Aebleskivers are spherical pancakes from Denmark. They’re extremely fun to make. You can fill them with delicious treats, sweet or savory. The room lights up with excitement when you bring out a platter of these festive pancake balls.
I don’t know if everyone has a childhood memory of a time in the kitchen when 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 Aebleskivers. I made them for the first time the other night, as dessert for a bunch of friends. I stuffed them with chocolate and sprinkled powdered sugar on top. They got all thumbs up. And they are so much fun to make. I love to watch the batter form into a perfect ball as I turn it in the pan. It’s like magic.
Aebleskivers are spherical pancakes. They were invented in Denmark and are still popular there, especially around the Christmas holidays. They resemble 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, plus some knitting needles or bamboo skewers and a little finesse.
In order to make Aebleskivers you need an Aebleskiver pan. It’s made from heavy cast iron and has several half-sphere indentations.
I made the batter with flour, buttermilk and eggs plus a bit of sugar, salt, vanilla, and cardamom for flavor and some leavening agents. The batter is poured into the holes – almost to the top. Then, if you like, you can add fillings, such as chocolate, jam, or fruit.
If you do add a filling, put a small bit of batter on top to seal it in and keep it from rolling out when you start turning the aebleskivers.
Once the batter sets in the pan for a minute or so, use your knitting needles or a bamboo skewer to slide the Aebleskivers around so they make a one quarter turn. The remaining, uncooked batter will slip out and cook.
Make two more quarter turns and you have pancake balls!
Aebleskivers are slightly crisp on the outside – soft and fluffy on the inside.
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
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 recipe for Danish Aebleskivers. If you try this recipe I hope you’ll come back to leave a comment and a rating and let me know what you think.
PrintDANISH AEBLESKIVERS
Festive Danish pancake balls, plain or stuffed with chocolate, apples or jam.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 8-10
- Category: Breakfast or Dessert
- Cuisine: Danish
Ingredients
- Butter or oil for greasing the pan
- Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 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, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside. In a separate, large bowl whisk buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. 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 1/4 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 1/4 to 1/2 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 1/4 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 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 they are done. Place aeblesivers on a platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm with jam or other toppings on the side. Enjoy!
- These freeze well. Reheat in a warm oven until heated through.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate that help support this site. When you click on a link to an Amazon product and make a purchase, a small percentage is payed to Panning The Globe, at no cost to you. Your support is greatly appreciated!
I always wondered how they made those… 🙂
Tomorrow’s breakfast treat!!
I love making an apple pie.
I like to make Cranberry Cream Cheese squares. The community I live in holds a Scandinavian Festival every August and Aebleskivers are the most popular food item sold!
I would love to try making the aebleskivers and dreaming up thins to put in them like chips.
Æbleskiver!
My kids would go nuts for these and would be so happy to have them on Christmas morning with their hot chocolate while opening gifts. A really fun food. Thanks for posting it.
Love them! Have a feeling the “finesse” part can make or break your balls! 🙂
I really loved these. Really light, much lighter than pancakes. Not cake like, but closer to popovers. Can’t wait to have again!
My favorite holiday dessert is Tiramisu.
I didn’t even know that these existed! I love kitchen tools, this one looks like fun to make treats with. I’m thinking I could get my kids to do it to.
Amazing, I’ve never seen these before… such an ingenious pan! All the pancake lovers in my house would love these.
And my favourite holiday dessert is Tiramisu 🙂
My Grandpa would make Aebleskivers for us every Christmas! Nothing in them, just served with powdered sugar or fruit jam. Yummy!
pumpkin pie
I love Lodge
I think these would be a big hit with my family any time of the day…..yummy!
There is nothing in this world better than cast iron…. except of course desserts made in cast iron.
For dessert we always have creme brulee, something with chocolate, fresh fruit and cheesecake.
I really like sweet potato pie this time of the year! And fruitcake cookies!
My favorite holiday dessert is any kind of pie! I love cast iron too and agree that Lodge is the best out there. Thanks for posting this recipe. I have had one of these pans on my Amazon list for awhile. Hope I win one!
nothing better than cooking with Lodge cast iron
My Favorite Holiday dessert has to be butter tarts, the flakey pastry, sweet filling with raisins, so good
My favorite holiday dessert is cheesecake! YUM.
Yum! Got to have one of these!
Sweet… I can’t wait to try it.
Bacon. Pancake balls stuffed with bacon. That is all.
Cheesecake with cherries on top!
They look delicious! Yuumm! Im getting hungry. :))))
I just started using cast iron pans and love them, This would be a great addition,
I love these – I have them every time we go to Solvang here in CA a danish community….I would adore having this and make my own!
Love Lodge!
I gotta admit – when I first saw the Lodge pan at the store I thought it was for snails! I’ve had Aebleskivers and love ’em. So maybe the pan can do double duty! Escargot stuffed Aebleskivers anyone?
My fav holiday dessert is Almond Swedish Kringle. I imagine I had Aebleskivers when I was a child.
I love Lodge Cast Iron. I started my collection when we started camping with horses because it was primitive camping and we had to have good pans to cook over the fire.
magic indeed- they look wonderful!
beautiful photos too…
My family has pecan orchards, so pecan-related desserts have always been a favorite: pecan pies, of course, but also a brown sugar/nutty bar treat that is sometimes called a “blondie” but has always been known to us as “Chewy Cake” 🙂
I always look forward to the pumpkin roll.
Fabulous description and tutorial! Thank you! I would LOVE to make these for Christmas morning! I really hope I win!!
Way to go, Danes! These look great!
These look yummy. I would love to win the pan to make them!
lemon meringue pie
The classic sugar cookie
I really want to try and make these. I haven’t had them since I left Detroit.
These look delicious!! And my favorite holiday dessert is chocolate chip pie!!
Oooh, these sound/look delicious!
I Love Lodge cast iron…won’t cook with anything else! I’ve always wanted to try aebelskivers. They’ve always intrigued me, but I was never able to find a pan. They look so amazing!00000000000000000000000
My favorite holiday dessert is…angel food cake!
My favorite holiday dessert is gingerbread/gingerbread cookies.
Allllll of the cookies/bars that my family only makes during the holidays. I couldn’t choose just one…it’s all about the variety. 🙂
Those look delicious! And simple too.
If I had to pick just one favorite dessert, it would have to be homemade Christmas cookies! A plate full of variety. Ummmmm!
I make a peppermint dark chocolate ice cream cake that is my favorite around this time of the year.
What a great pan! Thanks for the giveaway!
Mmm! those look good and easy to make with the cool pan. Would love to win one!
Pecan pie
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!
Pumpkin cheesecake
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!
These look really good. Think I could make them with mini muffin tins instead?
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.
My favorite holiday dessert is definitely pumpkin pie.
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.
I love coffee cake and home made cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas!
Mine is coconut cream pie
Christmas sugar cookies
I love making brownies, pies, sugar cookies…
Cookies!
These look wonderful! My favorite holiday treats are my mum’s peanut butter balls (some people call them buckeyes). Yummo!
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.
I like fruit cake at Christmastime.
My favorite holiday desserts are gingerbread ,peppermint bark,and windmill cookies.
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.
I like pumpkin roll
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.
Caramel pie
I like pecan pie.
My favorite holiday dessert is Pumpkin cheese cake
I love pumpkin pecan chocolate chip blondies and homemade cinnamon rolls! 🙂
my favorite is bread pudding with warn lemon sauce
My mom’s frosted sugar cookies
thanks
My favorite holiday dessert is homemade shortbread cookies, but Aebleskivers are good too! Thanks
I love pumpkin anything. And, despite it’s bad reputation, I love a good fruitcake!
Homemade cherry cheesecake
Hot chocolate brownies is my fave
My favorite holiday dessert is spice cake with bourbon glaze!
My favorite is the Red Velvet Cookies we make at Christmas. I adore and devour them.
I loooove pumpkin pie and only get it during the holidays. So good!
We always have cream puffs – yum!
I love frosted cutout cookies
these look so good!!!! my fave holiday dessert is cheesecake
I had never seen or heard of the Danish Aebleskivers. They sound versatile and delicious!
I love Pumpkin pies, cant get enough of them
I love pumpkin anything, cookies pies etc..yum
cheese cake with cherries
My favorite holiday dessert is plain ol’ punkin pie!
pumpkin pie.
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
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!!
My mom used to make these and I would love to make them for my grandchildren.
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!
★★★★★
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.
★★★★★
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?
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.