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This easy Lemon Strawberry Dutch Baby with Ricotta Cream is the perfect extra light and airy summer treat. A Dutch baby is essentially a giant pancake, or maybe popover is a better description, that’s baked in a skillet. It’s hinted throughout with vanilla and sweet lemon and topped with delicious lemon macerated strawberries and ricotta cream. Each and every bite is full of bright summer flavor…it is SO GOOD! Enjoy for breakfast or brunch, topped with a light pat of butter, a dusting of lemon sugar, and a drizzle of maple syrup…mouth-watering.
Around here, we all love a Dutch baby style pancake (often referred to as a German pancake). I grew up with my Nonnie (my mom’s mom) making them for me every summer when we’d travel to Florida together…just the two us. Nonnie and I used to take a girl’s trip down to their Jupiter, Florida home every single summer from the time I was in fourth grade up until my family moved to Colorado full time in the eighth grade. Those summer trips to Florida with my Nonnie were my favorite. I often think back on those memories, especially at this time of year (we’d usually go in July). I miss those trips greatly.
Our trips were filled with shopping, lunches and dinners out (my grandma loved eating out more than anyone I know), time in the sun, and all kinds of other fun things. These trips were the highlight of my summer growing up. One of the things I think I looked forward to most on our trips were Nonnie’s homemade Dutch babies.
They had extra butter, whipped cream (from the can), syrup (Aunt Jemima was Nonnie’s go-to), and berries on top. She did them up for me, and oh my gosh, I remember every bite being so delicious.
There was nothing better than waking up to one of her Dutch babies.
The inspiration.
Since my Nonnie’s passing a few summers ago, I find myself wanting to make summery Dutch babies year after year, just to be reminded of her. Enter today’s lemon strawberry Dutch Baby.
Last week I had the strong desire to just bake something I knew I would love and I knew I could succeed at. I needed some “feel good” style food, and of course, a Dutch baby was my top choice. I ran the idea by my mom, who’s even more obsessed with Dutch babies than myself.
As I suspected she would, she highly encouraged the idea.
If you’re unfamiliar, a Dutch baby is essentially one giant puffy pancake baked in the oven. Some might say it’s more like a popover. But whatever you’d like to call it, it’s the easiest to make, and also the most delicious. And rewarding…something about pulling that puffy pancake out of the oven feels so exciting. They’re just fun.
Question: some call them Dutch babies, while others call them German pancakes. I’ve also seen them called American popovers. What’s your preference? I’m a Dutch baby girl through and through.
Here are the very easy steps to the perfect Dutch Baby.
The greatest thing about a Dutch Baby is just how quick and easy it is. Basically, you’re whipping together butter, eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, and a pinch of salt into a batter. Then top with sliced strawberries and bake in a super hot cast iron skillet until golden and very puffy. So very easy, but yet it yields the most delicious oven pancake.
Since I wanted to keep the Dutch Baby on the simpler side, I didn’t mess with the batter much. My only additions were some nutty browned butter, sweet strawberries, and lemon sugar on top.
Normally, I wouldn’t add anything to a classic Dutch baby. But I’ve decided that browned butter and berries help to make the Dutch baby just that much better. The key to an incredible Dutch baby is to bake it up in a super hot oven. So brown the butter in an oven-safe skillet, then add the batter, top with berries, and a light sprinkle of lemon sugar (just lemon plus sugar), and bake. This takes only a few minutes to bake up, so the wait is not long.
While the Dutch Baby is baking…
Whip the ricotta into cream. I stole this idea from my recent raspberry brioche rolls.
Making the cream is very simple. Take ricotta cheese and whip it in the food processor until creamy, then add powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla.
Simple, simple…and it’s the creamiest.
Using the food processor removes the graininess and creates a silky smooth cream that’s light, airy, and so flavorful. The touch of vanilla is that extra special touch. It’s not necessary, but very much welcome, it’s sweet and perfect. If you don’t have a food processor, I’d just make some fresh whipped cream infused with vanilla.
And now you wait for the Dutch baby to finish baking. As the Dutch baby bakes, the kitchen will fill with the sweet smells of summer…buttery strawberries, and hints of lemon.
Just before the Dutch baby comes out of the oven, toss those remaining berries in with the leftover lemon sugar and let them sit a bit to release some juices.
Next, pull the Dutch baby out of the oven. Top with those macerated lemon strawberries and some ricotta cream. Oh, and maybe add an extra pat of salted butter too. YUM! Hey, if you really want to enjoy this, you might as well do it up the right way, you know?!
And that’s it. Simple but so GOOD.
And lastly, while Dutch babies are great for breakfast and brunch, they make an even better breakfast-for-dinner type of meal. Just something to think about as you plan your Tuesday dinner.
Looking for other summer breakfast recipes? Here are a few ideas:Â
Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Baked Blackberry Ricotta French Toast
Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream
Lastly, if you make this lemon strawberry dutch baby, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lemon Strawberry Dutch Baby with Ricotta Cream
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 347 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cups whole milk, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4-1/2 cup powdered sugar, using to your taste
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.2. In a bowl, combine the sugar and lemon. Toss 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries with 2 tablespoons of the lemon sugar. Set aside. 2. Using an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons melted butter until the batter is smooth, about 1 minute. Make sure no large clumps of flour remain. 3. Melt the butter in a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown until it smells toasted and is a deep golden color, about 3-4 minutes. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Arrange 4-5 sliced strawberries over the batter, then sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons lemon sugar. Place the skillet in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the pancake is fully puffed and browned on top. DO NOT open the oven during the first 15 minutes of cooking or you might deflate your dutch baby.4. Meanwhile, make the cream. Whip the ricotta in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, pulse to combine. The cream can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. 6. Serve the dutch baby with additional lemon sugar, berries, and cream. Enjoy!
Delicious
Thank you Marie! xTieghan
Delicious! But this recipe was actually a bit confusing. First step is to mix lemon sugar with the strawberries… I guess those are the strawberries to serve alongside as they never make it into the dutch baby? Needs a bit of clarity, that’s all!
Hey Stephanie,
Thanks for trying the recipe! Sorry for the confusion, when I state “set aside” I hope that clears things up! xTieghan
Such a showstopper and so so easy! I could easily make this for breakfast every day!
Thank you so much Elisa!! xTieghan
I happened to have all of the necessary ingredients so I thought I’d attempt this. It came out amazing!!!! So easy peasy with a little lemon squeezy!
Yes!! So perfect you had all of the ingredients! Thank you for trying this one, Kat! xTieghan
I made it for my kids (2 & 4) today & my oldest couldn’t stop complimenting it – I couldn’t stop eating it – it really is that great! My only disappointment was that it de puffed even though I waited the 15 minutes & let it brown. Would baking it longer keep it puffed or is it destined to de puff a bit once out of the oven?
Hey Karla,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! Unfortunately it does deflate after it has been sitting out of the oven for awhile. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can I use frozen strawberries?? I have a ton on hand? Or do you recommend another recipe I can use them?
Hey Elsa,
I would use fresh strawberries for this recipe. Here is another recipe where you can use frozen strawberries: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/skillet-strawberry-bourbon-cobbler/
xTieghan
This sounds delicious! Can I sub in cottage cheese for ricotta?
Hey Lisa,
For this recipe I would use whipped cream in place of the ricotta. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I am just sitting down to have another piece of this. Omg. It’s so good! I am a Dutch baby newbie but oh my goodness, I’ll definitely be making this again! It was so easy to make but it tastes like I spent hours making it. And the wow factor when it comes out of the oven is definitely a WOW! I had one question though: the recipe calls for 4 tbsp of butter. The batter consists of 2 tbsp melted butter so do you brown the remaining 2 tbsp? I really wasn’t sure so I added the 2 tbsp to the batter but used 4 tbsp to brown. I figured if I was wrong, having more butter than less wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world! Lol! I just wasn’t clear if the 4 tbsp listed in the ingredients was meant to be divided. Regardless, this turned out AMAZING! Thank you for another awesome recipe Tieghan!
Wow I am so happy to hear that Caroline!! Thank you so much for trying this one! I hope you continue to love all of the other recipes you try of mine! xTieghan
My husband was very impressed. DELICIOUS and it looks like a professional made it! I definitely will be making this again.
Thank you so much Ting Ting!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I usually make your peach dutch baby so I was very excited to try this one since I had ricotta and strawberries on hand. It was SO GOOD! The lemon sugar with the strawberries and that ricotta cream…wow!! Definitely making this one again. Just make sure you wake up earlier so your ingredients are at room temperature.
YES!! That is so amazing to hear! Thank you Adriana! xTieghan
This is my favorite Dutch Baby recipe that I’ve tried. It was perfect.
Thank you Susan! xTieghan
I made this tonight!!! Served with bratwurst and mimosas it was So delish!!!!thank you
Thank you so much Lori! xTieghan
I made this today. It was way to hot for the oven so we threw it onto the grill and it worked! It was fun and delicious.
Thank you so much Kelly!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi! My husband and I love cooking out of your Half Baked Harvest cookbook! This recipe sounds delicious as is, but my husband has a soft spot for cranberries, and I love the combination of cranberries and oranges. Could we substitute cranberries for strawberries and orange zest for the lemon zest? Would it change anything in terms of cooking time or amount needed of each? Either way, I can’t wait to try making this! Thanks so much!
Hey Melissa,
I think those would be great flavors together, no need to change anything I would just swap out the ingredients. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was OUTSTANDING! We have a pancake house in Chicago that specializes in Dutch Babies and this recipe was on par if not better than theirs. I skiped the ricotta because I didn’t have any on hand and instead squeeze some lemon juice on top of the pancake with the lemon sugar, strawberries, and bananas. It didn’t even need syrup. I didn’t have a cast-iron skillet… So I used a Le Creuset baking dish. I placed it in the oven with the butter on broil For 4-5 minutes before pouring in the batter, worked like a charm! This is a winner and will be making on repeat, my 4 & 6 year olds devoured it! Thank you!
Wow that is so amazing!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Allie! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan