Roasted Cherry Dutch Baby with Amaretto Whipped Cream

Today’s recipe is brought to you by another epic recipe FAIL.

I originally intended on sharing a fresh cherry and chocolate oatmeal cookie with you all today, but after two failed attempts at said cookie, I gave up (for now – I’m hoping to revisit and figure that recipe out eventually…because how amazing does that sound??).

The good news?

This recipe is even better. Like, waaay better. And cookies rank up pretty high in my favorite foods list, so that is really saying something!

This Dutch baby pancake had me straight up swooning. Every component is insanely awesome in its own right and every time I sampled them, I did a Jersey-shore-style fist pump in my kitchen. Dan looked at me a little funny…that is, until he tried a bite.

“Oh WOW. That is GOOD. Really, really good.”

Neither one of us is a sweet breakfast person. Meaning, we enjoy pancakes, waffles, and French toast but would almost never pick them over something savory and egg based. We are big egg people in the mornings. When I told him I was testing a blog recipe for breakfast this past weekend, he was thinking it was a strata or a eggs benedict. When I told him it was a Dutch baby pancake, he was a little less excited.

But we both agreed: this is one of the top breakfast items I’ve made. Ever.

First, the Dutch baby itself. It couldn’t be easier to make (certainly beats making and flipping individual pancakes), and I bet you have all the ingredients on hand already. It tasted like a dreamy pancake breakfast, but all in one pan. Light, fluffy, slightly sweet and the perfect vessel for all the toppings.

Speaking of toppings, roasted cherries are a THING in my life now and they make me wish that cherry season was all year long. Holy cow. The flavor! The texture! The syrupy goodness they create! Gosh, it’s all so lovely. I envision them topping just about everything in my life, including a savory recipe that will be coming your way soon! Give me all the cherries, people.

I douse these cherries in amaretto liqueur and a drizzle of honey before they roast. YUM. The result is pure magic. The next batch I make is definitely going on top of some ice cream. Yup. That is happening.

To ensure maximum swooning, in addition to the roasted cherries, I made a homemade amaretteo whipped cream and toasted some slivered almonds. Cherries and almonds go together SO WELL, and the amaretto cream is what makes this breakfast so decadent.

I am not a whipped cream fan. I know that is a very unpopular opinion, but I have never been into it, even as a kid. As an adult, it’s growing on me. Slowly. I enjoy it in my coffee as a special treat, and while I would never EVER put it on ice cream, topping certain sweet items with homemade whipped cream is something I’m starting to buy into. Especially when it’s spiked with amaretto.

Amaretto is one of those liqueurs I always forget about. I absolutely love it but don’t think to use it enough. Whenever I do, I’m reminded why I love it so. It’s got the best almond flavor, adding a touch of warmth and nutty spice to everything you add it to. I highly recommend you start putting it in your whipped cream.

The trick to serving this breakfast is ensuring that you bake off the Dutch baby JUST as you are ready to serve. It will deflate a bit the longer it sits out of the oven, which doesn’t affect taste at all (it’s still delicious), but for that wow factor: serve it right out of the oven. I get everything else ready before I pop it in the oven.

Serve it warm right out of the skillet and topped with whatever you like. For ours, I did the roasted cherries, the cherry pan juices, the amaretto whipped cream, toasted almonds, and a dusting of powdered sugar. A drizzle of maple syrup never hurt anyone, either. If you’re sharing this with a larger group, I suggest keeping the Dutch baby plain in the pan and setting all the toppings out so people can make their pancake their own. A DIY pancake bar!

If that doesn’t sound like heaven, I don’t know what does.

Roasted Cherry Dutch Baby with Amaretto Whipped Cream

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• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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For the Cherries:

• 1½ cups pitted fresh cherries
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
• Pinch of salt

For the Dutch Baby:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• ½ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
• 1–2 tablespoons powdered sugar (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

For Serving:

• Powdered sugar
• Maple syrup
• Toasted slivered almonds

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Instructions

For the Cherries:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread the cherries out in an even layer on the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, honey, amaretto, and a pinch of salt. Toss well to evenly coat.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until the cherries are soft and bursting and the juices in the pan have somewhat thickened.
4. Remove and set aside. Keep the oven on at the same temperature for the Dutch baby.

For the Dutch Baby:

1. Place the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and place the skillet in the oven while you mix up the batter.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until well combined.
3. Whisk in the flour and salt and mix until the batter is mostly smooth (a few small lumps are fine).
4. Remove the hot skillet from the oven and quickly pour in the batter. Be careful as the melted butter in the skillet may pop and sizzle as you do this.
5. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the Dutch baby is puffed and golden all over.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and continue baking for another 5 minutes.
7. Remove the skillet from the oven.

For the Whipped Cream:

1. While the Dutch baby is baking, beat the cream using a hand or stand mixer until soft peaks form.
2. Add in the amaretto, sugar, and vanilla and beat again to incorporate.

To Serve:

1. Because Dutch baby pancakes tend to deflate as soon as you take them out of the oven, I like to have everything else ready to go by the time it is almost done in the oven.
2. When the pancake is done, quickly top it with the roasted cherries and any pan juices (don’t waste that amazing flavor!).
3. Dust with powdered sugar, drizzle with maple syrup, and garnish with dollops of the whipped cream and toasted almonds. Switch up the toppings as you see fit.
4. Serve immediately.

NOTES:

1. To achieve maximum puffiness for your Dutch baby pancake, ensure your milk and eggs have come to room temperature. Cold ingredients can be used, but your pancake will not be as fluffy (it will still taste great, though).
2. To save time, the cherries can be roasted at the same time as the pancake bakes. I’ve written these parts of the recipe as separate steps to keep things clear and easy.
3. If you do not want to use amaretto liqueur, you can substitute with almond extract. It is very potent, so I’d add ¼ teaspoon at a time to the components, taste, and then adjust as needed.

Dutch baby recipe adapted from here.