Oh, friend, if you’ve never made a Dutch Baby—especially a Strawberry Cream one—let me tell you, you’re in for a day-brightener. My kids call this “puffy pancake magic,” and honestly, that’s pretty spot on. The first time I tried it, I scorched it so badly that the edges basically shaved the inside of my mouth (pro tip: don’t crank your oven to max out of impatience). But, despite that crispy mishap, I fell hard for this recipe. Now it’s my Saturday-morning flex—although, between you and me, I’ve made it for dinner and even a snack more times than I’ll admit. There’s something so cheery about pulling a puffed-up, golden pancake—slumping under a pile of strawberries and billows of cream—from the oven. And yes, I eat the corner bits while pretending no one can see me.

Why I Keep Making This (And You Probably Will Too)

I make this Dutch Baby when I want to seem much fancier than I really am (my brother-in-law still thinks I’ve been to pastry school, ha!). My family goes totally nuts for it because it’s not your regular pancake thing—it’s fluffy and soft inside, crispy and golden on the edges, and then there’s the ultra-lazy step: you don’t even have to hover over the stove flipping individual pancakes. (If there’s one kitchen task I can’t stand, it’s overcrowding the pan and babysitting batter blobs.) The strawberries? Half the time I slice them too thick, but no one minds—they just soak up the cream and syrup anyway. Actually, sometimes my husband tries to sneak Nutella on his instead. Supposedly, that’s “for research.”

What You Need (And What You Can Cheat With)

3 large eggs (room temp’s best, but I’ve used cold—works fine)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I sometimes do half whole wheat if I’m feeling “virtuous”)
1/2 cup milk (whole is creamier; my grandmother said “no skim, ever” but honestly, I’ve used oat milk and didn’t hate it)
1 tablespoon sugar (sometimes I swap maple syrup straight in—don’t @ me)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (The real stuff is ideal, but store brand’s fine, really)
1/4 teaspoon salt (just regular table salt works)
2 tablespoons butter, for the pan (unsalted, but I won’t tell if you use salted; adds personality!)
For the strawberry cream:
- 1 cup sliced strawberries (or whatever’s hanging around—I once used raspberries)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or that spray stuff in a can—don’t tell my aunt)
- 2 teaspoons sugar (to taste, because sometimes fruit is all you need)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (same as above, you do you)

Here’s How I Make It—Your Mileage May Vary

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Seriously, give it a full preheat or you’ll wonder why it didn’t puff. Grab a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Or use any oven-proof pan—I’ve used my old Pyrex pie dish once, and it worked, though… it looked less heroic.
While the oven is heating, toss eggs, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt into a blender or a big bowl. Blitz it up for about 30 seconds, or whisk till mostly smooth. I do this while half-watching my coffee drip (so don’t overthink it).
This is where you get your butter: throw it into the pan and put the pan in the oven for about 3-4 minutes, till melted and just barely browning. Pull it out—careful, that handle is lava-level hot (ask my pinky)—and swirl the butter all around so good stuff doesn’t stick.
Pour the batter into the hot pan. Should sizzle a bit—that’s your signal you’re winning at brunch.
Slam the whole thing back into the oven for 16-18 minutes. Don’t open the door to peek. Seriously. I know it’s tempting, but it’ll flop and you’ll be mad at me. It should puff up and go all golden, sometimes crawling up the sides like it’s trying to escape. That’s normal.
While it’s baking, slice your strawberries (or just halve them if you’re feeling lazy—sometimes I even toss in a few blueberries for color). Whip the cream, sugar, and a drop of vanilla till soft peaks form. If using canned cream, just act like you’re an artist painting clouds, that’s my technique.
Once the Dutch Baby is baked and all puffy/beautiful (or kind of awkward-looking but still tasty, which happens), yank it from the oven, sigh in relief, and dump those berries and cream right on top. I sometimes hit it with a drizzle of maple syrup or a grating of lemon zest—the gods reward the bold.

Some Notes—Tales of Triumph (and Almost Failures)

If it goes flat fast, don’t cry—it always does. Still tastes glorious.
I used to worry if my cream wasn’t super fluffy, but honestly, a softer pillow just soaks into the pancake better.
Don’t sweat uneven edges—if it’s pretty, that’s just a bonus.
Don’t use frozen strawberries straight—they go a bit soggy, though if you drain them well and add extra sugar, it’ll do in winter.

Variations I’ve Braved (Some Good, Some… Not So Much)

Blueberry-Basil Dutch Baby: Just swapped the berries, threw in torn basil leaves. Surprisingly bold; got a few raised eyebrows but also some clean plates.
Lemon Ricotta Baby: Whisk ricotta into the batter, add a big zest of lemon. More souffle-ish, but delightful.
Once I tried cocoa powder and bananas. Look, I wanted it to be like a crepe, but the texture went weird and, well, my dog finished it.

If You Don’t Have All the Gear—No Biggie

I swear by my old cast iron skillet, but genuinely, use anything oven-proof. If you only have a cake tin, line it with parchment and it’ll (probably) work. And if your blender’s busted, a big bowl and a whisk (or a fork and determination) does the trick, trust me.

Storing Dutch Baby (if That Ever Even Happens)

Leftovers? In my house, that’s the myth of the century. But, if you outsmart your family: pop the leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for a day or two. I actually think it tastes better the next day, cold with a spoon. You can rewarm in the oven at 350F for 5-ish minutes, but honestly, microwaves sort of do it an injustice.

Serving It Up Right (Or at Least How We Do It)

You can slice this up like a pizza pie and pass it around, or just stick forks in and share (less washing up, more fun). I sometimes top it with extra berries or even toasted almonds if I’m feeling ambitious. My daughter comes running if she spies the powdered sugar—it’s definitely a show-off move.

Things I Learned The Hard Way

I once tried to rush the preheating (don’t). Pancake fell like a sad soufflé. Actually, give your oven an extra five.
Don’t swap out too much flour for “healthier” stuff; one time whole rye made it, well, chewy. Not in a good way.
On second thought, maybe stick to fresh fruit, unless you really love… compote?

FAQs from My Messy Kitchen

Can I make this ahead of time? Well, sorta. The batter can chill in the fridge overnight (hello, Saturday morning hack), but bake it last minute. Otherwise it just goes limp.
Does it have to be a cast iron pan? Nope! Like I rambled earlier, any oven-friendly dish will do. I’ve even used a ceramic quiche pan.
Gluten-free version? Yeah, I’ve tried using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 [here’s the stuff: Bob’s Red Mill], works okay, though maybe let the batter rest a bit longer.
Milk substitutions? For sure—I like almond or oat milk, and if you want to see proper comparisons, you can peek at this taste test: Serious Eats.
Can I double the recipe? Yes. Use a bigger pan, or two pans—you might have to borrow from your neighbor. Oh, and more mouths to feed might mean you run out of maple syrup, trust me.

And hey, if yours collapses a bit or the cream looks wonky—just laugh it off. That’s what maple syrup was invented for. If you need a primer on Dutch Baby lore, check out this fun read at The Kitchn’s history—total rabbit hole, but worth a peep.

Strawberry Cream Dutch Baby