An easy poffertjes recipe to make delicious little Dutch pancakes, using buckwheat flour and yeast. These would make a lovely Mother’s Day or Valentine's day breakfast tray idea and can be served at morning tea with jam and cream. Poffertjes are normally sold in the Netherlands as a snack rather than as a breakfast food but, you could serve them for breakfast, brunch or dessert.
Hints and Tips
How to Make Poffertjes Mix
The mix for this poffertjes recipe is simple to make with flour, yeast, warm milk and eggs, just put everything together in a large jug and mix until it is lump free. Then allow it to stand for about one hour, to allow the mixture to double in size.
It doesn't really matter if you don’t warm the milk before adding it to the mixture, the batter will still double in size, but it will take a little longer. However, don’t add milk that is too hot, you could kill the yeast and will have to start again. If you have never used yeast before you might like to read my article on how to use instant yeast.
How to Make Poffertjes
When making a poffertjes recipe you will need to use a special pan, that is dimpled with shallow holes about 4 cm in diameter. By tradition a poffertjes maker is a cast iron pan. However, electric poffertjes makers are available as well.
Poffertjes Cast Iron Pan
The cast iron pans are heated over an open flame, and liberally buttered before the poffertjes mix is poured into each dimple and cooked. The heat will need to be constantly controlled to avoid burning.
Electric Poffertjes Maker
With the electric makers, since they are coated with a non-stick surface you can get away with just a light brush of butter over the surface (making the poffertjes are a little healthier to eat).
The heat is distributed by an element under the plate. Depending on the quality of the maker you may or may not get an even heat distribution. My little Dutch pancake maker has three dimples at the top never get as hot as the rest, and the pancakes from these need a little longer to brown.
How to Make Poffertjes Without a Pan
Use a frying pan
If you don’t have a poffertjes pan or don’t see the need to buy one, you could cook these, by dropping spoonfuls of batter into a well buttered and hot frying pan. Make them roughly 4 cm in diameter.
Little Dutch pancakes made this way, won’t have the same look as one’s cooked in the traditional method, but would still give you the same taste.
Use a similar pan
You could always use a similar type pan, like the Japanese takoyaki pan, Danish aebeleskiver pan, Australian gem irons or another similar dimpled pan.
The dimple size of these pans will vary both in width and depth. Some of these are not made in cast iron and are not designed for stove top cooking but rather baking, so take this into consideration if you choose to use one of these.
Use a Cake Pop Maker
An electric cake pop maker can be used. The dimples are similar in diameter, but are slightly deeper than the little Dutch pancake maker. So, you would only fill them halfway with batter, and don't close the lid when cooking.
How To Eat Poffertjes?
These fluffy mini pancakes are traditionally served hot with a generous dusting of icing sugar (powdered sugar) and butter. But there is nothing stopping you from adding your favorite pancake topping to these. My favorite way is to eat them at room temperature with jam and cream.
Can You Freeze Poffertjes?
Yes, these can be frozen. Allow them to cool completely before placing them in the freezer. To freeze, place them in a single layer, onto a tray lined with baking paper, then place the tray in the freezer for several hours.
After the poffertjes have frozen on the tray, transfer them to a freezer bag or container. These can be kept in the freezer for about 3 months. Don't forget to add a label and date to the freezer bag.
How to Reheat Poffertjes?
You can use the microwave to reheat the poffertjes. Place them in a single layer either frozen or defrosted on to microwave safe plate. Microwave them on high, in short bursts until they become hot.
More Sweet Recipes
- Blueberry banana muffin recipe
- Buttermilk scones
- Fluffy apricot cake
- Brownies with pecan nuts
- Browse all sweet bite ideas.
If you are looking for some other breakfast recipe ideas and love bananas, see our collection of Healthy Banana Breakfast Recipes.
I do hope you try this poffertjes recipe. If you do make it! Please come back and leave a comment below because I would love to know how it went.
Recipe
Poffertjes Recipe (Little Dutch Pancakes)
INGREDIENTS
- 150 grams (5.3 ounces) plain flour
- 100 grams (3.5 ounces) buckwheat flour <-- see note 1
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons dry instant yeast
- 400 ml (1 ¾ cups )milk lukewarm <-- see note 2
- 2 large eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the flours, sugar, salt and yeast into a large 2 litre jug, and mix the dry ingredients together.
- Pour in the warm milk and the eggs. Use a whisk or large wooden spoon and mix the batter until it is lump free.
- Cover the jug with a clean tea towel (or plastic food wrap), place in a warm area and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.
- Give the batter a quick mix, then pour some of the batter into a plastic squirt bottle. <-- see note 3
- Heat up a poffertjes maker and brush butter in the holes. Use the squirt bottle to fill each hole to the top with batter. Cook them until the bottoms start turning brown and the batter on the top has firmed up. Use a skewer to flip the poffertjes over and allow to cook for a minute or two. Remove from the poffertjes maker and transfer to a plate. Repeat the process for the remaining batter.
- Serve hot sprinkled with icing sugar and butter, or with jam and cream.
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