In case you haven’t seen that recipe or don’t know what a Dutch Baby is, I’ll just re-explain it. A Dutch baby is a large fluffy pancake that’s part pancake, part crepe, part popover. It has nothing to do with an actual baby or any other tiny humans or even Dutch people. Confusing name, I know.

Traditionally, Dutch babies get their light fluffiness from eggs, but my tiny Dutch baby is vegan and therefore egg-free. Obvi. 

A good Dutch Baby starts with a hot skillet, so make sure your skillet is roaring hot before you pour in the batter. As for the batter, to get the smoothest, lump-free batter, a blender (or food processor) is your best bet, though you can also use an electric mixer if you don’t have a blender or food processor. And, as with crepe batter, a Dutch Baby batter can benefit from resting for 10-20 minutes. The resting period enables the flour to absorb the liquid, which improves the texture, though I’ve made this recipe with both resting and without resting and it’s delicious even without resting. 

In terms of flavors, I love the combination of blueberries, orange and ginger in baked goods, but any combination of fruit and spices will be delicious if you don’t have blueberries on hand. Try strawberries and lemon zest, finely diced apples and cardamom, or blackberries and cinnamon. 

I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious recipe for a vegan Dutch Baby! 

Vegan Blueberry-Orange Dutch Baby

Makes 1 10-inch skillet or 2 mini (4-6 inch) skillets

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegan butter, divided

• 1/2 cup almond milk or soy milk

• 10 ounces silken soft tofu

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 cup fresh or defrosted frozen blueberries

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 medium orange, zested

• Garnishes: powdered sugar, coconut whipped cream and/or maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F or 175°C.

2. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter and pour into a blender. Add the almond or soy milk, tofu, maple syrup, vanilla extract and orange juice and blend on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer and beat on high speed.

3. Then, add the flour and salt to the blender and blend until combined and no lumps remain. Allow the batter to rest for 10-20 minutes, if possible.

4. Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or 2 mini cast iron skillets) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vegan butter and swirl the pan to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.

5. Once the butter is melted, add the blueberries in a single layer and sprinkle on the ground ginger. Cook for a few minutes until fragrant and the blueberries are warmed and begin to break down.

6. Pour the batter over the cooked blueberries in the hot skillet and tilt the pan to spread out the batter on all sides. Cook for 1-2 minutes to slightly set the batter.

7. Transfer the skillet(s) to the pre-heated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the top and sides are lightly golden brown and slightly puffed up.

8. Top with orange zest and serve with maple syrup and vegan whipped cream, if desired.