Chai-Spiced Dutch Baby Pancake {Naptime Entertaining}
Brunch is a great time of day to entertain when you have kids. Mid-morning most kids are, generally speaking, in a good mood, parents are pleased to get out of the house so early, and the food is always fun. Since my daughter is really into pancakes these days I recently decided to entertain friends with a big Chai-spiced Dutch baby pancake. It is infinitely easier to make than standing over the stovetop flipping the silver dollar kind. Plus, it can be sliced and served like a pie, keeping the brunch buffet neat and tidy.
Whipping up this treat took no time at all before our guests arrived. I made sure it was in the oven as they were coming in the door so I could slice and serve while it was still warm and puffy. To flavor the pancake I added warm cardamon, cinnamon, and vanilla to give it a chai-like flavor. If you prefer it plain you can easily omit the spices and top each serving with loads of fresh berries and a sweet sauce.
When I served this pancake recently nearly all of our guests elected to top theirs with a dusting of cinnamon sugar and a drizzle of warm maple syrup. In the future I might consider serving it with a variety of homemade syrups like blueberry maple syrup, or even a spread of slow-cooker Cran-Apple butter. Paired with some crisp turkey bacon and fresh juices and teas the meal was a hit with the kids and adults alike and was the perfect warm meal to ring in fall.
Recipe
Chai Spiced Dutch Baby Pancake
Ingredients
| ½ | stick unsalted butter |
| ¼ | cup granulated sugar |
| 3 | large eggs |
| 1 | cup all-purpose flour |
| 1 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| 1 ½ | cups 2% milk |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| ½ | teaspoon cardamom |
| 1 | teaspoon ground cinnamon |
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the butter in the bottom of a 10-inch pie plate or ovenproof skillet and place it in the oven as it preheats. When the butter has melted (but not browned) and the oven is preheated remove the pan.
3. While the butter is melting process the sugar, eggs, flour, milk, vanilla, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Pour it into the pan right on top of the melted butter. Return it to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until it is puffed up and golden brown. It will be light and airy, almost crepe-like. It does deflate with time so do your best to serve it right out of the oven.
4. Allow to cool slightly, about 2 minutes, before cutting into wedges and serving with toppings!
Naptime Notes
Naptime Recipe Serving ideas
Delicious toppings include cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, fresh berries, berry syrup, apple butter, or anything fruity!
Naptime Stopwatch
5 minutes prep time, 30 minutes bake time
Naptime Reviews
This is always a fun one for casual entertaining
More Naptime Recipes
