BAKE: Pear Dutch Baby with Buttered Pear Syrup
- Pear Dutch Baby Recipe Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make the Pear Dutch Baby
- How to Serve your Pear Dutch Baby
- Baked Pear Dutch Baby with Buttered Pear Syrup
This baked pear dutch baby recipe is a fruit-filled elegant brunch or breakfast treat that sounds fancy but is actually incredibly easy to make. It’s a baked pancake, and a very similar recipe and technique to making Yorkshire pudding, but this one is packed with fruit and topped with an easy pear syrup that cooks while the pancake is baking.
The batter is simple & uses very basic pantry staples; the canned fruit is already poached, so there is minimal prep. The buttered pear syrup has only a few ingredients and simmers while you bake the puffy pancake in the same pan that you use to lightly caramelize the canned pears.
This recipe uses one bowl, one skillet, and one small saucepan, for minimal clean-up. It makes an impressively delicious breakfast treat for your next holiday gathering, weekend brunch, or anytime!
Pear Dutch Baby Recipe Ingredients
Canned Pears in Juice or Syrup:
You can use either store-bought commercially canned pear halves or slices, or your own homemade canned pears in syrup for this recipe.
You can also use freshly peeled and cored pears if you don’t have canned pears. Before making the pancake, poach your fresh ripe pears in a light simple syrup of one cup of sugar and one to two cups of water or apple juice, simmering them a few minutes or just until tender, and then proceed as with the canned pear directions.
All Purpose Flour:
I prefer unbleached all purpose flour, but you can use regular all purpose flour or even whole wheat pastry flour. You can also use a 50/50 blend of all purpose and regular whole wheat flour. A dutch baby made with wheat flour or a blend of wheat and white flour will have a heavier, less custard-like texture, but is healthier.
Whole Milk:
You could substitute 2% milk if that’s what you have on hand, but baked pancakes like this one with just a few simple ingredients are much better when made with whole milk.
Eggs:
Fresh, large eggs, at room temperature if possible. You can run them under warm water before using if you don’t remember to take them out of the fridge in time (or don’t have farm-fresh unwashed eggs that are already at room temperature).
Butter:
Use good, real butter in this recipe (not margarine or spread).
Salt:
Use the listed amount of salt if you used salted butter, more (up to one tsp) if you use unsalted butter or like your sweets on the salty side. The recipe is written for kosher salt, so use a tiny bit less if you are using a finer salt.
Vanilla:
Use real vanilla extract or half as much vanilla paste. You can also substitute almond extract.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
Cast Iron Pan or Heavy Oven-safe Skillet:
A seasoned cast iron skillet will give you lovely crispy crust and a dramatic oven-poof, but you can also bake this in a glazed ceramic or tempered glass baking dish. I always use a skillet, as you can brown the pears lightly in the skillet before pouring in the batter. Just one pan to wash!
Small saucepan:
Drain the liquid from the canned pears into a small saucepan, or use the pot you poached the pears in if starting from fresh pears. You will simmer and reduce the syrup along with butter and spices to make the buttered pear syrup while you are preparing and baking the dutch baby.
Mixing Bowl, Whisk, and Spatula:
You’ll need a medium-large mixing bowl to whisk together the dutch baby pancake batter. You want to make your batter before browning the pears, and let it rest while you preheat the oven and start the syrup. This gives the flour in the batter time to re-hydrate and absorb the liquid, and will give you a better poof and more custard-y texture when you bake your pancake.
You can also make the batter in a blender (combine all ingredients but the butter in a large blender jar, starting with the milk and eggs, blend just until smooth, and let sit to release bubbles while the pears are browning), or use an immersion blender in your mixing bowl. I usually just use a whisk- it’s easier to clean up and almost as fast to get a smooth batter this way.
How to Make the Pear Dutch Baby
Mix dutch baby batter:
- In a medium to large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla.
- Add in the flour and salt and whisk lightly or stir well until the batter is smooth and has no lumps.
- You can also use a blender or immersion blender for this if you prefer.
- Let the batter rest while you saute the pears.
Make syrup and brown pears:
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Drain the syrup from the jar or can of pears into a small saucepan and bring up to a simmer, adding butter and spices to the syrup.
- Heat a heavy pan, ideally cast iron, over medium heat. Add butter to the pan and as it begins to melt and sizzle, arrange pear slices or halves in the pan and gently brown them lightly.
Add batter to pears in pan:
- When pears are warmed through and have a bit of golden color, pour the dutch baby batter carefully over them.
- The butter will pool in the batter- do not worry about mixing it as it will bake into the pudding and give lovely crispy edges.
- Pop the pan into the preheated oven (you can place your pan on a baking sheet if you want to avoid spills).
- Keep the oven door closed while it bakes to trap steam in the oven- the only leavening in this batter that makes it rise comes from the steam generated by the eggs and milk as the pancake bakes.
Bake pear dutch baby & thicken syrup:
- Keep simmering the pear syrup while the pancake bakes, reducing the heat to low if it reduces more than half.
- If you want a thick syrup, you can add up to a tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot flour, dissolved in about a third cup of water to make a slurry, and stirred into the simmering syrup.
- Don’t add too much slurry or you will end up with a gloppy syrup- err on the side of too thin.
- When the dutch baby is fully baked the center will be springy but set. A knife or skewer inserted into the center will come out clean, and the edges will be golden and lightly crisp.
How to Serve your Pear Dutch Baby
Like a souffle, you should have everything else ready and serve your dutch baby pancake piping hot from the oven. As it cools, it will lose a lot of its puff, and the delightful contrast between the rich custard-like middle and light crispy crust.
It is still delicious warmed up or even eaten as a cold snack if you have leftovers, but it is really best enjoyed piping hot and fresh from the pan.
Slice your baked pear pancake into wedges, serve onto plates, and pour the hot pear syrup over the top. Add a pat of butter on top before pouring the syrup for an extra rich and decadent breakfast treat or dessert. You can also dust the pancake lightly with powdered sugar and serve with syrup and butter at the table.
This dish is rich enough that you can serve this on its own for a sweet breakfast. If you want a more substantial brunch, or for a special occasion, pair your pear dutch baby with a side dish of bacon or breakfast sausages, a fresh fruit salad, or a wedge of softened brie or some sliced white cheddar, havarti, gouda, or goat cheese, or even a nutty blue cheese.
Baked Pear Dutch Baby with Buttered Pear Syrup
Equipment
- 1 9"-12" cast iron or enamel skillet or other oven-safe baking dish
- 1 mixing bowl or large blender or food processor (for batter)
- 1 small saucepan for pear syrup, at least one quart (4 cups)
Ingredients
Dutch Baby Batter & Golden Pears
- 1 quart canned pears quart jar or 2 freshly poached pears
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or ½ tsp vanilla paste or almond extract)
- 4 tbsp butter 2 oz
Buttered Pear Syrup
- syrup from canned pears or poaching syrup
- 1 tbsp salted butter (or unsalted butter plus a pinch of salt)
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground coriander (optional)
- 1 small cinnamon stick (optional)
- ⅓ cup cornstarch or arrowroot slurry (see notes, start with a few spoonfuls) (optional, for thicker syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Strain the pear syrup from the canned pears into a small saucepan, add the butter and spices, and bring to a simmer on medium-low heat. Let the syrup simmer and reduce while you bake the pancake, stirring occasionally, and add the thickening slurry if desired.
- In a medium to large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Add in the flour and salt and whisk lightly or stir well until the batter is smooth and has no lumps. You can also use a blender or immersion blender for this if you prefer. Let the batter rest while you saute the pears.
- Preheat a heavy 9 to 12" skillet over medium heat. Add the 4 tbsp butter and swirl to melt, then arrange the pear slices or halves in the pan. Reduce heat slightly and saute on medium-low heat until the pears are warmed through and the bottoms are beginning to take on a golden brown color.
- Carefully pour the dutch baby batter into the pan around the pears. You can do this over a baking sheet if you are worried about spills when pouring or moving it into the oven, especially if you are using a smaller pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the edges are puffed, crisp, and golden brown, and the center is fully set. A knife or skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Slice into wedges and serve immediately, with the hot syrup and additional softened butter if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
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