SO MANY RECIPES. I know.
This recipe sits on the delicious boundary between breakfast and dessert — or maybe it’s both. Is it brunch dessert? Breakfast’s dessert? Whatever you call it, it’s indulgent and totally worth it.
When I was a kid, donuts were a classic breakfast treat — not daily, but they were part of the morning ritual: donuts and coffee, always. Sprinkles were non-negotiable.
Then donuts started showing up with cookies and cream, peanut butter fudge, marshmallow fluff and fruity cereal on top. Somewhere along the way they crossed over from simple breakfast to full-on dessert. I feel the same tug-of-war with this dutch baby: sweet enough for dessert, but comforting enough for the morning.
This is the first dutch baby I’ve made — I know, what took me so long? — and the batter is based on my friend Sarah’s beautiful cookbook. Her original vanilla dutch baby is classically elegant (vanilla with cherry bourbon compote), but I couldn’t help making a slightly trashier, more comforting version: I added cinnamon to the batter for a cinnamon-roll vibe, swapped cherries for an autumnal apple bourbon compote, and finished everything with a thick cream cheese icing.
The result is basically one giant, fluffy pancake — puffed, golden and pillowy — topped with warmly spiced apples and a rich cream cheese drizzle. It’s exactly what you want for a special weekend breakfast, a cozy brunch, or an anytime dessert that still feels breakfast-y.
Sarah’s book is full of gorgeous, inventive sweets, and if you love baking for fun and flavor, it’s a wonderful source of inspiration. Her recipes are beautiful and playful — like that one-bowl brown butter buttermilk layer cake that makes you want to level up your baking game immediately.
For this version I kept the vanilla bean base and added a touch of cinnamon. The apple bourbon compote is cooked down until the apples are tender and the liquid turns golden and syrupy. Once the dutch baby is out of the oven, dust it with powdered sugar, pour over the cream cheese icing, and spoon the warm compote on top.
Cream. Cheese. Icing. Yes, please.
Your breakfast absolutely deserves dessert.
Vanilla Cinnamon Roll Dutch Baby with Apple Bourbon Compote and Cream Cheese Icing
Yield:
2 to 4
45
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
- powdered sugar for sprinkling
apple bourbon compote
- 4 honeycrisp apples, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1/3 cup apple cider
cream cheese icing
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the butter in an 8- or 9-inch cast iron skillet or another oven-safe dish and put it in the oven just until the butter melts.
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Whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla paste together. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until smooth with no lumps. Remove the skillet from the oven, pour the batter in, and return it to the oven. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of cream cheese icing and serve immediately with the warm apple compote.
apple bourbon compote
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Combine all compote ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring to combine. Reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, the liquid becomes syrupy and the apples soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. The compote will darken to a golden color and thicken as it cools.
cream cheese icing
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Whisk the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk, whisking until a pourable glaze forms. If too thick, add milk 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar 1/3 cup at a time. Drizzle over the warm dutch baby.
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happy dance done.