German Pancake Recipe: Lori's gefüllte Flinsen (Crepes) (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between a crepe and a German pancake? ›

German pancakes are texture-wise somewhere in between the American pancakes and crêpes, contain more egg, and are often rolled up and filled with jam or Nutella. I always sprinkle mine with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar for the extra sweet note.

Why Didn't My Dutch Baby Puff Up? Like popovers and Yorkshire pudding, the thing that gives Dutch babies their signature puff is steam. In order for that steam to work the pancake into its signature peaks and valleys, you need two things: enough air in a well-developed batter and a piping-hot pan and oven.

What are German Pancakes? German pancakes, often called Dutch Baby pancakes are baked pancakes made from eggs, milk, flour and vanilla. The pancakes are baked in a metal or cast iron pan, puff up in the oven and then fall as they cool.

The main difference is that pancake batter has a raising agent in it, such as baking powder or baking soda, and crepe batter does not. This means that pancakes are thicker and fluffy while crêpes are thin and flat.

How are German Pancakes different than American Pancakes? German pancakes use a whole lot more eggs and no added leavening agent. German Pancakes are also baked in the oven to a golden perfection.

Crêpes are usually one of two varieties: sweet crêpes (crêpes sucrées) or savoury galettes (crêpes salées). They are often served with a wide variety of fillings such as cheese, fruit, vegetables, meats, and a variety of spreads.

The secret is in the egg whites!

To give your pancakes that fluffy text, beat only the egg whites for 3 minutes on medium speed. They'll start turning creamy, which means it's time to add them to the pancake mixture. Use a wooden spatula to incorporate everything. There you have it!

Milk helps make pancakes fluffier than water. Since milk is thicker than water, it creates a thicker batter. Further, if you use whole milk or low fat milk, the fat content helps yield tender, fluffy results.

Baking powder, like baking soda, is a chemical leavening agent made with sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) plus a weak acid, such as potassium bitartrate. Baking soda is essential for baked goods, but baking powder is really what makes pancakes and biscuits rise and become so super fluffy.

Why is a Dutch baby called a baby? ›

The term “Dutch baby” was coined by an American restaurateur whose use of “Dutch” was a corruption of the word “Deutsch” (“German” in German). “Baby” referred to the fact that the restaurant served miniature versions.

A pannenkoek (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈpɑnə(ŋ)ˌkuk]; plural pannenkoeken [-ˌkukə(n)]) or Dutch pancake is a style of pancake with origins in the Netherlands. Pannenkoeken are usually larger (up to a foot in diameter) and much thinner than their American or Scotch pancake counterparts, but not as thin as crêpes.

Whole Milk & Water: Crepe batter needs liquid. Using all water created a limp and lacking crepe, while using all milk created a heavy crepe. For the best texture, use a mix of both. Eggs: As they do in pancake batter, eggs provide structure and bind all the ingredients together.

In the UK, the word pancakes refers to the same thing, but the word flapjacks refers to something entirely different: a baked good made from oats, resembling what elsewhere may be called a granola bar or oat bar. The word flapjack is traced back to the late 1500s.

Pancakes tend to have something like baking powder or baking soda added into the batter to serve as a raising agent, while crepes do not. That's why pancakes are so light and fluffy, and have their signature lift. Since crepes do not use any kind of leavening ingredient, they stay nice and delicately thin.

German pancakes and Dutch babies are essentially the same thing, but the dish is said to have originated in Germany, not the Netherlands. The term “Dutch baby” was coined by an American restaurateur whose use of “Dutch” was a corruption of the word “Deutsch” (“German” in German).

A Dutch baby pancake, sometimes called a German pancake, a Bismarck, a Dutch puff, Hooligan, or a Hootenanny, is a dish that is similar to a large Yorkshire pudding.

As mentioned above, Swedish pancakes, once cooked, are a bit thicker than crepes, and they are traditionally served with jam and/or sugar, whereas crepe recipe are more often served with both sweet and savory fillings.