If I were forced, because it was my job or something terrible like that, to come up with some sort of World Cup of Pancakes ranking system, it would go something like this: rumpled bed sheet-like pancakes > flat, round disc pancakes. Pancakes with fresh fruit, baked and leaky within > pancakes without fresh fruit inside. Pancakes recipes that instruct only “mix everything” > pancake recipes that make you separate wet, dry and other ingredients. Pancakes that I can decide to make on a whim and have on my plate in just over 20 minutes > pancakes that will find me still ladling, flipping, turning over a hot frying pan with 2/3 of the seemingly interminable bowl of batter still to go 20 minutes later.
Not that I’ve given this matter any serious thought or anything. Surely there are more pressing things that should warrant my attention [such as this apartment that won’t clean itself, or debating whether we should move to a new one (that perhaps will?), or how to unload the 25 cookbooks I just thinned from my bookshelves, something I don’t think would feel more satisfying if I had thinned them from my actual person, etc.] But it’s summer and my brain and ambition have already gone soft. The markets are awash in cherries, and if I could get away with it, I’d spend the next few weeks eating them for every meal of the day.
Until then, this will do quite nicely. We make the David Eyres/German/Dutch Baby-style baked pancake regularly throughout the year, but my results when adding fresh fruit have been mixed — they taste good but the weight of the fruit seems to inhibit the wrinkle, crinkle and ruffle formation without which this would just be a boring old thick crepe. But the cherries worked surprisingly well here; once pitted and lightly sautéed, they’re light enough to not act as dead weights, and when baked until they leak dribbles of juice across the almond-scented pancake and are then scattered with very well-toasted* almonds, powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice, I guarantee your day will be made. If, perhaps, your day still resists being made, then you should add a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.
One year ago: Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw
Two years ago: Triple Berry Buttermilk Bundt
Three years ago: Blueberry Yogurt Multigrain Pancakes
Four years ago: Bread and Butter Pickles and Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart
Five years ago: Neapolitan Cake
Six years ago: Sweet Cherry Pie and Project Wedding Cake: An Introduction
Seven years ago: Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Potato Salad (still a favorite!)
Cherry Almond Dutch Baby
Adapted from Sunset Magazine
Let’s talk about almonds for a minute: I think those waxy, often stale, and flavorless cream-colored discs sold as sliced almonds are absolutely terrible tasting — from the package. But I buy them anyway because they are so magically transformed by toasting, becoming crisp, sweet and intensely fragrant, that I want to put them on everything when I’m not eating them straight. Please, do not go easy on your almonds; spread them on a tray, bake them for 8 to 10 minutes at 350, tossing them around once or twice for even color, and not taking them out until they’re deeply golden brown. Make more than you’ll need so you’ll have them for everything else (like broccoli slaw!).
* This contains my favorite vanilla bean ice cream recipe. This buttermilk ice cream and this fennel ice cream would be equally wonderful here or wherever else there is baked fruit if your tastes veer from the purely traditional.
Serves 2 generously or 4 petitely
3 large egg
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (more or less to taste)
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups pitted sweet cherries
1/2 cup sliced almonds, well-toasted
Powdered sugar
Lemon wedges
Heat oven to 425°F. Whisk egg, sugar, flour, milk, extract and salt together until the batter is blended but lumpy; you can also do this in a blender. In a 12-inch ovenproof frying pan, melt butter. Add cherries and cook until warmed, about 2 minutes. Pour in batter and transfer to heated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and rumpled-looking. (I err on the side of more cooking time with these pancakes, because I find the longer, within a range, they cook, the more rumpled and golden they get.)
Remove pancake from oven and quickly scatter with toasted almonds, dust with powdered sugar and squeeze lemon juice over. Serve in wedges, piping hot.
Deb!! You are speaking my language here. This looks utterly divine and your mention of the World Cup makes me want to make this (quasi-German pancake) to devour while the US (hopefully) devours the German team. Love it!
You managed to improve even the most perfect pancake!
Oof. Right to my heart, Deb. And given my other half’s aversion to cherries, I’ll just have to sit down with the cast iron all by myself in front of the game today….
Deb, this looks fantastic. I look forward to trying it out.
That said, for the past two days, when I’ve come to your website, I’ve been blocked by an advertisement that forces me to watch a video before being able to view the content. This is a huge bummer and something I wonder whether you’re aware of (or if anyone else is experiencing it).
Melanie — Ugh, no, I am not getting it. I’ll try to figure out where it’s coming from and have it removed. Sorry for the intrusion.
And now I’m going to be dreaming about this beautiful breakfast.
On a random note… it was your cherry brown butter bar post from a few years ago that inspired me to get a cherry pitter. Just thought I’d mention that. :-)
“Whisk ingredients together” — that would be egg through salt, right? (This looks wonderful!)
janna — Right! Now fixed, thanks.
Aww man! I was planning to eat corn pancakes and corn crepes for days, due to some extreme poor estimation in purchasing corn for a cookout last weekend, but now all I can think about is making one of these beautiful suckers!
Maybe I can combine the two – corn pancakes with cherry topping?
Deb! Please unload some of your excess cookbooks to me? I’m building up my collection (which includes yours :-) ) and would love one or two that you don’t use anymore. I live in the East Village and could pick up at anytime. My email address is included in comment info.
Deb, this looks fantastic and I have all ingredients in the house, but quick question – I’m assuming when you say “whisk ingredients together until the batter is lumpy” you mean just the ingredients listed through (and including) the salt, right?
Out of desperation I have turned to dutch babies as a quick meal to feed a crowd and use up the fruit that we can no longer stomach alone. I seriously jealous of your cherries right now; It is winter were I live and I miss the summer fruits.
I must try to hold off to summer for this recipe but I could use another fruit here right?
It’s wonderful with sliced apples. Slice them, toss with the juice if half a lemon and a TBL if brown sugar. After the skillet is really hot pour in the batter, too with apple slices and drizzle the juice everywhere on it. Bake! Lightly dust with clove when you remove from oven. ☺️
I have been really interested in baking a Dutch Baby ever since I saw one on TV once. I just have to wait until we have sweet cherries because they have been somewhat disappointing this season. In the meantime, I’ll practice my Dutch Baby plain!
ahhhh!!! lovely. i have to try this. i just made your sweet cherry pie last night. it is sweeeeeeet. and thank you for the flakiest pie crust i have ever successfully tried!!! you are my saving grace!
I make your gingerbread Dutch baby all the time – love how easy it is. I make it all in the oven, including melting the butter (actually in the toaster oven, so my frying pans won’t fit). Could I do the same with this? I’m thinking I would just add the cherries to the pan after the butter is melted and let them cook in there for a few minutes before pulling the pan out, pouring batter in, and popping back into the oven?
Elisheva — Definitely. It will take a little longer to warm up and slightly soften the cherries in the oven.
Nice! I got Dutch babied recently, thanks to Sara Kate Gillingham of the Kitchn and her recipe for the basic Dutch Baby, and it’s as easy as you say, just dump all ingredients into blender, whiz good, let sit for 30 minutes, then bake.
I also use a cast iron pan, though mind is a vintage one from my late mother.
I have not squeezed lemon juice on mine as I forget to get a lemon, but with powdered sugar and maple syrup, it’s good nonetheless.
I have learned that if you let the pan/butter just melt and then take out to add the batter, it won’t necessarily rise as much, so leave it in after the butter is all melted about 30 Sec, to a minute before removing to pour in the batter and it’ll rise up like no body’s business, and brown nicely too.
This version looks fantastic BTW. I also whiz mine up in a vintage Osterizer blender from 1970 that I picked up years ago at an estate sale. :-)
About that cherry pitter… My hands are permanently stained from trying various methods to remove the pits so that my 5 year old can feast on cherries. What kind do you have and do you recommend it? Thanks!
You’re two for two, Deb! I’m already planning on bringing my blender on vacation with us next week, and it looks like I’ll be stopping at the market for cherries now too!
So Dutch Babies are really a staple up here in the Pacific NW. Every New Years we have a breakfast for a large group. I am now thinking hmm? Do I freeze some cherries for later? Can I use lightly sugared cranberries to switch it up? Any suggestions on what other winter fruits could work for New Years Babies?
thanks,
Ilene
ahhhh i haven’t made a dutch baby in months. and i have cherries in my fridge. friday breakfast plans made!
This looks soooo good! I love the flavor combination of cherries and almonds. I need to ask…because someone always has to…can I use frozen cherries in this, or is it best to use fresh?
This looks awesome. We’re moving tomorrow so we have no fresh fruit in the house, sadly. But I could make the salted caramel version. Yum.
I’ve had the same ad as Melanie in #4 a few times.
Whoah–that contraption you have for pitting the cherries must be really handy to have!I would probably make a lot more cherry desserts if I had it!
Kate @Almond Butter Binge, I just made this with frozen cherries and it turned out great. I let the cherries thaw just a bit and baked it 20 minutes.
Long time Dutch (non commenting) reader, so interesting to see this pancake being labled Dutch. Nowadays we have nothing remotely as appetising as this “hollandse pannekoek” here in Holland. Recipes traveling farther away from the homecountry last longer? Although probably originaly more German (Duits) than Dutch (Hollands). Our neighbours in the East being a lot less stingy with eggs. Sounds and looks totally delish. Thanks Deb!
Could you use frozen cherries? I’m thinking wintertime. Thanks.
Yes, I think so. But it’s best with fresh because they’re not cooked long, might just taste defrosted.
So, I have twice tried the gingerbread dutch baby from your cookbook, and both times it has stubbornly NOT puffed, nor wrinkled, nor rumpled. It cooks into a thick crepe at the bottom of the pan. I’d love to try this, but fear the same result. Is it important to preheat the skillet in the oven? Should the batter rest a tick before being baked off? Should I swirl the batter up the pan sides with particular vigor? FWIW, I’m using a 9″ cast iron skillet.
Thank you in advance!!!
Natalie — Definitely heat the pan on the stove and melt the butter in it; get it hot. No need to rest the batter (if there was, I promise I would have said so). Don’t swirl the batter, there’s no need to. Try baking it a few minutes longer as long as it’s not getting too brown, I found that mine looked moderately rumpled early in the baking time range and more rumpled and golden at the end of it. The edges cook first, so I think a lot of people pull theirs from the oven once the edges look rumpled and brown but the center needs more time if it’s still pale. If it’s sticking, use another tablespoon butter the next time. I believe I was on the scant side with that one.
Dutch babies are my go-to dessert when I need a fast and easy prep (..because I’m occasionally too preoccupied and/or disorganized to get it in gear ahead of time!) I love the combination of cherry and almonds and if I hadn’t opened my big mouth and promised a cherry pie for dessert today, I’d be making this. Darn!
This looks incredible Deb; I’ll be sure to make it this weekend and report back. I have found thinly sliced apples work wonderfully in dutch babies too (I came across that idea here: http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/10/21/big-apple-pancake/).
Alex — I’ve tried that one (it’s from an old Gourmet, I think) but I have uneven results with the puffing under all of those apple slices — this is actually the one I was talking about it. Regardless, I make it anyway in the fall. And maybe one day mine will look like the photos I see of others.
WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! When I’ve committed myself to to Weight Watchers and still have a few pesky pounds to shed!!!! If only I could taste my screen – but then last week’s hand out was called BLT. A BITE, A LICK, OR A TASTE -they all pack on the calories/pounds sadly! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! This pancake looks to die for!
Looks amazing! The links to the buttermilk and fennel ice cream are missing… Thanks!
Although it may sound odd, I wonder if a savory baby could be made with roasted asparagus, browned onion and maybe even some feta for a light dinner? Just exclude the sugar and extract. My dutch baby recipe, that I have made for years and served with maple syrup is actually called “hootenanny pancakes” and is made in a 9″x13″ dish.
JP — Yes! It’s been on my to-do list forever. I also like the idea of doing a sweet-salty bridge; I want to make one with corn like so.
Looks delightful! Dutch babies are my favorite pancake these days, and this looks like a great new version to try.
Maybe this Sunday will finally be the day I make one of these pancakes–but what I really want to know is which buttermilk and which fennel ice cream recipes you’re referring to! Hopefully plans for ice cream will get the outside temperatures to actually feel like summer.
Christina — Oops! Now added. Thanks.
Seems similar to one of my favorite deserts this time of year – a french clafouti. Just made one last night and it was wonderful. Will give this a try too.
OMG this is so good. Thank you! I always wanted to know how to get better results adding fresh fruit to pancake batter!
Toasted sliced almonds and slivered almonds are the best thing to add to everything, I am especially fond of the slivered ones. And pancakes bore me unless they have extra stuff (chocolate / fruits ) and some kind of topping that isn’t just sugar and butter. I quite like these guys. Dutch babies >>ricotta pancakes >>> pancakes with stuff >>>pancakes without stuff.
Can’t wait to make this!
I’m also with you on the having to flip lots of pancakes thing. A post on King Arthur Flour’s blog about *BAKING* them in a 9 x 13 as pancake “squares” changed my life. Okay, maybe it wasn’t THAT revolutionary, but it has resulted in way more pancakes in my life. Never a bad thing.
I just posted my own recipe for a similar German style pancake recently. We’ve been enjoying it topped with sliced strawberries from the garden, but I hadn’t thought to try cooking the fruit into the pancake itself. I’ll have to give that a try!
Also, I know this was mentioned already, but I’m getting a 30 second video ad before I can access your site too. Not as a separate popup, but like a redirect or something before I can see your site at all. (mine was for similac)
Finding Hestia — I’m sorry. I can’t figure out where these annoying ads are coming from (I go to my site all of the time, of course, and never see them, ugh) but we will weed them out.
This looks amazing!! I’m a huge fan of pancakes, but have never made a Dutch baby before. I love that this doesn’t require syrup of any kind – as much as I love pancakes with syrup, they always seem to put me into a food/sugar coma, so this looks perfect for me!
I love the cherry/almond combo, and tend to be overgenerous with almond extract (I would shamelessly go for a full teaspoon). I’ve never actually had a dutch baby, but this looks so delicious that I know I’m going to make it soon! And I’m so with you on the interminable bowl of batter… there’s always that sinking feeling when you’ve made a stack of pancakes and they’re getting cold while you’re flipping more and more that no one’s going to eat. (I usually just give up and stick the batter in a tupperware for later). Thanks for sharing! :)
Holy! I love the whole cherries in there!! So yummy.
I usually do this for my husband and I! One big pancake, split, and we are good to go!
Well, I have a suggestion for the 25 cookbooks–do a giveaway on the blog.
This is awesome, and reminds me that I want to try the cherry clafouti recipe you posted a LONGGGGG time ago (but the link is broken, sadly). And this looks even easier!
@Melanie. That video is most likely from a virus you have. Run ad aware or something similar.
Cheap Easy Cherry Pitting:
Ok cooking friends I learned on TV this week how to pit a cherry using the large round end of a ordinary wire big paperclip. She used it in the stem side of the fruit to scoop that cherry pit out. This is without a device. She just used the paperclip like a spoon. Bonus only one hole in the fruit so less juice leakage.
Helpful household tip learned while recovering at home watching daytime TV.
Happy to help
I just happen to have a bag of sweet cherries sitting on my kitchen counter … sounds like the perfect dessert for me tonight!
You never cease to amaze (and entice) me with your sweet recipes. Thank you!
Looks yummy! Just as an FYI . . . I am not getting any of those video ads popping up here. Mac/Safari . . . don’t know if that helps narrow anything down or not! Good luck!
Can’t wait to try this one! Cherries and almonds together,,,yum! What cherry pitter are you using that is pictured? Thanks!
Am I the only one who’s thinking – what, pitting cherries doesn’t make this unmakeable ‘on a whim’? Looks great, but in general I strongly oppose recipes that involve endless pitting (cherries, damsons) or fiddling (with the exception of skinning broad beans). So I’m thinking – my kids love pancakes for breakfast and we have a lot of slightly damaged strawberries, loads of gooseberries, red and black currants and raspberries coming on in the garden. Would some/all/any of these work? I know the raspberries would, but I was planning them straight, in a bowl, with a leeetle sugar and double cream… gooseberries and almond is great, but maybe too sour?
Other berries — I think they’d be great here. You can totally make it with cherries on a whim if you have a cherry pitter, though. :)
I’ve made David Eyer’s delicious Dutch pancake but adding cherries is inspired. I bought a huge bag of cherries yesterday so we’ll try your recipe for breakfast on Saturday. About that cherry pitter—I just searched a big online seller and think it might be OXO Good Grips Cherry and Olive Pitter. Inexpensive and highly rated. It’s now on my wish list for the next order with free shipping.
The cherry pitter I use is indeed from OXO. (This one.) I know you probably don’t need one (most people swear by the paper clip trick, see a few comments above, thanks) but I’m so happy to have one every June.
Your photos are gorgeous for this post. Dutch babies from simple to being on steroids (ones with cherries and almonds) make for a perfect meal. Thanks Deb for sharing this recipe!
I love your photos! That dutch baby looks to die for :-D
This was stupendous!!! I made it this morning for my family. Doubled it and used a 9×13 pan to serve 7. Made it exactly as directed. Yummmmm. My belly is so happy :-)
You are combining my two very favorite ingredients (cherries and almonds) with the quintessential comfort food – dutch pancakes. I’m swooning.
“I guarantee your day will be made. If, perhaps, your day still resists being made, then you should add a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.”
_
Just a small scoop? Gorgeous recipe!
Just looking at this makes me happy. Now I know what I’m doing this weekend. Thank you!
Is whole milk required? I saw a nifty trick to pit a cherry using a star shaped icing tip. I haven’t tried it yet, but I just bought a pound of bing cherries at the market yesterday and I don’t have a pitter (yet). Good timing on the recipe post. Thanks.
Whole milk — No, I think you could get away with a lower fat milk. I just use whole milk for taste.
Coconut oil — Sure, I think it would work fine here instead of the butter.
Beautiful photos and pancake looks delicious! I’ll definitely try to make it.
Do you think this would work with coconut oil in place of the butter? We are actually completely out of butter at the moment (whaaaat?!) and I’d love to make this for brunch… thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Day made, thank you very much! (no ice cream required, although I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt for next time…) Ordinarily, Saturday morning is “pancake morning” at our house, but this made a lovely addition to my Friday.
And I agree with you about the cherry pitter. Although cherry season is short and it’s a one-use tool, it increases enjoyment so much! I have one of the larger, spring-loaded types that has higher capacity. My only complaint is that it’s only ~95% effective, meaning that I always get a pit in every ~20 cherries no matter how hard I try to pay attention to make sure they all come out.
And about those annoying hijacking ads, I’ve experienced them randomly on a few different sites I visit lately. It doesn’t happen all the time, but every once in a while. I don’t know if it’s something you can fix, but yours is not the only site with this problem.
This is, obviously, not my tip. Though, I love it like my own.
I should add, I’m not trying to hype up Food & Wine – just the chopstick + wine bottle cherry pitting technique!
Oh, Deb, you just made a cherry loving 8 month pregnant lady very happy!! Also thanks for reminding me about the ice cream cake recipe. I think it’ll be my last big cooking hurrah prior to delivery!
I couldn’t not bake this today when I got the email. My 3 year old woke up early enough and we made it this morning. Baking on a Friday morning before work with my girl; it’s a delightful start to a day. I didn’t have cherries though. I had blueberries (from my CSA;yay for summer) and it was still quite nice. Can’t wait to try it with cherries though. Yum!
OMG, This is scary. I just made this yesterday! I didn’t have fresh cherries so I re-hydrated dry cherries with brandy and sour cherry syrup! It was awesome. I can’t believe I just saw your post the day after. It may be the universe telling me I should make it again today!
Brilliant!
this looks SO good!! would love to eat it now ;)
x
laura&nora
I’m going to try this with apricots!
Lovely! I spent the day at a U pick cherry orchard in Oregon and made a gluten free tart!
As promised, had this for brunch this morning — it was great! Halfway between a clafoutis and a cherry frangipane tart, but barely sweet and thus perfect for brunch, this is an inspired flavour combination Deb — thank you! It also looked beautiful: dutch babies are such wonderfully practical things when you’re catering for more than a couple of people.
These look so delicious Deb!!
Hi Deb – this looks amazing! I’m always wary of making substitutions, but do you think I could substitute vanilla extract for the almond extract? I’ve got these ingredients in my kitchen except the almond extract. Thanks!
Rachel — I don’t see why not. You can also skip the almond extract.
Hi Deb, I apologize if you’ve already answered a question like this, although, when skimming through the posts, it didn’t look like you did. My husband is very anti-cherries, so I was wondering if strawberries would work just as well or if there was anything I would need to change in the cooking time or prep? Unless you had a better fruit suggestion to substitute the cherries with?
Sarah — I suppose you can use strawberries; I think blueberries might be nice too.
I make this a lot, but only when our grand kids are here. This is “what’s for dinner tonight”!!! No cherries here yet, but blueberries and almonds should be nice!
Scarfing this down as I type – SO GOOD! I added a little bit of vanilla bean paste along with the almond extract and baked it in a 9″ cast iron skillet for 20 minutes. It came out of the oven beautifully brown and impossibly puffy. Drizzled with a little maple syrup, this is possibly the best breakfast ever.
My skillet is practically begging me to make a Dutch baby pancake; I only refuse this wish because I worry about the errant scent of garlic that lingers in said skillet’s corners (I have no wish to hurt its sensitive feelings). However, this recipe may shatter my hesitation – thank you! :D The almond/cherry combo makes me weak in the knees and since I don’t have an ice cream machine (shameful for a food blogger, I know!), I can at least jump happily onto the Dutch baby bandwagon, at last! Hurray for ruffles & wrinkles and desserts that look good on camera in all their messy bed-head glory. :D
Deb, This was so great. Thank you!
I used sour cherries as my husband had scored a bunch the other day. I dredged them in a half c. sugar before cooking them in the butter. Not sure if this accounts for the caramelization that happened on the bottom, but it was fantastic. I made one strategic error which was I didn’t make sure my cherries were uniformly spread through the pan, so after I poured the batter in I gave it a stir or two. I’m not sure if it was that, or the extra sugar, but I wasn’t able to get it out of the pan in one piece at the end. Also, then I forgot to do any of the finishing moves (almonds, lemon). Clearly, I need to make it a few more times to get the technique down, ya know, for science. It was still amazing. And one of the easiest fancy breakfasts I’ve made (if you don’t count pitting the cherries, which I’m not, because my friends did that part.)
Alas, cherry season is long gone here in central CA. Our nectarine trees are loaded, though – think I could get away with putting nectarines in, if I cut them in small enough chunks?
I saw a chef pit cherries last week but putting each cherry on top of an empty wine bottle and poking them with a chopstick- the pits fell into the bottle and it was simple. I haven’t tried this at home yet
I happened to have some spare cherries and almonds, so I made this recipe this morning. I slivered and toasted the almonds, and pitted the cherries the day before to make assembly quick in the morning. I didn’t have almond extract, so I used vanilla extract instead, and the end result was still very good. I only had a 10″ pan, so I think my “pancake” could have benefited from a slightly lower cooking temp. and a little more time. I really love the touch of lemon at the end – it made the dish for me. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I am a recovering kitchen gadget addict but every once in awhile I fall off the wagon. That would be this week, when I bought a cherry litter that pits six cherries at once. All you have to do is pull the stems off, put in the device and press down. I had a full bowl of cherries pitted in less than five minutes. I love it! Also good for olives, According to the label. I bought it so I could quickly made this incredible looking pancake! Bought the pitter at Sur la Table.
Pitter, not litter!
Deb, I really love your site and religiously read every recipe as soon as its out. One request – would be great if you could make your site mobile friendly as I always check out your posts on the go. Thanks :)
shweta — It’s coming soon! (A redesign is in progress.)
Wow! The pictures look so beautiful and seems to be very delicious. So simple direction to make this recipe. I would love to prepare this today as a special dish for my family. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Ha! It works on the stove as well! :)
It looked so tempting, but heating up the oven just for one, for a pancake? – Nah. Used 1/3 of ingredients for batter, millet flour, a tea spoon of yacoon instead of sugar, unfortunately no almond extract, but it worked fine. I simply halfed the cherries to pit them, used ghee instead of butter, up on the frying pan (with baking lid) and voila – just right on the sweet-sour side.
Thanks for the idea, it was deelicious!
I agree with you so very much on the toasting of almonds – my boyfriend claims he “can’t taste the difference” between toasted and untoasted nuts, and my head falls off every time he says it.
Made this morning. Amazing.
What a gorgeous Dutch Baby. Of course right in season. I tell you. Now I have such a craving for a pancake just like this one. And it’s all your fault. Ha!
We had this for breakfast today. It was really easy to make and really tasty. I’m not generally a big fan of almond extract, but I liked it here. In fact, I might’ve even liked a little more than 1/2 teaspoon. We immediately started thinking of delicious variations, depending on what kind of fruit we might have kicking around. It’s a winner!
Yuummmster!
Is there no way to do this on the stove?
Thanks.
So tasty! I like that there is a group of us that all had this for breakfast yesterday due to your post!As someone who doesn’t own a cherry pitter (gasp, I know), it still tastes great if you slice them in half. It was also my boyfriend’s first dutch baby! Thank you!
Beautiful!
@Safrina: Check my post above. Yes, there is a way, and indeed a very simple one. A bit like making a pancake. I mean, you won’t get such a splendidly baked result, but mine tasted great anyway, and I think that counts. :)
Deb there seems to be a problem with the ‘surprise me’ button, at least here in Greece. The first time I hit it it shows a random recipe but every time after that the same recipe keeps popping. I guess I’ll have to make the brownies after all!!
Rallou — You’re right! It should be all fixed now. Thanks for the heads up.
Heaven on a plate right there. Cherries + baked pancake = heaven on a plate. I’ll probably dream about these tonight…
The greengrocer had such lovely cherries today that I’ve bought some to make this for dessert tonight. I’m not sure I can wait!
BTW I’m having the same problem as Rallou (104) with the surprise button. It keeps showing the same recipe.
I hadn’t even heard of Dutch Baby until I saw the Bob’s Burgers ep with them a couple weeks ago and now I’m completely obsessed. I think I need to make 12 of these. For science.
Made this for a midday dessert, and it was delicious! Next time I’ll make it with more toasted almonds – yum! Thanks for the recipe. :)
Hi. Is this recipe missing baking powder? I followed the recipe exactly and my pancake just turned into a dense hockey puck.
Rabia — That shouldn’t have happened. The recipe doesn’t need baking powder. Can you tell me more about what happened — did you make the recipe exactly as written (eggs, milk, etc.) in the same pan size, etc?
Quote: it’s summer.
Quote: heat oven to 425.
Me: uproarious laughter.
I am on such a cherry kick, and now I have a reason to eat them for breakfast
I’ve just made clafoutis with gooseberries rather than cherries, which I thought was daring enough, but would never have thought to add cherries to a pancake directly. Lovely idea.
Here’s a question. Will this work in a non-stick skillet? I love cast iron but can’t use it because it will destroy my ceramic cooktop oven. :( This looks so amazing, I would love to try!
Nicole — Only if your nonstick skillet is ovensafe at 425 degrees. Most are, but it’s best to check. If the issue is only the cooktop, just get the skillet very hot in the oven and melt the butter there, too.
For those without cherry-pitters or the time patience to pit them using another method, I halved mine with a paring knife and scooped the pit out that way. It didn’t take that long, maybe 10 mins for the full 2 cups, and was delicious! I was a little worried the cherry juice would turn the pancake purple-ish but it didn’t at all, and my MIL declared it “like something you’d get at a restaurant.” Score for our Canada Day brunch! Thanks, Deb! :)
Hi Deb! I made the recipe this morning for my holiday breakfast and it was DELICIOUS! Mine puffed up beautifully and it was just wonderfully easy and impressive. I’d recommend it for a small breakfast party because it’s just a little tempting to walk by the kitchen and not steal a bite every time I pass. I skipped the almond extract because (to be honest) I couldn’t find mine. I can’t sing it’s praises enough, THANK YOU!
Just made this for my family this morning. Having celiac, I used Pamela’s Baking Mix in lieu of gluten-filled flour. I chose that one due to it being based in almond flour, which really made the center amazing. My family and I went WILD for it! So delicious!
I made this with apricots a few days ago. It puffed up be-yoo-tifully!
I would say, though, that
–2 c of apricots made it a little too tart, so maybe taste your fruit and add an extra Tbsp of sugar if it’s sour.
–and watch those sliced almonds! They go from toasted to burnt pretty fast.
Awesome recipe!
Yum! This has a nice wow factor and I had all the ingredients on hand.
Just made this for breakfast–sooo good! Love how easy it was (minus the part where I don’t have a cherry pitter). Can’t wait to try it with other fruits, or savory with sausage and veg. Thank you!
I made this for breakfast this morning – yum. This is cherry pie for breakfast but in a socially acceptable form. It was so good that this afternoon I bought 5lb more cherries while they are still in season and affordable. I can freeze them and enjoy this and your cherry cornbread cake for months to come.
Made this for breakfast this morning, and it was a real hit with the big man of the house and the little man, too – and that’s saying something! Thanks Deb! :)
I made…or at least attempt to make…this over the weekend, and was reminded why I never bake. I can’t follow directions! I didn’t realize until I was already started that my pan was too small (9ish inches, not 12). So, it was more of a thick pancake and didn’t get all rumple-y on the edges, BUT it was still delicious!
I made this over the holiday weekend, and it turned out exactly like your photos. So easy, too! I had forgotten my cherry pitter at home, and used a Martha Stewart trick of using the pointy end of a pastry piping tip to push the seed out. It worked well, but was definitely more time-intensive (and required me to wear latex gloves to avoid stained fingertips). I ended up making a second one right away, because the first one vanished so quickly. I’m looking forward to trying this with blueberries next!
Re, pitting cherries — My favorite non-cherry pitter tool tip suggested here (thanks Monica/#70) is the wine bottle/chopstick only because it’s basically exactly what my OXO gadget does but doesn’t cost $13.
Made it this morning. First time having a dutch baby. Accidentally left it in the often too long and its a bit more puffed up and brown than in the photos. I liked it, just not my favorite.
I just made this for breakfast this morning – my husband and I ate the entire thing! Needless to say, it was delicious.
Thanks for another great recipe
This is my first time commenting though I’ve made several of your recipes before. But this was so mindblowing easy and a hit with my family that I felt the urge to post and say, YOU ROCKED OUR BREAKFAST WORLD! I made with blueberries, (because I don’t have a cherry pitter) and left out the almonds. My kids put a little Nutella on top too. I think next time I need to trust your instruction and keep it in a little longer so it is more cooked through the middle.
Thanks for starting my weekend on a high!
I make Dutch babies all the time – and for some reason mine, like another commenter, didn’t get thin or rumple. I think it was too little butter: I only had 2.5tbs (the horror), and I used a dollop of coconut oil. I usually follow Alton’s recipe and technique with no issues. I think next time I’ll do a combo – the cherries cooked like this and then use Alton’s since it just works every time for me. I do have to say, even though it was a thick eggy cake like thing, it was all eaten and everyone loved it, and it’s been requested again. I used some roasted almonds we had around and I crushed them, and what a perfect addition – I loved the crunch against the eggy pancake and soft cherries. Can’t wait to check out the savory ones you’ll test. Roasted corn and jalapeno sounds like an awesome Texas bbq addition. Maybe I’ll try it out! Thanks deb!
Thanks for this recipe! Although I am Dutch, I never heard of this dish. But I tried it and we’re hooked. I used almond milk in stead of cow milk and that worked out very well. You can see our result here, on our blog (in Dutch): http://www.watatenzij.nl/2014/07/13/clafoutis-met-kersen-en-amandelen-de-pan/
Cherry season is almost over but I’m picturing this with other fruits as well. Hell, I think I’ll be making this in december with frozen blueberries. So good and so fast to make.
I made this with cherries previously and it is amazing that way, but I made it with an apple this morning (swapping vanilla for almond extract and adding some cinnamon) and it was delicious too. The recipe is very versatile and so easy.
Beautiful photos! Ok, one tip, don’t do this in a 9 inch skillet. Mine is in the oven and I think I created a monster! Haha.
Definitely rumpled this one :)
Just for the record, the baby came out fine in the end. Some cherries were lost during the baking time but it tastes amazing! I never baked a Dutch baby before and after some googling I now understand that it’s ok if they puff a bit (a lot).
I’ve now made this three times, first with the cherries, and then I branched out and did apples with ginger and vanilla (yum) and now this morning apple blueberry with vanilla. I follow the recipe to the letter, but I never get the thin and rumpled. Either way it is delicious and my children gobble it up when its cooled. I also found that the next day (if you happen to have leftovers) it makes a fantastic cold breakfast snack. Wonderful treat to have in the mornings!
I have seen another poster with a similar problem. Rabia mentioned that her atempt didn’t puff up, and ended up as a dense hockey puck. I used to make these with my sister from an ancient cookbook that my mom had in her drawyer. So I was really excited to make them again. I’ve tried two times, and both times I end up with a dense, rubbery mat, even though the edges and some of the centre puff up. Any idean what’s going on?
Mike — Tell me more — what kind of pan are you using and what size? Are you using all of the butter? (It’s a lot but when I try to reduce it, I lose a lot of rumples.)
I made this for brunch today, using frozen cherries that I hadn’t defrosted. When I went to warm them up in the pan, they released all their juice and combined with the butter to make a cherry syrup. I threw the batter in the pan and hoped for the best. It ended up being amazing. The cherry syrup mixed with the batter, turning it into a delicious pancake marbled with cherry flavor throughout. Thanks for a great recipe, Deb!
OMG I love Dutch baby! The gingerbread Dutch baby page in my copy of your cookbook is much-used, and consequently spattered with eggy-ness. I’ve made it with lightly stewed fresh apricots, which is totally awesome. I will have to try this with one with cherries and almonds, which I feel are always better together.
I made my Very First EVER pancake last night, and that was your Gingerbread Dutch Oven from your wonderful cookbook. Never been partial to them before. Now I think I’m a convert and will be making this one this evening. I think you’ve unleashed something! ! I don’t have any fresh cherries but I do have frozen, and another poster has mentioned her success with them.
I’ve bookmarked a dozen or so recipes from your cookbook so far, and I’m so looking forward to trying every one of them.
Love the book and your website – you’re an inspiration (another poster has melted I have the tiniest of kitchens, too!).
All best wishes,
Penny
A chilly Wisconsin morning, a hot breakfast would be nice, house could use warming up, some comfort food in 4th week with spouse away would do me good, cherries on hand…one-third recipe…into 6″ cast iron skillet = perfect! So delicious, a lovely start to the day.
Made this last night divided between two 8-inch cast iron skillets, and it did just fine. I increased the butter just a smidge (2 1/2 Tbs. in each skillet) to account for the larger surface area, but otherwise I kept everything else the same. It was quite good! I imagine that, had I made it in the 12-inch, it would have been a tad thicker and fluffier, but it definitely still rumpled (and was delicious).
Oh this looks perfect and I would love to have some now with my afternoon tea and than again for breakfast tomorrow! :D
Delicious! I’ve wanted to make a dutch baby for the longest time, don’t ask me why I didn’t sooner… I did everything as directed except I used unsweetened almond milk. I didn’t have regular milk and was okay living with the consequences. Surprisingly it worked out perfectly. Another winner!!
Also delicious with sour cherries in case anyone was curious. I just added about an extra tablespoon of sugar.
Making this revealed that there are neither lemons nor powdered sugar in my pantry. Why, pantry? Why?
With plans to rectify that later, I can report that mine turned out lovely lovely. At 15 minutes it was puffy and rumpled and brown and crazy, but next time I’ll give it another three or four because Deb is right, the middle was fine but would have been that much nicer with a little more time.
Granulated sugar was a fine substitute on top for my pantry lack.
My cast iron is 14 inches, so I scaled up one egg and used a full cup of milk and flour and that also worked well. Thank you, Deb! Breakfast is wonderful today.
OH MY WORD!!!
I used goat’s milk because that’s what I had. I believe I will now be using goat’s milk in all my baking. This was just awesome. The crustiness on the outside, the sweetness of the cherries, oh, man. I wish I had more cherries, I’d make it again tomorrow!
I love dutch babies!!!! I finally made this version- I scaled it down to 2/3 (half cup flour, half cup milk, 2 eggs etc) and it made a very large breakfast for one. It worked fine at 5000 ft. above sea level.
used jumbo eggs and i think they made it extra puffy and good. But whatever you do, don’t scatter the top of the hot pancake with chopped chocolate or chocolate chips!
Yum. I made cherry clafoutis all last year, but want to try this NOW! Will subsituting frozen cherries do the trick? I thought I may need to warm them longer on the stovetop.
I just made this with frozen cherries and just let them heat up on the stove a few minutes longer. No issues (and I didn’t have to pit anything!)
Burnt the almonds.Bet it will be scrumptious any way.
My kids love Dutch baby pancakes, they sit in front of the oven watching them rise. I had always made the plain type before coming across this recipe, but this is a game changer. We loved the cherry version so it made me think of what else to use. I can recommend peach with cardamom, sprinkled with toasted pecans – heavenly!
Can these be made with fresh cranberries instead of cherries?
I would simmer the cranberries in sugar syrup first. The cherries are the only real source of sweetness, so unsweetened cranberries would be quite bracing. Also, I’m not sure how well cranberries would pair with the almond extract. Not well, I suspect.
Thanks for the recipe! I made it for Father’s Day since my husband loves cherries (as well as my son) and it was a hit! My family loved it!
Made this today and it did not rise in the oven at all. Just a big, thick cake-like thing. I followed the recipe with two exceptions: subbed Ripple “milk” for the milk, and used frozen instead of fresh cherries. Not sure what happened. Still tasted good and was not chewy, but having had other dutch babies in the past, I know the texture wasn’t quite right. Would love to figure out what I did wrong. Deb, any thoughts?
ETA: I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet and all the butter called for.
What size frying pan?
I made this with frozen cherries and it was wonderful! No need to wait for cherry season. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Holy moly. This was magical. I think that this might be one of your best recipes ever. I would have this every weekend!!
Rookie question here, but I’m trying to make this dairy free because my daughter has a dairy allergy. I’m going to sub almond milk for the regular milk. Any suggestions on what I could use instead of the butter that would taste good here?
Coconut oil would be good and I hear a lot of good things about Earth Balance butter from dairy-free bakers in the comments.
You introduced me to dutch babies with your first book and I am still obsessed! I made this today for myself in a 9″ skillet and I didn’t get everything quite right but thought I would share my tweaks in case they are helpful to others. The changes for a 1 person serving: 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons sugar, only 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 tablespoon butter, 1/2 cup cherries pitted and halved (it’s all I had), and 1/6 cup sliced almonds, and I baked at 400 for 17 minutes.
I reduced the milk and flour so much because I almost always use 1/3 cup of both when I make dutch babies in the 9″ skillet, regardless of what I put on them, and the dutch babies never rumple. Reducing the milk and flour finally worked for me! But I do skimp on the butter and only add a little more than I need to completely butter the pan because if I don’t skimp, I get butter sitting on top of the dutch baby after it’s cooked and I don’t like that.
Overall I was really happy with the result but the cherries overcooked, maybe because I had halved them to pit them, and some of them stayed on the bottom of the pan. Next time, I will keep the proportions the same as I did today but I won’t precook the cherries and I’ll add them to the pan after I add the batter to increase the chances of them being incorporated into the batter. Hopefully that will work out better for me. Still came out really tasty, though!
I made this again using cherry halves. I didn’t precook them and I threw them on the dutch baby at the 10 minute mark and cooked everything together for 7 minutes. The cherries didn’t get wrinkly (yay!) and they were warm but still a little crunchy. Next time I might try adding them a little bit earlier, so they cook for 10 minutes, just to see if I prefer them a little more cooked. Thank you for your great idea, this is such a good way of sprucing up dutch babies!
I’ve admired this recipe for ages but can’t seem to get into pitting cherries. Would you recommend an alternative fruit? Thanks!
I bet thin wedges of another stone fruit would be good here, or a berry.
I’ve made this several times, both exactly as written and modified with white whole wheat flour, frozen pitted cherries, and a blender. Both versions are incredibly decadent yet quite easy and quick. This recipe is a keeper!
I’ve used frozen cherries for this recipe, thawing them (in the warming step), but it seems like there might be too much liquid, so that when finished it’s more cherry looking than egg…should I thaw and drain them first, or not use frozen cherries?
I’d thaw and drain them.
I doubled the recipe to use an even larger sized cast-iron pan, not sure of its measurement but bigger than a 12″. 16″ maybe? It rose majestically (almost ridiculously!) high off the sides and came out wonderful.
I also used blueberries & vanilla instead of cherry & almond. Yum yum yum yum
Can half almond flour be sustituted for all flour?
We do dutch baby pancakes every Sunday – and have a huge sweet cherry tree in the back yard, so we will definitely add this one to the line-up!
Hi Deb! I have a bunch of pitted cherries and am debating between this dutch baby and your cherry clafoutis recipe. It looks like the main difference is the almonds in the dutch baby and more sugar in the clafoutis. Anything else? I can’t decide!
Cherry clafoutis is very different — more milk, more flour, more sugar; its a solid baked custardy pancake and this billows.
Please Deb, give conversions from cups to grams for those of us who would love to cook your delicious food easily. I am sure you have many fans in the UK and Oz.
I have made this twice this summer and it is fabulous! I used 1/2 tsp almond extract, which seemed just right. I look forward to making this again in summers to come!
As an all things almond freak, I am contemplating adding cubes of marzipan to the batter. This is either going to be genius, or utterly appalling. I will report back if the former, and keep my head down if the latter.
Stuck inside due to coronavirus and I’ve been wanting to make this for awhile now. Sadly, no cherries on hand (never occured to me to purchase as an “end of the world” staple).. has anyone used apples, pears, frozen cranberries, or fresh berries (blue or rasp)? Would love to hear thoughts!
Several comments: yes, I’ve made the Sunset Magazine version of this many times over the last 40 years and I usually make sautéed (sweetened, with cinnamon and often nutmeg) apples to spoon over the finished product. It’s always a hit.
But this recipe, with a little sugar and almond extract in the custard and the cherries cooked in, is the BOMB. I used a can of cherries in heavy syrup, drained, because that was available at my Covid-shutdown-stripped supermarket. I melted the butter in the pan in the preheated oven (per the traditional Sunset directions), then added the drained cherries to the melted butter for a minute or so, then poured the custard in. Mine did not billow, for whatever reason, but it was beautiful and delicious and we WILL be making it again. I’m just wishing I had bought ALL of the cans of cherries!
Final comment: I love cranberries, but I don’t think their sharpness would serve this recipe well. I think raspberries might break down too much in the cooking, but they’re worth a try. Pears, blueberries, and apples would be delicious. Good luck, and stay safe!
Thank you! I have gotten many compliments when I make your recipes! I am not a big comment-poster-person, but I need to tell you that I appreciate you so much! The intro on this post was awesomely funny!!! Wouldn’t I love a self cleaning home? More time for cooking and baking!
I am literally running to the freezer right now in hopes of finding sliced almonds!
Thank you Deb!
Love the recipe! How would you try to incorporate frozen cherries? I’m going to try to make it this Thanksgiving weekend.
Thank you!
Just kidding saw the above comment!
I think it would be fine. Maybe just toss them on defrosted.
I discovered Dutch Baby a month ago. Can’t believe with all the years of baking & cooking under my belt, I missed it. Here’s what I do with the recipe. Use 5 eggs not 4. I add 1/4 tsp of baking powder. The result is more soufflé-like than flat. I’ve also add Brie if I’m using pear & fresh ginger with a chiffonade of basil post oven. If I’m using apples, I add a small bit of prosciutto & cardamom & drizzle w/caramel sauce (unsalted) w/ very finely chopped pecans. For Spring/Summer, I’ll use peach married w/manchego, finely chopped thyme & drizzled with a vintage balsamic. The varieties are endless with a Dutch Baby. Taking a toll on my waistline!!!
Oh my. This was delicious. Had from Flathead cherries and all other ingredients on hand. Scaled down by 1/3 for smaller pan and to serve one or two. I could have eaten the entire pan. It rose beautifully.
^ frozen Flathead cherries
This was delicious! I didn’t have slivered almonds or almond extract on hand so I use vanilla extract and toasted some shredded coconut for the top and it was still amazing. I only had a 10” skillet so it needed about 23 minutes in the oven to make sure it was cooked through. Perfection! So happy for another great option for cherry season.
I just made this today and the ingredients list calls for “3 large egg.” I used 3 large eggs thinking there was just a typo and they forgot to add the ” s” to eggs, but I think that was the wrong assumption. I think it should have been ” 1 large egg. ” Has this happened to anyone else?!
I should have also added that it didn’t not have the texture of other dutch babies I’ve made. It was basically a thick, spongy layer of custardy cake. Yummy, but not what I was expecting at all.
I love the flavors in this – but I’ve made it three times, and it always turns out way too thick. Your photo shows the cherries on top of a thin layer of dough. But mine always comes out with the cherries enveloped in dough – more like a cake.
Unsurprisingly, I think it’s also underdone in the middle. I’ve never had a Dutch baby before, so I don’t know what the consistency is *supposed* to be like – but mine is very tender, eggy, and a bit springy, like a very thick crepe.
I’m following the recipe to the letter, and I’m definitely using a 12″ pan. What am I doing wrong?
(I should mention that mine never really billows out of the pan, like you always see in photos of Dutch babies. The one I made this morning did a little bit. I’m using a carbon steel pan – maybe I’d have better luck with cast iron.)
I’d try baking it a bit longer. If it seems like a plain thick crepe, or underbaked, it need a little more time to get some rumples and for them to set.
This was so good! I’ve made Deb’s “extra billowy Dutch baby” recipe many times, both sweet and savory. Cherry and Almond is such a delicious variation!
This Dutch baby was delicious!
This was so good, and actually so easy, I just wish it had been twice as big! Didn’t have almond extract so used vanilla instead.
I made this today and it made me sooo happy to eat it. :)
So delicious! I attempted to scale the ingredients for 1 (still had leftovers…oops!) and these proportions worked well:
-Batter: 2eggs, 1.5tbs sugar, 1/2c flour, 1/2c milk, pinch each almond extract and salt. Hand whisking worked fine—I was tricked for years by other online recipes into thinking that complicated blending was important…thanks Deb for disabusing us!
-Sauteed 1c frozen cherries in 2tbs butter. Baked batter for ~17 minutes and got delicious bubbles in the middle. I also just tossed the almonds on top of the pancake for the last 5ish minutes of baking and it still worked fine.