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    Home » Christmas

    Aebleskiver Recipe for Danish Pancakes

    Published: Dec 6, 2022 · Modified: Dec 6, 2022 by Jessica Fisher

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    Enjoy a traditional Danish treat when you make Aebleskiver Danish pancakes. Traditionally served at Christmas, Aebleskiver are a special December dessert, often served with powdered sugar and strawberry jam or Raspberry Sauce .

    While typically made in an aebleskiver pan, in this post I’ll show you how to make these Danish pancake balls in a cake pop or donut hole maker. Serve them alongside Oslo Kringle for a fun Scandinavian dessert table this season or for a pancake dinner some night.

    plate of aebleskiver sprinkled with powdered sugar, alongside small metal cup of raspberry jam with a tasting spoon. this …

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    Jump to:
    • Why Make This
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • FAQs
    • More Holiday Desserts
    • Tell us what you think!
    • Aebleskiver Recipe

    When I was a kid, one of our regular family outings was a trip to Solvang, California. It’s a little tourist town, originally founded by Danes and its architecture and attractions inspired by Danish culture.

    The delectable Danish pancake, the Aebleskiver is commonly found in Solvang restaurants. Baked in a special iron pan atop the stove these are often called Danish pancakes, even though they aren’t actually a breakfast food in Denmark.

    Aebleskiver is Danish for “apple slices” and the name has stuck even though modern iterations of Danish pancakes no longer contain apples. 

    Why Make This

    It’s fun! While the Danes may shake their head at our calling these “pancake balls” or serving them for breakfast, aebleskiver are super fun to make and eat, especially with my cake pop maker hack. You will love these Danish pancakes!

    Æbleskiver are delicious! The ball-shaped snack is fried in butter with an interior texture, similar to a waffle or Yorkshire pudding. This is one of our family’s favorite recipes; the treats disappear almost as fast as I can make them!

    Fun fact: the plural is aebleskiver. Don’t embarrass yourself by saying aebleskivers.

    Ingredients

    You don’t need much to make homemade Danish pancakes:

    ingredients for aebleskiver laid out on black countertop.

    eggs – You will separate the eggs, so keep this in mind. You’ll need an extra bowl to get them ready. 

    buttermilk – Real cultured buttermilk is best for this recipe. Remember that you can freeze leftover buttermilk.

    butter – Butter goes in the batter as well as for brushing the pan prior to frying.

    vanilla extract – Vanilla is optional, but I like the flavor that it brings to the puffs.

    whole wheat pastry flour – I like to use whole wheat pastry flour to add a bit of whole grain heartiness to this recipe, but you can use regular all-purpose flour as well.

    sugar – You’ll need both powdered and granulated sugar for your Aebleskiver.

    leavenings – You’ll need baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Don’t omit any of them as they work together to puff the “panckes”.

    jam – This is traditional for serving with Danish pancakes. In Solvang the jam of choice is raspberry, but in Denmark strawberry is standard. You can also make my homemade Raspberry Sauce pretty quickly while you’re cooking the puffs.

    A note about equipment: 

    While you do need special hardware to make these Danish pancakes, it doesn’t have to be an aebleskiver pan. Ha! If your tween daughter insisted on a cake pop maker when Nerdy Nummies became popular, bust that thing out. A cake pop maker is more than a unitasker. 

    My two cents: the aebleskiver pan is traditional and I do own one, but making Danish pancakes in the cake pop maker is easier and hands-free. 

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Here’s how to prepare this Danish aebleskiver recipe:

    stiff egg whites in a metal bowl on a black counter.
    dry ingredients in a bowl on a black counter.
    dry ingredients whisked together in a white bowl.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
    wet ingredients in a metal bowl.
    wet ingredients mixed together.
    adding dry ingredients to the wet.
    the wet and dry mixed together with a red spatula.
    • In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla extract.
    • Add the dry ingredients mixture to the buttermilk mixture and stir until smooth.
    adding egg whites to mixture.
    the completed batter for aebleskiver in a metal bowl.
    • Fold in the stiff egg whites.
    • Heat the cast iron aebleskiver pan over medium heat or turn on the cake pop maker. Brush the cups with melted butter. Fill the cups and cook until golden brown and cooked in the center.
    buttering cups of cake pop maker with brush.
    aebleskiver batter added to cups.
    baked puffs in cups.
    large platter full of aebleskiver with toppings in dishes nearby on checked cloth table.
    • If you are using a traditional pan to make these Danish pancakes, once the bottoms are cooked, use a skewer, chopstick, or knitting needle to turn them over carefully and continue cooking. They will form a ball-shaped pancake.
    • If you are using a cake pop maker, follow the manufacturer’s directions. 
      Serve aebleskiver or Danish pancakes with powdered sugar and jam.

    To freeze aebleskiver: cool them completely on a rack prior to packaging them in an airtight container and storing them in the freezer.

    To reheat, you can pop them in the microwave for 30-second intervals or reheat in the oven or toaster oven until warm.

    TLDR? Watch the Aebleskiver Recipe, Danish Pancakes web story.

    FAQs

    What does aebleskiver taste like?

    The texture and taste of Danish pancakes is similar to a waffle or popover, crisp on the outside, but soft and a bit eggy in the center.

    What do you eat with aebleskiver?

    Typically served for dessert on a special occasion, these “pancake puffs” are traditionally served with powdered sugar and jam alongside a glass of mulled wine.

    How do you turn aebleskiver?

    Once the bottom side of the puff is set, you’ll spin the dough ball slightly in the pan with a skewer. The uncooked batter will fall to the bottom of the round opening and continue cooking. Continue this process until the full ball is cooked. Or use an electric donut hole or cake pop maker for a hands-free prep.

    overhead shot of aebleskiver on plate with jam cup and spoon.

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      Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Sauce & Cream Cheese
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    white spoon and fork on a teal plate logo.

    Tell us what you think!

    We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.

    aebleskiver on plate with jam cup.

    Aebleskiver Recipe

    Enjoy a traditional Danish holiday treat when you make Aebleskiver. This simple recipe for Danish pancakes bakes up light and fluffy. Serve with powdered sugar and berry jam.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Danish
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 50 small aebleskiver
    Calories: 213kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher
    Cost: $5

    Equipment

    • cast iron aebleskiver pan
    • electric cake pop maker
    • large mixing bowl
    • small mixing bowl
    • hand mixer
    • wire whisk

    Ingredients

    • 2 egg separated
    • 2 cup whole wheat pastry flour or regular all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 cup buttermilk
    • 4 tablespoon butter melted, plus additional for brushing pan
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • powdered sugar
    • strawberry jam or other favorite jam

    Instructions

    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff.
      2 egg
    • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
      2 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • In a large mixing mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg yolks, butter, and vanilla extract. Add the dry mixture to this bowl and stir until smooth. Fold in the stiff egg whites.
      2 cup buttermilk, 4 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Heat the aebleskiver pan or cake pop maker. Brush the cups with melted butter. Fill the cups and cook. If you are using an aebleskiver pan, once the bottoms are cooked, use a skewer to turn them over and continue cooking. They will form a ball-shaped pancake.
    • If you are using a cake pop maker, follow the manufacturer’s directions. Alternatively, you can bake this batter in a waffle maker. It won’t be an aebleskiver, but it will be delicious.
    • Serve aebleskiver with powdered sugar and jam.
      powdered sugar, strawberry jam

    Notes

    Nutritional values are approximate, do not include toppings, and are based on a batch of 50 aebleskiver. Yours may be larger depending on the size of your pan.
    Promptly store leftover Danish pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
    To freeze aebleskiver: cool them completely on a rack prior to packaging them in an airtight container and storing them in the freezer.
    To reheat, you can pop them in the microwave for 30-second intervals or reheat in the oven or toaster oven until warm.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 344mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

    This post was originally published on December 21, 2016. It has been updated for content and clarity.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kelly

      December 11, 2022 at 7:15 am

      I need to see if my mom still has the pan we had as a kid. I don’t know who introduced them to my parents, but we ate them for breakfast whenever we wanted. We had no idea how to pronounce the name though!

      Reply
    2. Cathy

      February 16, 2021 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      I’m going to try this recipe. I saw my pan at goodwill store and went home to look it up. Then I drove back the same day to get it. Hoping as I drove there it would still be there. It was and when I took it to check out I found out it had the color of the day sticker so I got it for 1/2 price for $1.59 !! I was trilled.

      Reply
    3. JMB

      February 29, 2020 at 9:17 am

      5 stars
      These are delicious! Amazing! My kids ate them so fast I didn’t get any until I filched them from the third pan before putting them in a serving dish.

      Used Bobs Red Mill pastry whole wheat flour and Kodiak Cakes super fruit syrup. No modification to recipe.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        February 29, 2020 at 3:57 pm

        So glad you enjoyed them! Yay!

        Reply
    4. Linda

      December 22, 2016 at 12:45 pm

      I grew up going to Solvang too. We always looked forward to going there. I love æbleskiver (My mom was Swedish and she spelled it with out the A) I have 2 cast iron pans because they get eaten up quickly in my house. We have powered sugar, strawberry jam or maple syrup with them. Thanks for a “different” recipe. I’m going to try yours. It will be after the new year because we are booked until then. Something for me to look forward to in 2017.

      Reply
    5. 2pots2cook

      December 21, 2016 at 11:34 pm

      Oh dear, I have a pan; completely forgotten about it ! Thank you for reminding me 🙂 Great breakfast or dessert. Have a happy holidays !

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 22, 2016 at 9:08 am

        Time to bust out that pan, I guess! 😉

        Reply
    6. Kathy

      December 21, 2016 at 1:34 pm

      I think it is funny, when I see traditional Danish food made in other countries 🙂 I’m not really THAT crazy about æbleskiver and I don’t own an æbleskivepan, but I am thinking about buying one 😉 Luckily, you can buy æbleskiver frozen and just heat them in the oven, and if you get the organic kind, they are actually quite good!

      Æbleskiver are always eaten around Christmastime (served with glögg, which is warm wine with spices, raisins and almonds) and then disappear the rest of the year. December is cold and dark in Denmark, so something warm to eat and drink is appreciated. You can serve them with icing sugar and the jam of your choice, but I have never seen them served without strawberry jam. So if you want to serve them “Danish style”, strawberry jam is a must 🙂

      There are a lot of different recipes for æbleskiver, and some include apples, grated or diced. But you are right, most people don’t add apples anymore.

      I hope you have a happy Holiday!

      Kathy in Denmark

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        December 22, 2016 at 9:08 am

        I was thinking about you when I was writing this, Kathy, and wondering what the real story was. LOL! The Danes in Solvang swear by raspberry jam. I wonder how that got tweaked.

        Thanks for giving us authentic input! Happy Holidays to you!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

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