Whole Grain Dutch Baby with Roasted Peaches and Ricotta

Do you know the Dutch Baby? It’s neither Dutch (apparently, it’s German), nor small (it’s the size of a large skillet!). It’s an eggy, airy and delicate crepe-like creation that’s a lighter alternative to a pancake, in both heft and calories, sugar and carbs. Plus, it’s loaded with protein and other nutrient-dense goodies, too.

The classic Dutch Baby is made up of eggs, flour, milk, and lots of butter. But here, I swap the butter for olive oil, use whole-wheat flour in place of all-purpose, and add in some flaxseed meal for a little fiber and a heart-healthy fat boost. The ratio of eggs to flour is what makes this puffed-up pancake so different from traditional pancakes, and the eggs are the key ingredients; they’re not only essential for the unique airy pocket, but they are also the reason this dish has so many healthy qualities.

Eggs are high in protein (6g), low in calories (70 per large egg), and rich in vitamins and minerals — One egg yolk contains about 35 percent of your daily choline, a nutrient that stimulates neurotransmitters in the brain and may protect against Alzheimer’s disease. It also rich in vitamin B12, riboflavin, folate and has 10 percent of your daily value for vitamin D, a nutrient that can be difficult to find in foods (and which nearly 75 percent of us don’t get enough of each day). Bonus? They’re also cheap and super easy to cook.

When this egg-heavy pancake batter is baked in a hot, wide, greased shallow pan, it gets nice and crisp around the edges but stays tender and custard-like in the center.  As for the puff?  The super-hot oven and thin batter generate steam that causes the Dutch Baby to rise.

Whole-wheat flour and flax add an additional boost of fiber to the mix; while olive-oil roasted peaches lend a naturally sweet and seasonably delightful topper that has far less sugar than syrup.  Consider going savory too. You can top this Baby with kale and bacon, avocado and tomatoes, or smoked salmon and cream cheese. The possibilities are endless.

Finally, what I love most about this perfectly puffy poof is that you get to pour all the batter into one pan, bake it and be done. It’s not a mix, pour, flip, stack, repeating process like traditional pancakes (which can be fun, sometimes, but not always).

Whole Grain Dutch Baby with Roasted Peaches & Ricotta

Serves 4

Ingredients
3 eggs, room temperature
½ cup warm 2% milk (or any non-dairy alternative)
½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
½ cup part-skim ricotta
1 tablespoon honey
Cinnamon (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine eggs, milk, flour, flaxseed, sugar, vanilla and salt in a blender; blend 1 minute until smooth. Let sit 10 minutes. (The resting step is key; don’t skip it!)

Place a heavy 10-inch cast iron skillet in oven while oven preheats. Carefully remove pan from oven and add 2 tablespoons olive oil; swirl to coat evenly. Pour batter into pan, return pan to oven and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300; bake an additional 5 minutes.

While pancake bakes, combine peaches and 1 tablespoon olive oil on a baking sheet; toss to coat.  Roast 20 minutes. Spoon peaches over Dutch Baby.

Combine ricotta and honey, sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Serve with Dutch Baby.

Sidney Fry is a two-time James-Beard-Award-winning food and nutrition writer who loves creating simple, healthy recipes and thoughtful, actionable content for the hungry consumer. A healthy living proactivist, Sidney is also a registered dietitian nutritionist, recipe developer and mama of three based in Birmingham, Alabama.