How to Make Poffertjes (Mini Dutch Pancakes)
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Did you just arrive home from a trip to the Netherlands, and now you’re searching for a poffertjes recipe to fill your craving?
I totally understand, because after our Dutch friends introduced us to poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes) for the first time in the Jordaan district of Amsterdam, I was hooked!
Now every time I go to the Netherlands, I indulge in poffertjes at least once.
But the thing is, we don’t visit Amsterdam that often. Lately, it’s been a once-per-year occasion, if that, which means that my life is seriously lacking in the Dutch sweet treats department.
On the bright side, though, poffertjes are pretty quick and easy to make โ as long as you have a poffertjes pan!
And lucky for me,ย my sweet friend sent me my very own poffertjes pan all the way from Amsterdam as a gift when I graduated from college. (Clearly, she knows me well.)
These fluffy little delights are everything you want in a sweet treat, and so much more. Their light, spongy texture, paired with salty melted butter and sweet powdered sugar really hits the spot. Every single time.
Eet smakelijk! (That’s Dutch for enjoy your meal!)
GET YOUR VERY OWN POFFERTJES PAN:
What Are Poffertjes?
If you aren’t familiar with poffertjes, then allow me to explain.
Poffertjes are essentially like mini American pancakes โ only they are are super light and fluffy, spongy, and cute, and so very Dutch. (And about 20 times more delicious.) Oh, and the batter is made with yeast!
They’re typically served with butter and powdered sugar, but of course, you can put on whatever toppings you like!
Have I sold you on making your own poffertjes yet?
Great. Let’s get to it!
The Ingredients
The ingredients necessary for this easy poffertjes recipe are pretty standard. I’d bet that you have them all on hand right now.
- All-purpose flour. Scoop the flour from the bag and into the measuring cup, then level off the excess using the back of a butter knife. This will prevent you from measuring out too much!
- Sugar. You’ll need granulated sugar for the batter and powdered sugar for dusting.
- Salt. All sweet treats need a little salt to balance out all that sugar.
- Active dry yeast. Must be mixed with warm milk and sugar to activate; if your yeast fails to become foamy after 5 to 10 minutes, that means it’s dead and needs to be replaced.
- Milk. I used 2% milk, but any milk (dairy or non-dairy) may be used. If using a non-dairy milk, choose one that’s unflavored and unsweetened.
- Egg. Binds the batter together and adds structure to the cooked mini Dutch pancakes.
- Butter. Nothing beats a hot poffertje straight from the pan topped with butter!
How to Make Dutch Poffertjes
If you’ve made American-style pancakes before, you can definitely master this yeast-based poffertjes recipe.
- Proof the yeast. Combine the warm milk, sugar, and active dry yeast in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes. If the yeast looks foamy and bubbly after 10 minutes, you’re good to go!
- Make the batter. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Then, add the egg and the proofed yeast mixture.
- Let rise. Cover the mixing bowl with damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size (this takes about an hour).
- Cook. Preheat the poffertjes pan. Fill each cavity with the prepared batter (I use a piping bag for this), cook for 1 minute, then flip them over using a fork.
- Serve. We love eating these Dutch poffertjes while they’re still piping hot, drenched in butter and dusted with powdered sugar.
Other lip-smacking toppings to try include Nutella, peanut butter, fresh berries, whipped cream, jam or fruit curd โ you name it!
Is a Poffertjes Pan Necessary? Yes!
To make poffertjes the proper way, you will need a poffertjes pan โ there’s no way around it!
The poffertjes pan allows the Dutch pancakes to take their typical round shape, allowing for their fluffy texture.
You will love these sweet treats so much, you will make them again and again. Buying your own poffertjes pan will be worth the investment.
Recipe FAQs
- What’s the easiest way to distribute the batter? It’s super handy to use either a piping bag or squeeze bottle to distribute the batter onto the poffertjes pan. This helps to minimize what could be a huge mess. It also helps ensure that you’re piping the same amount into every place!
- Can this recipe be made without a poffertjes pan? You could try to make poffertjes in a regular pan, but you just won’t end up with poffertjes (you’ll end up with denser American-style pancake bites instead).
- How do you know when it’s time to flip over the poffertjes? Look for little bubbles all over the tops of the mini pancakes before flipping them over.
- Can the batter be prepared in advance? I’m not sure if you can whisk together the batter, refrigerate it, and cook it off later. If you give this a try, please leave me a comment below letting me know how it turned out!
SHOP THE EQUIPMENT:
Poffertjes (Mini Dutch Pancakes)
Want to take a trip to the Netherlands without getting on a plane? Try making poffertjes, also known as mini Dutch pancakes. They’re super light and fluffy, spongy, cute, and so very Dutch! Poffertjes are typically served with butter and powdered sugar, but you can add whatever toppings you like.
- Prep Time: 75 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 85 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Dutch
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1.5 cups milk (warmed slightly)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- butter (for topping)
- powdered sugar (for topping)
Instructions
- In the microwave or a pan, heat milk until slightly warm (just above lukewarm). Then, in a small bowl, mix together the milk, sugar, andย active dry yeast. Set the mixture aside for 10 minutes, until mixture looks bubbly and foamy.ย
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt.
- Add the egg and the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix with a hand whisk or an electric mixer until you have a smooth, silky batter.
- Cover with a clean, damp cloth and set aside for one hour, or until the batter has about doubled in size.
- Transfer the batter into a piping bag or a squeeze bottle. Grease your poffertjes pan with butter and heat it over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, fill up each poffertjes mold with batter, then cook each side for one minute, using a fork or butter knife to flip.
- Serve your poffertjes hot, with butter, powdered sugar, and any other toppings you wish!
Notes
- If you don’t have a piping bag or a squeeze bottle, you can simply use a spoon or an ice cream scoop. However, these options are a bit messier!
- If you do not use a poffertjes pan, then your poffertjes will more resemble American pancakes. They will lack a thicker shape and fluffy texture, which is what makes them special! If possible, purchase this poffertjes pan.
- I use 2% milk, but you can use whatever kind of milk you have on hand: skim, 2%, whole, or even plat-based milk.
If you try out our poffertjes recipe, let us all know how it went in the comments below. If you post a photo, tag @maddysavenue so we can see your poffertjes! Also, if you have any questions, leave them below.
These were yummy! Very easy recipe and went exactly to timing. One thing I learned and one question. I made this recipe to try on a new electric Poffertjes maker and I learned you have to be quick or the first ones you dolloped on are burning by the time you are dolloping the last ones! I turned my heat down and that helped a lot. Question: Can these be prepared up the point of letting them rise and placed in fridge like bread dough, then taken out to finish rising in the morning?
Hi Tracy, honestly, I haven’t tried it, so I’m not sure… If you test it, please report back with your findings!
Delicious!
I grew up in Holland and in my town (Bussum) we had a โpoffertjes kraamโ; a small restaurant build like a schoolroom temp but much nicer finished. We used to go there once every so often and I loved the poffertjes they served. I loved watching the chef turn the poffertjes on his massive skillet, the size of a burger cooker at McDonaldโs. The son of the owner was in my grade school class, and he once invited the class to have poffertjes at his fatherโs restaurant. I have attached the links to some pictures.
https://www.tripadvisor.nl/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g227934-d746886-i73563582-Poffertjeskraam_vd_Steen-Bussum_North_Holland_Province.html
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/poffertjeskraam-cornelis-de-haan-laren?select=wHCuhqEheBaXOfCX_MLGcQ
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/12/81/18/0d/20180401-170300-largejpg.jpg
Had poffertjes when in Amsterdam last year and really enjoyed them. Ordered my pan and made them yesterday. I noticed my batter wasnโt rising so I placed it covered in direct sunlight and the batter size doubled with 15 minutes. Other than that the recipe was great. Going to make them again for the group I travelled with.
These were so good!
Excellent mini pancakes
Looooove poffertjes! Eat the once a year at our local, Orange City,Is Tulip Festivale. A special group of people make them in the “Little White Store” every day during our 3day celebration of our Dutch heritage!
I am Dutch and I never eat poffertjes! LOLz.
I do like them a lot, but for some reason we always choose pancakes over poffertjes.