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Filled with smoky ham, nutty Gruyère, and fresh chives, this savory Dutch baby recipe is simple enough for a lazy weekend but special enough for guests.
The inspiration for this savory Dutch baby recipe comes from Tasting Paris: 100 Recipes To Eat Like A Local by Clotilde Dusoulier, the voice behind the Paris-based cooking blog Chocolate & Zucchini. I spent a lot of time in Paris in my early twenties, so flipping through the book makes me a little wistful for those days.
In France, this type of oven-puffed pancake is called a pascade. Clotilde describes it as halfway between a crêpe and a cheese soufflé, crisp on the outside and comfortingly tender inside. I took her recipe and, keeping with the French theme, added Dijon mustard, chopped ham, grated Gruyère, and chives. The result is a savory pancake that’s just as good for brunch as it is for lunch or a light dinner. Serve it with a simple salad or fresh fruit, or add roasted asparagus or another seasonal vegetable to make the meal a little more substantial.
“Ridiculously easy……..this recipe epitomizes a perfectly delicious breakfast!”
What You’ll Need To Make a Savory Dutch Baby
- Eggs: The base of the batter; they give the Dutch baby its dramatic puff and tender, custardy center.
- Dijon Mustard: A small amount adds subtle tang without making the pancake taste mustardy.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the pancake just enough structure to puff while keeping the center tender.
- Whole Milk: Provides the liquid for the batter and helps create a tender, custardy interior. If you don’t have whole milk, a combination of heavy cream and skim milk works just as well.
- Gruyère Cheese: Melts beautifully into the pancake, adding a nutty richness that pairs especially well with the ham.
- Fresh Chives: Bring a mild oniony flavor and a little freshness and color to the pancake. Snip them with kitchen shears for quick prep.
- Unsalted Butter: Helps the pancake develop crisp, golden edges and adds richness to the batter. Using unsalted butter gives you better control over the seasoning, especially since both the ham and Gruyère can be fairly salty.
- Ham: This is a great place to use leftover baked ham, but good-quality deli ham works well, too. Cut it into small pieces so it distributes evenly throughout the pancake.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make a Savory Dutch Baby
Make the batter: Whisk together the egg, mustard and seasoning. Mix in the flour and then gradually whisk in the milk, followed by the cheese and chives. Adding the flour before the milk makes it easier to whisk out any lumps and get a smooth batter.
Assemble, bake, and serve: Melt the butter in the ovenproof pan, swirling to coat the bottom. Scatter the ham evenly over the butter, then pour the batter on top. Bake until puffed and golden, without opening the oven door—the rush of cool air can cause the pancake to deflate before it’s fully set. It will collapse quickly once out of the oven, which is perfectly normal. Slice and serve warm.
Savory Dutch Baby with Ham & Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Heaping ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1¼ cups whole milk (or substitute ¼ cup/60 ml heavy cream + 1 cup/240 ml skim milk)
- ⅔ cup grated Gruyère cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 slices (4 oz) thinly sliced ham, finely diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the flour. Gradually add the milk, whisking until the batter is smooth. Stir in the cheese and chives.
- Melt the butter in a 10-in (25-cm) cast iron or nonstick ovenproof pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and swirl the butter around. Sprinkle the ham evenly around the pan. Pour the batter over the ham, then use a fork to be sure the ham is evenly distributed. Carefully transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes. It will appear puffed straight out of the oven, but will quickly collapse. Cut the pancake into thin wedges and serve. (Remember that the pan is hot; I usually place a dishtowel or oven mitt over the handle as a reminder.)
Notes
- The pancake is best served fresh out of the oven. However, leftover slices can be reheated in the microwave.
- The edges of many Dutch babies will remain puffy after coming out of the oven. In this version, it will puff up a bit in the oven to about 1½ in (4 cm) high all over, then settle to about ½ in (13 mm) high as it cools.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn,
Bravo this was absolutely delicious! We enjoyed this for dinner with a side of steamed veggies. It was easy with the use of one bowl to mix everything and it was sorta like a quiche without having to make or buy the crust. The kids and adults all raved about it. Can’t wait to make this again.
So good! The recipe is great as is – my kids and husband all loved it. Will make it again!
Just letting you know that somehow this recipe ended up in the “Vegetarian” section of the website. I do wish ham was vegetarian, though! 🙂
Oops! Thank you. 🙂
Instead of whole milk can I use 2% like I do when I make a Dutch baby pancake? If so, should I reduce the amount of milk since it’s thinner or leave the same measurements?
Hi Colleen, although I think it’s better with whole milk, you can get away with using 2%. No need to change the amount. Hope you enjoy it!
This was absolutely delicious! We served it with scones and fruit for breakfast. Loved it!
We thoroughly enjoyed this dish! It was perfect for a quick dinner that was light and delicious. We served it with sparkling wine as Jenn suggested as well. Thanks so much, Jenn, for your inspiring recipes!
We try to incorporate at least one recipe per week from you.
Excellent….for a quick dinner with a salad!
On the rotation for sure.
Jen,
I made it, looked great, but it tasted doughy (like uncooked cookie dough). The top was brown. I cooked it for 25 minutes. I used all-purpose flour. I really want to fix this, as I want to take this dish to parties.
Hi Melvina, The texture of this should be somewhere between a pancake and a souffle (as opposed to a frittata). It definitely shouldn’t have the texture of raw cookie dough, though. Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
I kind of agree with the review that said it tasted doughy and am also trying to figure out where I went wrong as the flavor was great. It was very dense and not very eggy… almost on the verge of being… gummy is the best word I can think of. I thought it would have at least some “puff” or airiness to it like and egg bake, but mine had zero puff. It definitely didn’t have a pancake texture either. I baked it in a 10″ skillet, and even let it go a little longer than 25 minutes to make sure it was golden brown in spots. It had some nice puffs in the oven, and somewhat fell upon sitting on the stove after baking as expected. And it looked beautiful. The texture though, was just… off. I followed the recipe exactly as well. Maybe this is the way the texture is supposed to be?
Hi SB, It actually doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong. This has the texture of a thick crepe is a bit doughy. While some people love it, the texture may not appeal to everyone.
Third time I’ve made it, tasty and easy!
This time left out the ham,cheese, mustard & chives. Added a ripe banana and cinnamon to the batter, sliced banana and walnut pieces on top of batter in the pan..try it, you’ll like it!
very good and easy to make!