Aebleskiver are spherical pancakes from Denmark. Fun to make and extremely fun to eat, aebleskiver are popular in Denmark, especially around the Christmas Holidays when they're sprinkled with powdered sugar and served for breakfast or dessert. Aebleskiver are a wonderful holiday treat and the aebleskiver pan makes a great holiday gift!
Do you remember the first time you were struck with the magic of cooking. For me it was the first time I scrambled eggs. I remember being totally mesmerized as I watched the goopy yellow liquid almost instantly transform into scrambled eggs as it hit the hot pan. I wanted to make scrambled eggs for everyone - all the time. That's how I feel about aebleskiver. It's like magic the way they form into perfect spheres.
Aebleskiver resemble regular pancakes in color and texture, but they're balls. And you think "how? How is this possible?"
The answer is, it takes a special pan, knitting needles or bamboo skewers and a little finesse.
How To Make Aebleskiver: Danish Pancake Balls
To make Aebleskivers you'll need an Aebleskiver pan. It's made from heavy cast iron and has several half-sphere indentations. You'll also need a couple of long pointy knitting needles or bamboo skewers to maneuver the batter in the pan.
- Make the Batter: The Aebleskiver recipe uses flour, buttermilk and eggs plus a bit of sugar, salt, vanilla, and cardamom for flavor, and some leavening agents.
- Start Cooking: Heat up the aebleskiver pan, add butter or oil to each indentation and then pour the batter into the indentations - almost up to the top.
- Add fillings: If you like, you can add fillings at this point, such as chocolate, jam, or fruit. Plop a bit of batter over the fillings to seal them in so they don't slip out when you start turning the batter to form a ball.
- Turn the batter: Once the batter sets in the pan for a minute or so, use your knitting needles or a bamboo skewer to slide each aebleskiver around so they make a one quarter turn. The uncooked batter will slip out and cook on the hot pan.
- Finish: Make two more quarter turns and you have pancake balls!
Make festive Aebleskiver for the holidays!
Aebleskiver are slightly crisp on the outside - soft and fluffy on the inside - so delicious!!
They make a fun breakfast. But if you really want to embrace Danish tradition, serve these around the holidays for dessert and wash them down with mugs of steaming glogg.
The kitchen is such a great place to experiment and create exciting things. Aebleskivers are very exciting things! If you're interested, you can Purchase an Aebleskiver Pan on Amazon
. It makes a great holiday gift!
Once you have an Aebleskiver Pan you may also want to try this delicious recipe for Savory Potato Aebleskivers It's a fantastic appetizer recipe. And if you have anyone with dietary restrictions you'll be happy to know that they're gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free.
Here's the Aebleskiver recipe. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!
PrintAebleskiver Recipe
Festive Danish pancake balls, plain or stuffed with chocolate, apples or jam. Traditional for Christmas breakfast and dessert.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 8-10 1x
- Category: Breakfast or Dessert
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Danish
Ingredients
Equipment: A cast iron aebleskiver pan. A pair of pointed knitting needles or two long bamboo skewers.
- Butter or oil for greasing the pan
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Optional Fillings
- chocolate chips
- chopped apples, sautéed in a little butter to soften
- Jam or preserves
Topping
- Powdered sugar
- Jam
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl mix dry ingredients: flour (2 cups), sugar (2 tablespoons), baking powder (1 teaspoon), baking soda (½ teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and cardamom if using (½ teaspoon). In a separate large bowl whisk buttermilk (2 cups), eggs (2) and vanilla (1 teaspoon). Whisk dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. For fluffiest results, use batter within 10 minutes of mixing.
- Heat up your cast iron Aebleskiver pan over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Place ¼ teaspoon or so of butter or oil into each round. When it bubbles, add enough batter to come up almost to the top of the round. (If using a filling, spoon ¼ to ½ teaspoon of filling into the center of each round and cover with a bit of batter) When the batter starts to bubble up a bit on the sides, turn the aebleskiver ¼ of the way around by gently coaxing it with the tip of your needle. It should slide easily. Cook for 20-30 seconds, adjusting the heat if need be, so they don't burn, and make another quarter turn for each aebleskiver. Repeat the turns two more times, until you have a perfect ball that is cooked on all sides. You can test your aebleskivers for doneness by inserting a toothpick - if it comes out clean, they're done. If not, continue to cook, rotating every few seconds, until done.
- Arrange aeblesivers on a platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm with jam or other toppings on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
Make these ahead and freeze them: Aebleskiver pancakes freeze well. Freeze them in an airtight container and reheat them on a baking tray in a 325ºF oven for 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Keywords: pancake balls, Danish pancake balls, Danish pancakes
Cynthia
I am interested in making these for a large group of people from Denmark that are visiting. Is there any way to make them in advance and then reheat them in the oven?
Lisa
Hi Cynthia, I have made them in advance, kept them in a container in the fridge, and reheated them on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. They're never as good as freshly made, but they're still good. Give them a fresh dusting of powdered sugar after they come out of the oven.
Patrick
I'm of Danish decent and my Grand mother Aunt and mother all had pans for these now I have them and make them often. It's one of the cherished memories I have of my childhood.
★★★★★
Patty
I just discovered aebleskivers on-line two weeks ago. My daughter ordered a pan for me and I've made them twice already. They're absolutely delicious, and so much fun to make. It takes a little practice to get the shape right, turning and sealing them so they hollow out in the middle, avoiding a wet, uncooked center. The hollow ones are fabulous torn in half to scoop raspberry jam and powdered sugar. I also love adding a little chunk of baker's bittersweet chocolate. I add it to the cooked bit after the first quarter turn so the batter can spread evenly as I turn it. I treat cinnamon coated apple slices the same way, Delicious! I've read about, but have not yet tried banana filling with rum glaze. One thing I really love about this is how clean it is. The aebleskiver pan is easier to clean than a stove top griddle. l've become an aebleskiver enthusiast!
★★★★★
Gayle Henrickson
My mom used to make these and I would love to make them for my grandchildren.
Peggy D.
The image of melted chocolate inside an aebelskiver, which looks wonderful enough all by itself, made me immediately think of putting a little nugget of Nutella inside them instead. Must try it! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Charlyene Cisneros
I lived with my grandmother and she would make them on the weekends for my brother and I. She didn't fill them, just put powered sugar on them. We would eat until we couldn't eat anymore. Love them. She passed and I never knew what happened to the pan. Must have
Brittney House
pumpkin pie.
Tom Lester
My favorite holiday dessert is plain ol' punkin pie!
Dorothy Deakyne
cheese cake with cherries
Zoe Lee
I love pumpkin anything, cookies pies etc..yum
Karrie Millheim
I love Pumpkin pies, cant get enough of them
Kelly Lane
I had never seen or heard of the Danish Aebleskivers. They sound versatile and delicious!
jules m.
these look so good!!!! my fave holiday dessert is cheesecake
Beth Klocinski
I love frosted cutout cookies
Sarah
We always have cream puffs - yum!
Carey Miller
I loooove pumpkin pie and only get it during the holidays. So good!
Deb C
My favorite is the Red Velvet Cookies we make at Christmas. I adore and devour them.
Eugenia Hall
My favorite holiday dessert is spice cake with bourbon glaze!
Stephanie Larison
Hot chocolate brownies is my fave
tina reynolds
Homemade cherry cheesecake
Alexis K.
I love pumpkin anything. And, despite it's bad reputation, I love a good fruitcake!
Jae Park
My favorite holiday dessert is homemade shortbread cookies, but Aebleskivers are good too! Thanks
Julie
My mom's frosted sugar cookies
thanks
Debra Hall
my favorite is bread pudding with warn lemon sauce
Daraya
I love pumpkin pecan chocolate chip blondies and homemade cinnamon rolls! 🙂
Jennifer Dunaway
My favorite holiday dessert is Pumpkin cheese cake
Jen
I like pecan pie.
David Bell
Caramel pie
Mer
I'm a traditionalist....pumpkin pie is my favorite holiday dessert! It would be a lot of fun to cook traditional holiday foods of other cultures. And I always make a big breakfast for Christmas morning, and this would be a fantastic addition.
Allie
I like pumpkin roll
Stephanie from Minnesota From Scratch
We don't have a traditional dessert that we make. Usually someone picks up a pie or makes a pie. My mom makes a great pumpkin pie. I love cheese cake and have made that in the past.
Carla S
My favorite holiday desserts are gingerbread ,peppermint bark,and windmill cookies.
Rebecca Graham
I like fruit cake at Christmastime.
Lauralee L.
I had these once at a friends for Christmas. They were so yummy. I would love to be able to start our own family tradition of making these for Christmas! I would have to say that my favorite Christmas desert is Christmas cookies.
Hilary
These look wonderful! My favorite holiday treats are my mum's peanut butter balls (some people call them buckeyes). Yummo!
Katy
Cookies!
Diane baum
I love making brownies, pies, sugar cookies...
Tracy L Davis
Christmas sugar cookies
Natalie yeoman
Mine is coconut cream pie
Danielle Porter
I love coffee cake and home made cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas!
Sherry Ray
These look like fun memories with the grandchildren on Christmas morning! If I counted pots, pan, skillets, cornstick pans, etc. cast iron cookware would come out a winner in my house!
My favorite Christmas dessert? ONLY ONE??!! My grandmother's fruit cake (Not Your Ordinary Fruitcake). Well, can't stop at one: my mother's chocolate pie and her German chocolate cake. I make a delicious New York style cheesecake and lots and lots of different cookies.
Laura
My favorite holiday dessert is definitely pumpkin pie.
Laura
These look really good. Think I could make them with mini muffin tins instead?
Lisa Goldfinger
Hi Laura. Unfortunately, I don't think mini muffin tins would work for these - the heavy cast iron is important so you can get the pan really hot - the muffin tins would burn at that temp and you wouldn't be able to cook them on the stovetop in a muffin tin. Also, you need the spherical indentations to get pancake into the shape of balls. The round shape also makes it easy to slide the aebleskivers around - that maneuver wouldn't work in a muffin tin. Maybe you'll win one here. If not, maybe you can buy one from Lodge.
Kathy
I have almost every lodge pan from the pizza pan to the chicken fryer, but I don't have this one...win or buy, I have to have it!
Linda Bragg
Pumpkin cheesecake
Paula Pardue
These Aebelskivers make my mouth water just looking at the pictures. Something I have never made, but would love to try. Thanks for the chance to win!
Athena R
Pecan pie
Stacy Ramirez
Mmm! those look good and easy to make with the cool pan. Would love to win one!
betsy
What a great pan! Thanks for the giveaway!