Mini Dutch Pancakes – Poffertjes Recipe

I LOVED Dutch Poffertjes (mini pancakes) as a kid. Heck, I still do! Lately, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. So today I’m bringing you my family’s mini Dutch pancake recipe so you can make them at home.

These delectable treats shouldn’t be confused with Dutch Baby Pancakes. These mini pancakes are made with a yeast-based batter making them light, fluffy, and oh-so-delicious! They are perfect for a breakfast or snack. And the best part is that they only have a few ingredients and then are topped with butter and powdered sugar, Nutella, syrup, or fresh fruit.

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Dutch Poffertjes – Traditional Treat

These dutch mini pancakes are a beloved treat throughout the Netherlands, often served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar and a heavy dollop of butter on top. At home, we use a special poffertjes pan that has many small indentations. Then we’d top these pancakes with butter and Stroop (molasses syrup). If you don’t have a poffertjes pan, don’t worry! I’ll share a few tips that will work just as well.

Because these pancakes are made with a yeasty batter, they are lighter and fluffier than regular pancakes. They are a bit crisp on the outside and soft in the middle.  The trick I’ve learned over the years is to let the yeast rest and do its work. Allow the batter to double in size (about an hour) before you begin to prepare the pancakes.

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Reminiscing About Summers in Holland

Every other summer of my childhood was spent on the outskirts of Amsterdam with my family. As my mother is Dutch, we grew up eating many traditional Dutch treats like stroopwafels,  ontbijtkoek (spice cake), and poffertjes (which as a child I called pufferties.)

One of my favorite parts of visiting my Oma (grandmother) was going to the weekly market and getting poffertjes from a street vendor’s food stall or snack shop. We’d order them and then watch them being made on the large electric griddle with small indentations. The smell of their cooking was amazing and it was fun to watch as each one was flipped by hand with wooden skewers.

When we were back in the United States, my mom carefully made batch after batch of poffertjes in the special Dutch pancake pan she bought in the Netherlands. She’d make sure that each little pancake was perfectly golden brown and cooked through before stacking them on a plate for us to enjoy. My favorite way to eat them is with a pat of butter and Dutch stroop (molasses).

As I sit here reminiscing about those visits to my Oma’s house and all the food, it’s no wonder why food is my travel love language!

Making Dutch Poffertjes At Home

Now that I’m an adult I can still enjoy the classic treat but now I make my own mini fluffy pancakes. I love making them from scratch and being able to share the tradition with my own family. The original recipe uses 1 cup of buckwheat flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.  But I don’t also have buckwheat flour, so I often substitute more all-purpose flour for the buckwheat flour. It turns out great either way. 

Dutch Poffertjes Pan

The traditional pan to make these is stainless steel or cast iron poffertjes pan. Both have numerous small, shallow indentations for cooking the mini Dutch pancakes. Here are a few options available on Amazon if you want to buy a new one.

Dutch Pancake Pan Alternatives

If you don’t have a Dutch pancake pan, or can’t find one in your local stores, there are other options that will work. You can use:

Electric mini pancake maker – this one has interchangeable plates so it functions as a pancake maker, indoor grill, and takoyaki or poffertjes pan.

Cast Iron Ebelskiver pan or Takoyaki pan – Ebelskiver pans are deeper than traditional poffertjes pans and can be used to make either poffertjes or Ebelskiver.

Mini pancake skillet –  These mini skillets are perfect for single serving poffertjes.

A regular skillet or a cast iron pan with silicone egg mold rings and cook these like you would silver dollar pancakes.

How to Make Poffertjes

Batter

• 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour or half all-purpose/half buckwheat flour
• 1 packet of dry instant yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml)  lukewarm whole milk (105˚-115˚F)
• Butter melted, for greasing the pan

Topping Options

• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Molasses
• Maple syrup
• Fresh fruit
• Nutella
• Cherry sauce

Directions to make Poffertjes

• In a large bowl, add flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix well to combine.
• Create a well in the dry ingredients mixture.
• Add beaten eggs to the flour well followed by gradually adding lukewarm milk. Whisk the wet ingredients together with the dry ingredients to form a thick, smooth batter.
• Allow the dough to sit at room temperature until it is bubbly and puffed, which should take about an hour. Make sure to cover it with plastic or a towel so it doesn’t dry out.
• Melt some butter and then brush each of the pockets in the poffertjes pan with it. Afterward, place the pan over medium heat.
• Transfer the risen batter to a pancake batter dispenser, piping bag, or large plastic bag with one corner snipped off. This will make it easier to pour the batter into the pan’s pockets.
• Fill each pocket in the hot skillet with a tablespoon or so of poffertjes batter. Cook until the top side appears dry and golden brown on the bottom, then flip each pancake over using a wooden skewer, fork, or wooden knitting needle.
• Cook on the other side for about 30 seconds and then transfer to a plate.
• Repeat with the remaining batter until it’s gone.
• Serve the poffertjes hot with your favorite toppings! I love to top them with butter, powdered sugar, molasses, fresh fruit, or Nutella. Enjoy!

The smell of freshly made poffertjes still takes me right back to my childhood. To this day, these little pancakes remind me of home every single time – even if I am thousands and thousands of miles away from there. Delicious!   

Thankfully, now you don’t have to travel to the Netherlands to try poffertjes (unless you want to of course). You can make them at home with this recipe and enjoy a little taste of Dutch culture in the comfort of your own kitchen. Bon appetit!

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