Danish Æbleskiver (Round Pancake Puffs)

About This Recipe

Danish Æbleskiver is a real, traditional Danish dish, known as Round Pancake Puffs. Round, fluffy pancake puffs cooked in a special dimpled pan, dusted with powdered sugar and served with jam.\n\nÆbleskiver, literally 'apple slices' despite rarely containing apple today, have roots in Danish home baking traditions dating back generations, traditionally cooked in a special cast-iron pan with rounded wells passed down through families.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Danish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gall-purpose flour
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt
• 3eggs(separated)
• 400 mlbuttermilk
• 4 tbspbutter(melted, plus more for the pan)
• 4 tbsppowdered sugar(to serve)
• 4 tbspraspberry jam(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix dry ingredients

   Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

2. 2

   Mix wet ingredients

   Whisk egg yolks, buttermilk and melted butter together, then stir into the dry ingredients until just combined.

3. 3

   Whip the whites

   Whip egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold into the batter.

4. 4

   Heat the pan

   Heat an æbleskiver pan over medium heat and brush each well with butter.

5. 5

   Cook

   Fill each well about two-thirds full with batter. Once bubbles form and the edges set, use a skewer or fork to rotate each puff a quarter turn, letting uncooked batter flow into the pan.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Continue rotating every minute or so until each puff is fully round and golden all over, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Serve dusted with powdered sugar and jam.

Variations

• •

  Add a small piece of apple or a spoonful of jam to the center of each puff before rotating for a filled version.

• •

  Some households add a hint of cardamom to the batter for extra warmth.

• •

  Serve with a dusting of cinnamon sugar instead of plain powdered sugar.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions