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Hootenanny is the perfect breakfast for busy moms with hungry kids! No bread needed, but this breakfast recipe has a total French toast vibe the kids love. Plus, it’s fun to watch it bake up into crazy shapes!
I asked my daughter if she’d like to help me make some Hootenanny for breakfast the other morning.
I got the usual look…
That basically means something along the lines of “Mom. You’re crazy.”
Or, maybe “How did I end up stuck with the wackadoo for a mother?”
It could also mean “Yep. She’s finally lost her mind.”
Whatever. Children can be so judgemental.
Hootenanny is just another term for a German Pancake (or Dutch Baby)!
Hootenanny is definitely the more fun name for this crazy shaped breakfast dish, but most people know these as either German pancakes or dutch babies.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of devouring a slice of this for breakfast, it tastes like a cross between pancakes and french toast. We like it because it’s so much easier than either of those (stir together and bake!).
Plus, the kids absolutely LOVE it, thanks to the crazy shapes it puffs up into while baking.
Bonus: This recipe uses pantry staples like flour, eggs, milk, and butter!
This comes in super handy when you’re craving french toast, but don’t have bread on hand!
It calls for basic ingredients that you’re sure to have around and the kids will love watching it poof up in crazy shapes.
Tip: The hootenanny will NOT bake up the same if you don’t melt the butter/heat the pan in the oven. Something about the batter hitting an already hot dish helps it to puff up nicely. It will settle a bit as it cools – this is normal.
This is the perfect kind of morning treat. Nobody has time to be flipping pancakes or soaking bread in eggs or dealing with a waffle maker at 7am. (Although my best waffles and homemade biscuits are kind of worth the extra effort.)
Top this off with some fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup. You can’t go wrong!
More kid-friendly breakfast recipes:
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Sausage Gravy
- Chocolate Glazed Donuts
- Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
- Old Fashioned Donut
Hootenanny
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the stick of butter in a 9x13 baking dish and put it in the oven to melt while you prepare the batter. Keep an eye on the butter and remove the pan from the oven if it starts to brown, but work quickly so that the pan does not cool.
- Beat the eggs, milk, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg until frothy.
- Whisk in the flour until well combined.
- Pour over the melted butter in the baking dish. Do not stir.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is set and the edges are browned.
- Slice into 8 pieces and serve with maple syrup, fresh fruit, or powdered sugar.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published in November 2011. It’s been updated with new photos in April 2020.
adapted from Food.com
Amy says
Thanks so much for this and the other recipes. I rarely cook breakfast, but my son will undoubtedly LOVE this dish! Can’t wait to try!
Amy
Lydia says
Caught my eye b/c it was one of my grandfather’s favorite words. Should be fun make and looks yummy yummy! Thanks!
SteveFromBoston says
These are also called David Eyre’s pancakes….delish……we serve ’em with powdered sugar and fresh lemon squeezed on top……
Tim says
These are a weekly staple in our home. Our children love dressing them up with fruit, fruit syrups, pie filling, maple syrup and powdered sugar, or even just plain. Applesauce is also a favorite topping. They go by several names: Pannekoeken, German pancake, Dutch pancake, Dutch babies, Oven pancake. In reality, they’re not much different from a giant popover.
jamie says
Just made this for Valentine’s Day breakfast…so yummy! French toast is my favorite and this tastes a lot like it, I think this will have to be my new go to recipe for when I need a french toast fix! Simple ingredients that I always have on hand and so easy. I halved the recipe and baked in an 8×8 pan and it turned out perfect, we ate the whole thing…so I’m glad I halved it otherwise we probably would have eaten the whole 9×13 pan (well not the actual pan but you know what I mean)! 🙂 Thanks!
paddy says
Just made this with fresh blueberries on top – Delish!
Ingrid says
My one twin, Devon loves these!! We call them Dutch Babies. I sauté bananas and top the Dutch baby with them. Equally yummy is strawberries.
~ingrid
Rachel Bristow says
My family has been making this for years for xmas breakfast and I’m so glad we’re not the only ones! However, we started putting granny smith apples and brown sugar in it a few years back and, well, it just makes it that much better! I highly recommend trying it!!!
Lydia Juerss says
Just thought I’s let you know that we had this for xmas breakfast despite having never heard of it before and I may both my hubby and 2 year old thought it was DELICIOUS and have asked to have it again tomorrow – I may have to “loose” the recipe periodically or be forced into eating it every morning (my waistline definately can’t take that)!
Christina says
I just made this tonight for dinner, and I *may* have eaten almost the entire pan by myself in one sitting. It was just that good.
Vanessa Kowalski says
OMG! I am so glad I clicked through to your site this morning! I followed a cookie recipe here, and loved your writing so much, that I just had to stick around. I found this, it was breakfast time… Call it serendipitous, or whatever, but my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed about a third of what baked up in that pan. YUMMY!!!
Thank you!
CodyMarie says
I made this this morning and was a BIG hit with my husband and daughter! My daughter gave me a crazy look too when I asked her if she wanted to help me make it 🙂
I do have a question, even with the amount of butter in it, it still stuck to the bottom of the pan. If I sprayed it first with non-stick cooking spray would that ruin it?
Thanks again love your recipes
Mary Anne P. says
This is on my Christmas Brunch menu. I fill the pancake with homemade apple sauce and toasted walnuts. Then top with vanilla yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon. So good!
Mama Bub says
Oh! We have to try these. They look easy enough and I like that it’s just ONE thing to make, rather than making many pancakes.
Sarah A. says
I made this with my four rambunctious children this morning, and we loved it! It’s fun! The silly name, the way it poofs up in weird ways as it bakes, and the inevitable powdered sugar and syrup mess that follows. Thank you for sharing!!