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Danish · Scandinavian

Æbleskiver

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Light, round Danish pancake puffs scented with cardamom, cooked in a special dimpled pan and dusted with icing sugar. A Christmas-time treat dipped in jam.

Æbleskiver is a Danish dessert from Denmark, ready in about 45 minutes and made with all-purpose flour, cardamom and buttermilk. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
290

Ingredients

6 servings (about 30 balls)

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the flour, sugar (opens in a new tab), bicarbonate of soda (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and salt together. Whisk in the egg (opens in a new tab) yolks, buttermilk (opens in a new tab) and melted butter (opens in a new tab) to a smooth batter.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the egg (opens in a new tab) whites to stiff peaks and fold them gently into the batter.

    • 4 min

  3. Step 3

    Heat an æbleskive pan over medium heat and put a little butter (opens in a new tab) in each hollow. Fill the hollows almost to the top with batter.

  4. Step 4

    When the bottoms are golden and set, turn each one a quarter turn with a skewer (opens in a new tab) or knitting needle so the raw batter runs down. Keep turning until they are round, golden and cooked through — a skewer should come out clean. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

    Each batch takes about 6–7 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Dust generously with icing sugar (opens in a new tab) and serve warm with jam (opens in a new tab) for dipping.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Denmark · Well documentedDespite the name ('apple slices'), modern æbleskiver usually contain no apple.More food from Denmark
    Dish
    Snack · Dessert · Desserts · Pastries
    Cooking method
    Pan-fried
    Taste
    sweet, aromatic / warmly spiced, buttery
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Festive & celebration · Child-friendly
    Cook more with
    All-purpose flour · Cardamom · Buttermilk · Sugar · Baking soda · Egg
    Techniques
    Pan-frying

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom buttermilk, butter
    • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
    • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
    • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    290 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 158 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 14%
    • Carbohydrate 58%
    • Fat 28%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy290 kcal184 kcal
    Protein10.1 g6.4 g
    Carbohydrate41.7 g26.4 g
    Net carbohydrate40.5 g25.7 g
    Sugars10.1 g6.4 g
    Added sugars5.7 g3.6 g
    Fibre1.2 g0.8 g
    Fat9 g5.7 g
    Saturated fat4.8 g3 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol110 mg70 mg
    Sodium504 mg320 mg
    Salt equivalent1.3 g0.8 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    201 mg
    Calcium
    113 mg
    Iron
    2.5 mg
    Magnesium
    22 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    96 µg
    Vitamin C
    1 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.5 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.4 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    137 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: jam.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • You need a cast-iron or non-stick æbleskive (ebelskiver) pan with round hollows; a Japanese takoyaki pan works too.

    Common mistakes

    • Turning too early tears the shell — wait until the base is firm and golden.

    Serve with

    • In Denmark they are eaten in December with gløgg (mulled wine).

    Storage

    • Best warm; cooled ones freeze well.

    Reheating

    • Reheat from frozen in a 180 °C oven for 8–10 minutes.

    Variations

    • Apple-filled æbleskiver: Drop a small piece of apple or a dab of jam into each one after the first turn — the older style.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 3

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 15 min

      Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

    2. Bake · about 25 min

      Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

    3. Start to finish: about 40 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    If something goes wrong

    • Gummy or wet crumb

      Likely causes

      • Under-baked
      • Sliced while hot
      • Hydration too high for the flour

      What to do

      • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
      • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
      • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
    • Collapsed or sunken middle

      Likely causes

      • Oven door opened too early
      • Too much leavening or sugar
      • Under-baked centre
      • Over-proofed yeast dough

      What to do

      • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
      • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
      • Test the centre before removing
      • Proof less
    • Pale crust

      Likely causes

      • Oven too cool
      • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
      • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

      What to do

      • Check the oven with a thermometer
      • Brush with egg wash or milk
      • Shorten the fermentation
    • Burnt bottom

      Likely causes

      • Tray too close to the heat
      • Dark tray absorbs more heat
      • Too much sugar in the dough

      What to do

      • Bake on the middle shelf
      • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
      • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
    • Cracked or domed top

      Likely causes

      • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
      • Too much leavening
      • Overmixed batter

      What to do

      • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
      • Use the exact leavening amount
      • Fold just until combined
    • Big holes or tunnels

      Likely causes

      • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
      • Air trapped while shaping bread
      • Uneven proof

      What to do

      • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
      • Degas gently and shape tightly
      • Proof covered in an even, warm place
    • Dry or crumbly

      Likely causes

      • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
      • Over-baked
      • Too little fat or sugar

      What to do

      • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
      • Check 5 minutes early
      • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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