Savory Dutch Baby Pancake with Parmesan and Arugula

A great savory Dutch Baby pancake with fresh herbs, Parmesan and topped with arugula! This is a great savory brunch option, and it’s very easy to adapt!

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I love Dutch baby pancakes, but I’ve always made sweet ones. Like these apple Dutch baby pancakes, which are cozy and comforting and completely delicious. 

So the idea of making savory Dutch baby pancakes never really occurred to me. I assumed pancakes meant syrup, but as it turns out, savory Dutch baby pancakes are incredible.

I’ve folded herbs and cheese into the batter and plenty of freshly ground pepper. From there, you can top the pancake with whatever you like. Personally, I love arugula tossed with lemon juice and olive oil along with sour cream and a sprinkle of Parmesan. 

If you’ve never tried savory pancakes, I encourage you to take a gamble. You might find you love them!

Why Make this Recipe?

Easy – Unlike an omelet which you need to pay attention to while it cooks, or normal pancakes which need to be made in batches, this recipe is phenomenally easy to make.

Delicious – The eggs and parmesan play really nicely with the arugula and lemon juice in this !

Adaptable –  Maybe you want to top yours with sliced avocado, smoked salmon and crème fraîche. Or perhaps you want to fold cheddar and ham into yours. It’s totally up to you!

What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?

Oven Safe Frying Pan – I use an 8-inch cast iron* which is perfect, but any similar pan will work.

Flour, eggs, milk (I’ve used oat milk and dairy milk in this and both work fine), butter, salt.

Optional Ingredients

Herbs – I added in a couple tablespoons of chopped parsley and dill, but you can skip these or add whatever herbs you have on hand.

Parmesan  – Both in and on top of the pancake! You can use any cheese here, but cheddar and Parmesan are my favorites.

Arugula – I like to toss arugula with a squeeze of lemon, a little olive oil and salt and pepper. The fresh greens are great on top of the savory pancake.

Sour Cream – Because you don’t add syrup to this pancake, I like to add something that brings a little moisture to make sure the pancake doesn’t taste at all dry! Here I went with sour cream, but you could use crème fraîche or even some kind of yogurt dressing. 

How to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Normally I wouldn’t call preheating the oven a whole step, but in this case it’s so important I’ve written it separately. In order for your pancake to puff and get that classic Dutch baby pancake look, you need your pan and oven to be really hot. To that end, let your pan heat up in the oven for a good 15 minutes before you add the batter to it.

Step 2: Make the pancake batter

Next step is to make the batter! In order to do so, start by whisking your eggs until they’re frothy. Then add in the milk and stir to combine. Finally, add the rest of the pancake ingredients and any extras like cheese or herbs.

Step 3: Bake your pancake

Add the butter to your pan and return it to the oven for a few minutes until it’s bubbling and just starting to brown. Then pour the batter into the pan and quickly return it to the oven. Let it bake for 15-18 minutes, or until brown on the edges.  

How long you cook it is to an extent a personal preference so don’t worry too much about it!

Step 4: Top and enjoy!

Now you’re ready to top with whatever you’re in the mood for and enjoy! I like fresh greens, more cheese and sour cream, but you can use whatever you like!

Expert Tips 

Preheat the oven

In order to get the best results, it’s important to make sure your pan and oven are really hot before you add the batter! Just let them preheat for a while before you start baking, and you should be good!

Use a blender

If you have a blender on hand, you can actually make this whole recipe in the blender! Just blend the eggs for a minute, stream in the milk and then add the rest of your ingredients!

Savory Dutch Baby Pancake Toppings

Here are a few combos I love!

• Parmesan, arugula and lemon juice with a spoon full of sour cream
• Smoked salmon, creme fraiche, and avocado
• Fried egg, avocado and hot sauce
• Anything that makes you happy!

Recipe FAQs

What is a Dutch Baby?

A Dutch Baby tastes a bit like a Yorkshire pudding for any of you with British relations! It’s a baked pancake that puffs up and tastes a bit eggier than your standard pancake!

Is a Dutch Baby actually Dutch?

According to legend, the Dutch Baby actually originated in Seattle but is based on a German style pancake!

Can I use Non-dairy Milk?

You can! I’ve only tested it with oat milk, but I should think other non-dairy milks would work fine as well.

Other Recipe You Might Like

• Apple Dutch Baby Pancake – A lovely sweet version of this recipe!
• Air fryer donuts – a great brunch treat and easier than you would think
• A Scone Loaf – packed with nuts and apricots, this is a really delicious addition to your brunch!

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Savory Dutch Baby Pancake

This is a fantastic brunch option that is really easy to adapt. Here I’ve made it with fresh herbs, parmesan, arugula and sour cream but you can get creative with this! Smoked salmon, arugula and creme fraiche is also delicious. Or top the pancake with avocado and fried eggs and your favorite hot sauce. Although this pancake is best straight from the oven, it’ll still be delicious as it cools even though it might not look quite as amazing!

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American

Equipment

• Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

  

• 3 eggs
• 140 g milk
• 60 g flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 15 g grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp chopped herbs I like chives and parsley but dill, cilantro, and thyme all work well too
• 20 g butter

Toppings

• Arugula tossed with lemon juice olive oil, salt and pepper
• Sour cream
• Coarsely grated parmesan

Instructions

 

• Place a cast iron frying pan in the oven and preheat to 450°F.
• While the pan heats up whisk the eggs in a bowl until frothy before adding in the milk followed by the flour, salt, pepper, parmesan and herbs. You can also do this in a blender, just beat the eggs by themselves for a minute before streaming in the milk and then adding the rest of the ingredients.
• Put the butter in the hot pan and return to the oven for a few minutes or until the butter is bubbling and just beginning to brown. Make sure your oven has properly heated before you start this step!
• Once the butter is slightly brown pour in the pancake batter and quickly return to the oven. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the pancake is browned on the edges and set in the middle.
• Remove from the oven and top with a spoon full of sour cream, the dressed arugula and some more parmesan.
• Serve with extra pepper and sour cream as desired!

Keyword dutch baby, pancakes, savory brunch