How to make Aebleskiver (Danish Pancakes), a popular street food in Denmark. They’re so cute, aren’t they? Try them for a change & fun-here is an easy recipe with a video for making perfectly round fluffy pancake balls.
If you like American-style pancakes, try this Banana Pancake recipe
The Secret to Best-Ever Fluffy Banana Pancakes
Country: Denmark
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Also known as Æbleskiver or Ebleskiver
Singular: Aebleskive Plural: Aebleskiver
How to pronounce? “able-skeever” “AI b l ah s k ee w ah”
Aebleskiver (Danish Pancakes)
Aebleskiver are pancake balls (puffs) with a soft fluffy center and a lightly browned crust. It is one of the most popular Christmas desserts and street food in Denmark and traditionally served with berry jam (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries) dusting with powdered sugar as a snack especially during the Christmas holidays.
How To Make Perfect Aebleskiver
Want to make Aebleskiver?
Learning to make perfect Aebleskiver might take time & practice,
but it’s worth the effort and a lot of fun.
Check out my video on Youtube for step-by-step instructions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTR86DSBAhM
WATCH THE VIDEO
More street food recipes
Are you looking for more street food recipes around the world?
Here are some popular recipes to try.
Apam Balik- Malaysian Peanuts Pancake
Sri Lankan Appa (Hoppers, Appam)
Indian Crispy Dosa
Danish Pancakes vs American Pancakes
The basic batter is, very similar to pancake batter, made with flour, eggs, milk or buttermilk, melted butter, sugar, salt and a leavening agent. In this recipe, I used baking soda and baking powder as the leavening agent but the batter can also be made with yeast.
However, unlike regular pancakes that cooked in flat bottom pans, Aebleskiver are cooked in special pan known as Aebleskive Pan with half-spherical molds that gives them that unique ball-shape.
Making Aebleskiver; so much fun
In this post, I will show you how to make nicely round fluffy pancake balls with an easy to follow step-by-step guide with photos, video & useful tips. You may find it little bit difficult to make perfectly round pancake balls in the beginning, just keep practicing, once you come to know the techniques, you will love to make them.
It’s so much fun. Making Aebleskiver is a perfect fun activity for small scale home gatherings. Make them together with your friends & family and have fun.
Fun facts about the name
“Aebleskiver” literally means “Apple Slices” in Danish, but apple is not an essential ingredient to make them. According to Wikipedia, the origin of the name is relevant to the tradition of cooking them with small apple slices (aeble) as the filling.
But in the modern version of Aebleskiver, they are also made just plain without apple slices or sometimes filled with other type of fillings such as jam, cheese, chocolate, applesauce etc.
The funny thing is you know even they are filled jam or chocolate, still they are called Aebleskiver or “Apple Slices”. I didn’t know how to pronounce correctly “Aebleskiver” (I am still trying) but I made them anyway (few times) and I’m happy I did.
How to Serve
Aebleskive are great as a snack or dessert. Go Danish and serve them topped with berry jam and dusted with powdered sugar. However, they also go well with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, cream cheese, sweet syrups, jam, caramelized apple, honey, butter or just try anything else you can imagine. You can also slice them in half and then fill with your favorite filing.
Aebleskive Pan
Aebleskiver are traditionally cooked in special pan known as Aebleskive Pan that made of cast iron with half-spherical molds that gives them that unique ball-shape. Aebleskive pans can be bought online but similar type of pan with small round molds will do the job if you already have one, for example Takoyaki Pan or Paniyaram Pan.
The number and the size of the pancake balls will depend on the number and size of the molds in the pan you use. So, in my opinion, buying a special pan with half-spherical molds is a good investment if you like to try different type of pancake balls for a change and FUN.
Takoyaki Pan
In my case, I use my electric Takoyaki Pan to make all types of pancake balls. There are two common types of takoyaki pan: the cast iron pan and the electric takoyaki pan. I prefer using electric pan for few reasons.
It has adjustable temperature control with 4 temperature settings, so it is easy to adjust the surface temperature because right temperature is one of the crucial factors for making nicely round fluffy golden browned pancake balls. It is portable as well as you can make many at time. So, it is fun to cook right at the dining table with friends & family.
Similar Pancakes
There are pancakes cooked in the pans with hemispherical indentations in other countries too. So, in my opinion, buying a special pan with half-spherical molds is a good investment if you like to try new pancakes for a change and for FUN.
India (Masala Paniyaram) (Sweet Paniyaram)
Japan (Takoyaki)
Netherlands (Poffertjes)
Thailand (Kanom Krok)
Vietnam (Banh Cuon)
Useful Tips for making Aebleskiver
- You can add a pinch of spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg), dash of vanilla or little bit lemon zest to the batter improve the flavor and taste.
- Adding beaten egg whites into the batter also makes lighter and fluffier pancake balls.
- It is easy to pour the batter into molds with a jug or measuring cup.
- You can use a skewer (long toothpick, chopsticks or fork) to rotate the pancake balls. Keep ready few of them and a wet towel or kitchen papers because you may have to clean them time to time while turning the pancake balls.
- You may find it little bit difficult to rotate them in the beginning. Once you come to know the techniques, you will love to make them. It’s so much fun.
- They will rotate without giving you any troubles if they are ready to turn (if they have already a crust in the outer surface). If you cannot rotate them, just wait few seconds until the outer crust is formed, then try again.
- Be sure to adjust the heat as needed, because the heat is one of the crucial factors for making puffy pancake balls with a crispy crust.
HOW TO ROTATE?
Follow the step by step instructions
STEP 1 Spoon the batter
Be careful not to overfill the molds, otherwise batter will overflow and then difficult to handle. Remember the order that you pour the batter in order to turn them in the same order. When pour the batter into molds, remember the order that you pour the batter in order to turn them in the same order.
Drop the filling
Drop the filling, if using, in the batter in each well or few of them as desired. Add only small amount of filling to make sure the batter doesn’t overflow, if you add too much filling, you will have trouble with rotating them.
STEP 2 Cook the batter
Cook the batter until partially set. When the bottom is set by forming a lightly brown crust, start to rotate them inside the mold with a skewer starting from the first one. It takes only few seconds if your pan is hot enough.
STEP 3, 4, 5, 6 Rotate until they become balls and cook uniformly
Rotate them little at time inside the mold (by one-third or one-fourth). You may have to rotate them three or four times until you have nicely round pancake balls with a lightly browned crust. It is done when a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Aebleskiver recipe
How to Make Aebleskiver- Danish Pancakes
Equipment
- Aebleskiver Pan, Takoyaki Pan, Paniyaram Pan
Ingredients
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 eggs separated
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 120 ml milk
- Coconut oil for cooking
- Jam for serving
- Powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with melted butter and sugar. Gently stir in milk.
- Add liquid mixture into flour mixture and mix gently just until combined. Do not over mix.
- In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until soft stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula in 3 to 4 additions. Now your batter is ready.
- Heat the pan over medium heat when you are ready to cook. Brush each mold generously with coconut oil or melted butter.
- Once the molds are hot enough, pour the batter into the mold until almost full using a spoon or jug. Be careful not to overfill, otherwise batter will overflow. (Remember the order that you pour the batter in order to turn them in the same order.)
- Drop the filling (if using) in the batter in each well. (Add only small amount of filling to make sure the batter doesn’t overflow. If you add too much filling, you will have trouble with rotating them.)
- Cook for about 30 seconds and turn them using a skewer or fork until you get lightly brown nicely round puffy balls. (You will need some practice to rotate them, see the photos and notes)
- Remove the pancake balls to a serving plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
- Serve warm with your favorite jam dusting with powdered sugar. ENJOY!
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