Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pancake

What happens when you get a wee bit tired of making fluffy pancakes for Sunday breakfast? If you’re me, you make Dutch Apple Pancakes.

In name, Dutch Apple Pancakes—which are also called German Pancakes or Dutch Babies—sound similar to traditional pancakes. In reality, they’re more like a popover. You cook up some apples and sugar together in a skillet and then simply whisk together an eggy batter, pour it in, and bake. About fifteen minutes later, a majestically puffy pancake comes out of the oven.

For this recipe, I used a combination of gluten-free oat flour and brown rice flour. There’s so little flour in the batter that really any blend of whole grain flours will work. You can try quinoa and millet, or millet and brown rice flour. The sugar, spices, and apples provide all the flavor; the flours just add body to the batter.

The one ingredient that makes a big flavor difference is the apple. You want to use a tart apple, like a Granny Smith apple, or the finished pancake ends up too sweet.

Speaking of sweetness, Dutch Apple Pancakes are quite sweet. I usually eat a small slice along with a cup of black coffee. It you prefer more savory breakfasts, then you can serve this for dessert, instead. To simplify the prep, assemble all the ingredients. Then, when it’s dessert time, cook the apples and whisk together the batter. In just minutes, everyone will be “oohing and ahhing” over this eye-catching dish.

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Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pancake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Batter

• 1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour (1 ounce; 28 grams)
• 1/3 cup gluten-free brown rice flour (1 2/3 ounces; 47 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs (about 7 ounces; 200 grams out of shell)
• 4 tablespoons milk (2 ounces; 56 grams)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled (1 ounce; 28 grams)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Apples

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounce; 50 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons butter (2 ounces; 56 grams)
• 1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced

Instructions

1. For the Batter: Preheat oven to 425 °F. Whisk together oat flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in medium bowl. In small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Batter will be thin. Allow batter to stand for ten minutes.
2. For the Apples: Whisk together granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. Sprinkle sugar mixture over melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook until sugar begins to melt. Reduce heat to medium-low and carefully place apple slices in a circular pattern in the pan. Cook until sugar mixture begins to bubble up around apple slices, about three minutes. Turn off heat.
3. Slowly pour batter evenly into the pan. Some of the apple pieces might float and move. That’s fine. Transfer pan to the preheated oven. Bake until pancake puffs and is golden brown, about fifteen minutes.
4. Remove pan from oven. Slice pancake into wedges. Serve warm.