My daughter asked me the other day, if she could make “Poffertjes” all by herself. These tiny pancakes a real Dutch traditional treat and I bet, if I ask my kids what the best Dutch treat is, they’ll probably say: “POFFERTJES!”

What are “Poffertjes”?

In January 2018 I went on a trip to Amsterdam with some of my American colleagues. One of the things they’re still talking about are the cute little warm “Poffertjes” they had on a cold day at the “Noorder Markt“.

Just the art of flipping these tiny pancakes is a Must-Watch!

In the USA, pancakes are considered a breakfast staple, but not so much in the Netherlands. Our normal pancakes are more like the French crepes and you can put on them whatever you like. In a typical Dutch pancake restaurant, they can have more than 300 different kinds of pancakes. The toppings are endless. (I will post recipes for Dutch pancakes soon).

“Poffertjes” are more like an afternoon treat, like a piece of banana cake or fruit pie. The Dutch like these, often sweet little pancakes with their coffee in the afternoon (“Koffietijd”).

How do we get “Poffertjes” in the USA?

My parents bring a load of Dutch goodies when they come for their yearly visit. And one of the Dutch treats are several packs of “Poffertjes-mix”.

And of course, that’s not enough to get our Dutch fix!

My parents also send a box in November, right before our Dutch tradition “Sinterklaas”, which is held on December 5th. You can read about it here. In that box we’ll likely find more “Poffertjes-mix” packs as well.

Once in a while, we buy it at a bakery in a little Dutch town in Iowa, called Pella. But it is not something we can do every week. By the way, these packs were at some point about $6 each. 

So, after J used the last “Poffertjes-Mix”, I decided to do some research on how to make “Poffertjes” from scratch. 

I found a recipe, which sounded really nice and I gave it a try. It’s always a problem to get the right ingredients in the USA. The consistency turned out really well, but the taste was kind of bland. So I added some vanilla extract and cinnamon or “koekkruiden” after the first batch and before I knew it, there was no time for the “Poffertjes” to cool down.

Tools to use making “Poffertjes”.

I hope you’ll get the chance to make them sometime. Especially if you have kids. They’re just the right size for little hands. Traditionally, “poffertjes” are served with powdered sugar and butter. Our kids got creative and dipped them in nut butter, Nutella, jelly or jam, or ate them with pieces of fruit like banana, strawberries or blueberries.

Of course you need a “poffertjes-pan”, like this one:

To pour the batter evenly in the pan, I used a clear condiment bottle from Walmart. And for turning them over, use a skewer or wooden chopstick. See what works best for you. Best not to use a fork, because it could damage the pan.

Here is the recipe:

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Poffertjes, tiny Dutch pancakes

Traditionally these “Poffertjes” are a sweet treat, served warm with butter and powdered sugar. But these days you can make them savory as well. Pour a little batter in the pan, sprinkle cheese and top it with more batter. Use less or no sugar in the recipe and omit the cinnamon and vanilla powder.

Course Snack

Cuisine Dutch

Keyword Dutch treat, kids snacks

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Resting time 1 hour

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 220 kcal

Author Danielle

Ingredients

• 1 package dry yeast 7 gram
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk 350 ml, luke warm about 105-115 F
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour 250 gram
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon or “speculaaskruiden”
• 2 tsp vanilla powder or vanilla extract
• olive oil, coconut oil or melted butter

Instructions

1. In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast and add the milk. Stir and put the bowl aside for 10 minutes.

2. In a big bowl mix the flour, salt and sugar together. Add the yeast-milk mix and egg. Mix well, cover with plastic or a towel and set aside for 1 hour. Mix the vanilla and cinnamon in.

3. Heat the “poffertjes pan” on medium heat. Brush each of the cavities with oil or melted butter. Pour the batter in a squeeze bottle. This is an easy way to pour the batter into the cavities. 

4. Squeeze some batter in the cavities and turn the “poffertjes” over with a tooth pick or chopstick when the top has dried a little.

   

5. Bake them for a few seconds more.

   

6. Serve warm with butter and powdered sugar or any other topping!

   

Danielle

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my Crafty Dutch Girl blog! Grab a cup of “koffie” and browse through fun blog posts about our Dutch family expat life in the USA, Dutch history, Dutch recipes, Dutch things to do in the USA and all kinds of crafts and activities. Don’t forget to connect with me for new ideas! “Groetjes en tot ziens”.