I’m Chinese, born in Hong Kong. My husband, Scott, is Scottish-German, born in Buffalo, New York. Boy oh boy, our kids are insanely lucky! Not only do they get red envelopes full of money during Chinese New Year, but they also score big time on Halloween, Lunar Festival, Christmas, birthdays, Dragon Festival and Easter.
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Neither Scott nor I are overly religious (meaning, if I was in deep-shit, praying “Dear God” probably wouldn’t get past His screener.) We decided early on that perhaps we could skirt around the religious aspect of holidays and Sundays by creating meaning through special family rituals that we celebrated when we were kids. For example, hand-knitting our Christmas stockings, eating long-life noodles for birthdays and baking pumpkin-shaped cookies from a cutter made by PaPa. Family traditions, passed on from generation to generation are more meaningful than just chocolate Easter bunnies, a Santa who picks the lock at our front door and prancing around the neighborhood dressed as Elvis or Elvira.
Our little kids, who are 2 ½ years old and 4 years old, don’t fully understand the meaning of “tradition” quite yet, but they know that every Sunday morning is reserved for German Oven Pancakes. It’s an incredibly easy recipe that even the youngest can help out with. Go ahead, ditch the electric mixer and make this by hand in a big glass bowl and a whisk.
Instead of cooking individual pancakes on the stovetop, the entire batch of batter bakes in a skillet. Since our kids make the whole thing - from beginning to end, we really never know what shape will emerge…sometimes the pancake is flat with a high curved edge, sometimes it has puffs, valleys and crevices perfect for hiding chocolate chips.
We all gather in front of the oven window and watch the pancake rise and form. The edges are light and crisp, perfectly browned. We usually top it with in season fruits, slather it with whipped cream and eat it right out of the skillet, tearing pieces with our hands. My older son, Andrew, loves the golden edges while Nathan goes straight for the soft pillows in the middle. It’s our Sunday morning family tradition and hopefully, it will be one that will be passed on for many more generations to come.
Straight out of the oven: it can come out with a giant puff in the middle:
or really super-high sides:
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but either way, its really YUMMY!
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German Oven Pancakes
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, sifted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
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Preheat oven to 450F. If you have a convection oven, set it at 425F - the pancakes rise even higher on the convection setting.
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- Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, melted butter, salt and sugar. Gradually add flour to egg mixture, a spoonful at a time. Have your child help you by spooning the flour in while you whisk by hand. Make sure the flour is well incorporated in the batter with no lumps, but do not over-mix, as you want to keep the pancake light.
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- Lightly spray a 9”-11” oven-safe skillet with cooking spray. Pour batter in the skillet. Bake 12-18 minutes, just until the edges are golden. Check your pancake at the 12 minute mark. It’s fun to turn on the oven light and watch the pancake form!
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Note: Try experimenting with different pans and skillets - just as long as you use something at least 9″ wide and oven-safe. You could also divide the batter into two smaller pans and have them bake side by side and see which one rises higher. Just make sure that your oven rack is in the middle position or lower. Top with fruit granola, yogurt, powdered sugar, syrup, toasted almonds or fruit butters. Drizzle with caramel, chocolate syrup, honey or maple syrup.
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Other recipes that my kids love:
The Perfect Loaf of French Bread
Baby Back Ribs with Asian Orange Ginger Glaze
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Look who won the Szechuan Peppercorn contest!
LPC- email me your address! jan (at) steamykitchen (dot) com
July 3rd, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Oh my God, I know I should be commenting about the pancakes, but those two cuties…. I want to eat them up instead! You’re children are beautiful. (And appear to be pretty handy in the kitchen, too!) Nicely done, J.
July 3rd, 2007 at 10:17 pm
What great photos! And I’ve always wanted to try these pancakes but just have not gotten around to it - I’ll be sure to put them on the menu for Saturday morning
July 3rd, 2007 at 10:24 pm
Jaden, I really enjoyed this post, your pancake looks amazing and your boys are the cutest Eurasian boys I’ve ever seen!! Lemme at their cheeks! It’s so wonderful that the boys are involved in the kitchen , I just know they will be great cooks one day!
July 3rd, 2007 at 11:43 pm
That pancake looks awesome and your kids are doing a fantastic job!!!! I loved reading the post.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:01 am
fantastic post!!! cute pic at the end too.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:26 am
NY Girl Eats World just threatened to eat your children! Run, kids, run!
July 4th, 2007 at 1:57 am
Your kids are sooo cute! I love the look of astonishment as they watch the pancake.
I like to make this on Sunday mornings too with my beloved cast iron skillet.
July 4th, 2007 at 2:30 am
Your little boys are so adorable. Mine is too young to make any traditional stuff yet but we will definitely teach her to make crepes and other stuff not forgetting chinese traditions
July 4th, 2007 at 2:44 am
We have that kind of pancake in Sweden too! Thanks for reminding me, I think I’ll make some this week!
You have really captured the essence of cooking children in your pics!
July 4th, 2007 at 3:37 am
Adorable boys, eat them up yum! They remind me so much of my son when he was a a little munchkin, now he’s a 15 year old long hair hippie and thankfully still a barrel of fun! Yummers!
We’ll give your skillet pancake recipe a try when the weather cools down a bit and we can turn the oven back on…it’s crazy hot in my kitchen this summer!
July 4th, 2007 at 4:10 am
What cuties you have there! Simply adorable kiddos!!!
July 4th, 2007 at 4:39 am
Jaden, your kids are adorable and looks to me like chefs in the making.
The pancake look absolutely delicious with the fruits and cream.
Question: Do I have to use a skillet to make these? (can I use something else? Like maybe a small pie or cake tin) Only because I haven’t got a smaller skillet that will fit in the oven and if I make a big one, I will have to eat it all myself!
July 4th, 2007 at 4:52 am
I cannot get over how adorable your sons are!!! I can’t even say which photo is the cutest…although I love the looks on the little ones’ faces as they are watching the pancake
This does sound easy and yummy…have been wanting to try something like this…now’s my chance
Ok, one more time: your sons are adorable!!!
July 4th, 2007 at 5:40 am
What a lovely Sunday morning ritual, Jaden! The pancake looks absolutely delicious with the fruit topping.
July 4th, 2007 at 5:58 am
The picture of the fruit is just out-of-this-world STUNNING.
The kids are adorable =o)
July 4th, 2007 at 6:36 am
I seriously busted a gut when I saw that last picture just now … the look on his face is downright hilarious! Your kids are adorable, Jaden … oh, and the recipe sounds good, too!
July 4th, 2007 at 6:47 am
Looks amazingly tempting and delicious!
July 4th, 2007 at 7:43 am
German pancakes, what a great idea! And I don’t know about you, but there’s so much fresh fruit sitting around my kitchen threatening to go bad — it’s a perfect way to use it up.
Love the photos of your boys. I have lots of pictures of my son helping in the kitchen over the years, from when he needed a stepladder to reach the counter to when… he didn’t anymore (he’s 6′-2″). It’s great for kids to have cooking be integrated into their lives. Mine (19 now) just got his first apartment and the housewarming present he requested? A Cuisinart mini-prep and my recipe collection.
July 4th, 2007 at 7:49 am
I just made your delicious pancakes and topped them with banana, honey and some fresh red currants. Yummy!
Greetings from Germany
July 4th, 2007 at 7:57 am
NY Girl- When u gonna have kids?!?
Ellie- Please post your photos when you make them!
Carol- Sometimes the kids ask for the pancake for dinner too. So they told me to tell you if you got nothin’ in the kitchen for supper you can have this.
Coffee- thank you and welcome to the mad mad world of steamy kitchen! i love the photo of the espresso on your website. did you pull that shot?!?
Garrett- thank you!
Ape- oh my kids would eat her up!! 3 hours of babysitting and she’ll feel like limp sausage.
Amy- we’ll have to try the cast iron next and see what shapes come out.
Ninja- I once tried to “chinese-ify” the german oven pancake and topped with canned lychees and longan. Do you know what the rugrats did? Put the fruit on each of their fingers and pretended they were lychee monsters! I remember I used to do that too….and I used to get in SO much trouble for disrespectin’ the fruit!!
Ilva- Whats the Swedish name for the pancake?
Katswan- We have a loooooong ways to go to reach 15! It seems like forever but everyone always tell me that it goes by lightening fast.
East West- Thank you!
Ilingc- no skillet needed. Try a cake pan, baking sheet…whatever you have that will go in a hot oven. Just spray with cooking spray or use a paper towel to lightly grease. Don’t use non-stick as the temperature is just too high for safe Teflon use. This weekend we’ll be pouring it directly on a lg baking sheet just to see what happens!
Joey- Aw, thanks! They told me they were doing a cooking show just like Paula Deen, except they call her “Paula Bean” LOL!
Inne-I was so lucky to get fruit that was perfectly ripe at the farmers market. I wish I had some blackberries in there…
Amrita- thanks! the colors of the fruit were just so vivid. It took us about an hour to eat all of that pancake + fruit!
LPC- LOL that look is priceless!!
Lemongrass- thank you!
Lisa- Its great that you’ve instilled a love of cooking in your son!
Sophia- you’ll have to post a pic and I’ll link to it! that is…if you remembered to take a picture of it before devouring it!
I have lots of exclamation points this morning! Too! much! coffee!
July 4th, 2007 at 8:23 am
My grandmother whose mother was German used to make that pancake for me. I don’t make it all that often but it’s a great Sunday morning treat, for sure. I’ve adapted it to New England by drizzling a bit of maple syrup over it. My grandmother would drizzle honey and sometimes a few toasted chopped nuts.
July 4th, 2007 at 8:30 am
never mind the pancakes! … your boys are such honeys!
July 4th, 2007 at 8:37 am
They look so yummy and the pancakes too! Love this post of your boys making pancakes. The pictures are wonderful.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Your photos are always amazing and inspiring, thanks!
July 4th, 2007 at 9:45 am
Oh man, are those kids ever cute! It looks like you’re having a lot of fun. I do admire people who cook with their kids. This week I have two of my nephews staying with me (ages 3 and 6) and we’re having a great time here too.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Hi, Jaden. Loved the expressions of your handsome sons.
I made German Oven Pancake twice from a recipe from a pancake-loving site in care2.com. Yes, it’s so entertaining to watch it rise crazily and randomly.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:45 am
Jaden,
Your kids are sooo cute! You gotta bring them along next time we go eat!
Like your ma, I’ll babysit but I don’t do diapers. 
July 4th, 2007 at 11:04 am
That recipe is very interesting and ideal for Sunday brunches! Really yummy!
Your sons are very cute!
It’s the first time I visit your blog and I find it awesome! Your pictures are gorgeous…
July 4th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Oh my god, is that yours. Can I be their “kai yeh”?
July 4th, 2007 at 11:34 am
awww… jan, ur kids look so adorable. i LOVE that 4th pic where they r peeking to check the pancake in oven.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Such cute boys! My 4 year old looked at this pictures and said he wanted to cook with those boys. And he especially liked the cute face at the end. (But rats! I missed out on the peppercorns!)
July 4th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Your kids have big beautiful eyes…if I were just 30 years younger….hee heee…
Your kids have potential in baking….:) unlike me…
I just had a fruit bowl like that , with no pancake of course, to ward me off the summer heat. :O
July 4th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I agree, your boys are sure cute! Thanks for this recipe, I will try it with my germanic hubby, lol!
July 4th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Your breakfast is almost as beautiful as your children. What good cooks they are!
July 4th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
OMG, that pic of them peering in the oven is so precious.
July 4th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Charlotte- I think if I added chopped macadamia nuts and toasted coconut flakes I could simply be in heaven!
Stephanie - thank you!
Melinda- the boys just now saw their photo on the site and said, “I’m Paula Been!”
Thank you Scott!
Kalyn- have fun with the kids. Auntie Kalyn will surely spoil them rotten, huh?
Argus- crazy and random sure describes my kids well. oh wait. you were talking about the pancakes
Auntie WC!
Rosa- thank you and I hope you come back soon - lots of good food here….
BBO- Kai Yeh!!
Sia - my son Nathan was saying, “WOW!!”
Lynn- hop on your private jet and come over and make pancakes with us!
Tigerfish- fruit alone is too healthy for me! ;-P
Lotushaus- lol!
Lydia- yes they are great cooks. They love to help me in the kitchen esp when it involves something sweet
Bee- thank you!
July 4th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
What a lovely post! Sharing food experiences with family is building lifetime memories!
July 4th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
I made your pancake this morning. It was a huge hit. I will post some pics soon. Love the pics of your boys too. I just added vanilla essence to my batter and it was super. Thanks again!
A
July 4th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Oh this post is too good
I love, love, love all the pics, my favourites are the third one and the last one (lol) I really like coming here.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
I just found out such pancakes existed. Me and my sis made them and instantly fell in love. I would be making them weekly too if it wasn’t summer! It’s so easy and fancy. Though the recipe we tried didn’t have sugar…that’s what’s missing, haha.
And of course, adorable adorable kids!
July 5th, 2007 at 1:49 am
Your kids are too cute for words and you’re starting them early in the kitchen
The pancakes look great esp. topped with all that fruit!
July 5th, 2007 at 11:08 am
that looks amazing! i just watched an episode of good deal with dave lieberman where he made german oven pancakes and thought they looked pretty good, but yours looks phenomenal! i’m a sucker for fresh fruit! and your kids are gorgeous! do they do dishes, too?
July 5th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Now I’m German, well a mixture of it and other ethnicities and I had no idea they had oven pancakes. It sounds so good with a mixture of summer fruit. Can’t wait until Sunday to make it!
July 5th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
so delicious! your kids and food are beautiful! traditions are great
July 5th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
In cantonese language “kai yeh” means god father. hehehehe
July 5th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Your sons are so handsome! Love all the pretty &/ mouth-watering pictures too.
July 5th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Your sons are so cute and look to get along together in the kitchen. Gorgeous pictures as always Jaden.
July 5th, 2007 at 10:18 pm
THank you to all of you with your kind comments!
Now…if I could only teach the boys to do the dishes!!!!
July 6th, 2007 at 1:17 am
Dear Jaden,
We call it Dutch Oven Pancakes in our household. A splash of lemon, some whipped butter and lots of powder sugar.
You have precious two little boys there. And they even pulled out my name, and so I thought. You see, my initial is LPC, Lee Ping Chong.
Enjoy baking with your two boys, talented Mommie.
July 6th, 2007 at 4:43 am
Beautiful photos!
I have my great-grandmother’s German pancake skillet … seriously, that’s what it has always been called, though it’s really just a nice 9-inch cast-iron skillet, perfectly seasoned over the course of a century. But German pancakes are what were always made in it, until I inherited it and started using it for bacon and hash and other pancake-friendly seasoning agents (no fish!).
My recipe is just half-cup flour, half-cup milk and three eggs, all whisked together in a measuring cup and poured into the well-buttered pan. No sifting or spooning, and it still turns out great every time.
Thanks for inspiring me to make one this weekend!
July 6th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
MrsHBT- Oh wow, those are your initials! LOL!
Kitt- I hope that my cast iron skillet gets passed down too. My mom didn’t have one but she has a beloved wok that I am eyeing!!!
July 7th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
When I was getting ready to move to South Dakota, Mom came out of the house with the pan and gave it to me. I will always remember that moment, because I know how reluctant she was to part with it, and I hadn’t so much as hinted that I wanted it. It never occurred to me that she would give it up. That makes it even more special.
But she can still come visit it! I cook for her with it when she does.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:30 am
Gasp! Those handsome stud muffins are going to be lady-killers when they grow up!
July 15th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Sorryyyyy, when I looked at your cute lil’ boys, I forgot about your pancakesssss hehehe
August 1st, 2007 at 3:30 pm
! i made these today! they’re just so yummy. i slathered a honey-cream cheese spread and strawberry sauce all over them…. delicious! especially with pineapples and strawberries!
August 13th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
I make something similar but cook fruit with it. First, in the same oven-safe pan — I have a well seasoned cast iron one — I melt some butter and add a few tablespoons of brown sugar and some (1 cup?) fruit — pitted cherries, peaches, apples, canned fruit cocktail — almost anything. And sometimes nuts and some cinnamon or vanilla or lemon. Just saute it for a few minutes while you mix the batter and then pour it over the top. My pan is great and it doesn’t stick, even with the sugar and fruit. Yum. I am so glad I started making this because it is delicious and very fast and easy.
August 14th, 2007 at 7:51 am
I love all these different ideas and variations that y’all are suggesting! We’ll do one with honey and some cherries this weekend.
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I don’t know why I keep reading this damn blog of yours.
Your are going to increase my grocery bill as well as the pounds on my scale.
Most unappreciated!
YES, I am still going to devour that damn pancake - - real friggin nice - stop badgering me.
October 14th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
My grandmother is from Germany and this is one of the more famous and favorite breakfasts she makes.
Normally, the toppings are simply powdered sugar, a little butter, and fresh lemon from her lemon tree.
One time, though, she made plum syrup. I don’t think I’d like another breakfast food more that this pancake with plum syrup. If you can find it, Alaskan Salmonberry syrup is also very very good.
One funny thing is that this pancake is so eagerly eaten, we don’t cook it in anything smaller than a 9×13 casserole dish. Not quite sure what in the recipe changes for this size of pan, but we still get it to rise to an awe-inspiring size. My sister makes it when she has friends stay the night, just because it is so surprising to see after it’s all cooked up. Bravo for spreading the word of the German Puff Pancake (That’s what Oma calls it, anyway!)
October 15th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Oh my! My mother used to call this oven surprise. It was my favorite breakfast treat growing up. I completely forgot about it. Thank you for reminding me of my own family traditions.
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
I make these too, every chance I get
But I usually slice up some apples very thin and fry them in some butter and cinnamon while the pancake is cooking to put on them. Also, I don’t have an oven-proof skillet, so I use a glass pie dish.
Oh, and if you want it to stay poofy in the middle instead of deflating; leave it in after it’s done and just crack the door a bit when you turn the oven off. You have to wait a bit before you can take it out, but it’s kind of pretty that way too. Although I’ll admit I don’t often have the patience to wait
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:17 am
I put mine in a flower shaped Casserole dish, it turned out well, but next time I will divide the batter up more, the bottom was a little thick. It looked very pretty, the egg rose up the side, and it ended up looking like a baseball mitt! ^_^ yay! and also I didn’t have a sifter, but it still turned out ok…sifter is on my Christmas list.
I can’t wait to make these again,
Amy
February 12th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Jaden your 2 boys are absolutely adorable. Dont u wish they always remain young and little and never grow up. Love the pancake , actually saw someone else make it and link it back to you. This is defi a bookmark.
March 5th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
In the part of California where I lived for a time they called these Dutch Oven Pancakes as a previous poster mentioned. But, almost as well known were individual pancakes called “Dutch Babies”. Same sorts of toppings with the powdered sugar and lemon thought to be the most authentic.
March 9th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Your kids are too cute! I have never tried German Oven Pancakes but they look wonderful and filling it with fruit makes them even healthier! I always try to include my 4 yr old when cooking and baking. I believe that in these days of processed foods its very important to teach kids the value of healthy versus “out of the box” and easy. Not only are you establishing a family tradition and wonderful memories you are teaching your children early kitchen skills. Kudos to you!