Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Dutch Baby
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Made with fresh lemon zest and sweet blueberries, this Dutch baby recipe has become an Alexandra’s Kitchen community favorite! The batter comes together in no time, and 15 minutes later it’s done. Many readers have had success using frozen blueberries as well as gluten-free flour. See comments below!
Last week, in my newsletter, I mentioned a high-protein pancake I couldn’t wait to share with you. This is not that. This is a lemon-blueberry variation of my favorite apple Dutch baby recipe, a low-lift, high-return breakfast treat I’ve been loving: it feeds four comfortably and takes no time to whip together.
A Dutch baby, if you are unfamiliar, is like a cross between a popover and a pancake: it rises dramatically in the oven, then collapses upon removal. It’s custardy in texture, not fluffy like traditional pancakes, a consistency created not only by the high ratio of eggs in the batter, but also by the absence of any leavening agent — the water in the eggs, milk, and butter in combination with the hot skillet cause the batter to rise in the oven.
If you’ve never made a Dutch baby, I think it’s time to try. Every time I make one, I feel extreme joy when I open the oven door to find the pancake towering above the rim of the cast iron skillet. I know it’s science, but it still feels magical.
While you can make Dutch babies without any fruit, I love the sweet-tart flavors they impart, and lemon + blueberry is never a bad idea. The blueberries have been particularly good in recent weeks, but you can use any berry in their place, and as the months move on, peaches and other stone fruit will work beautifully, too.
And if you love the lemon-blueberry combo, you must try these lemon-blueberry muffins and these lemon-blueberry scones and this lemon-blueberry quick bread.
How to Make a Lemon-Blueberry Dutch Baby, Step by Step
Gather your ingredients: flour, milk, salt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, butter, and blueberries.
Place all of the ingredients, with the exception of the blueberries and 2 tablespoons of the butter, in a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the blueberries, give them a shake, then…
… immediately pour in the batter and…
… transfer to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and …
… dust with powdered sugar if you wish.
Cut and serve…
… with maple syrup if you wish.
Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Dutch Baby
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Adapted from an apple version of a recipe that appeared in Gourmet many years ago now.
Cranberry Variation: Use 1.5 cups cranberries in place of the blueberries and use the zest of one orange in place of the lemon zest.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 cup (125 g) whole or 2% milk
- 1/2 cup (64 grams) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- the zest of one lemon
- 1 cup (154 g) blueberries
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet over low heat on your stovetop. Keep it over low heat while you prepare the batter.
- Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a small skillet, then transfer to a blender. Add the milk, flour, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest, and blend until smooth. (Do not skip this step — the batter will be lumpy if you do.)
- Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the cast iron skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the butter melt, add the blueberries, and give the skillet a shake. Immediately pour the batter over the blueberries and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the pancake is puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
- Remove pan from the oven, and dust with confectioners sugar, if you wish. Cut and serve immediately with maple syrup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
496 Comments on “Fresh Lemon-Blueberry Dutch Baby”
I do not have a cast iron skillet! Can I make it in a regular oven proof skillet?
Yes!
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes!
I simply adore a great breakfast skillet recipe on the weekends. It reminds me of our favorite B&B in the Adirondacks. This was perfect! I had a surplus of eggs from the farm and a full bag of last year’s blueberry harvest sitting the the freezer along with the rinds of a giant box of lemons that I also keep in the freezer. This was so light and delicious. I even had Maple syrup from our last trip to that B&B.
Wow, amazing! How fun to use last year’s harvest of blueberries?! Such a treat. Thanks for writing 🙂
So yummy and easy!!! Thank you
I’m going to use this recipe as my first attempt at a Dutch Baby. I do want to know what size skillet you used before I attempt it. There are going to be vast differences between a 6, 8 or 10 inch skillet as far as results go. Adjusting cooking time etc. I have plenty of cast iron pans to choose from.
Good point! I will edit the recipe in a second. I’m using a 9-inch cast iron skillet, so I think and 8- or 10-inch skillet would also work. I think roughly 15 minutes for any of those three sizes will be about right.
Wonderful to hear this!
This was so easy to make! I love it. Other than my butter browning (not a bad thing in my book) and the fact that blueberries caught fire for 10 seconds, it was a breeze to make and so delicious! This is my new favorite quick weekend breakfast. Thank for creating such lovey accessible recipes!
Yay! So nice to hear this, Ivana! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes. My butter always browns a little bit, too 🙂
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes!
This looks delicious. Can’t wait to make it!
What pan can I use if I don’t have an iron skillet.
Any oven-safe skillet roughly 9-11 inches… do you have anything like that?
I read your email this morning with this recipe and immediately grabbed my coffee and got to work. I didn’t have any fresh lemons so I left the zest out. I added Trader Joe’s lemon curd to the top after it baked and it was delicious. As always, thanks for a great recipe!
Great to hear, Regina! Thanks for writing and sharing your notes 🙂
Anyway to make this with sourdough discard? Always looking for yummy ways to use up my discard.
I was wondering the same thing. It would be such a piddly amount, however, that I don’t know that it’s worth it, and the substitution would be a little trickier because the Dutch baby calls for milk as opposed to water. One thought: 1/2 cup sourdough starter, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup milk?
Going to make this for my dads birthday breakfast! Thanks!
So fun 🙂 🙂 🙂
So good! I had blueberries to use up and saw your TikToc recipe. Super easy to put together quickly. My husband loved it… and did I !!
Thank you!
Yay! Great to hear! Thanks so much for writing.
I’ve got to try this! I have an 11″ skillet so was going to increase the recipe by 1/5th or so? Thoughts??
I think that’s a great idea! increasing my 1/4 might be a little bit easier math-wise… but i’m not good at math, so you do as you like! Good luck 🙂
Well, I made this yesterday by just increasing the recipe by 25% (you’re right much easier, math-wise!) came out great. I actually enjoyed it more eating it cold out of the fridge the next day:-)
I love it cold, too! Great to hear, Louise. Thanks for writing 🙂
My grandmother made Dutch babies for us growing up and they’re my favorite!! One extra tip that she taught me was to put the 2 tbsps of butter in the pan and put your pan in the oven as it’s preheating which will make the Dutch baby puff up even more and be super pillowy!
Great tip! Will try!
If I only have a 12” cast iron, can I still use this recipe and just cook for a shorter amount of time?
Yes! I would start checking after 10 minutes… maybe even 8.
It doesn’t take any baking powder?
Nope!
Can I make this in my toaster oven that heats to 450°? It’s hot here in So Cal this weekend so I want to avoid turning on the big oven
Sure! Do you have a skillet large enough to fit in your oven?
Quick and easy, what a great Sunday breakfast!
Great to hear, Megan! Thanks for writing 🙂
Omg what a recipe!
We inhaled 3/4 of it (2 ppl).
I used a 9 inch non stick cake pan. The butter melted in the oven and accidentally browned but I loved the taste of brown butter so win win. I used a generous 1/4 tsp of lemon oil from KAF instead of zest. Fabulosity. I’m so proud of myself for making this!!!
Yay! So nice to read this, Lynne! My butter always browns a little bit, too 🙂
Could I double this in a larger pan? Thanks for all your yummy recipes!
I don’t see why not! Go for it 🙂
My oven is new and has been working beautifully but at 450, it totally burned this- charcoal on top. Any idea how low I can set it for next time?
Did you bake it at convection? I’m sorry to hear it burnt! I would simply lower the temperature to 425ºF or 400ºF and keep a close watch so you can adjust as necessary.
My new oven did the same! Had to pull it out at 12min, think I juuuust managed to save it but it’s on the darker side. Currently cooling and it smells so good!
How long will this last refrigerated? Also, is this something that can be frozen after and reheated? Thanks!
I’d say 2-3 days tops. Yes, you can freeze it and reheat it, too.
I love a good Dutch Baby and this was wonderful! I used frozen wild blueberries and I wish I had used half and had thawed them. The cold berries added about 5 min bake time (I tested at 15 mins and the dough was still sticky) and the smaller size makes them cover more territory. Noting for next time. 🙂 Thank you for the yummy breakfast!
This is currently baking and looks delicious… but… it’s been cooking for ~30 mins and doesn’t look remotely ready. I wonder why?
Did you make any other changes? Different flour? Does your oven run cool?
I’ve actually never made a Dutch baby and saw the recipe reel on IG this morning, have a bunch of blueberries so thought I could give it a try. So easy and soo good. My 18mo wants to eat the whole thing.
Yay! And how sweet 🙂 🙂 🙂 So nice to read this.
This dish was absolutely delicious! I made it for my husband and I this morning! Was wondering if the white flour could be substituted with either almond flour or oat flour. Also, if the sugar could be substituted with honey, agave or maple syrup? Not sure if substituting would effect texture etc.
Great to hear!
Using a gf flour will definitely affect the texture — I doubt you will get the same sort of rise, but it will likely still taste good. I think swapping the sugar with any of the substitutes you mentioned will be just fine.
Can you use coconut flour?
I have not tried gf flour here, but one commenter did successfully. That said, I’m not sure if she used a gf flour mix or a single type of gf flour.
Made this this morning.
It was just me so I halved the recipe and cooked in an 8” skillet. My pan is only over safe to 400 so cooked it at that and for 14 min.
It was delicious.
I also used gluten free flour and it was still great!!
Thanks!!
Wow, amazing! Thank you for sharing all of these notes 🙂 🙂 🙂 Great to hear it worked with gf flour.
Nice, light and tasty for breakfast!
Woohoo! Great to hear, Rebecca 🙂
Made it in my toaster oven and it was delicious!
Yay! Amazing. Great to hear 🙂
Alli, another winner! Didn’t have a lemon but did raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. So delicious and easy! Thanks for making our Sunday!
Yum! That sounds amazing. I love raspberries and blackberries so much. Thanks for writing 🙂
Made this for my husband’s birthday breakfast this morning and it was so, so easy and so, so delicious. Combined 0% fat milk with half and half for the milk requirements and used frozen wild blueberries (added a little more than a cup since they’re so tiny and delicious). It was my first attempt at a Dutch Baby and was perfect. Thank you, Ali, as always, for your fabulous and so doable recipes!
So great to hear this, Nice Karen 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks so much for writing. I love wild blueberries!
My sister-in-law makes the apple version when we visit and I love it. When I saw this recipe I had to try it. Well folks, I have to say, my 1st attempt and I nailed it. It was so good and I can’t wait make it again.
Yay! So nice to read this, Ginger! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Looks good, does this keep in the fridge at all or something you have to eat right away?
Leftovers are good… I store them at room temperature but it you’re going to store them for more than a day, I’d use the fridge. This is best when fresh, however.