Savory Dutch Baby with Goat Cheese and Herbs

This post contains affiliate links and may earn commissions on recommended products. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Topped with goat cheese crumbles and dressed arugula, this savory dutch baby recipe is an excellent addition to brunch, or served as a light dinner for two.

Why don’t we make dutch baby pancakes more often? Delightfully puffed, these pancakes are a great change-up from regular breakfast fare. And since you don’t need to stand in front of the pan flipping, they might just be easier!

So easy, in fact, my middle schooler’s cooking club took them on last month. They made both sweet and savory versions, and while sweet dutch baby pancakes usually steal the spotlight, I’m partial to the savory ones.

This version features fresh herbs in the batter, plus a topping of creamy goat cheese and peppery dressed arugula. It’s such a simple recipe, but it’s a great way to change things up at brunch!

Ingredients for this savory dutch baby

You’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• All-purpose flour
• Milk
• Eggs
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh chopped herbs
• Goat cheese crumbles
• Baby arugula
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar

You can use nearly any mix of fresh herbs you like. In the version I shot, I used parsley, chives, and oregano. Want to use just one of them? Go for it! You can also add more herbs on top with the arugula.

If you can, take your cold ingredients out ahead of time so they can warm to room temperature, which will give you better lifting results in the pancake.

Tools & Equipment

I didn’t use a blender to mix the batter for this dutch baby—just a good ol’ mixing bowl and whisk. You can use whichever you like; my pancake puffed very well mixing by hand.

You will need a 10-inch oven-safe skillet to make this. I used stainless steel, but cast iron will also work. Do not use a pan that has a nonstick coating—they’re generally not oven safe, but check the labeling to make sure before you pop it into the oven.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 425°F and make sure the rack is low enough that the pancake won’t bump up against anything above it. The lower third is a good location for the rack.

Place your oven-safe skillet in the oven and let it heat while you make the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until frothy. Whisk in the flour, chopped herbs, salt, and a few cracks of pepper and whisk until very smooth. Unlike classic buttermilk pancakes, we don’t want to leave any lumps.

Remove the hot pan from the oven, set on a trivet, and add the butter. It will immediately sizzle and begin to melt. Swirl the pan to melt the butter and coat the sides, letting it toast a bit. 

Then, pour the batter into the butter. It will start to cook right away, so work quickly to scrape any extra batter from the bowl and get the skillet into the oven.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. As the dutch baby cooks, it will rise up and up the sides like a popover, but it should be stable and not have any batter drip out. 

While it bakes, toss the arugula with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, plus a pinch of salt and pepper.

The pancake will immediately start to sink when you remove it from the oven—that’s expected! Scatter on the goat cheese, then top with the dressed arugula. Slice and serve!

Tips & Troubleshooting

Using room temperature eggs and milk will work best for this recipe.

If you like, you can let the batter rest 10-30 minutes before baking. I don’t bother waiting!

Browning too quickly on top? Make sure your oven rack is low enough so it isn’t close to the top heating element. 

You can pop the dutch baby back into the oven after adding the cheese (but before the arugula) to warm it slightly. The pancake will have already sunk at this point, so don’t worry about it.

If your dutch baby doesn’t puff, you may have not mixed the batter well enough. It should be very thin and smooth. You want to use equal amounts of milk and flour, so don’t be tempted to reduce it! In earlier tests I used less milk and 1 less egg, and it did not work at all. 

Chopped crispy bacon would be another good addition on top with the arugula and cheese. Add halved or quartered cherry tomatoes to make a BLT-inspired dish!

This is best served immediately, so have the rest of your brunch spread going while it is baking, like a brown sugar whipped coffee or simple bowl of fresh berries.

This savory dutch baby recipe is a great option for something uniquely different at the brunch table.