Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancake Puffs)

Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancake Puffs)! These cute mini pancake puffs, known as Poffertjes, are made with a yeasted batter of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. You can enjoy them as a snack, a dessert, or even as a special weekend breakfast.

Bring a touch of the Netherlands
to your kitchen!

A very good recipe to make when you are bored of the regular breakfast. Here is an easy-to-follow recipe with step-by-step pictures, helpful info plus tips that will help you make ‘Vibibi’ easy way at home. I hope you try this recipe and it becomes one of your favorites, just as it is one of mine.

What are Poffertjes?

Country: The Netherlands (Holland) Cuisine: Dutch

Some say the name ‘Poffertjes’ is derived from the Dutch word “pof”, which means “puff”

Poffertjes (poh-fur-tjes), a traditional Dutch treat, are little puffy pancakes and an integral part of national holidays (Christmas and New Year) in the Netherlands.

They are also very popular street food and you will find them at Christmas markets, fairs, or festivals where you can buy them at a ‘Poffertjeskraam’ (Poffertjes stall) and traditionally served generously dusted with icing sugar and butter for breakfast, or as a snack.

Poffertjes resembles Aebleskiver (Danish Pancakes), a popular street food in Denmark.

How Do You Make Poffertjes?

Poffertjes are traditionally made with buckwheat flour and yeast as a leavening agent which gives them puffiness. Buckwheat flour is a healthier alternative to wheat flour and it adds an earthy flavor infusion and darker hue to your recipes. However, modern recipes also call for wheat flour, milk, and egg. They’re cooked in a special pan with little circular depressions known as Poffertjes Pan. So, they’re slightly crispy on the outside and soft and puffy on the inside.

You will find several variations

• Only with buckwheat flour
• Only with all-purpose flour
• A combination of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour
• With or without eggs
• With baking powder instead of yeast

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need. (For the full ingredient measurements, check out the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post)

• Buckwheat flour
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Sugar
• Dry yeast
• Eggs
• Milk
• Butter

The Poffertjes Pan

Poffertjes are cooked on a specialized cast iron pan known as a Poffertjes pan with several shallow indentations in the bottom to get the cute little shape. You can also make them in a similar kind of pan with deep indentations such as a Japanese Takoyaki pan or Danish Aebleskiver Pan. If you like to buy one, you can find several on Amazon. 

Making Poffertjes in a Frying Pan

However, if you don’t have a pan with shallow or deep indentations, you can make them in a regular nonstick pan as mini pancakes.

Grease a nonstick pan with oil or butter. Add tablespoonfuls of the batter into the pan to make mini pancakes and then cook them just like you make regular pancakes. Make sure to leave room between each of them as they will flatten and expand slightly.

Serving and Storage Suggestion

Poffertjes are best eaten fresh while they are still warm. You can serve them as a snack, or dessert, even for breakfast or brunch. They are traditionally served topped with melted butter and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

However, you can also serve them with fruit preserves, sweet sauce (chocolate, caramel sauce), maple syrup, honey, jam, whipped cream, or ice cream to match your mood.

They will keep up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container, or up to two months in the freezer.

Useful Tips

• Hot milk will kill yeast, so make sure you use warm milk.
• Make sure you mix the batter till everything is smooth without any lumps.
• You can make the batter the night before and then store it in the fridge.
• If you use a dispenser bottle, it’s so much easier to dispense the batter into the pan or transfer the batter into something that’ll make it easy to pour little bits of batter into the pan.

How to Use Yeast?

There are mainly two types of dried yeast available in the market, instant yeast and active dry yeast. The two yeasts can be used interchangeably in recipes. If you use instant yeast, you can just mix it in with flour without activating it. However, make sure to use fresh yeast. You need to activate your active dry yeast dissolving it in warm water/milk before using.

How to Activate the Yeast?

In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon sugar and 50ml warm water. Sprinkle the dry yeast over the warm milk and then cover it with a towel. Leave until the mixture froths, about 10 minutes. in a warm place.

Tips for Using Yeast

• If your yeast is stored in the refrigerator or freezer, make sure to allow the yeast to come to room temperature before using.
• Use warm water (100°F to 110°F or 37°C to 43°C). Hot water kills the yeast while cold water will not activate the yeast.
• Make sure to decrease the amount of liquid you used to dissolve the yeast and then adjust the total amount of liquid.

More Yeasted-Batter Pancake Recipes

Pancakes are one of the oldest, simplest, ubiquitous, and remarkably versatile foods, so every culture has ‘pancakes’ that they are proud of. “Around the World in Pancakes & Buddies” is one of the fantastic food journeys I am bound on. Would you like to join me?

Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancake Puffs)
Step-by-Step Recipe

Check out the printable recipe at the end of the post

Prep Time 10 mins
Resting Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 mins
Yield 20 to 25

Ingredients

60g buckwheat flour
60g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant or active dry yeast*
1 egg, at room temperature
160ml warm milk, adjust as needed
1 tbsp butter, melted butter
Powdered sugar to serve

Note: *if you use instant yeast, just mix it with dry ingredients, no need to activate it.
If you use active dry yeast, you need to activate the yeast first.

Make the Batter

Gather the ingredients

Whisk the buckwheat flour, plain flour, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add the instant yeast and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, melted butter, and milk.

Make a well in the flour. Pour half of the egg mixture and whisk until you have a paste. Stir in the remaining milk while whisking until you have a smooth batter. Add the yeast mixture if you use active dry yeast and mix gently.

Cover the bowl and allow it to rise for about 1 hour in a warm place.

After resting time, adjust the thickness of the batter by adding warm water, a little at a time, if it is too thick.

Cook the Pancakes

If you have one use the ‘poffertjes pan’. I used my electric Takoyaki griddle.

Heat a pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Then grease it liberally with butter or oil. Use a pastry brush or piece of kitchen paper to ensure all the holes are well-covered. Fill up each hole for about 3/4 using a squeeze bottle, jug, or spoon. Don’t overfill the holes, 3/4 full is plenty to allow for a little rise.

Wait until holes are starting to appear in the top and then cover the pan/griddle with a lid.

After the top of the pancakes are dried, flip each one by one using a fork, skewer, or a small spoon. Cook until they are golden on the other side as well.

Serve and enjoy!

Remove from the pan and arrange them on a plate. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar, add a knob of butter and enjoy! The poffertjes are best eaten while still warm.

Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancake Puffs)
Printable Recipe

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More Sweet Pancakes Around the World

Pancakes are one of the oldest, simplest, ubiquitous, and remarkably versatile foods, so every culture has ‘pancakes’ that they are proud of. “Around the World in Pancakes & Buddies” is one of the fantastic food journeys I am bound on. Would you like to join me?