This savory Dutch baby pancake is a cross between an eggy pancake and Yorkshire pudding with a serious amount of ham and cheese baked in.
It wasn’t too long ago that we shared this sweet Dutch baby recipe spiced with cinnamon, cardamon and topped with butter cooked apples. We came up with that recipe at the same time as this cheesy version. We’re going to go ahead and call that a delicious week!
How to Make a Savory Dutch Baby
Joanne fell in love with the apple topped pancake, but this one with lots of ham and cheese has my vote.
The trick to making the best Dutch baby pancake is to heat the pan in the oven before adding the batter. This makes sure that the moment the batter hits the pan, it starts to puff and creep up the sides. Since we add the ham and cheese, the pancake won’t grow as high up the sides, but it still stays light and airy.
The batter recipe is very similar to our apple version, we simply omit the sugar and spices and replace them for a dollop of tangy mustard and ground black pepper.
When the pan is hot, we pour in the batter and pile ham and cheese into the middle of the pancake.
After about 20 minutes, the pancake is puffed and golden brown. 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 — maybe one with mustard added to the dressing like this Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad.
Ham and Cheese Dutch Baby Pancake
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This extra-large Dutch baby pancake has tall, puffy sides with a center filled with ham and cheese. The batter is savory and seasoned with salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg. This is perfect served alongside a green salad tossed in a simple, tangy vinaigrette.
Since ovens can vary slightly in temperature, it’s a good idea to check after 15 minutes of baking. If the sides are puffed and beginning to turn brown, you might want to reduce the oven to 300 degrees a few minutes earlier. We like the tips of the sides to be a dark brown, but not burned.
You Will Need
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Pinch fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces ham, thinly sliced
2 ounces Gruyère or Emmental cheese, coarsely grated
3 tablespoons butter
Fresh herbs or thinly sliced scallions for serving
Directions
1Position 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. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, mustard, salt, pepper, and the nutmeg until well blended. You can also use a blender.
3Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat. Swirl the melted butter around the pan. When it is bubbling, pour in the batter. Pile the ham and cheese into the middle of the skillet. Try to leave about 1-inch of batter uncovered around the edges so that the batter puffs up the sides of the pan while baking.
4Slide into the oven and bake until puffed and golden, 16 to 20 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 300 degrees F and cook for an additional 5 minutes to fully set.
5Serve 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 via the NY Times.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
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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!