My family loves this savory Dutch baby recipe. These taste like a cross between an eggy pancake and Yorkshire pudding, loaded with ham and melty cheese.
It’s such a fun breakfast and an equally great dinner. The batter is almost identical to our apple Dutch baby, except we skip the sugar and spices and add tangy mustard and black pepper instead.
I love serving slices with a simple salad. Cut it like a pizza, pass it around the table, and watch it disappear.
Key Ingredients
- Eggs: Dutch babies don’t use baking powder or soda, so the eggs and a hot oven temperature are what make the pancake puff so dramatically in the oven.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly. A 1:1 gluten-free blend should also work well.
- Milk: I use whole milk, but reduced-fat milk or an unsweetened plant-based milk are both fine substitutes.
- Dijon Mustard: I love a little mustard in the batter, which adds some tang and pairs so well with the ham and cheese. Whole-grain mustard is another great option.
- Spices: You’ll need salt, plenty of black pepper, and a tiny pinch of nutmeg.
- Ham and Cheese: Use what you love. I go classic with sliced ham and Gruyere. Cheddar, fontina, Swiss, or Parmigiano-Reggiano all work wonderfully.
- Butter: Before adding the batter, melt butter in a cast-iron (or any oven-safe) skillet. It helps the Dutch baby brown, adds flavor, and keeps it from sticking. I use salted butter, but unsalted works too.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make a Dutch Baby
Tip 1: Make the batter. You can make this pancake batter by hand or in a blender. Whichever you choose, make sure it is really well blended. This batter is thinner than your typical American-style pancake batter and is more like crepe batter. You’ll mix the eggs, flour, milk, mustard, and seasonings to make it.
Tip 2: Start on the stove. For that big, puffy pancake you see in our photos, start with a hot skillet. So, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot and the butter is sizzling, pour in the batter. Quickly arrange the ham and cheese in the middle, then slide the skillet into the oven to finish cooking.
Tip 3: Start the oven at a high temp, then reduce. For most of the baking time, keep the oven at 425°F. Just as the pancake looks puffed and golden, reduce the temperature to 300°F to ensure the middle is fully set (about 5 minutes).
Tip 4: Serve family-style. Here’s my favorite part about making this Dutch baby pancake. The moment they come out of the oven, you can scatter fresh herbs or green onions over the top, then take the whole skillet to the table to serve.
Serving Suggestions
We always seem to find ourselves eating the Dutch baby out of the pan, but this would be excellent served with a tangy salad on the side. A few favorites include our fennel and arugula salad, Caesar salad, and some fresh greens with our lemon vinaigrette, balsamic vinaigrette or honey mustard dressing.
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Ham and Cheese Dutch Baby
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This extra-large Dutch baby pancake has tall, puffy sides and a ham and cheese center. The batter is savory and seasoned with salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg. I love serving it alongside a green salad tossed in a simple, tangy vinaigrette.
Since ovens can vary slightly in temperature, checking after 15 minutes of baking is a good idea. If the sides are puffed and beginning to turn brown, you might want to reduce the oven temperature a few minutes earlier than stated below. We look for the tips of the sides to be dark brown but not burned.
You Will Need
3 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour (65g)
½ cup milk (120ml)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Pinch fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces ham, thinly sliced (56g)
2 ounces Gruyère or Emmental cheese, coarsely grated (56g)
3 tablespoons butter
Fresh herbs or thinly sliced scallions for serving
Directions
1Prep the oven: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and make sure there is enough room above it for the pancake to rise above the skillet. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
2Make the batter: Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, mustard, salt, pepper, and the nutmeg until well blended. You can also use a blender.
3Heat the skillet: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat. Swirl the melted butter around the pan.
4Add the batter: When the butter is bubbling, pour in the batter. Pile the ham and cheese into the middle of the skillet, leaving about 1 inch of batter uncovered around the edges so that the batter puffs up the sides of the pan while baking.
5Bake: Slide into the oven and bake until puffed and golden, 16 to 20 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 300°F (148°C) and cook for an additional 5 minutes to fully set. Serve family-style, topped with fresh herbs or sliced scallions.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- The base recipe has been inspired and adapted from Florence Fabricant’s recipe
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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Never, ever have I thought to make a savoury Dutch Baby. I am so glad that I found your recipe and website. This recipe for the Dutch Baby was inspirational! Loved the flavour and so easy to make. Keep your recipes coming. Really appreciate your take on all your recipes. They turn out perfectly every time.
You made us smile with this review 🙂
I made this and it was absolutely wonderful. Will be making again.
Dutch baby pancakes are so fun. My kids love them. I’ve never added savory ingredients. I’m definitely going to give this a try. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
We never have milk but always have half and half, also almond milk and often coconut milk, could any of these be substituted for the milk in this recipe?
Thank you.
Hi Edith, We have only ever used milk (both 2% and whole) to make Dutch babies. That said, the half-and-half should work for you. I’m not sure that nondairy coconut or almond will rise/puff the same. It would be interesting to try, though! Happy cooking.
This is right up my alley. I will have to make it this weekend. maybe I will make two, it looks that good!