Here’s a fun breakfast you can make this weekend. My family love German Pancakes (at our house they are called Hootenannies). So when I saw the idea of making mini ones at a site called Gimme Some Oven I had to try them.
Her recipe is basically the same as the one I make in my 9 x 13 pan, but you add the butter to the batter instead of the pan. She also adds vanilla and orange zest. I add the vanilla, but didn’t have any orange to zest in my fridge. I do want to try it one time with the orange zest though. Sounds yummy!
The great thing about the minis is they turn out as perfect little cups just right to fill with fruit. I made atriple berry sauce to put in mine. I also have a German pancake type dish you fill with a peach/sausage filling. You could make that filling with diced peaches and slice the sausage small and fill this minis up with that too. Gimme Some Oven filled them with strawberries and syrup. I have a great strawberry topping that I made for french toast that would also be yummy. You add orange zest to the strawberries along with some sugar. So yummy. This was a fun new way to make something that I mad all the time. You could also do this for a holiday breakfast and have a bunch of toppings to choose from. Very fun!
I also made mine in my Demarle muffin tin, so no need for greasing here. I loved how they work in that pan. The came out perfect and there was little to clean up. I f want to know more about my Demarle pan you can see more HERE.
Mini German Pancakes
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend first six ingredients (milk thru orange zest) in a blender. Be careful to see that any flour clumps get well-blended.
- Blend in butter a little at a time in order to temper the eggs.
- Grease muffin tins well and distribute batter evenly between 24 tins (I did more like 18. Gimme Some Oven’s tins were slightly less than half-full. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup and filled it almost full.) Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.
- Served with your favorite toppings. (Mine was a dusting of powdered sugar and triple berry sauce. I have other suggestions up top)
can I make with a regular sized muffin/cupcake pan?
I had the same problem. Did you ever figure out what went wrong?
I’m nervous to make these… I make pancake muffins all the time but they always puff up and look like muffins.
Can someone explain to me what makes these different? Is it because this recipe is different or?
Thank you!
It’s definitely the recipe. This has THRICE the eggs and NO rising agent (baking powder), compared to my go-to pancake recipe. That makes a biiig difference.
These look delicious. I would like to make them for my next party, but I want to make bite-sized. How long should I cook them for mini-muffin tins?
These were awesome! I was a bit worried that they wouldn’t come out right but they turned out perfect! When I opened the oven and there were these perfect little pancake bowls, I got really excited. Probably more excited than one should get about pancakes lol. I made some Carmelized apples to go in ours and my son ate his with butter and syrup. We loved these!
I wouldn’t. They flatten even more after refrigeration. Still taste good but the nice crispy edges would be soggy.
Thanks so much for the tips. Made them and they puffed up beautifully and topped them blueberry sauce. The family loved them!
I pinned this and it’s been re-pinned over 20 times! It is SO good. Thank you so much.
Hi everybody!
I am from Germany and I stumbled upon this recipe… it looks delish!
Anyways, I am big into (German) pancakes and my Granny is my holy master of pancakes!
She says, that you need to let the batter standing about 20 minutes for it to work out perfectly!
And my Grandma’s biggest secret (OMG, I can’t believe I’m telling this! O.o) is to add a bit of sparkling water right before pouring, so they get even fluffier…!
I am eating my pancakes usually with apple sauce (and a hint of cinnamon) or I also looove the combination of chokolate (nutella) and a few slices of banana…! mjammi…!
I hope mym Granny can forgive me for telling her secrets
Good luck!
Bless you for blessing the world with your Grandmas recipe! I know those little secrets make all the difference.
Hi Kim thanks for your Grandma’s tips, I’m sure she would be pleased her recipes live on, I can’t wait to make them,
my son’s are going to flip over these
Hi,
I tried making these and they didn’t work out. i followed the recipe and they just puffed up like normal but didn’t get very big at all and hardly caved it at all. also mine were very yellow compared to yours. they taste quite eggy (which is fine) but i really wanted to have the little dome that you created.
what did I do wrong?
Caroline.
Hi Caroline,
How much butter did you use? Mine came out very yellow as well and they puffed up perfectly but fell flat as soon as they cooled. I now realized that I added too much butter (1/2 cup instead of 1/4 cup).
My second attempt is still in the oven now, but I can already tell they look much better this time.
i tried making these (half recipe) and they didn’t hollow out at all. they puffed up like normal, then caved in a little bit, but not as drastically as yours did.
what did i do wrong?
Caroline.
NO!
I was looking at the Demarle muffin pans. which size muffin pan did you use and did you find it better than ordinary pans and the outcome?
Think I want to try these with a sweet cream cheese, fruit,
and powdered sugar!
Made these three times this week, they were such a hit! easier than flipping two dozen pancakes, too! I like that they had more egg and less flour…no carb overload. I followed the recipe exactly (except used a hand mixer instead of a blender. They have consistently turned out beautifully! They puff up a LOT in the oven then settle into the little cup shapes.
We filled them with a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon…it was amazing.
I plan to make these for a brunch I am hosting this weekend but haven’t had the time to make a test batch. Would you say the recipe is easy & foolproof?
I’m curious, do I put the filling in before baking and bake with it in or do I wait until the pancakes have cooked and go from there with the filling?
Do you think they could be made the day before and still taste good! I have to make quite a few and won’t have time to make the same day. Wonder if I would need to put in the fridge. Did you use regular muffin tins and now that you’ve made them so often …. any tips?
Did you make them using a regular metal cupcake/muffin pan?
I haven’t made these particular German pancakes, but I have made them in a 9×13 dish. You have to really mix the ingredients well or it wont raise. I use my hand mixer for several minutes to make sure it’s mixed well. Maybe that will help!
I want the recipe for the German pancakes made in the 9×13 pan too!
Making these right now for Saturday morning treats
I’ve tried another mini pop-up that wasn’t awesome, so I have high hopes for these! 
These were SO good. I did the recipe as instructed but cut it in half, and put in more vanilla (because who can’t get enough of that?). Also, you can top them with lemon and powdered sugar, which is my personal favorite. Really tasted like their larger cousins, Dutch Baby/German Pancake. Thanks for the recipe, I WILL be making these again!! 5 stars.
Found this on Pinterest and tried it at lunch (having guests for brunch and thought I should try it first)
I halfed the recipe. Cups formed a few tins. But most collapsed when they cooled.
Drizzled with syrup and whip cream. And eight six:}
Half made 12 cups.
Very very yummy! Tks;)
could the recipe be done with boxed pancake mix?
I’m wondering the same thing. Can we use package pancake mix? Has anyone tried?
NO! It can’t be made successfully with packaged pancake mix. It’s an entirely different food. “Pancake” is not the best description but this is based on a “Dutch Baby Pancake” recipe which is MUCH lighter than traditional American pancakes.
I followed this recipe to a “T” and it so failed. I ended up with lumps of baked pancakes and not neat little cups. I’m an engineer who is good at following directions and fairly good in the kitchen so I tend to think something is missing from the above recipe.
Nearly everyone had perfect results…including myself. Sounds like user error in your case – I would try again. These were awesome and the recipe is perfect!
This is awesome!! Thank you!!
Try using 1 egg to every 1/4 cup of flour & milk and put a pat of butter in each muffin tin instead of the mix, put the muffin tin in the oven until the butter melts then pour the mixture into the tin, also you just need to blend the mix long enough for it to mix together maybe 30 seconds.
thankxxxxxxxx alot
–> If you mix the eggs and the flour (plus salt, vanilla, orange zest) before adding the milk you won’t have to deal with any flour clumps
I find that mixing the flour and the milk together FIRST and then adding the eggs keeps the mixture from getting lumpy. It’s difficult to mix the eggs and flour together to get a smooth mixure.
very yummmy
thankxxx
This recipe looks awesome, but the link is broken for the triple berry sauce. Can you share the correct link?
I am going to try these with the VEGG EGG (vegan substitute) & coconut milk …
These look so good! I wonder if you can make a protein pancake version of them…
I was wondering can I do this with premade pancake batter? I use Hungry Jack pancakes mix. I also have bisquick.
I was curious about this, but when I have tried the mixes, I use them in a muffin tin all the time for fast breakfasts, and they don’t rise and leave a hold in the middle. Thinking the recipe they listed would be much better for that effect!
where’s the print button on your page????
I tried these this morning. They are gone. When you take them out of the oven they sink in the middle. I put homemade strawberry jam and powdered sugar on mine. They were awesome.
My boyfriend and I loved this recipe! I had to gush about it: http://phenomnomenal.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/german-pancakes/
Is there anything you can use to substitute milk? I wonder if there is a vegan version!!
Try Almond or coconut milk. They are dairy free.
And to me the almond milk has a bit of a sweet taste to it any way so it may be good.
Can I make these ahead of time? Are they better to eat warm?
These are actually Dutch baby pancakes, not german, the german pancake is more like a rubbery version of a crepe. However your idea or twist on them is nice. They are also fantastic with fesh squeezed lemon, and maybe a raspberry sauce.
Beautiful! I liked this post so much that I featured it in my “News of the Day” today, and posted a link to your blog on my Facebook page.
Mine also turned out deflated
Any tips for this? Instead of using the fruit topping, I decided to have some chocolate ice cream. 
) Yummy!
Mine deflated also. Ive made a larger version before and it didn’t deflate so I compared the recipes. My other recipe calls for whole milk, not sure if that would make a difference or not. But I also made the other while living in California and now we are at high altitude when I made this version. Do you happen to be at high altitude also?
I just made these and one word of warning – watch them! I just set the timer for 15 and we ended up a little more well done than I would have liked! My fault entirely – I don’t want other people to make the same mistake.
Hi! Just found this from Tatertots & Jello’s blog. Great idea! Every year on New Year’s Day, my family has a “Dutch Babies” brunch. they are German pancakes cooked in small cast iron pans. We have been doing this for about 30 years. I love the idea of the mini’s. Thanks so much
This is such a great idea for something easy and just a tad different! I’ll for sure be trying these!
I made these this morning for the kiddos with gluten free flour and coconut milk (I kept the butter in, couldn’t take away all the fun!) And they were delicious! Both of my boys ate until they couldn’t. They didn’t look quite as cute as the picture, but they did cave down enough to make little bowls for the fruit topping. Num num num!!
Love this recipe…following you on Twitter now and Liked your facebook page…hope you will join our SOUP’s ON: What’s For Dinner? Group on Facebook as well. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SoupsOn/
Made these tonight for desert, very yummy. Served with the berry sauce and freshly whipped cream. Mine did not turn out like cups though? Looked more like Yorkshire puddings.
Sounds and looks awesome, but… After 1h of thinking about that, I still don’t know how these turn out with this shape. How does the whole form?
I look forward to trying this. I fill my German Pancakes with sauteed apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.
These were wonderful! Of course, mine looked nothing like your picture, but they tasted so good, it didn’t matter! I used apples, almost like a stovetop applesauce, to top mine with, and they were a huge hit. I will be making these again for sure!
Our family loves “Dutch Babies”/”German Pancakes.” My kids have always called them “Poof” Pancakes because they poof up when they bake. Love the mini idea!
Well, I am German [Wurzburg] and so was my Berlin born mother. She made German pancakes and this recipe is close,, mostly eggs with sugar and flour, and milk to thin it out.. but we poured them in the pan thinly and flip, spread with fruit filling and roll. Yummy and my children love them. never bothered with the zest.
Sounds like crepes!
This looks really yummy and I will try it for sure. But I’m always wondering about that “German” in such recipes. As I’m German, living in Germany and quite familiar with a wide range of very different local German kitchen it seems to me just a name. The food we call in some places “Eierkuchen” (Egg Pancakes) or in other places “Pfannkuchen” (Pancakes) are far nearer to this recipe: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,235,156180-239200,00.html. Sometimes a pinch of baking powder is added. Try to serve with homemade apple butter and a mix of sugar and ground cinnamon – yummy! Nevertheless I’m nosy to taste your version.
Now Dutch Babies are baby sized. A plus is that they bake up much quicker than the full size. Thanks for sharing.
Now Dutch babies really are baby sized. The fact that they take so little time to bake is a huge plus. Thanks for sharing.
I love German pancakes! I’ve been trying to make them for my blog, but haven’t gotten a “picture worthy” one yet. I LOVE this idea of making them tiny! Thanks!
So whenever I make German pancakes, they always peak up really great in the oven, but pretty soon after you take them out they deflate. How do you keep yours so solid?
I think sugar was left out of the recipe because all other German pancake recipes have sugar in them…
Oh my Laura they are gorgeous! Our German site of the family would be very proud of us if we would make these darlings for Christmas….
Herzlichen Dank:)
I’ve seen a few recipes for mini dutch babies online now and none of them look as perfect as yours. I’ve also seen the picture used in this post in other places so I’m wondering if it’s a stock photo or if it’s your picture of dutch babies you made. If the dutch babies in this photo were made by professionals then I can’t compare myself to that. LOL So is this picture yours?
So after you pour it in the muffin tins, do you cut a hole and dig out the inside to put the filling in? I am a little confused
You don’t need to make a hole, it will form as the pancake puffs up. The sides of the pancake will climb the wall of the muffin tin. Mine also settled quite a bit when I pulled them out of the oven.
I made these this morning and they came out pretty well, but be careful not to over beat the eggs! I did and it made the pancakes a bit rubbery. I posted a few pictures on my own blog (linked on my name above).
holy crap that’s a lot of eggs! i wonder why they need so many compared to the 1 or 2 that most pancakes require?!
Deedee – German pancakes are a whole different animal than regular pancakes. They’re kind of like a cross between an omelet and a pancake. At my house, we call them eggy pancakes to differentiate (my grandpa called them Dutch babies, but I don’t know why).
Those look so good and I can’t wait to try them. I would like the Triple Berry Sauce recipe but the link doesn’t work. Could you repost it please?
Thanks.
I wanted to make these today but could not connect to the link for the triple berry sauce or the Strawberry topping. When I click on the links for them, it says it is not found. Can you re-post these? Thanks. They look delicious.
I just made these for breakfast, we ate them all,they were soo good! thanks for sharing this recipe!
These are adorable! And the triple-berry-sauce looks incredible!!
Will have to give it a try.
Oh wow, those are so cute!
I'm definitely going to have to try making these.
(anything with "pancake" in the name is <3, haha)
I guess I was hungry as I read your blog this morning because I went straight to the kitchen and made these! I love the cupcake size! It's perfect! I learned, however, that there is aparently a magic fill-level. Some of mine were fuller than others and they did NOT create the little well. About 1/2 to 2/3 full is probably about right.
Thanks for the great ideas!
Those look yummy. I'll have to try it. Thanks for the inspiration.
Allie, they just baked that way.
Those look great! Did you have to hollow it out to put the sauce in, or did it make a little well while baking?
Holy cats Laura, those look great!
Kimberly,
I am not sure if it was because of the pan or not. I can tell you that I used a straight muffin tin. Most regular muffin tins tapper a little.
Our family calls them "Hootnannies," too. I have no idea where we got the name, though.
I love the idea of mini ones because it's just embarrassing when my husband and I could polish off a whole 9X13 pan by ourselves
Oohh German Pancakes are my favorite, I am going to try these this weekend!
Yours are soo cute. I want to try them for breakfast tomorrow. I looked on the website you got the recipe from and they kind of flattened out. Yours turned out like a nice little bowl. Is that because of the type of pan you used? Is it deeper than a regular muffin tin? I clicked on your other website and looked around at them there. Very interesting stuff, but I'm in TX – a little far to have a party and check the products out. They sound neat though. The thing I don't like about my silicone stuff is that it is too flexible.
Thanks for the great blog!
Auch du lieber! (LOL… that's what my mother would have said if she'd seen these) What a pretty way to serve these yummy little pancakes.
I saw this idea on Make & Takes as well! Love german pancakes! Love the idea of orange zest. Will test it out this weekend!
Those are so beautiful. I am going to give them a try.
I tried these and they were a big hit but they were more like muffins…no where near the bowl shapes. They were pretty thick also, maybe I beat the eggs too much? They were all gone though so I must have done something right
Thanks for sharing.
Can these be frozen?