Vegan Dutch Baby Pancake with Raspberries

A vegan friendly version of a traditionally very non-vegan dessert. This vegan Dutch baby pancake with raspberries calls for seven basic ingredients and no more than 10 minutes of prep time, for a quick sweet breakfast even when you’re strapped for time.

Butter, milk and lots of eggs - a classic Dutch baby pancake couldn’t be further from being vegan. Until now, that is. Keep on reading to find out how I took on the challenge of making a vegan German oven pancake.

What Is a Dutch Baby Pancake?

A Dutch baby pancake, also known as a German pancake, a Bismarck or a Dutch puff, is a thick, fluffy, oven-baked pancake that typically calls for butter, eggs, milk, flour and sugar. There’s no chemical leavening ingredients, such as baking powder, required, with eggs acting as the primary raising agent.

How to Make a Vegan Dutch Baby Pancake

There are three ingredients that need replacing to turn a Dutch baby into a vegan Dutch baby:

• Butter - this is a no-brainier - coconut oil works perfectly 

• Milk - use any kind of plant-based alternative. I love almond milk because it doesn’t add any additional flavour

• Eggs - and this is where things can get a bit trickier. From what I see there are three options: you can use silken tofu, ground chia or ground flax seeds (aka flax egg and chia egg). I opted for ground flax, which creates a texture very similar to a standard German pancake.

1. Place the coconut oil in a 9" cast iron skillet and set it in the oven while preheating it to 400°F (200°C).

2. Pour the almond milk, flax eggs, vanilla, sugar and flour in a blender, and blend until smooth. Transfer the batter into a medium bowl.

3. Assemble the pancake. Remove the skillet from the oven (handle it carefully, as it's hot), then arrange fresh raspberries to the bottom of the pan, and carefully pour the batter on top. If you mix the raspberries into the batter, they tend to release too much moisture when baking, resulting in a soggy or undercooked pancake. An alternative is to simply add fresh raspberries on top of the pancake once it's baked.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pancake is set in the middle and the edges are very puffy and golden brown.

5. Remove from the oven, dust with powdered sugar and top with more fresh berries, lemon juice or maple syrup.

Extra Tip for Success

• If possible, do not substitute any ingredients in this recipe.
• Do NOT bake this on the fan-forced setting. Use conventional setting if using an oven with both options. Baking this with the fan on can cause the edges of the pancake to become burnt while the middle remains undercooked.
• Make sure you’ve preheated the oven long enough before baking.
• It’s best to use a cast iron skillet. If your baking tin is thicker or non-stick, this can cause the batter not to cook properly.
• I don't recommend using frozen raspberries. They release more liquid than fresh raspberries, which can cause the pancake to remain undercooked.

Why Use Flax Seeds?

Flax seeds are one of the few sources of omega-3 fats that don’t come from fish. But they need to be ground for your body to fully absorb the healthy fats.

Adding flax eggs or flax meal to vegan desserts is an easy way to achieve that egg-like texture, and benefit from a healthy dose of omega-3 fats at the same time (without fish oil capsules).

What to Top It With

Fresh berries, powdered sugar, lemon juice and maple syrup are all excellent choices. Because this pancake already has some raspberries in the batter, I highly recommend topping it with an extra dose of fresh raspberries.

More Vegan Pancakes to Love

• Vegan Banana Pancakes
• Vegan Chocolate Pancakes
• Fluffy Vegan Blueberry Pancakes