sauce separately in a small saucepan or microwave.
Freeze these Dutch babies in an airtight container or freezer bag up to 2 months.
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Get the Recipe: Mini Dutch Baby Pancakes
Ingredients
Pancake Batter:
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or 1/8 tsp. fine salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to just warm
Warm Blueberry Sauce:
- 4 1/2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 1/2 Tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, optional
For the pan:
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
For garnish:
- Icing/confectioners' sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Place a 12-cup (or two 6-cup) muffin pan(s) into a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 425F (regular bake setting/not convection or fan-assisted). Allow the oven to preheat with the muffin pan in the oven to get hot.
- Make the Dutch baby pancake batter: Melt the 2 Tablespoons butter (melted and cooled to just warm) and set aside to cool to just warm. Add 4 large eggs, 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/8 tsp. fine salt) to a blender (or a bowl or large measuring cup with an immersion blender or a food processor) and blend until smooth and bubbly. Add the cooled 2 Tablespoons butter (melted and cooled to just warm) and mix in. *Make sure your butter isn't hot when adding to the blender, or it will cook the eggs! Leave the batter in the blender or bowl while you make the blueberry sauce.
- Make the blueberry sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 4 1/2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, 4 1/2 Tablespoons water, 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional). Place on the stovetop over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring regularly. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 3-5 minutes. Turn heat off and leave on the stove.
- When the oven has preheated, melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons butter (melted). Remove the hot muffin tin from the oven and quickly brush the bottoms and sides of muffin cups with melted butter. Turn the blender on for a few seconds to re-mix the batter, then quickly pour into the hot muffin cups, dividing equally between 12 cups and filling about 1/2-2/3 full.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until puffy and deep golden brown in colour. Meanwhile, turn the heat back on under the blueberry sauce to re-warm, if needed.
- When the Dutch babies are cooked, remove from the oven. The pancakes will quickly deflate. Remove the pancakes to serving plates right after taking them from the oven and spoon warm blueberry sauce over. Garnish with powdered sugar.
- Store leftover Dutch babies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. These mini Dutch baby pancakes freeze well, as does the blueberry sauce. To reheat, simply place frozen (or refrigerated) Dutch babies on a baking sheet and loosely cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Place in a preheated 350F oven until warmed through, 8-12 minutes. The sauce can be reheated in a microwave or a small saucepan.
Notes
Watch how to make it
More mini Dutch baby pancake 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!
These look so yummy and I can’t wait to try the recipe! Do you think I could substitute almond milk? We have some lactose free family members. Thank you!
Hi Natalie, I haven’t tested it, but I feel like it should be ok. Let me know how it works!
Have been obsessed with Dutch babies recently so I was excited to fine this recipe and discover that you can make them in a muffin tin. Would be so much easier to share among a crowd (or kids) than the full sized version I’m used to making in a cast iron. SO EASY and they taste great! Thanks for sharing!! I topped mine with a blueberry/strawberry quickjam plus a sweet cream cheese mixture (with a little vanilla and icing sugar) – they reminded me of a fresh cheese danish.
Sounds delicious! So glad you enjoyed them :) Thanks.
Would a silicone muffin pan work? That’s all we have currently 😑
Hi Keshia, I have not tried it, but I feel like it won’t be ideal. The heat-retention of the metal muffin pans is important for the rising. I think :) I could be wrong. You might be better off using one larger, metal pan to make a large dutch pancake. An 8 or 9-inch round cake pan or a small skillet would work well.
We went with a cast iron pan and it worked well! 🙌🏽
Glad to hear :) Thanks so much!
In which order to you combine the pancake ingredients?
Hi Hannah, it is all going to get blended up, so it really doesn’t matter. Best advice is to add them as they are listed in the ingredients.
Delicious!! So easy to make!
So glad you enjoyed them :) Thanks so much!
Sometimes mine turn out beautiful, but more often they don’t puff at all and I am left with little hockey pucks. I can’t tell that I’m doing anything differently. Any guidance?
Hi Amy, if you use the same ingredients, mixed in the same way and baked in the same pan every time, they would always come out the same way. So, I guess I’m thinking something is different between the batches that work and the ones that don’t. You’ll just have to figure out what that is to fix it :)
These are so delicious. A new Saturday morning favorite for my young boys. I make them in the food processor and they turn out perfectly. The blueberry sauce is so easy & tops them off just right.
So happy to hear, Molly! Thanks so much :)
Hi, can this be made with a non-stick cupcake pan?
Hi Nina, I have never made these in non-stick but I believe it should work fine as long as the pans can take the higher heat.
Thank you for the quick reply. Can’t wait to try this recipe 😊
EXCELLENT! Came out perfect, so easy and so much faster than traditional pancakes. New family favorite!
So glad to hear, Jill! Thanks :)
These are great, everyone gets their own, or two, dutch baby. Making them again for Sunday brunch, fresh fruit and mimosas.
Thanks
Thanks Pauline! So glad you are enjoying them :)
Tastes awesome! You can defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in a toaster oven. Makes a quick breakfast for school days. Thanks!
I made this for my 7 year old son to eat for breakfast throughout the week. They were easy to make, delicious and so darn cute!
Such a perfect breakfast! So glad you are all enjoying them and yes, they are so darn cute, aren’t they? :)
Making these for the B&B I work at. They are beautiful, light and delicious! The hot metal tin is essential to the success of the “babies”. I found I needed more than the 1 1/2 T of blueberry sauce sauce from the recipe to achieve the “look” of your pics. I also added a dollop of whipped cream and a spring of fresh mint to dress it up. A side of scrambled eggs with sunny paris seasoning made it complete. Can’t wait to try the eggs Benedict version. Thanks so much Jennifer for the great recipes and inspiration.
Hi Lorie and thanks so much. So glad you are enjoying these! And yes, for photos, I tend to add more sauce than I normally would :) Love your addition of whipped cream and mint. Must be so pretty on the plate!
I can’t find the Eggs Benedict version! I love Dutch Babies, have made them for years served with generous squeezings of lemon and a dusting of powdered sugar. That’s the way I was introduced to them. Try it for a light, oh so fresh take.
Now….please share that Benedict. ;)
Here you go, Daphne :) Enjoy! https://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/eggs-benedict-dutch-baby/
Made these 2 weeks ago. My husband was sad I only have time to make 1 recipe an my 5 yr old boy said ‘Mommy I want these every day for breakfast please…. ‘
Definitely something I will be making a lot in our household.
Love the blender method and it’s just delicious & light.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
So glad you all enjoyed them, Sandrine! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know :)
If not making the blueberry sauce, should I still let the batter sit for several minutes? Or would it be ready to go right away?
Hi Mimi, I would let it sit 10 minutes, then re-blend and use. It may be good to go right away, but I often see where they let batters like this sit a bit, so that’s why I’d suggest that.
Hi, can this be made with a non-stick cupcake pan?
They look superb, Jennifer! Thanks for sharing. I don’t suppose the same trick can be used for silicone muffin cups, right?
Hi Doti, I’ve never tried these in silicone, but you certainly wouldn’t be able to pre-heat it (no point in that :) I believe that hot pan in contact with the batter, adds to the rise/puffiness of the pancakes, so I suspect that part would suffer without metal. That said, if silicone is all you have, I’d give it a go, just to know. Maybe try a half-recipe? If you try it, let me know how it works!