RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
November Pick: Breakfast

Spiced Apple Dutch Baby

An almond flour Dutch baby baked over cinnamon apples in a hot skillet until puffed and golden, finished with lemon and a spoonful of Greek yogurt.

Why you'll love Spiced Apple Dutch Baby

A Dutch baby is a big oven pancake that rises in a hot skillet and settles into a tender, custardy middle with tall, browned edges. This one is baked right over apple slices that have softened in butter with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, so the fruit caramelizes into the bottom while the batter puffs around it. November apples are at their crispest and most flavorful, and a Pink Lady or Braeburn keeps its shape in the oven.

The puff comes from heat and eggs. The batter is mostly eggs and whole milk with a little almond flour, blended until frothy, then poured into a skillet that is already sizzling. The blast of heat turns the water in the batter to steam at once, and the eggs set around that steam into a tall, airy rim. Almond flour gives the pancake a nutty, tender crumb and a center that stays soft and spoonable.

Four eggs and half a skillet each make this a real breakfast, the kind that carries you to lunch. Bring the skillet straight to the table, squeeze lemon over the top, and add a cool spoonful of yogurt to every slice.

Quick overview: This Spiced Apple Dutch Baby takes 10 min of hands-on time and about 38 min in all and makes 2 servings, each half the Dutch baby with 1/4 cup yogurt. You'll need a skillet and a blender.

Jump to recipe

Spiced apple Dutch baby in a skillet with Greek yogurt
Prep 10 minCook 28 minTotal 38 minServes 2Serving half the Dutch baby with 1/4 cup yogurtYou'll need Skillet, Blender

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • a pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 large crisp apple, such as Pink Lady or Braeburn, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices, skin on
  • 1 tbsp allulose Label: allulose, and nothing else
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus a lemon wedge to serve
  • 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, to serve

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 425°F (220°C). The oven has to be fully hot before the skillet goes in, since the rise depends on that first burst of heat.
  2. Blend the batter: Put the eggs, milk, almond flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the cardamom, and the nutmeg in a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until smooth and frothy. Let it rest while you cook the apples; the almond flour soaks up some of the liquid and the batter thickens slightly, which helps it hold its puff.
  3. Cook the apples: Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices in an even layer, sprinkle with the allulose and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until the slices are tender at the edges and golden underneath. Allulose browns quickly, so lower the heat if the butter starts to darken too fast.
  4. Pour and bake: Spread the apples evenly, then pour the batter over them while the skillet is still sizzling. Move the skillet straight to the oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges have puffed high and turned deep golden and the center is set and no longer looks wet. Keep the oven door closed for the first 15 minutes so the steam that lifts the batter stays inside.
  5. Finish and serve: Bring the skillet to the table with a towel wrapped around the hot handle. The center will sink a little as it cools, which is what gives it that custardy middle. Drizzle the lemon juice over the top, cut it in half, and serve each half with a spoonful of Greek yogurt and a lemon wedge.

Storage and leftovers

A Dutch baby is at its best in the first few minutes out of the oven, while the edges are crisp. Leftovers keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheat slices in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 6 to 8 minutes. They come back tender and warm, with softer edges.

Variations

  • Pear: Use a firm Bosc pear, skin on, in place of the apple, and add a pinch of ground ginger to the batter.
  • Berries: Skip the apple and scatter a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries into the buttered skillet just before the batter.
  • Savory: Leave out the allulose, cinnamon, and cardamom, cook a sliced shallot and a handful of spinach in the butter, and top the finished pancake with grated parmesan and black pepper.
  • Whipped cream: Top with softly whipped heavy cream in place of the yogurt.

Notes and tips

  • Warm the eggs and milk: Room-temperature batter puffs higher. Set the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes and warm the milk briefly if you forgot to take them out.
  • Use cast iron: A heavy cast-iron skillet holds the most heat, which gives the tallest edges and the best browned bottom.
  • Slice the apple thin: Quarter-inch slices soften through in the time the batter bakes. Thick wedges stay firm in the middle.
  • Blend it the night before: The batter keeps covered in the refrigerator overnight. Let it sit out for 20 minutes and blend it again for a few seconds before pouring.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Eggs make up most of the batter, so each half of the skillet brings a full breakfast's worth of protein along with choline and vitamin B12.
  • Almond flour and butter are the real fat here, and fat is what lets the warm spices bloom and carry through every bite.
  • The apple keeps its skin, where much of its fiber sits, and it cooks right into the eggs and butter, so its natural sweetness arrives alongside protein and fat.
  • Cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg bring the warmth of a bakery breakfast with only a spoonful of allulose.
  • As you eat, notice how the warm spice and the tart lemon read as sweet, and check in late in the morning: a breakfast built on eggs should hold you a good 3 to 4 hours, with steady energy and no pull toward a midmorning pastry.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Spiced Apple Dutch Baby? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Why did my Dutch baby stay flat?

The skillet or the oven was too cool, or the door opened early. Heat the oven fully, pour the batter into a sizzling skillet, and keep the door shut for the first 15 minutes.

Can I make it without a blender?

Yes. Whisk the eggs hard in a bowl until foamy, then whisk in the milk, almond flour, salt, and spices until smooth.

Can I use a different apple?

Choose a firm apple that holds its shape when cooked, such as Pink Lady, Braeburn, Jonagold, or Granny Smith. Softer apples like McIntosh collapse into the batter.

Can I double it?

Bake two skillets side by side, or use a 12-inch skillet with 6 eggs and half again as much of everything else, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the bake.

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Tags: November Pick, Breakfast, American, Gluten-Free Swap