This Cranberry Dutch Baby is one of my go-to recipes when hosting brunch. It's light and fluffy, with crispy edges, tangy bursts of fresh cranberries and just enough sweetness to tame those tart berries.
There are no shortage of occasions to make a special breakfast or brunch. Whether you are hosting family for the holidays, having a friends' get-together, or just making something special for your family on a Saturday morning, it's important to have some solid, fun (and surprising) recipes. Here I want to show you how to make this amazing fruity Dutch baby, with tips along the way to ensure the recipe turns out well!
If you are hosting a family or friends' holiday party, it's important not to neglect those "extra" meals. Sure, you have dinner, drinks and even dessert planned out. But what about the next morning when your company wakes up hungry? Recipes like this Brioche French Toast Casserole or Brown Sugar French Toast are perfect for these occasions. They are easy to make yet feel special! And so does this cranberry Dutch baby recipe! Read on to see how it all comes together and steps to ensure it turns out well.
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Ingredients
This recipe has standard ingredients for a Dutch baby along with a couple key additions. Here are the ingredients you'll need for this recipes:
- Cranberries. You will want to use fresh cranberries for this recipe. Frozen could work, but it's super, super important to thaw them and dry them very well. Extra moisture on the cranberries will make the pancake collapse and turn gummy as it cooks. Similarly, it's important to rinse the fresh cranberries and dry them very well before using.
- Flour. Use regular all-purpose flour. For this recipe to work I added a couple extra tablespoons of flour (compared to a standard ratio for a Dutch baby).
- Eggs. A few eggs go into the batter. Note that you don't need to use room temperature eggs, but if you do, you may get even more lift. Just be sure the batter rests for a good 10 minutes before adding to the skillet. This gives the flour time to get absorbed into the liquid.
- Milk. For this recipe use whole milk.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter.
- Sugar. I recommend using regular granulated sugar. You'll add most to the batter and sprinkle a bit of it on the cranberries and butter before adding the batter. This will caramelize as the pancake cooks, making for an even crispier, crunchier exterior.
- Almond Extract. Almonds and cranberries go together very well! That's why I use almond extract, though you could always use vanilla extract or even orange extract.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe is quite simple, but each step is important. Read on to see how to make this Dutch baby along with tips to ensure it turns out well:
Add the eggs, flour, sugar, milk, salt and almond extract to the base of a blender. The order doesn't matter so much as you'll blend this on high and scrape the edges once. You can make the batter by hand with a whisk, it just may take some effort to get it very smooth.
Blend the batter on high for 10 seconds. Scrape the edges and blend another 10 seconds, or until the mixture is very smooth. It's critical there are no lumps in the batter. Rest the batter for at least 10 minutes (you can do this while the oven and skillet heat).
Place a large cast iron skillet in the oven and heat oven to 450F. Cast iron is a must for this recipe as you need a skillet that holds the heat well. Be sure the skillet is well preheated before proceeding (if your oven preheats in under 10 minutes, leave the skillet in the oven for at least 10 minutes). Add the butter and cranberries to the skillet then return to the oven for 1 minutes, until the butter is completely melted.
Remove the skillet from the oven once more and stir the cranberries and butter briefly. Pour in the batter then shake the pan to even out the cranberries. Return the skillet to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 425F.
Cook the Dutch baby until the top is golden brown and the edges are starting to char slightly, 20-25 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately. You DO NOT want to let the Dutch baby sit too long as it deflates over time, and that's especially true for ones with fruit.
Ensuring Success
Throughout my career as a recipe developer, there've been only a handful of recipes that really slowed me down. What I mean by that is there were (and still are) some recipes that are just a pain to get to work! I can think back to an air fryer beer battered fish and chips (eventually I got it to work!), grilled tandoori-style tofu or savory ice cream. There are simply recipes out there that take a long time to get right, and this cranberry Dutch baby fits that bill.
It took about a dozen tries to get this Dutch baby how I wanted it. The challenge was the addition of cranberries. A standard Dutch baby has a ration of 1 egg to ¼ cup each milk and flour and 1 tablespoon butter. So if you are making one in a large (10-12 inch skillet), you'll want 3 eggs, along with ¾ cup each milk and flour and 3 tablespoons butter. This ratio falls apart when adding extra liquid (the cranberries release some of their juices as they cook). But I fiddled with the ratio to get it right and even adjusted the oven temperature to ensure the Dutch baby gets its light and airy texture.
With that said, follow the recipe carefully. Read through it before beginning! Once the skillet comes out of the oven scorching hot, you won't have much time to add the butter, cranberries and batter. It's imperative the batter is added to the skillet while it's very hot to ensure there is enough steam to provide lift to the pancake.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is perfect as is, but there are some simple additions to make it really shine! Try adding some freshly grated orange zest to the batter for light orange flavor to the Dutch baby. Or, try finishing with some some slivered almonds.
Try serving this Dutch baby with whipped cream, more fresh fruit, maple syrup or jam.
Equipment
For this recipe I recommend using a good quality cast iron skillet like this Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet. In addition, the batter comes together incredibly easily in a blender. We like this Vitamix Professional-Grade Blender and we use it just about every day!
Storage
You can store leftover Dutch baby in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but note it will lose its crunch and light and airy texture once it cools. However, it's still delicious even cold out of the fridge the next day. In developing this recipe, it took about a dozen tries to get it right, and I served many versions to my family later in the day for dinner. Again, it's best hot out of the oven, but still tastes good room temperature or cold from the refrigerator.
Top tips
Here are the critical steps to ensure this recipes turns out well:
- Be sure the batter rests for at least 10 minutes to give the flour time to absorb into the wet ingredients.
- Preheat the oven with the skillet inside. The skillet must be VERY HOT when adding the batter or the pancake just won't puff up properly.
- Keep the oven door closed while the pancake cooks so it doesn't deflate.
- Serve the Dutch baby immediately as it will deflate over time.
FAQ
Adding fresh fruit to a Dutch baby requires you to adjust the ratio slightly. Add a bit more flour (2 tablespoons for every 3 eggs) to account for the extra moisture from the fruit.
The skillet must be very hot when adding the batter, and it's important the batter has a chance to rest before cooking. Be sure the oven is fully preheated.
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
Need some more recipes for breakfast and brunch? Try these:
Dinner Ideas
Here are some recipes to help you put dinner on the table tonight:
Recipe
Cranberry Dutch Baby
- Total Time: 30 min.
- Yield: 1 Dutch Baby 1x
Description
This Cranberry Dutch Baby is one of my go-to recipes when hosting brunch. It's light and fluffy, with crispy edges, tangy bursts of fresh cranberries and just enough sweetness to tame those tart berries.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoon. all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 3 Tbsp. granulate sugar, divided
- 2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 pinch table salt
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
- Place a large (10 to 12-inch) cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 450F. Be sure the skillet is in the oven for at least 10 minutes while it's heating.
- While the oven heats, add eggs, flour, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, almond extract and salt to the base of a blender. Blend on high for 10 seconds, scrape the edges, then blend until very smooth, another 10 seconds. Rest the batter on the counter for at least 10 minutes (while the oven heats) or up to 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and add the butter and cranberries. Stir briefly then return to the oven until the butter is fully melted, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the oven once more then carefully sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar then pour in the batter. Shake the skillet gently then return to the oven; immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425F. Cook until the Dutch baby is golden brown and puffy, 20-25 minutes.
- Remove skillet from oven and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Notes
- It's very important the skillet is super hot before adding the batter.
- Be sure to allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes before cooking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but note the Dutch baby will no longer be crispy, light and fluffy.
- Serve the Dutch baby with whipped cream, slivered almonds, maple syrup or jam.
- You can add orange zest to the batter to further enhance the flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 min.
- Cook Time: 25 min.
- Category: Breakfast/Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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