Dutch Baby with Cranberry Orange Compote

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This Dutch Baby recipe is not only delicious, but so fun and magical when it comes out of the oven all golden and poofy! Sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with a Cranberry Orange Compote, it is the easiest, "special" breakfast that everyone will love!

Growing up, on special occasions, my Mom would make us something we called Pannekoeken. It was poofy and golden brown and sprinkled with powdered sugar and lemon. It was always a fun surprise to see it coming out of the oven, all puffy and monstrous! My brothers and I loved watching it grow through the oven window- you never knew how big it was going to get! To us it was so exotic and fancy, yet as I was creating this Dutch Baby recipe, I was smiling about how SIMPLE it really is. But as a kiddo, it was so magical! This version is perfect throughout the holidays, or anytime of year!

What is a Dutch Baby?

I found out later in life that what we were calling Pannekoeken, was actually an American version of a Dutch Pancake, that is called a, "Dutch Baby". There are small differences between Pannekoeken, Dutch Pancake, Dutch Baby, Popover, etc... Basically they are all a type of dish that uses the power of steam to puff them up to a light and poofy pancake! They key to the extra puff is resting the batter for a few minutes while the oven heats to a nice hot 425°, and then baking it in the hot oven (without opening the door!) for 20 minutes.

The best part is that what we are making today is quick and easy and feels like you're creating something really fun and special. It can be topped with savory toppings such as sautéed mushrooms and goat cheese, or sweets, such as spiced apples, or as in this version, a Cranberry Orange Compote. Another delicious spin would be to drizzle it with this Ginger Simple Syrup, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of powdered sugar! Yum!

This combination of the big, golden, puffy pancake and the brilliant red of the compote is so pretty and with a sprig of mint, looks so festive for the holiday season! Of course it is beautiful and delicious in any season, but you know, right now it's all about the colors and flavors of the Holidays! It is a perfectly festive Holiday Dutch Baby!

How to make a Dutch Baby...

The best part of this recipe is that despite it looking like it must be so complicated to create, it is actually SO easy! The magic starts when you pour the batter into the hot, buttery pan. I like to use a cast iron pan, but you can also use a glass pie plate. So, start by heating your oven to 425° and placing your pan in the oven to heat, while you make the batter.

Gather all of your ingredients (eggs, flour, milk, salt, sugar, nutmeg). You can place them all in a blender (I love my Vitamix!) blend them up for a few seconds, and you're ready! Otherwise, you can use an Immersion blender, or a simple Whisk by hand works as well! The most important part is the get rid of the lumps and make sure the batter is smooth and not thick. The thinness of the batter allows it to really poof!

The Magic of the Dutch Baby...

Once your batter is ready, pull your hot pan from the oven (make sure you have a good oven mitt!). Place the butter in the pan. If the pan is hot enough that the butter immediately sizzles and melts, you are ready to pour the batter in. Otherwise, throw the pan with the butter back in the oven until the butter is melted and bubbly. In this case, if you are like me and get distracted easily (SQUIRREL!) I would recommend setting a timer for about 1 minute and then check the status of the melting. You don't want to burn the butter and have to start over. Boo.

Once the butter is melted and bubbling, give your batter another quick blend or whisk and then pour it right into the hot pan. Return the pan immediately to the oven and let it bake for 20-25 minutes until it has creeped up the sides of the pan and gotten puffy and golden brown!

Resist the urge to open the oven while your Dutch Baby is baking. Opening the door will let out the magic! Turn on the light and peek through the oven door window if you'd like to watch it grow!

♥️

The Cranberry Orange Compote...

Making the Cranberry Orange Compote is another simple, yet fun step to this recipe. You can certainly dust some powdered sugar on this Baby and call it good, but adding a topping like this Cranberry Orange Compote adds a whole new level to both aesthetics and flavor. To create this, simply add your fresh cranberries, orange juice, zest, salt, sugar, water, vanilla and cinnamon to a sauce pan and bring it all to a boil. This part is fun because as the cranberries heat up, they pop! So, beware of the occasional burst of juice! Ha! Stir it occasionally to help dissolve the sugar and keep things from sticking. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down slightly and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. During this time it will thicken and reduce slightly. It will thicken even more once it begins to cool. Any consistency you end up with is perfect! No stress here!

The Tools...

This is yet another simple recipe that doesn't require anything too special. Like I said, I prefer to use a cast iron pan for this. If you don't already have one, I believe it is one very essential piece to have in your cooking arsenal! Also, a larger investment, but also extremely useful is a Vitamix. We use ours literally every day for our smoothies, and then beyond that for a million other uses. It is a great replacement for your old blender. It is a game changer in the blending world! Also, a very small, but necessary tool is a good oven mitt. This would be a great stocking stuffer, or host gift, and in this recipe it is essential!

If you make this Holiday Dutch Baby with Cranberry Orange Compote, I would love to hear from you in the comments below! Thank you and thank you for visiting Mollie in Montana~*! ♥️

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