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Close up of Danish Pancakes (æbleskiver) next to raspberry jam.

Æbleskiver (Danish Pancakes)

Warm, buttery and delicious Danish pancake balls. Perfect dusted with powdered sugar and served with jam!
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Breakfast, Fika, Snack
Cuisine: Danish, Nordic, Scandinavian
Keyword: æbleskivers, Danish pancakes, Danish donuts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 297kcal

Equipment

  • Æbleskiver pan
  • Wooden skewer, knitting needle or other long pointy object

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 eggs separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature + more for the pan
  • Powdered sugar and raspberry or strawberry jam for serving optional

Instructions

  • Whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cardamom and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Whisk milk, egg yolks, vanilla and melted butter together in a large bowl until well combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the whisk attachment, whip until they come to medium peaks that are fluffy but not dry. Gently fold into the batter with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
  • Heat an aebleskiver pan over medium low heat. Dot each round with a small cube of butter or brush with melted butter. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter into each round so that it is almost full. Cook until the bottom is just set, about a minute. Using a wooden skewer, gently turn each aebleskiver 90 degrees so that the batter spills out into the pan. Keep turning so that the side that is partially done is on the top. With the help of the skewer, continue cooking and turning until the aebleskiver are golden brown on all sides and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Adjust the heat downward if the æbleskiver are cooking too quickly.
  • Set aside on a wire rack to cool. Wipe out the pan with a damp paper towel and repeat with remaining batter. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with raspberry or strawberry jam if desired.

Notes

  • Monitor the heat carefully! It's easy for these Danish pancakes to cook too fast on the outside and not be done on the inside. Start with the heat at medium low and then adjust downward if they are cooking too quickly. You can check the doneness of the interior of the æbleskiver by inserting a skewer into the center (it should come out clean with no batter attached).
  • Begin to turn them once the first side is just set. This helps them become more round and prevents the bottom side from browning too quickly.
  • Turn the æbleskiver frequently. You will end up with a more evenly done, golden brown round final product if you continue to turn them as they cook.
Variations:
  • Vanilla Æbleskiver: Omit the cardamom and nutmeg and let the flavors of the vanilla extract shine through.
  • Buttermilk Æbleskiver: Replace the milk with buttermilk and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the recipe.
  • Filled Æbleskiver: While the pancakes are cooking, drop a few small pieces of cubed apple, a dollop of fruit jam, a spoonful of pastry cream or a few small pieces of chocolate into the center of each æbleskiver.  Don't over fill!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 533IU | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 2mg