mini german pancakes

I know, right? I gave you a long spiel on Monday about how I never eat “normal” breakfasts, and now here I am posting my third breakfast recipe in a row. 🙂 This is another great one that’s easy to make for a quick dinner (or breakfast, if you’re more normal than I am). I’ve been using this recipe for years, but I figured it was time for a new post with some updated pictures. I don’t really understand while they’re called german pancakes, since apparently no german people ever eat them. You’re welcome to call them whatever you like… dutch babies, puff pancakes, or (my personal favorite) hootenannies. No matter what you call them, they’re delicious and magical!

My favorite part of making them is watching them puff up like crazy in the oven. The batter is so quick and easy to mix together, and it works in pretty much any type of round baking dish. I’ve made them in cupcake tins, pie plates, cake tins, and my new favorite, in my mini springform pans. I think the cupcake tins or mini springform pans are especially fun because everything mini is more fun, right? As far as fillings go, the possibilities are endless… Geoff loves Nutella and fresh fruit, my girls love maple syrup, and my favorite is with my delicious homemade strawberry sauce. They’re so versatile and delicious every time!

Mini German Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce

for the pancakes:
4 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup flour, sifted
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons soft butter, plus more for pans

for the strawberry sauce:
3 cups chopped strawberries
1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of your strawberries)
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 400. Butter two 9 inch pie plates (or cake pans) or 1 pie plate and 4 mini springform pans. To make the pancakes, add the eggs to a blender and blend until light yellow. Add the sugar, salt, flour, milk, and butter, and blend until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared pans. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350 and bake an additional ten minutes. Serve warm with desired toppings.

To make the sauce, add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a medium pot and stir well. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. While the mixture is heating, dissolve the corn starch in the water and whisk until smooth. Add the corn starch mixture to the strawberry mixture and stir well. Let simmer 2-3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove and let cool slightly before serving.

pancakes adapted from Smitten Kitchen