Generally, I am not a pancake kind of girl. I’ve been known to get a craving for a stack from time to time, but generally I prefer French Toast or Waffles over the ubiquitous pancake. Sure, there are a few that merit my adoration (and yours) like the hugely flavorful and practically creamy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with blueberry compote at Paladar 511, the basic but beautiful buttermilk hotcakes at Wakin’ Bakin’, or the spicy Chai Pancake with candied pecans and pumpkin cream cheese at Bearcat Cafe (unapologetic “bad cat” here).
With that being said, when doing research on what marvels I could whip up in my new/old Lodge cast iron pan, I was simultaneously delighted and saddened by the beauty of the Dutch Baby. How did I not know about this before I stopped eating carbs? Why did nobody tell me? Not only is it stunning to look at, it’s so damn easy! Forget flipping silver-dollar pancakes for an hour on a griddle you may or may not have! Just combine the ingredients and dump it in a hot pan, shove it in the oven for 20 minutes or so and voila!
Admittedly, I was concerned that a keto version of the Dutch Baby wouldn’t turn out as well, but I was mistaken. It was delicious and is now in my regular weekend breakfast rotation, especially if there’s fresh berries in the house.
Keto Dutch Baby
Makes 2-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are!)
Ingredients:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
5 large eggs
1/4 C coconut flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic)
1/4 C Swerve Granular
1/4 C heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. butter
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400°. Once the oven comes to temperature, slide in your 9″ cast iron pan to heat it up.
Meanwhile, in a blender (I actually use the large plastic cup that came with my immersion blender), add the eggs, cream cheese, heavy cream, and vanilla and blend until everything comes together. In a bowl, combine the coconut flour, Swerve Granular, baking powder and salt. I use a whisk to ensure everything is blended together and then add the dry ingredients to the wet while slowly whirring until it’s all combined.
Carefully remove the hot cast iron pan from the oven and add the butter. You want a good amount (at least the 2 Tbsp.) so that the butter will fully surround the batter when you pour it in. Swirl the melted butter to distribute it evenly over the surface of the pan and then pour the batter into the center of the pan. As I said, you should see the butter bubbling all along the edges of the batter. Return the pan to your oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until the center is just set.
The Dutch Baby will poof up while baking and then start to sink again when you remove it from the oven. Slice and serve! I like to dust it with Swerve Confectioners sugar and sprinkle a few berries on top. It’s wonderful and far less eggy in flavor than I anticipated, which is a good thing! I will be attempting savory versions of this beauty in the future, so stay tuned!
