This apple dutch baby is part pancake, part popover, and bakes up with tall, crispy edges, a custardy center, and tender cinnamon-sugar apples nestled inside. Made entirely in one skillet, it's a showstopping yet easy breakfast or brunch recipe that tastes like an apple pie and pancake hybrid.
A dutch baby is cooked in a hot skillet so the batter puffs up dramatically in the oven, creating a buttery, airy base that pairs perfectly with the sweet, spiced apples. Serve it straight from the pan with powdered sugar and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. It tastes like a slimmed-down version of these apple fritter donuts, and is always a crowd pleaser!
If you love breakfast recipes with a warm, spiced fruit element, dive into this apple cider donut bread, apple danishes, pear muffins, or cinnamon apple muffins!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Deceptively simple - arrange the apples, blend the batter, and bake! It's a one-skillet wonder that gets caramelized and crispy on the edges, and tender on the inside.
The best fall breakfast - warm cinnamon apples, soft, sweet, and perfectly spiced, making this a cozy breakfast for chilly fall mornings.
Brunch or dessert - serve up this apple dutch baby with a similar sweet dessert like an apple crumble tart, or alongside a savory bacon mushroom quiche for brunch!
Ingredients
- Apple. Use gala, braeburn, or pink lady for a slightly tart yet sweet apple filling.
- Sugar. Used in both the apples and the pancake batter for a touch of sweetness and caramelization on the outsides.
- Cinnamon. The main spice that gives this dutch baby pancake its coziness!
- Baking powder. A small amount of leavener helps to add puff to the pancake since it bakes at such a high heat.
- Eggs. Create a custardy center and structure to the skillet pancake.
- Milk. Keeps the batter tender and moist.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use pears instead of apples for a softer, earthy twist.
- Swap cinnamon for apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for an extra autumn twist.
- Add a splash of bourbon or brandy to the apples before layering them into the pan.
- Use any variety of milk that suits your diet.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Toss the apple slices in cinnamon and sugar.
Two: Heat the pan and the butter, arrange the spiced apples, and add back to the oven while you make the batter.
Hot tip! Leave 1-inch of space around the outside of the apples so the pancake has some area to puff up on the edges while baking!
Three: Blend together all of the ingredients for the batter, incorporating lots of air to help give the pancake lift.
Four: Pour the batter over the hot apples and bake.
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Five: The pancake will be puffed and golden, then will fall in the center as it starts to cool.
Six: Slice, then dust with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature eggs and milk to help the dutch baby puff up.
- Whip as much air as possible into the pancake batter (give it another quick buzz before you pour it into the pan). Use a blender or immersion blender for best results.
- Don't open the oven during baking! This keeps the pancake from collapsing too early.
- A 10-12" cast iron or enamel skillet will provide the best lift and even distribution of heat.
Recipe FAQs
It's a large, thin baked pancake made in a hot skillet. It puffs in the oven, creating crisp edges and a soft, custardy middle.
Yes, use any oven-safe, heavy-bottomed skillet or metal cake pan. A cast iron or enamel skillet will work best.
Your pan or oven may or may not have been hot enough, the eggs and/or milk were too cold, or the batter wasn't blended long enough to incorporate enough air.
Storage
Dutch babies are best served fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated for 1-2 days in a covered container and reheated in a 350℉ oven for a few minutes until warm.
This dish should not be frozen.
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What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Cinnamon Apple Dutch Baby
Equipment
- 1 10-12" cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 large pink lady, gala, or braeburn apple peeled, corned and sliced thin
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter sliced into tablespoon pieces
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- powdered sugar for dusting
- maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450℉.
- Toss the apple slices in the sugar and cinnamon to coat.1 large pink lady, gala, or braeburn apple, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Add the pieces of butter to a cast iron skillet (10-12”) and add the pan to the oven to melt the butter (about 2 minutes).¼ cup unsalted butter
- Remove the pan (use an oven mitt) and arrange the apple slices in a concentric pattern around the pan, keeping the slices 1” from the sides of the pan (this helps the dutch baby puff up on the sides). Nestle them all in and sprinkle any remaining cinnamon sugar over top of the apples.
- Add the pan back to the oven for about 5 minutes while you prepare the batter.
- Blend together the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, salt, milk, vanilla, and eggs until very smooth and airy. You can also do this with a whisk or immersion blender, just get it as smooth as possible and add lots of air.¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ cup whole milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 large eggs
- Remove the hot pan (oven mitts!) and gently pour the batter on and around the apples.
- Return to the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes until puffed and golden.
- Slice and serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Megan says
This was such a decadent breakfast treat! Even the 3yo said “I LOVE this pancake pizza!”
Callan Wenner says
Omg pancake pizza...that is the best thing I've ever heard! Thanks so much for trying it!
Callan Wenner says
The cinnamon sugar apples that bake into the pancake batter MAKE this for me. A little bit of extra texture goes a long way here.