Danish Aebleskivers: Pancake Balls

Name: DANISH AEBLESKIVERS
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8-10
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

November 17, 2013 by Lisa 106 Comments

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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. 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 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.