Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (2024)

Aebleskiver (or ebelskivers) are puffy Danish pancake balls and a traditional Danish dessert most often served during the Christmas season. Enjoy them year-round as a delicious breakfast treat!

Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (1)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so be sure to also check out our Easy Belgian Waffles, German Pancakes, and BEST French Toast!

What is an Aebleskiver?

Aebleskiver (or Ebelskiver) are puffy Danish pancake balls and a traditional Danish dessert most often served during the Christmas season. Enjoy them year-round as a delicious breakfast treat!

Whether you refer to them as aebleskiver or ebelskiver (same pronunciation, different spelling), the actual word in Danish is Æbleskiver and it means "apple slices" because traditionally these were made by putting a small slice of apple in the center while cooking them. But from what I've read, the tradition of putting apple slices in the center of aebleskiver has waned in Denmark and that's no longer a common practice.

Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (2)

Danish Pancakes are so fun and easy to make

Even though they are light and fluffy, aebleskiver aren't hollow in the center like you might think. The batter puffs as it cooks in a special aebleskiver pan, and you turn the pancake balls with a knitting needle (the traditional tool used by Danes for turning aebleskiver), chopstick or wooden skewer.

The resulting golden brown sphere is something like a delicious cross between a pancake and a donut, although they are slightly airier and lighter than either of those.

Cooked aebleskiver get dusted with powdered sugar before being served with honey or jam.

While I'm part Danish, I didn't actually grow up with aebleskiver and the first time I ever tried them was in Solvang, California. Solvang is a charming and quaint little town known for being one of the most authentic European villages in the USA, along with Frankenmuth, MI, Helen, GA, Vail, CO, and Leavenworth, WA.

Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (3)
Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (4)
Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (5)
Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (6)

We did a weekend trip to Solvang with our girls this past January and loved exploring the beautiful shops, admiring the art and architecture that reminded us of our travels through Europe, and enjoying the delicious pastries and other Danish food like these aebleskiver.

There are a few restaurants known for aebleskiver there and you can even watch the cooks turning row after row of these doughy spheres to cook them before they are brought to your table piping hot with jam for dipping.

But really you could serve them with anything you can think of from maple syrup to Nutella to caramel sauce. We enjoyed a fun and delicious breakfast of these authentic Danish aebleskiver there!

Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (7)
Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (8)

Needless to say, we didn't leave Solvang without buying a cast-iron aebleskiver pan so I could make them back at home.

Favorite way to serve Ebelskivers

My favorite topping for aebleskiver is Miller's Cinnamon Creamy Honey, which you can see in the pictures in this post.

Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (9)

What you'll need for this Ebelskiver Recipe

This Danish aebleskiver recipe is really easy and will look familiar if you have ever made waffles or pancakes from scratch. It uses staples like:

  • Flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda for leavening
  • Sugar for a hint of sweetness
  • Egg yolks
  • Egg Whites
  • Melted butter
  • Buttermilk

Equipment Needed for Making Aebleskiver (or Ebelskiver)

Aebleskiver Pan

You can purchase an aebleskiver pan at local kitchen stores or sometimes places that carry cast-iron pans like outdoor or sporting goods stores, but the easiest way is probably to just order one online like this one from Amazon.

I have limited kitchen storage and I don't like having extra pans or appliances that don't get used often, but this is totally a worthy purchase because aebleskivers are part of our regular breakfast rotation, right along with buttermilk pancakes, waffles, french toast, and with biscuits.

They are just so easy and fun to make, not to mention delicious and a favorite for our girls. And there are lots of other aebleskiver variations that you can make with different fillings or flavors for even more breakfast or dessert options.

Pastry Brush

You will also need a pastry brush to brush melted butter into the cups of your aebleskiver pan before adding the batter. It will help prevent the batter from sticking, as well as add flavor and texture to these danish pancake balls.

Sharp Tool for Turning

The last tool that will come in handy is a knitting needle, chopstick, wooden skewer, or other poky implement that you can use to turn the aebleskiver as they cook. I like using a wooden skewer or chopstick, mostly because I don't knit so I don't own a knitting needle! But if you want to bereally authentic, that's what you should use.

Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (10)

How to make Ebelskivers

  1. Beat egg whites.Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks into two bowls. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
  2. Combine ingredients.In another large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Add the egg yolks, melted butter and buttermilk and mix just until combined until it looks like a thick pancake batter.
Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (11)
  1. Fold in egg whites.Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Batter will be fairly thick.
  2. Fill wells.Heat your aebleskiver pan over medium heat until hot. Brush each cup with a little melted butter using a pastry brush, then fill each cup with about 2 tablespoons of batter until almost full.
  3. Flip.As soon as the aebleskivers begin to bubble around the edges, use a wooden skewer, chopstick, knitting needle, or fork to flip them over half way, letting the batter slide around to fill in the bottom of the cup. Continue cooking, turning the aebleskiver again to let the batter fill in the remainder of the sphere and continuing to turn until golden brown all the way around and cooked through.
  4. Finish & top.Transfer to a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar, then serve with jam (traditional), honey, cinnamon honey (my favorite!), or even just syrup.
Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (12)
Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (13)
Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (14)

Aebleskiver Recipe tips & tricks

You will want to make sure the pan isn't too hot, especially if your aebleskiver pan is a heavy cast iron one like mine that retains heat really well. Medium or medium-low heat works well for me but it might take you a batch to figure out what works best for you on your stove and with your pan.

Just remember that if the heat is too high, the aebleskiver will cook unevenly and you might have trouble getting them cooked all the way through.

When you are ready to cook, you will fill each cup almost to the top, then let the aebleskiver cook until bubbles start to appear around the edges on top. Then you will use a sharp tool to rotate the partially cooked balls of dough around in their individual cups until they form spheres and are cooked through.

Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (15)

Start a new tradition this Christmas season with your family by making these tasty Danish Aebleskiver for a special breakfast or tasty dessert and talk about Christmas traditions around the world! Bonus points if you, like me, have Danish heritage that you want to learn more about!

Do you have favorite family Christmas traditions that remind you of your heritage? I would love to hear about them in the comments below!

Aebleskiver FAQs

How do you fill an Ebelskiver?

If you want to make filled ebleskivers, all you have to do is add a teaspoon or so of your favorite filling to the center of each ebleskiver before turning them in the pan. I fill the well for each ebleskiver first, then fill all of the ebleskivers, then usually they are about ready to be turned since they don’t take very long to cook. Popular filling choices are applesauce or sliced apples, but Nutella is another popular choice and our family’s personal favorite. You can also use jam or your favorite pie filling, like apple pie filling, blueberry pie filling, or cherry pie filling.

Aebleskiver Pronunciation

I’m not a native Danish speaker, but from my understanding the correct pronunciation of aebleskiver is “ay-bluh-skee-ver”. Think “ay” as in day or a Canadian “eh”, “bluh” almost gets swallowed and is a quick sound, “skee” like the English word “ski”, and “ver” rhyming with “fur”.

What do you eat with ebelskivers?

As far as topping your ebelskiver goes, popular choices include powdered sugar, jam, whipped cream, maple syrup, lingonberry sauce, or vanilla sauce. While not traditional at all, our family likes topping them with Nutella or honey (my personal favorite).
We also like to serve them with some savory protein options like scrambled eggs, sausages, or bacon to round out our meal.

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Did you make this recipe?

Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.

Danish Pancakes

4.91 from 73 votes

Amy Nash

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine European

Servings 8 servings

Aebleskiver (or ebelskivers) are puffy Danish pancake balls and a traditional Danish dessert most often served during the Christmas season. Enjoy them year-round as a delicious breakfast treat!

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (242g)
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons salted butter, melted + extra for the pan
  • 2 cups buttermilk

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

  • In a separate, large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Stir well, then add the egg yolks, melted butter and buttermilk and mix just until combined.

  • Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Batter will be fairly thick.

  • Heat your aebleskiver pan over medium heat until hot. Brush each cup with a little melted butter using a pastry brush, then fill each cup with about 2 tablespoons of batter until almost full.

  • As soon as the aebleskivers begin to bubble around the edges, use a wooden skewer, chopstick, knitting needle, or fork to flip them over half way, letting the batter slide around to fill in the bottom of the cup.

  • Continue cooking, turning the aebleskiver again to let the batter fill in the remainder of the sphere and continuing to turn until golden brown all the way around and cooked through.

  • Transfer to a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar, then serve with jam (traditional), honey, cinnamon honey (my favorite!), or even just syrup.

Notes

Adapted from All Recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!

If you enjoy baking and recreating authentic European recipes, you should definitely check out these Belgian Liège Waffles that are my other favorite dessert/breakfast indulgence! Especially when topped with cookie butter, freshly whipped cream, and strawberries & raspberries, just like the Red Wonder at Waffle Love in Utah!

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About the author

Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (25)

Hi, I'm Amy

I enjoy exploring the world through food, culture, and travel and sharing the adventure with mostly from-scratch, family friendly recipes that I think of as modern comfort cooking.

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Aebleskiver Recipe (Danish Pancakes) - House of Nash Eats (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between ebelskiver and aebleskiver? ›

Whether you refer to them as aebleskiver or ebelskiver (same pronunciation, different spelling), the actual word in Danish is Æbleskiver and it means "apple slices" because traditionally these were made by putting a small slice of apple in the center while cooking them.

What does aebleskiver mean in English? ›

One of the most popular Danish Christmas treats is Æbleskiver. The name literally means “apple slices” in Danish as they were originally filled with small pieces of apple or applesauce.

What can you cook in an aebleskiver pan? ›

aebleskiver pan uses food
  • Wonderful Cook. Ann Feuerbach. ...
  • Lemon Curd Ebelskiver, or, Lemon Stuffed Pancakes. Ann Feuerbach. ...
  • Perfect Fried eggs made in an ebelskiver filled pancake pan. Ann Feuerbach. ...
  • Recipes for the Road. Ann Feuerbach. ...
  • rice appe recipe | how to make rice appe | paniyaram | South Indian rice appe. ...
  • DropCatch.com.

How to eat aebleskiver? ›

Aebleskiver is a Danish dessert, like doughnut holes, but sweeter and much better. It's traditionally served with glogg during the Advent and cooked in a cast iron pan that resembles an egg poacher. Serve hot with syrup, jam, or powdered sugar.

What's the difference between Poffertjes and aebleskiver? ›

What's the difference between poffertjes and aebleskiver? Poffertjes (or Dutch pancakes) are usually made with yeast in the batter. Aebleskiver (or Danish pancakes) use baking powder. Also they are prepared in different pans.

What country are Ebelskivers from? ›

Denmark

What is the Irish word for pancake? ›

pancake1, s. 1 Cu: Pancóg f. Pancake day, Máirt f Inide.

What is the German word for pancake? ›

Answer and Explanation: The German translation of "pancake" is Pfannkuchen, which is pronounced /fahn-KOO-hehn/, and it is a masculine noun.

Can you cook eggs in an aebleskiver pan? ›

It also happens to be about the easiest way to cook eggs I know of! The trick is to use an aebleskiver pan (we specifically have a cast-iron aebleskiver pan). Now for the main idea: turn the eggs about 90 degrees (only halfway to upside down, not all the way!), scooping the spoon into the pocket and under the egg.

What to serve with aebleskiver? ›

The Danes eat aebleskiver more as a snack or dessert than a breakfast, often enjoying them at family gatherings around Christmas or New Year's. In Denmark, winter street vendors sell them lightly coated with powdered sugar, and they're enjoyed with a warm mug of glogg, a Scandinavian mulled wine.

Can you cook eggs in a Le Creuset pan? ›

First, crack the eggs into a bowl and gently whisk. Place a Le Creuset 16cm Signature Saucepan over a medium to low heat and melt the butter. Pour in the whisked eggs, add a generous pinch of salt and pepper and stir slowly and gently with a silicone spatula.

What holiday are aebleskiver most eaten? ›

Æbleskiver are a Danish delicacy traditionally eaten at Christmas time. It's a small round cake made on a special cake pan and served with powdered sugar and jam. A portion usually consists of three æbleskiver but they are so good most opt for a second and third serving.

When was aebleskiver invented? ›

The earliest known aebleskivers have been found in 300-year-old pans that were made of copper.

Why are Aebleskivers round? ›

“The tender ball-shaped pancakes the Danish call “aebleskiver” derive their roundness from the iron in which they're cooked…. To make perfectly round aebleskiver, you must frequently lift and turn the baked section of each ball. They will eventually seal themselves, creating a hollow in each center.

What is an aebleskiver pan for? ›

Holes measure: 2.125″ / 5.25cm diameter. Make the popular Danish treat Aebleskiver, stuffed filled pancakes, in your kitchen! Serve sweet or savory anytime! Fill with fruit, jam, cheese, chocolate or meats.

What is a cast iron aebleskiver pan used for? ›

Product description. The Upstreet cast iron Aebleskiver pan is a classic Danish pancake pan that is specifically designed to prepare this wonderful world-famous breakfast snack for your family and friends. This Aebleskiver pan has 19 rounded molds. Individual hole diameter measures 3.8 cm and hole depth measures 1.2 cm ...

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