Make Mini Dutch Babies For An Easy, Sharable Brunch

If you're a lover of all things fluffy and pancake-y, then surely you know of the magic that is a Dutch baby. These breakfast treats with a surprising origin story are characterized by a crepe-like texture that, when cooked, puffs up to a fluffy consistency, giving the resulting dish a unique interplay of different textures with a custard-like center that is surrounded by puffy, delicately cooked pancake batter. Somewhat similar to a popover, Dutch babies can be prepared as either sweet or savory depending on your taste preferences. If you've been looking for a way to step up your brunch game to the next level, try miniaturizing a classic fluffy Dutch baby recipe into silver-dollar style offerings, perfect for sharing and dressing however you and your brunch guests like.

Mini Dutch babies are easy to make — particularly with the use of a muffin tin — and are an excellent way to deviate from the norm of a full-sized skillet-cooked Dutch baby. Keeping everything separated in a muffin tin to produce smaller portion sizes of a Dutch baby will allow you the freedom to prepare each one using a range of different toppings and accouterment to accommodate all of your guests' desires. Using sprigs of dill and crème fraîche or a strawberry compote with a drizzle of Nutella, you can customize everyone's brunchtime Dutch baby to perfection.

If you've ever tried smoking a Dutch baby as a campfire treat, you'll be pleased to know that this delightful pancake recipe will be a hit in the form of shareable brunch minis, without the necessity of picking just one topping or planning out how to slice and serve. The standard ingredients in a Dutch baby recipe include a properly combined mixture of flour, milk, eggs, and sugar. Whereas in a traditional format, you bake everything in a skillet in the oven, muffin tins limit the cleanup and weighty hardware, reducing your workload to a more lightweight option. As far as toppings, the sky's the limit.

Because Dutch babies puff up while baking and then deflate afterward, this convex shape provides the ideal bowl-like vessel for a wide variety of additions. Consider something simple along the lines of a classic pancake and top with syrup, butter, and powdered sugar. In a brunch setting, you can always choose whatever fresh fruit is in season and top that off with some agave nectar for added sweetness. Getting a little more decadent, peanut butter or a chocolate ganache would also work particularly well. If you or your brunch companions lean more towards the savory side, sea salt, olive oil, and fresh herbs are a great choice too. Any way you want to make your Dutch baby shine, those minis will be flying off the plate around brunch time.