German pancakes, or Dutch babies, are famous for the way that they rise up in the oven in a dramatic display.
To make a German pancake with bacon simply follow the recipe for a traditional Dutch baby and add bacon at different times during the cooking process.
You can continue to make the best savory Dutch baby or German pancake with bacon also adding cheese or chopped scallions or chives. But cheese and other ingredients are optional.
German Pancakes With Bacon
Equipment
- 1 10" cast iron skillet or 10" baking pan
- 1 Blender or whisk
- 1 spatula
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cups Milk
- 1/2 Cups Flour
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/3 Cups Shredded Cheese (such as cheddar)
- 3 – 4 Slices Bacon, Chopped
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped chives (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Allow eggs and milk to reach room temperature
- Mix the following ingredients in a blender: 3/4 C milk, 1/2 C flour, 4 eggs, and dashes of salt, pepper, and vanilla
- Heat cast iron skillet in oven or stove top
- Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in the cast iron skillet (or pan), coating the sides
- Quickly pour the batter into the skillet, and sprinkle most of the bacon and cheese into the center, reserving about 1 Tablespoon of each. Put it into the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes and do not open the oven to check on the Dutch Baby.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese, reduce heat to 300 degrees, and cook for about 5 more minutes until edges are golden brown.
- Remove the Dutch Baby/ German Pancake from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining bacon bits. (The pancake will likely come out of the oven in a puffy display, but it may not rise as well with bacon and cheese.) Allow the German Pancake with bacon too cool for about 5 minutes.
- Slice and serve with optional topping such as chopped scallions or chives, or maple syrup.
Why Won’t My German Pancakes Rise?
The reason your German pancake (or Dutch Baby) won’t rise is likely that either your pan was not hot enough or you didn’t whip the pancake batter enough. Or you may have ingredients that are too cold, you’ll have to let them sit until they reach room temperature.
German pancakes require a piping hot pan with melted butter, such as a cast iron skillet heated on the stove top or oven, so that the batter reacts quickly.
The batter also must have enough air so that it can rise, which is why so many recipes call for the mixture to be processed in a blender or food processor. Simply mixing the ingredients together by hand will likely result in heavier batter that is more difficult to rise into the Dutch Baby’s famous puffs.
Dutch Baby Pancakes Without Cast Iron Skillet
You can easily make German Pancakes without a cast iron skillet by using baking pans or a casserole dish. In fact, you can use any dish that is oven-safe. Remember to proportion your ingredients so that the pancake is neither too thin nor too thick. Be sure to heat your pan or casserole dish well before adding butter and brushing melted butter on the sides and bottom.
Also try Bacon & Bevs’ recipe for Honey Glazed Garlic Bacon or Spicy Candied Bacon.
