Caramel-Apple Dutch Baby

By Erin Jeanne McDowell

Updated October 13, 2019

  • Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(996)
Comments
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This recipe makes the perfect breakfast, brunch or sweet treat for a lazy weekend. Any 10-inch ovenproof pan or baking dish will work here, but for the puffiest and crispest pancake, use a cast-iron pan. Don’t skimp on the amount of butter you melt in the pan in the first step; it prevents the pancake from sticking, and helps brown and crisp the Dutch baby while it bakes. The easy, no-fail caramel sauce infuses the apples with brown sugar and vanilla, while also serving as a syrup to drizzle over each slice. For maximum ooh and aahs, spoon the apples, caramel and all, into the center of the Dutch baby and serve it in the skillet. To keep the pancake crisp longer, serve the apples and caramel separately and allow guests to top their own.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings (One 10-inch pancake)

FOR THE DUTCH BABY

  • 4 tablespoons/55 grams unsalted butter (½ stick)

  • 3 large eggs

  • ¾ cup/95 grams all-purpose flour

  • ⅔ cup/160 milliliters whole milk

  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

FOR THE CARAMEL APPLES

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • ¼ cup/60 milliliters heavy cream

  • ½ cup/110 grams dark brown sugar

  • 3 baking apples (about 1 pound), such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Gala, or Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch slices

  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Pinch of ground cinnamon

  • Pinch of fine sea salt

FOR SERVING

  • Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

74 grams carbs; 211 milligrams cholesterol; 597 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 29 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 417 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 49 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the Dutch baby: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the butter into a medium (10-inch) ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) and transfer to the oven until melted, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, flour, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and transfer to the oven. Bake until the pancake puffs up around the edges and turns golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    While the Dutch baby cooks, prepare the topping: Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat, then stir in the cream and brown sugar. Add the apples and cook, stirring frequently, until the caramel thickens and the apples are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, pile the apples on top of the warm Dutch baby, then slice and serve. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
996 user ratings
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Comments

Leslie S

I doubled this recipe and used a 12" cast iron skillet. It was just perfect, and I took it to a potluck brunch, and everyone raved about it. You have to cook the apples about 5 minutes longer to get the caramel to thicken and the apples to soften. I had never made a Dutch Baby before, and it was so easy, I will be making it again. Next time I would like to try a savory one.

Maya

Really a lovely breakfast! My only criticism is that if you cut the apple into 1-inch thick slices as suggested in the ingredients, the 10 minute cooking time is not enough at all. Next time I would slice them half as thick.

Ak

Don’t forget to make sure ingredients for the Dutch baby are at room temp before mixing/baking. Otherwise won’t get the ‘pouf’

Nancy S

My Futch Baby only needed 15 minutes to cook and puff up beautifully. That may be because I used a 12” cast iron skillet that I put in the oven while it preheated. I agree with some who would not put topping on the whole thing, but put on each serving to make it less soggy. I had only one apple so cut it into thin slices, reduced other ingredients slightly and that worked.

Mirem

Used 1 Tbsp brown sugar in the batter and 1/4 cup brown sugar in the apples - perfect sweetness for me, the full amount would have been too much. Reduced the salt in the batter a little, too. These are my standard reductions for NYT recipes. We eat more of a dish at home than we would in a restaurant, and it doesn’t have to be as intense.

Mike

A Christmas staple in our household. Ours is always served with the warm apple compote (and boysenberry sauce for us Californians) on the side for serving and sour cream offered instead of whipped cream.

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