Apple Dutch baby

A cross between a pancake and Yorkshire pudding, my apple Dutch baby is filled with caramelised apples, walnuts and yoghurt for a posh brunch.

An apple Dutch baby is essentially a giant pancake, which is baked – rather than fried – in a sizzling-hot skillet or tray so it puffs up looking like a Yorkshire pudding.

There are sweet and savoury variations, but I like to make it for brunch or dessert at the weekends and top it with caramelised apples, toasted nuts and yoghurt. It’s a great little sharing dish and it looks super fancy, too!

How To Make My Apple Dutch Baby

• Chef Catling’s recipe notes
• Recipe: Apple Dutch baby
• Frequently asked questions

Tips & Notes To Know

• Treat it like a Yorkshire Pudding: You need a super hot tray and oven to guarantee a good rise. The batter should sizzle as soon as it hits the oil.
• Whisk the batter vigorously or use a blender: No one wants a lumpy batter so make sure the dry and wet ingredients are thoroughly combined so the batter is smooth and slightly frothy. Resting it in the fridge will also allow the gluten to relax and create a more stable structure as it cooks.
• Do not open the door while it bakes: This goes without saying, right? A sudden drop in temperature can deflate your Dutch baby so set a timer and keep an eye on it through the oven door.
• Keep the topping separate: I feel quite strongly about this because some recipes cook the fruit inside the Dutch Baby, which risks weighing it down and affecting the rise. I prefer to keep the two separate and to add the caramelised apples after baking. It’s worth the extra washing up, believe me.

Apple Dutch baby

Serves: 4 Prep time: 5 mins, plus 20 mins resting time Cook time: 20 mins 20 mins

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Ingredients

For the batter
50g caster sugar
3 large free-range eggs, beaten
130g plain flour
200ml semi-skimmed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Sunflower oil, for baking

For the filling
Knob of butter
4 eating apples, skin on
2 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp maple syrup

To serve
50g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Greek yoghurt (0% fat)
Icing sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Step 1
In a bowl, beat the caster sugar and eggs together with an electric mixer until light and frothy.

Step 2
Gradually incorporate the plain flour, milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and beat until well combined and you have a smooth but thin batter. Pour into a jug and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Step 3
Preheat the oven to 220C.

Step 4
Divide around 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into two, four-hole Yorkshire pudding tins. Place in the oven to heat up for 10 minutes.

Step 5
Once the oil is smoking hot, pull the tray out of the oven and evenly pour in the batter – it should sizzle as soon as it hits the pan. Bake each Dutch Baby for 15-18 minutes until crisp, golden and puffed up.

Step 6
Meanwhile, quarter and core the apples, then thinly slice into wedges.

Step 7
Heat a knob of butter in a large saucepan and add the apples. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and ginger and add a splash of water with the maple syrup.

Step 8
Cook the apples over a low-to-medium heat for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until slightly softened and starting to caramelise.

Step 9
Fill the centre of each Dutch Baby with the caramelised apples and top with the toasted walnuts and a dollop of Greek yoghurt. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Honey In Place Of Maple Syrup?

Honey is usually a touch sweeter than maple syrup, so you may want to use slightly less than the amount of maple syrup called for in the recipe. However, they are basically like for like with the only major difference being the price.