Spiced Apple Dutch Baby Pancakes
This Spiced Apple Dutch Baby Pancake is an easy to make skillet pancake recipe is perfect for brunch or a weeknight dinner studded with apples and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
These Dutch Babies are a fantastic oven pancake – more crepe-like than skillet pancakes, but fluffier than a crepe. The upside is that instead of standing over a stove for 30 minutes flipping individual pancake after pancake, you can make a big one the whole family can enjoy.
Using a pumpkin pie spice (affiliate link) on the apples gives them awesome flavor! Saving some of the spice and making a spiced sugar to sprinkle over the baked dutch baby pancake also gives a lovely flavor addition.
Eat Like A Princess!
This recipe is part of my “Eat Like A Princess” series. I designed this series as a fun way to teach my daughters about new cultures through the classic Princesses in hopes that they will become more open to trying new foods, to understand other cultures better, and to enjoy exploring the world around them. All while still:
- containing real food
- be super easy
- take about 30 minutes (or as close to it as we can).
You can see other recipes in this series here.
*Note: This recipe is not intended to be 100% authentic. Snow White is a fictional princess who lives in a made-up land. This recipe is intended to be easy enough that children can help you prepare it, as well as interesting enough to pique their interest in new cultures and foods.
After much internet research (all of which contradicts each other), I decided that the Snow White movie was probably set in 16th century Germany – probably in the Northwestern border with Belgium and the Netherlands, based on the architecture of the Dwarves cottage, clothing styles, and the wooden clogs that Snow White puts on while she is cleaning house. Am I an expert in this? No, I just did the best I could with what information I could find.
Dutch Baby Pancakes seemed like a perfect recipe to make – they are also known as a German Pancake or Dutch Puff. And it had to incorporate apples (but not poison ones). It seemed fitting, right?
What is a dutch baby pancake and what does it taste like?
A dutch baby pancake is kind of a cross between a crepe, a pancake, and a popover.
Can you make a dutch baby with a cast iron skillet?
Yes! You do not need a cast iron skillet to make a dutch baby. Just make sure you use a skillet that is oven proof!
How to make Dutch Baby Oven Pancakes Easy
- The apples can be cooked ahead of time and kept in an air-tight container in the fridge overnight.
- The batter can be made a day ahead as well, just make sure to bring it back close to room temperature before cooking.
How to make Dutch Baby Pancakes Kid Friendly:
Ok, these are pancakes, ya’ll. You don’t need to do anything fancy here to get kids to love them!
The only suggestion I have is that your kids might enjoy sprinkling on their own sliced almonds, and giving kids the suggestion of having syrup on top or beside for dunking.
Tips on Family Dinner Conversations:
Dinner time is more than cleaning your plate! Its also a perfect time to engage with your kids about what you are eating in an easy and stress-free way. Use these conversation starters to help open up a conversation about these Apple Dutch Baby Pancakes:
- Talk about where Snow White was from and how this was a food she enjoyed eating – do they remember any food from the movie (hint: apples, gooseberry pie, some sort of potato and fish soup she makes for the dwarves).
- Talk about the textures, flavors, and smells of the dutch baby pancake. What does it smell like? How does it feel in their mouths? Is it dry, moist, crumbly?
- Ask questions about what their favorite part of the dutch baby pancake is, what they would like to change next time, and what would make it better for them.
Get Your Kids In the Kitchen
One of the best ways to get kids interested in eating new foods (besides making food inspired by their favorite characters, books, and movies…) is to get them involved! Here are some easy ways your kids can help you cook this apple dutch baby pancake:
- Kids 1-3 can help wash the apples, measure the ingredients, set the table.
- Kids 4-7 can help do everything above, plus cut the apples with an apple corer, whisk the batter.
- Kids 8-10+ can help do everything above, plus help you stir the apples while they cook, pour in the batter to the skillet, and help serve plates.
*Please note that these recommendations are generalized, and to please use your personal discretion with your child’s skill level. And always, always supervise! Read more about how to have your children help you in the kitchen.
Other German Recipes your family will love:
Food tastes better when its shared! If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rate below! Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this post, please link to this post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thanks so much for supporting me! xoxo
Apple Dutch Baby Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Honeycrisp Apples cored and sliced into strips
- 3 TBSP butter divided (2 TBSP should be melted for the batter)
- 2 TBSP sugar
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup flour
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix 2 TBSP of sugar and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- Heat a large 12" cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Melt 1 TBSP of butter and sauté the apples with half of the sugar-spice mix for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples start to soften.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, and salt until smooth.
- Make sure the apples are in a mostly even layer in the bottom of the skillet, and then pour the batter over top.
- Sprinkle half of the remaining sugar/spice mixture over the top.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 450F.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
- Remove from oven, and sprinkle with remaining spiced sugar mixture.
- Slice and serve!
As you know, I love this series! I can’t wait to try this version of a dutch baby – sounds delicious!
Looks and sounds so tasty! Love dutch baby for breakfast, and I really like how kids can get involved in making it too!
I totally love the way you’re encouraging your children with food and cooking! I raised 4 sons in the kitchen, and as adults, they’re all fantastic cooks, and they eat everything. One is a professional chef! This Dutch baby pancake looks and sounds delicious!
Such a cute and great series you created! And such yummy recipes to go with the stories. This Dutch baby pancake looks delicious and a great weekend breakfast idea!
Wow! This recipe is magnificent. I can see myself making this with my daughter who loves Snow White and she will be in awe that the baking activity comes with a good Snow White story. She will totally love this!
It might just be in my head, but I can almost smell the apples, sugar, and spices just looking at these pictures! Incorporated apples into breakfast foods is one of my favorites. I love how you use this series to teach your girls! Can’t wait until my small one is a little older so we can do stuff like this.
I love dutch pancakes but never tried making them at home. This dutch baby looks amazing!!!!
Snowhite is a great story for any age and it was so creative of you to make a recipe inspired by this movie.
This is a really interesting read! I love all the background. My daughter (3 yrs old, although she will tell you she is 5) loves to help me with kitchen tasks. This sounds like a recipe to make together (after a minor alteration to make it gluten free)!
I love that you include ways that kids can help with this recipe! What a great idea. I’ve never made a dutch baby pancake before, but this one certainly looks delicious. I love the smell of spiced apples, and anything warm and comforting
Oh my goodness, Dutch babies are the best! I love the spiced apple in this, it sounds so delicious!
It is so wonderful to work with the children in the kitchen! My kids always loved it! These dutch babies are perfection and I love how simple and easy to create a great meal! I now have a great recipe to make with my niece tomorrow
I love dutch babies! One of my favorite weekend breakfasts – so quick and easy, but so delicious. I’ve recently started making savory dutch babies for dinner, too.
Dutch babies are so fun! My daughter would just flip over these flavors. Looks like a good one for a weekend breakfast!
Love this recipe! Easy recipe and I really appreciate you listing how the kids can help with this. Very well thought out and it looks absolutely delicious!
Yum, this is so good. I haven’t had a dutch baby in so long, I always forget how easy they are! Love the tips on getting the kids involved in the kitchen as well, mine just love helping out.
I have to admit – I have not tried dutch baby pancakes before…and now I wonder why! These look so delicious! I know my kids will love this as well. I love how you broke down the tasks that the kids can help with. Super helpful!