One of the first things I ever learned to make (and one of my favorite food memories from my childhood) is a German Pancake (or Dutch Baby, if that’s what you call them. I’m Team German Pancake, but I think we can still be friends if you’re on the other side.) Sara recently shared a recipe for German Pancakes and this is a fun, chocolate-kissed version. It’s not overwhelmingly chocolate-y, although if you’d like it to be, you can up the drink mix to 1/2 cup and/or use some kind of chocolate syrup or spread when serving. But I like it the way it is–enough chocolate to give it an interesting depth and flavor, but not so much that it’s overwhelming.
You’re going to need milk, brown sugar, flour, eggs, and AMERICAN HERITAGE® Finely Grated Chocolate Drink. (If you’re a little new around here and are wondering about this company, you can learn more about our relationship with them here.)
You can find the drink at historic locations around the United States or you can buy it online.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, brown sugar, espresso powder (if using), and chocolate drink.
Set aside.
Place a 9″ cast iron skillet into the oven and allow the skillet to heat.
Place the eggs, milk, and vanilla in the jar of a blender
and pulse until blended.
Add the flour mixture and blend for 15-20 seconds or until completely smooth.
Drop the butter into the hot skillet and allow the butter to melt. Carefully (and using a hot pad) tilt the pan so the butter coats the bottom of the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20-24 minutes or until the pancake is puffed.
Those puffy sides…The craters in the middle, perfect for berries and syrup and butter…
Remove from oven and serve immediately with fresh berries, powdered sugar, and, if desired, syrup.
Chocolate German Pancake
- Total Time: 30
Description
A fun twist on this family favorite–adding cocoa adds a richness, depth, and lots of flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (4.3 ounces) all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup AMERICAN HERITAGE® Finely Grated Chocolate Drink*
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, brown sugar, espresso powder (if using), and chocolate drink. Set aside.
- Place a 9″ cast iron skillet into the oven and allow the skillet to heat.
- Place the eggs, milk, and vanilla in the jar of a blender and pulse until blended. Add the flour mixture and blend for 15-20 seconds or until completely smooth.
- Drop the butter into the hot skillet and allow the butter to melt. Carefully (and using a hot pad) tilt the pan so the butter coats the bottom of the pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20-24 minutes or until the pancake is puffed. Remove from oven and serve immediately with fresh berries, powdered sugar, and, if desired, syrup.
Notes
- *If you don’t have access to the chocolate drink, you can substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder + an additional 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
- Prep Time: 8
- Cook Time: 22
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Questions & Reviews
I just tried this using cocoa powder and brown sugar instead of the drink mix. It was not very good. It was WAY more chocolatey than the photo (which is not necessarily a bad thing) but it was more like a brownie than a German pancake. Maybe 1/4 c cocoa is too much?
I baked it for 20 min in a glass 9×13 pan. I think I should e done it a couple minutes less.
I think I’ll stick to regular German pancakes. The flavor and texture of this recipe was off, in my opinion.
Would a 9×14 pan work instead?
I have also used chocolate milk in place of regular milk if other recipes to get more flavor. Definitely going to try it!
Is there a camp fire version of this recipe? Would love to make it for breakfast camping.
I’m not super sure–I would maybe ask Ned at Dutch Oven Daddy (www.dutchovendaddy.com) and see if he has any advice
This looks so yummy! We totally need to try this out soon!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Just because that’s the way my brain works…You said German and Chocolate in the same sentence and now I can’t help but picture a drizzle of caramel-y coconutty syrup instead of the berries. This went from breakfast to dessert really fast.