Eating a Dutch baby on Christmas morning is a cherished tradition in my family. As kids, we would wake up and race downstairs to open our stockings before sitting down at the breakfast table, still bleary eyed but excited for the unwrapping to come. The moment my mom set the perfectly puffed Dutch baby, cradled in its hot pan, in the center of the table, we helped ourselves to wedges sprinkled with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Years later, on the first Christmas that Alex and I spent together, he made me a Dutch baby for breakfast—without knowing how special the dish was to me. So this year for the holidays, I wanted to share my version of our family's traditional Christmas dish with you. I borrowed from the flavors of a key lime pie to create this recipe. The lime curd nods to the traditional lemon-juice topping, while the addition of cinnamon and ground-up graham crackers to the batter brings a warmth and nuttiness that's especially welcome on a cold, cozy morning.

I hope you enjoy this close-to-my-heart recipe—and I've included a few tips and tricks at the end of the post to help you ensure you get a super-puffy Dutch baby every time.

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INGREDIENTS

For the curd: 
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
2 eggs 
1/2 cup butter, cubed

For the Dutch baby: 
1/2 cup pulverized graham crackers (about 4 crackers) 
1/2 cup milk 
3 eggs
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp honey 
3 Tbsp butter 

DIRECTIONS

To make the curd, whisk together lime juice, sugar, eggs and salt in a saucepan until well combined.

Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time until combined. Serve warm with the Dutch baby and chill any leftovers to use later—it'll last about a week in the fridge. 

To make the Dutch baby, preheat the oven to 425° degrees. 

In a food processor or high-powered blender, blitz the graham crackers until they're the consistency of sand. Add the milk, eggs, salt, cinnamon and honey and blend for 30 seconds or until very well combined. Let the mixture come to room temperature while the oven finishes preheating. 

Add the butter to an 8–10” pan and place in the oven until the butter has melted and is starting to sizzle. 

Carefully remove the pan from the oven, blend the mixture one last time and pour it all into the pan with the melted butter.

Return the pan to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until the Dutch baby is lightly browned and very puffy.

Serve immediately with lime curd and a dusting of powdered sugar. 

The keys to a super-puffy Dutch baby? Mixing the ingredients in a food processor, bringing the batter to room temperature and using an 8–10” pan.