Classic Dutch Poffertjes Recipe for Brunch or Dessert

By
Karin Engelbrecht
Karin Engelbrecht
Magazine editor, restaurant reviewer, and food writer who focuses on Dutch cuisine.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/20/21
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Resting Time: 60 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 4 servings

These petite puffy pancakes, made with a mixture of buckwheat and regular flours plus yeast for a fluffier texture, are a classic Dutch treat.

They are often sold from street stalls in Amsterdam and are baked in a special poffertjes pan, which has about a dozen or so tiny indentations. They are a terrific choice for Sunday brunch, a lazy lunch, or a comforting dessert. What to drink with these mini pancakes? Coffee, of course -- no contest -- whether you take it strong and black or loaded up with sugar and cream. The Netherlands tops the list of coffee consumption per day, with the U.S. trailing way behind at No. 16, according to a Quartz.com survey of coffee drinking around the world.

Dutch Poffertjes Recipe

The Spruce 

This easy recipe is just about foolproof and offers two choices for tasty toppings: the traditional option of melted butter with sieved powdered sugar or the glammed-up version of strawberries and whipped cream.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast

  • 1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon warm milk

  • 1 cup buckwheat flour

  • 1 cup white all-purpose flour

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, more for serving

  • Confectioners' sugar, strawberries, and whipped cream, optional, for serving

Steps to Make It

Make the Batter

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe ingredients
     The Spruce

  2. Dissolve the yeast in 1 tablespoon of the warm milk in a small bowl.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe
     The Spruce

  3. In a separate bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, white flour, eggs, sugar, salt, half the warm milk, and the yeast and milk mixture. Whisk the ingredients until the mixture is smooth.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe
     The Spruce

  4. Add the remaining warm milk and beat again.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe
     The Spruce

  5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour.

Make the Poffertjes

  1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a frying or poffertjes pan.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe
     The Spruce

  2. When the butter starts to sizzle, add teaspoonfuls of the batter in circular movements to create the mini pancakes.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe
     The Spruce

  3. Turn the poffertjes around as soon as the bottom has set, using two forks.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe
     The Spruce

  4. Serve the pancakes with butter and sieved powdered sugar.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe
     The Spruce

  5. For a sweeter treat, serve these mini pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream, and a dusting of powdered sugar.

    Dutch Poffertjes Recipe
     The Spruce

Tip

If you happen to have a poffertjes pan (usually a cast iron pan with a dozen or so indentations) this is the best pan to use for this recipe. But if you do not have one, a regular skillet works fine. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
316 Calories
7g Fat
51g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 316
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 362mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 18%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 132mg 10%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 372mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)