I’d like to introduce to you our traditional family Christmas morning breakfast! Pannukakku (a Finnish oven pancake) is an oven-baked pancake that falls somewhere between the texture of a soufflé and traditional American pancakes. It’s so incredibly easy to make—you don’t even need a bowl or whisk—and it comes together in just minutes. We love ours served with fresh berries, maple syrup, and a dusting of powdered sugar, but the topping possibilities are almost endless. Let’s get baking!
What is pannukakku?
Pannukakku is a Finnish oven pancake. It is a thick oven-baked pancake that has crispy edges and a creamy, custardy middle. Pannukakku is like a custardy popover—except instead of making it in a muffin tin, you make it in a large baking dish and slice the pancake to serve. Our recipe for pannukakku is a family recipe passed down for generations through my husband’s Finnish-Canadian family.
Wholefully Protip
We have two recipes for Finnish pancakes here on Wholefully. This one—pannukakku is an oven-baked thick pancake, the other is lettu (AKA: pannenkoeken or Dutch pancakes)—which are thinner, skillet-cooked pancakes similar to a crèpe.
Is a Dutch baby the same as a pannukakku?
Sure is. There are lots of names for this kind of oven-baked pancake—Dutch baby, German pancake, Dutch puff, and what we call it in our house—pannukakku, or Finnish oven pancake.
Why should I make this Finnish oven pancake?
This is absolutely the easiest way to get breakfast on the table in a flash (which is one of the reasons why we make this every Christmas). The batter comes together in just a few seconds in your blender. Then you pour it directly into a hot baking dish and bake away. After half an hour, you’ll have a giant tower of a pancake ready to slice, top, and serve!
What ingredients will I need?
You’ll need the same ingredients you use for most pancake batters: unsalted butter, eggs, flour, whole milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
How do I make pannukakku?
You just need one oven-safe dish and a blender to make a delicious Finnish oven pancake! Here’s what you’ll do:
- Set the rack on your oven in the middle so your pannukakku has plenty of space to rise. Stick a 10″ cast iron skillet or a 9″x9″ baking dish in the oven while you preheat the oven to 400°F. Then add butter to the heated pan, and put it back in the oven to melt.
- Combine all the pannukakku ingredients in the basin of your blender or in a large bowl.
- Using an immersion blender or traditional blender, blend everything until very smooth.
- Carefully take the hot skillet or baking dish out of the oven and pour the batter in.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings!
By the end of the bake time, the outside of the pancake should be very puffy and golden brown, while the center still looks like custard. We use the knife test to determine doneness—a clean knife stuck into the middle of the pancake should come out cleanly.
How do you eat pannukakku?
Pannukakku is really best eaten straight out of the oven. It will be gloriously puffy when you first take it out, but as soon as it comes out, it will start to deflate—no worries, that’s what it’s supposed to do! Cut the pancake into wedges or rectangles and serve warm with your favorite pancake toppings.
Filling/topping ideas
If you enjoy a topping on a traditional American pancake, chances are you’ll also like it on pannukakku! Here are some of our favorite flavor combinations:
- Sliced strawberries and whipped cream
- Blueberries, lemon zest, and a dusting of powdered sugar
- Apple pie filling (especially if you warm it up a bit first)
- Butter and maple syrup
- Chocolate hazelnut spread and fruit (especially bananas and strawberries)
Pannukakku (Finnish Oven Pancake)
Pannukakku, also called a Finnish Oven Pancake, is a thick baked pancake with a custardy interior. If you love Dutch Babies, you'll love Pannukakku!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (a good gluten-free all-purpose flour works, too)
- 1 pint whole milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Fresh grated nutmeg, for topping
- Maple syrup, berries, apple pie filling, whipped cream, or your favorite pancake toppings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. While the oven is heating, place a 10" cast iron skillet or 9"x9" baking dish in the oven and allow it to heat.
- When the oven is warm, pull the rack with the skillet out, and add the butter to the pan. Push the rack back in, close the oven, and allow the butter to melt and slightly brown.
- While the butter melts, combine the eggs, flour, milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla in the basin of a blender, and blend on high until very smooth. You can also combine this with a whisk in a mixing bowl, but we have better results using a traditional blender or immersion blender to get it silky smooth.
- Open the oven again, and pull out the rack with the skillet on it. Pour the batter into the melted butter in the skillet and sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Push the rack back into the oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top of the pancake is golden brown and bubbly, and the middle looks custardy and buttery. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Remove from oven—it will begin to deflate as soon as you do—and cut and serve immediately topped with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- For a thinner pancake, use a 9"x13" baking dish or 12" cast iron skillet, and decrease the cooking time to 30-40 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 212mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 8g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
