A recipe for Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancakes)! These little puffed pancakes are topped with butter and sprinkling of powdered sugar for quite the delicious treat.
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Poffertjes are little pancake puffs from the Netherlands particularly popular as a street food during holidays and festivals. We came across them for the first time at food stall in the Markthal in Rotterdam. Evan and Claire were especially fond of the mini pancake size which was perfect for little hands.
A basic, slightly sweetened yeast-based batter is simply whisked together until smooth. After resting at room temperature for about an hour until puffed and bubbly, the mixture is poured in small individual cavities of a special Poffertjespan (Poffertjes Pan).
The batter is cooked on each side until golden and served warm from the pan with a few dots of butter and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Poffertjespan
Poffertjes are traditionally made in a Poffertjespan (Poffertjes Pan). For those in the Los Angeles area, I have been able to locate them at Holland International Market in Bellflower.
If you do not have one available, you can substitute with an Aebleskiver or Takoyaki pan by only filling the very bottom part of the pan.
I used a wooden skewer I had on hand for Aebleskiver to flip the Poffertjes over, but a cooking chopstick or even a knitting needle will also work.
A Few Poffertjes Tips
The fluffy, spongy texture comes from the yeast and 1 hour rising time. The milk should be lukewarm, just slightly warm to touch to activate the yeast (105-115˚F, 40-46˚C). In colder kitchens, the batter may need closer to two hours.
Traditionally, the pancakes are made with a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour. While researching recipes, I came across a mixture of some using all-purpose or pastry flour while others used buckwheat or a mixture of the two.
I used purely all-purpose since the buckwheat flour available in the United States tends to be darker and stronger than the European version. If you have a lighter quality available, feel free to replace half of the all-purpose flour with it.
To easily fill the pan with batter, I used a piping bag. A ziploc bag with the corner snipped off, squeeze bottle, or even a small cookie scoop with a 1 tablespoon (15 milliliter capacity) would be great too.
Flip the Poffertjes over once the top forms bubbles and just as the edges are starting to set. There should still be plenty of moisture in the center when flipping. This helps form the little puffed shape.
Adjust the heat as needed between medium and medium low. You want the edges to turn golden, but still give the center a chance to cook.

These mini pancakes are best served right away with butter and powdered sugar. They would also be delicious paired with a variety of sweet or savory toppings.
A favorite option in particular with the kids is a combination of fresh strawberries and a drizzle of Nutella (I slightly warm the Nutella first to make it easier to drizzle).
Looking for more Dutch recipes?
Try my:

Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancakes) Recipe
Adapted from Oh My Dish
Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancakes)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups (355 milliliters) lukewarm whole milk 105-115˚F (40-46˚C)
- 1 3/4 cups (220 grams) all-purpose flour or half all-purpose flour/half buckwheat flour
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- Butter melted, for greasing the pan
For serving:
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the milk, then stir to combine. Allow to sit until the yeast is frothy, 5-10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix in the frothy yeast with milk and egg to form a smooth batter. Cover with plastic or a towel and allow to rest at room temperature until bubbly and puffed, about 1 hour.
- Place the poffertjes pan over medium low heat and brush each of the cavities with melted butter.
- Transfer the risen batter to a piping bag or large ziplock bag with a small edge of the corner snipped off. Pipe a small amount of batter, about 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters), into each of the greased cavities of the heated pan.
- Cook until the bottom is golden and bubbles form on the top with the edges just set. Flip to cook the other side until golden. Adjust heat between medium and low as needed. Remove to serving dish and repeat with remaining batter, greasing the cavities as needed.
- Serve immediately with butter and powdered sugar.
Susan
Does this ever bring back ancient memories! In the late ’60s I had a Danish roommate who had one of these pans and call the pancakes abelskiver. She turned them with a knitting needle (cooking chopstick was also a possibility). I don’t remember if her dough was yeast-based. Wish I had room in my kitchen for one of these pans…
Tara
I love that she used a knitting needle!
Trish @ Rhubarbarians
Oh my gosh, these look SO GOOD! I could eat like, this whole batch. Ha!
Lisa | Garlic + Zest
Pretty sure I could eat a whole pile of those little pancakes! They look delicious!
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon
These are so adorable! I’d like a dozen. 🙂 I think I could probably make these in a muffin pan (I have a few of those in the house) and my mid-sized cookie scoop for the batter.
Jolina - The Unlikely Baker
I so want to make these! I need to get myself one of them poffertjes pans. The pancakes just look so light and delicate and dangerous – I can eat lots of them I think 🙂
Just Jo
*Squeal* – are these not the cutest pancakes ever?! I’ve heard of these and ableskiver but I haven’t tried either just get. I need to get me a pan and try your lovely looking recipe 😀
Tara
I cheated a bit by using the Aebleskiver pan instead of the traditional Poffertjes pan, but I only have so much room in my kitchen 🙂
sue | theviewfromgreatisland
I’ve seen these pans in thrift stores and didn’t know what in the world they were used for, and now I know! I’ll pick one up next time, these little mini pancakes look incredible 🙂
lk529
Yum! Nice pan. 🙂
Rita
Hi,
Can I use instant yeast instead? I cannot seem to find the one you have used. If yes, would it be the same measurement?
I tried making poffertjes earlier but failed as my batter had no bubbles and they weren’t cooking and came out rubberu. I am going to try your recipe later. Hope it works
Also, can I ask you, do poffertjes taste very different from the normal fluffy and spongey american type of pancake?
thank you 🙂
Tara
Hi Rita! Yep, you can use instant yeast. You will only need about 2 teaspoons and no need to add it to the milk. Just mix it straight into the flour. The taste is close to the American pancakes, but I found them to be a bit lighter.
Rita
Hi.
Thanks for your reply. I followed your recipe and it tasted great. but after a few hours I had a problem with the batter. It smells very bad, smells sour (if that makes sense).. I left the batter in the kitchen for several hours and returned to find it smelling bad. I will be using this recipe at a charity event but I am worried that the bad smell will remain all day long, I will be there for 7 ays. I forgot to mention that even the pancakes had the same smell. Do you have any clue what this has happened? does it mean the batter is no longer safe to use?
Thank you so much
Tara
Hi Rita. If they smell bad then I would toss them. Do you mean you left the batter sitting out at room temperature for several hours? Pancake batters in general should be covered and refrigerated if left for more than a couple of hours and these Poffertjes are best with fresh batter that has only been left for about an hour or two and are best while still warm from the pan. Sorry 🙁
Rita
Hi Tara.
Thanks for your response. Can I use baking powder instead of yeast? if yes, what would be the perfect amount? and is it really necessary to warm the milk and keep the batter out for an hour?. I am raising funds for children in need next week and still don’t have a decent recipe, my pancakes either turn out rubbery or chewy. Your recipe is perfect but the use of yeast is quite problematic :(. It is frustrating, I would be grateful If you could enlighten me.
Thank you.
Tara
Unfortunately for your needs it looks like this recipe wouldn’t work for you. These pancake recipes don’t use yeast and can be made immediately: http://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/secret-recipe-club-scotch-pancakes/ and http://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/kanelplattar-swedish-mini-cinnamon-pancakes/
amit
can i make them in a regular pan?
Tara
Hi Amit! Unfortunately these cannot be made in a regular pan since they won’t get the rounded shape. You can try making these Kanelplättar (Swedish Mini Cinnamon Pancakes) in a regular pan: http://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/kanelplattar-swedish-mini-cinnamon-pancakes/
Seena Chriti
hello, if I want to make this for a big event that will last more than 8 or 10 hours and I will be serving them for large amounts of people how much time in advance can I make the dough?
do I make them and take them in cooler inside the bottles?
or should I mix them as I go and let them rise and use?.
what are your thoughts.
thank you
Tara
Hi Seena! The Poffertjes are best served warm from the pan, but the batter can be made a day in advance and refrigerated until needed.
J.So
If the batter is made a day in advance and left refrigerated does that change the consistency/texture of the poffertjes?
Tara
Hi! I haven’t personally tried it so can’t say for sure, but up to a day in advance refrigerated shouldn’t change the consistency much. I wouldn’t let it go any longer than that though.
Areke Duthie
try a squeeze of lemon juice and caster sugar yummo
Tara
Sounds delicious!
Corine
Hi Tara,
I loved seeing these (and you’re piece about Rotterdam) on this site.
I used to live in Rotterdam and work right beside the Markthal, so I spend many lunches there.
Now I live in a town right outside of Rotterdam. (Yes, I am Dutch).
As the Dutch do not have a real cuisine of it’s own, I saw you really try to find Dutch dishes. It is fun to see.
Now I am going to explore the rest of your site. I think it is going to be fun.
Kind regards,
Corine.
Tara
Dank u wel Corine!
THERESA
These were out of this world, why have I never tried these before.
Olga
It looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Karely
Can I make then in the oven? If so, what temperature and how long?
Tara
Hi Karely! Unfortunately, the Poffertjes require the special pan on the stove to make their shape. Previously cooked Poffertjes can be reheated in the oven though.
Donald Jones
Hey thanks for the recipe, I have tried making this numerous times using a poffertjes pan also.
I cant seem to get it right, the outsides are cooking however the insides are still gooey.
I have tried different temperatures at different times and nothing seems to be working.
Do you have any advice?
Thanks
Tara
Hi Donald! If the insides are still not cooked, then either the pan is overfilled or the temperature is too high. Adjust the heat lower to give the inside a chance to heat through before the outside browns.
Kyla Chandler
Will 2% milk work or does it have to be full fat?
Tara
Hi Kyla! Full fat is best, but I have used 2% without any issues.
Nela Collazos
Thank you for the recipe! Just got my pan and I’m extremely excited to try these out! I can’t find instant yeast anywhere. I was only able to find regular large flake nutritional yeast. Can I use this ?
Tara
Hi Nela! Unfortunately, nutritional yeast is a deactivated form of yeast so it won’t make the batter rise. Do you have baking powder (I know this has been difficult for me to locate recently as well)? It can be used in a pinch- about 2 teaspoons baking powder and cook the batter right away without the rise. It just won’t be as light and airy as with activated yeast.
Jack Thomas
Do you add the milk separately or do you mean just dont use the milk
Tara
Hi Jack! I use the milk to activate the yeast first, then pour it with the frothy yeast into the flour mixture.
Silvy
Hi ! I made these for the first time and used buckwheat as suggested and because I didnt have a suitable pan to cook them on the stove top, but I did have a mini patty pan which is similar, I went for oven- baked version of these and it worked ! Perhaps because of buckwheat the taste was a little unusual , but the texture was amazing! Crispy on the outside, fluffy and moist on the inside – really something different. I will try to get hold of the proper pan for future use .
Many thanks for the recipe.
X
Tara
So happy to hear Silvy!
Nabila Ashraf
Hi tara,
Can I make them also in a cakepop machine?
Tara
Hi! I don’t personally have a cake pop machine so have never tried it.
Tara Bates
Thank you for this ❤️ My grandmother was Dutch and I’m so glad to be able to make them now!
Tara
Hi Tara! So happy to hear! We love Dutch cuisine so much.
Chelsea R
So good! I didn’t have the special pan, so I used my electric takoyaki pan (typically used for making Japanese octopus dough balls), and it worked very well with the recipe (exactly 3 batches of 18).
My family has wanted to try these ever since we saw them on an episode of Bluey (and it took us forever to figure out what that Dutch dog was saying before I could even search for a recipe:). Thank you so much!
Tara
So glad to hear Chelsea! Thank you for sharing!
Andrea
They look and sound like little puffs of heaven. Can’t wait to give them a try.
Mahy
Well, I could eat a big batch of these… Fantastic pancake recipe and so easy to follow!
Jessica Stroup
So fluffy and tender! These are amazing!
Hailey
How cute are these?!? I can’t wait to try out this recipe.
Carrie Robinson
What a fun breakfast idea! My daughter would love these. 🙂
Chrissie
Hi Tara, I see one of your ladies cooked these in her mini patty pan in the oven. Have you any idea how hot to have the oven and how long to cook them for? So looking forward to making these with my granddaughter.