Vegan Dutch Baby Pancake
A vegan Dutch Baby pancake is a large, oven-baked pancake made without eggs, milk, or butter. Instead of eggs, this eggless version leans on aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) for lift, plus a hot cast iron pan that puffs the batter up at the edges as it bakes. It comes together with a handful of pantry ingredients and about 30 to 40 minutes in the oven, which makes it a lovely choice for a slow breakfast or weekend brunch.
I am delighted to share this recipe for a vegan Dutch Baby pancake on my blog. I love the classic Dutch Baby, so I thought I would test a version without eggs, milk, or butter for those who don’t eat these foods. The result is delicious. It doesn’t look exactly like the original, but I guarantee it will make you want to get out of bed in the morning and start cooking.
What makes a Dutch Baby pancake special
The Dutch Baby is a large, thin pancake also known as the German pancake or Dutch puff. It’s baked in a cast iron pan in the oven rather than flipped on the stovetop, and it’s traditionally served for breakfast or brunch. As the batter hits the screaming-hot buttered pan and goes into the oven, the edges climb up the sides of the pan and crisp, while the center stays soft and custardy. If you enjoy this style of baked pancake, you might also like these Dutch mini pancakes (poffertjes), and you’ll find more ideas like it in my collection of German cuisine recipes.
The ingredients you’ll need
The ingredient list is short and forgiving. Here’s what each part does:
- Flour (about 90 g, or two-thirds of a cup) forms the structure of the pancake.
- Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness and helps the edges brown.
- Baking powder gives a little extra lift on top of the steam.
- Vegan milk of your choice, combined with a teaspoon of lemon juice, thickens into a quick plant-based buttermilk that adds tang and tenderness.
- Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) is whipped until foamy and stands in for the eggs, trapping air so the batter can rise.
- Vegan butter goes into the hot pan so the batter has something rich and sizzling to bake against.
- Fresh fruit for topping, plus a dusting of powdered sugar to finish.
A quick note on the buttermilk step: stir the lemon juice into the vegan milk first and let it sit while you weigh out the dry ingredients. By the time you’re ready, it will have thickened slightly, which is exactly what you want before whisking in the whipped aquafaba.
Tips for the best rise
- Preheat the pan with the butter inside. Put the vegan butter in the cast iron pan and heat it in the 200C oven until the butter is fully melted and the pan is hot. A cold pan is the most common reason a Dutch Baby doesn’t puff.
- Whip the aquafaba until foamy. This is where the air comes from, so don’t rush it. Blend it into the thickened milk with a mixer until light and frothy before folding it into the dry mix.
- Work quickly. Pour the batter into the hot buttered pan and get it back in the oven right away so it doesn’t lose heat.
- Don’t open the oven early. Let it bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are well browned. Opening the door too soon lets the steam escape and the pancake can deflate.
Making it gluten-free
You can also make this in a gluten-free version. I recommend Schar’s Mix C Patisserie for the best results, swapping it one-for-one for the regular flour. If gluten-free pancakes are your thing, take a look at my best gluten-free vegan pancakes too.
Toppings and serving ideas
Serve the pancake straight from the oven, dusted with powdered sugar and piled with fresh fruit. Berries, sliced banana, and stone fruit in summer all work beautifully, and a drizzle of maple syrup never hurts. It’s a natural fit for a relaxed weekend table, and you’ll find plenty of company for it among my other easy breakfast recipes. Next on my to-try list is a savory Dutch Baby, so if you have a favorite savory topping, I’d love to hear it.
Why this eggless version works
A traditional Dutch Baby relies on eggs and a blast of oven heat: the water in the batter turns to steam, the eggs set around it, and the whole thing balloons. This vegan version recreates that effect with aquafaba, which whips into a foam that traps air much like beaten egg does, while the very hot buttered pan drives the same burst of steam. It won’t rise quite as dramatically as the egg-based original, but the edges still puff and crisp and the center stays tender. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as I do, and I hope I’ve convinced you to try a vegan Dutch Baby for breakfast or weekend brunch.
If you make this vegan Dutch Baby, I’d be so happy if you came back to rate the recipe and leave a comment telling me which fruit topping you went with, or your best idea for that savory version I’m still dreaming up.
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Vegan Dutch Baby Pancake
Ingredients
- 90 g ⅔ cup flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ cup vegan milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- ½ cup aquafaba
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- fruits for decoration
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200C.
- In a cup, add the milk and lemon juice, set aside.
- In the bowl, mix the flour, sugar and baking powder.
- When the milk has thickened, combine it with the aquafaba using a mixer. Until it mixes well and becomes foamy.
- Add the wet mix over the dry mix and whisk until smooth.
- In the cast iron pan, put the vegan butter and put the pan in a hot oven, until the butter melts completely and the pan heats up.
- With a towel or gloves, remove the pan with melted butter from the oven and pour the pancake mixture into it. Put the pan back in the oven and leave the pancake to bake for 30-40 minutes, until well browned at the edges.
- Serve the pancake with powdered sugar and fresh fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s a large, oven-baked German-style pancake made without eggs, milk, or butter. This version uses whipped aquafaba in place of eggs and a hot, buttered cast iron pan to help the edges puff and crisp while the center stays soft. It’s baked, not flipped, and served for breakfast or brunch.
Yes. Swap the regular flour one-for-one with a gluten-free blend. I recommend Schar’s Mix C Patisserie for the best results with this recipe.
Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. Whipped until foamy, it traps air much like beaten egg whites, so it replaces the eggs and helps the pancake rise. This recipe uses about half a cup, combined with the thickened vegan milk before folding into the dry ingredients.
The most common reason is a pan that wasn’t hot enough. Preheat the cast iron pan with the vegan butter inside until the butter is fully melted and the pan is hot, then pour in the batter and return it to the oven quickly. Also avoid opening the oven door before the edges are well browned, since escaping steam can make it deflate.
A cast iron pan works best because it holds and radiates heat, which is what drives the dramatic rise. Heat it in the oven with the vegan butter before adding the batter. If you don’t have cast iron, use another oven-safe, heavy pan and preheat it the same way.
Keep it simple with powdered sugar and fresh fruit such as berries, sliced banana, or stone fruit, plus an optional drizzle of maple syrup. The soft, custardy center pairs nicely with something juicy and a little tart.
