This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This single serving Blueberry Dutch Baby is a puffy oven pancake with crisp golden edges and a custardy center. Make it in a small cast iron skillet or baking dish.
Featured Comment
“Prior to this I had never eaten, much less made a dutch baby, but I have become addicted to this! It is SO simple to make and the ingredients (frozen blueberries) so easy to keep on hand that it has become a go-to for me…”
– Pat
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Equipment: 6.5-inch cast iron skillet or 5×5-inch baking dish
- Cook Method: Baked
- Servings: 1
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Buttery and lightly sweet, with a soft, custardy interior and warm bursts of blueberry in every bite.
This small Dutch baby, also called a German pancake, makes one serving and works for an easy breakfast or a light dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Single Serve Dutch Baby Recipe
A Dutch baby is an easy, impressive breakfast you can pull together on any morning, even a busy one. I make this single serve version when I want a special breakfast that comes together fast and makes just enough for one.
You whisk an egg, milk, and flour into a thin batter and pour it into a hot, buttered skillet or baking dish. The hot pan is what gives it that big rise: the batter hits the heat and climbs the sides until the edges are tall and crisp with a soft, custardy center. The blueberries soften and sweeten as it bakes, dotting the pancake with pockets of warm fruit.
There’s no resting and nothing fussy about it, so the whole thing is ready in around 20 minutes.
For more single serving Dutch babies, try my apple Dutch baby for one, peach Dutch baby for one, or a savory ham and cheese Dutch baby for one. And if you’ve got blueberries to use up, you’ll love my single blueberry muffin and small batch blueberry scones.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what goes into this individual Dutch baby and the job each ingredient does. If you have anything left over, our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder will help you use it up.
Butter: Butter coats the hot pan so the edges fry up crisp and golden, and it adds flavor. I reach for salted butter; if you only have unsalted, add a small pinch more salt to the batter.
Egg: The egg does the heavy lifting. A Dutch baby has no baking powder or baking soda, so the egg gives it structure while the steam from the batter makes it puff and climb the sides of the pan.
Milk: Milk thins the batter to the right consistency. Whole, 2%, skim, or a dairy-free milk like almond all work, so use what you have on hand.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds a little warmth and rounds out the flavor.
Sugar: A small amount keeps the Dutch baby lightly sweet and helps the edges brown.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives the Dutch baby its structure. The amount is small, which keeps the batter thin and the texture light. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works in its place.
Salt: A little salt sharpens the flavors so the Dutch baby doesn’t taste flat.
Blueberries: Blueberries soften and sweeten as the Dutch baby bakes. Fresh give you the best rise, but frozen work well too if you thaw them first so they don’t add cold to the batter. With extra berries, make a single serving blueberry cobbler or a mini blueberry pie.
Confectioners’ sugar (optional): A light dusting over the top just before serving adds a touch of sweetness. Leave it off if you like.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few easy variations on this Dutch baby for one:
Lemon blueberry: Add ¼ teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to the batter for a brighter flavor that plays off the blueberries.
Chocolate chip: Stir 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips into the batter before pouring it into the pan.
Other berries: Swap the blueberries for the same ¼ cup of raspberries or chopped strawberries.
Dairy-free or gluten-free: Use a dairy-free milk and butter, or a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour. The Dutch baby bakes the same way.
How To Make A Dutch Baby For One
Here’s how to make a blueberry Dutch baby for one, step by step. For exact ingredient amounts, see the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven and pan. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Put the butter in a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet or a 5×5-inch baking dish and set it in the oven while it heats, so the butter melts and the pan gets hot.
- Mix the batter: In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, vanilla, and sugar until combined. Add the flour and salt and whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
- Add the blueberries and batter: Carefully take the hot pan out of the oven. Swirl the melted butter to coat the bottom and sides, scatter in the blueberries, then pour the batter over the top.
- Bake: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the Dutch baby is puffed and golden brown at the edges. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve right away.
Expert Tips
Get the pan hot first. Preheat the skillet or baking dish with the butter in it so the batter hits a hot, buttered surface. That heat is what makes the Dutch baby climb the sides and puff.
Use a small pan. A 6.5-inch cast iron skillet or 5×5-inch oven-safe baking dish gives the tallest rise. A bigger pan spreads the batter thin, and you’ll end up with a flatter pancake.
Whisk the batter smooth. Beat out the flour lumps so the batter is thin and pourable, close to the consistency of cream. Lumps bake into dense spots.
Choose fresh blueberries when you can. They give the highest rise. Frozen berries are colder and wetter, which can hold the puff back a little.
Watch for puffed, golden edges. The Dutch baby is done when the edges are tall and deep golden and the center is set, usually 20 to 25 minutes. If the middle still looks wet, give it a few more minutes.
Serve it right away. Dutch babies deflate as they cool, so have your confectioners’ sugar and any toppings ready before it leaves the oven.
Troubleshooting
If your Dutch baby isn’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues like a flat pancake, a wet center, or one that sticks to the pan.
Why didn’t my Dutch baby puff up?
A flat Dutch baby usually means the pan wasn’t hot enough when the batter went in. Preheat the skillet or baking dish in the oven until it’s hot, then pour the batter in right away. A pan that’s too large, an oven that hasn’t fully heated, or cold frozen blueberries can also keep it from rising.
Why did my Dutch baby deflate after baking?
A Dutch baby deflating after it leaves the oven is completely normal. Dutch babies puff up tall in the oven and sink as they cool, the same way a soufflé does. Serve it right away if you want it at its tallest.
Why is my Dutch baby wet in the middle?
A wet center usually means the Dutch baby needs a few more minutes in the oven. Bake until the center is set and the edges are deep golden, usually 20 to 25 minutes. If your oven runs cool it may need longer, so go by how it looks rather than the clock.
Why did my Dutch baby stick to the pan?
A Dutch baby sticks when the pan needs more butter or the butter wasn’t swirled all the way up the sides. Melt the butter in the hot pan and swirl it to coat the bottom and sides before you pour in the batter. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet or a fully buttered baking dish releases it cleanly.
Why did my blueberries streak the batter?
Streaking usually comes from frozen blueberries, which release juice as they heat. The color can run into the batter and look less tidy, though it still bakes up and tastes great. Thaw and pat frozen berries dry before using them, or reach for fresh, for the cleanest look.
Serving Suggestions
Here are easy toppings and ways to serve a blueberry Dutch baby:
Add a sweet topping. Dust it with confectioners’ sugar, drizzle with homemade pancake syrup, or spoon on homemade lemon curd for a bright lemon-blueberry finish.
Pile on fresh fruit. Add more blueberries, raspberries, or sliced strawberries, with a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt or whipped cream.
Round out the meal. Serve it next to cheesy baked eggs for one for a breakfast with something savory to balance the sweet.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Dutch baby is a large, puffy pancake baked in the oven, also called a German pancake. It has crisp edges and a soft, custardy center, and it rises from the egg and steam rather than baking powder or baking soda.
Yes, you can make a Dutch baby without a cast iron skillet. A 5×5-inch oven-safe baking dish works well. Just preheat it with the butter so it’s hot before the batter goes in.
Yes, use frozen blueberries as long as you thaw them first. Cold berries straight from the freezer can keep the Dutch baby from rising, so let them come to room temperature before they go in.
Yes, double the ingredients and bake it in a 10-inch oven safe skillet. The larger pan gives the batter room to spread and still puff up at the edges.
Yes, make the batter ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Whisk it again to recombine before pouring it into the hot pan.
A Dutch baby is only lightly sweet, similar to a pancake. Most of the sweetness comes from toppings like confectioners’ sugar, syrup, or fresh fruit, so add a little more sugar to the batter if you want it sweeter.
Store a leftover Dutch baby in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat it in the oven. They’re best eaten fresh, since they deflate and soften as they sit.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve made this single serve blueberry Dutch baby, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a rating and a comment below, and if you snap a photo, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) so we can see.
Blueberry Dutch Baby For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon salted butter
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup blueberries
- Optional for topping: confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Put the butter in a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet or 5×5-inch baking dish and place it in the oven so the butter melts and the pan heats.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, vanilla, and sugar until combined. Add the flour and salt and whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
- Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Swirl the melted butter to coat the bottom and sides, then scatter the blueberries evenly over the bottom.
- Pour the batter over the blueberries. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are puffed and deep golden and the center is set.
- Lift the Dutch baby out with a spatula onto a plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar, add a few more berries if you like, and serve right away before it deflates.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was so yummy, I’m wishing I made two!
I used blueberries I had previously frozen, so I heated them in the oven in the dish along with the butter. When I added the batter the berry juices made it less than beautiful, but it baked up nicely and was so enjoyed!
Thank you, Joanie!