A Dutch Baby Pancake, sometimes called a German Pancake, a Bismarck, or a Dutch puff, is an American baked pancake that can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dessert. It is derived from the German Pfannkuchen. My Favorite Mini Dutch Pancakes are always better with family.

My Favorite Breakfast Mini Dutch Pancakes

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My family is spread out in a couple of states, so when we get together during the holidays, it is a big deal to spend quality time together. A lot of this time is spent around a table, reminiscing, updating and catching up on our lives. I remember as a child, at my grandmother's home during holiday celebrations, the adults (aunts and uncles) would do the same thing, reminisce, update and catch up. My cousins and I would squeeze into the corners and small open spaces to snaffle a cookie and eavesdrop on the conversations. What I remember the most is the laughter and the flowing coffee.

At my home or my brother's, it is the same, although today, we children are now the adults, but the laughter and the flowing coffee is the same. My brother and I are pretty picky about our coffee. We like a freshly brewed cup, hot, steaming hot, right out of the pot. We always have two machines brewing at all times because there are so many people and so much free flowing conversation. Conversations at the sink, conversations at the table, conversations with our heads in the cupboards, but mostly, we are together during the holidays, keeping our family bonds strong.

Togetherness During the Holiday Season

The holidays are not made of just one meal, but many meals, that tend to blend into one another and spill over into other days with family surrounding me. Families surround me during the holidays and food is a huge part of the days and loads of coffee . . . really, good freshly brewed coffee. The best way to begin the day with family during the holidays is with a breakfast that brings back numerous childhood memories.

Dutch pancakes served for everyone was a staple when I was a child. My grandmother made a couple of Dutch pancakes in her old cast iron skillets and everyone would just grab a slice or two. I do this sometimes as well during the holidays. But this year, I'm changing things up a bit. I was at Walmart the other day picking up some holiday coffee from Starbucks®, and I saw these adorable mini red skillets that I thought would be perfect for individual Dutch pancakes for breakfast.

I made these individual mini Dutch pancakes in these adorable little red skillets and they were perfection! These mini Dutch pancakes were served with fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. I also made homemade simple syrups with the same fruits flavoring, homemade maple syrup, and homemade icing.

If you have never made or even had a Dutch pancake, you must make these over the holidays for your family. They are quite literally the most delicious, fluffiest pancakes you will ever have! I make a variety of syrups simply because I like to have bite with a taste of all of them. If you purchase your maple syrup at the grocer, I beg you to please stop now. Make you own! It is so good and slightly addicting I might add . . . I have been know to stick my finger in the jar!

How To Make Mini Dutch Pancake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425º F
Add eggs, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides a bit as the flour will stick. Make this first and let the batter sit whilst you complete all the other tasks.

Ingredients

3 organic eggs
½ cup organic whole wheat flour
½ cup organic almond milk
¼ cup + 1 tbsp organic turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated lemon zest from 1 small lemon
Pinch of real salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Confectioners Sugar for dusting (optional)
Simple Syrups (optional)

*Recipe: adapted from Martha Stewart

How To Make Simple Syrups

Simple syrup is . . . well, simple! It is an equal ratio of water to sugar. So more is more or less is more . . . your choice. I usually make flavored simple syrup and store in the fridge at all times. We use it in teas and water and for pancakes. This will make about 1 cup of simple syrup using ½ cup of equal sugar and water and fruit.

Instructions

Add water, sugar and fresh fruit to a pot over medium heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Cool and then pour into jars that can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. With the fresh fruit in the simple syrup, keep an eye for spoilage. (If you strain the fresh fruit from the simple syrup, it will last about 4 weeks . . . that is if you don't use it all first! )

Ingredients

½ cup water
½ cup organic turbinado sugar (or you could use light or dark brown sugar, or even honey)
½ cup fresh fruit (berries work best) I used strawberries, blueberries and raspberries

Now the Maple Syrup is made the exact same way, except you do not add the fresh fruit. Instead you would add maple extract.

How To Make Maple Syrup

Instructions

Add water and sugar to a pot over medium heat and bring to a small boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Cool and then pour into a large jar that can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 cups organic turbinado sugar
2 tsp Maple Extract

Now onto the glaze icing. This is another super simple recipe that only takes a few minutes to make. This recipe can be doubled, tripled or halved.

How To Make Glaze Icing

Instructions

Simply mix all these ingredients together and it is ready to top on anything. This is the same white glaze icing I use for cakes, breads and cinnamon rolls. As I suggested earlier, don't purchase this icing, just make your own.

Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp room temperature unsalted butter
1-2 tbsp almond milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Now that all your syrups are made, your batter has had enough time to sit and the flour will have absorbed the liquid nicely by now. You are ready to bake your mini Dutch pancakes.

Instructions Cont. for Dutch Pancakes

Place the mini skillets in the oven to heat through. Pull out and place about a tsp of butter in mini skillets (or you could use one large skillet) and place back in the oven until the butter has melted (don't let the butter brown though). Pour enough batter into each mini skillet to about ¾ full. Return the mini skillets to the preheated oven and for 20 minutes, until the pancakes are fluffy and golden. (Watch through your window and you will love to see the volume!) Once the buzzer goes off, turn the oven temperature down to 300º and bake for an additional five minutes.
Remove the mini skillets from the oven and serve. Don't be discouraged if your mini Dutch pancakes deflate. That is completely normal. Just think of it as a mini bowl for all the toppings! Dust with powdered sugar and top with fresh fruit, flavored simple syrups, maple syrup and white glaze icing.

Now the great thing about having all your family members around you during the holidays is that you won't have to make all these syrups by yourself. Grab your brother or your sister, pour your favorite cup of coffee, like Starbucks® Holiday Blend, and get busy in the kitchen. What is the saying, 'many hands make light work'. It's so true.

Then, after everyone has eaten, assign all the dishes to the younger cousins while the adults sit around the table with cups full and conversations flowing. I remember that my cousins and I had dish duty when I was a child. I also remember dreading doing all the dishes as a teen; but now when I think back to these memories, I always smile and am filled with such a great love for those times I spent with my cousins. Dumping bubbles on each other, tossing towels about and older cousins trying to snap us all with wet towels.

We would just finish the breakfast dishes and all the aunts and my grandmother would grab pots and pans to begin preparation for lunch. Like I said previously, the holidays are not made of just one meal, the days spent together blend into one another and meals are all day holiday celebrations.