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Breakfast & Brunch | December 6, 2020

Buttermilk Aebleskivers

Buttermilk Aebleskivers are a Danish treat, a cross between a pancake and donut without the deep frying! We love to make Buttermilk Aebleskiver on Christmas morning and eat them plain, filled with a little jam or chocolate and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Buttermilk Aebleskivers

Introduction to Danish Aebleskiver

A few years ago, my friend Jill hosted a gathering for the young women in our neighborhood at Christmas time. We spent a good part of the evening eating these delicious Danish Aebleskiver. It was the first time I helped make aebleskiver and I was amazed at how simple they are to create at home! My guess is, most of the ingredients you will have on hand in your pantry and fridge.

Danish Aebleskivers

What you need to make Danish Aebleskiver

The only absolutely necessary piece of equipment is the Aebleskiver pan. One is essential, two are nice if you are feeding a large crowd!  I have this pan, and also this  less expensive pan. I can’t detect much of a difference at all while cooking the aebleskiver.

This recipe for Buttermilk Aebleskiver takes minutes to mix up and then it’s just a matter of cooking the batter in an Aebleskiver pan and keeping  up with the demand of flipping and sprinkling the aebleskiver with  powdered sugar before they get eaten up! If you are using two pans, two people in charge of cooking and filling the pans, flipping, etc., makes the process much easier!

Aebleskiver Pan

Variations of Buttermilk Aebleskiver

There are many variations to Buttermilk Aebleskiver! If you love chocolate, try making some of the batter chocolate. Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened  cocoa powder to the batter and cook as directed. If you want to flavor half of the batter with chocolate, cook about half of the batter and then add two tablespoons of cocoa powder to the remaining batter before cooking.

Mini chocolate chips or Nutella spread in the middle of the Aebleskiver are a fun twist! Place a small amount of batter (1/2 of normal amount) into the pan. While the batter is cooking, fill with chocolate chips or Nutella, then spoon a little more batter on top before flipping over with wood skewers . If you don’t have wood skewers (sold in most grocery stores, hanging in the baking aisle) you may also use toothpicks!

Fruit or jam filling may also be added to the dough using the same method as the chocolate filling!

Buttermilk Aebleskivers with powdered sugar

Danish Ancestors found!

The tradition of making Aebleskiver took on more meaning to me after recently discovering I have Danish ancestry. We have Danish ancestors dating back to the early 1600’s! They were from Maribo, Denmark and later emmigrated to Utah.

I would love to have a peek and see what they ate during Christmas long ago…I wonder if they were gathered around a table or stove enjoying Aebleskiver in December? Oh, also, I found out Aebleskiver is the plural of Aebleskive!

Easy to make Buttermilk Aebleskivers

How to make Danish Aebleskiver:

  • Separate whites and beat until peaks form.
  • In another bowl, combine egg yolks and buttermilk.
  • Add dry ingredients all at once to buttermilk mixture.
  • Add melted butter.
  • Fold in egg whites.
  • Heat Aebleskiver pan, and butter each portion of pan.
  • Place a small amount of batter into pan and cook until golden.
  • Turn with skewers or toothpicks.
  • Remove from pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar while hot!

Buttermilk Aebleskiver are a perfect Christmas morning treat served with an overnight breakfast casserole, such as Cowboy Christmas Breakfast,  Overnight Croissant Breakfast Bake,  or Christmas Morning Brioche and Tomato Bake.  Add some fresh fruit and cocoa and you’ll have a Christmas morning tradition your family will look forward to each year!

Buttermilk Aebleskivers

**This post was originally published December 18, 2015 and has been updated to include notes about adding eggs to the recipe, the second (less expensive) pan, and notes about family ties to this recipe!

4.76 from 33 votes
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Buttermilk Aebleskivers

Aebleskiver are light little pillows of pan fried dough, commonly enjoyed in Denmark. This recipe includes the use of buttermilk which makes the aebleskiver extra light and fluffy!

Course Breakfast
Keyword breakfast, brunch, Danish aebleskivers, holiday cooking
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author abountifulkitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • butter for pan

Instructions

  1. Separate the eggs* and beat whites until soft peaks form, and set aside.(see recipe notes)

  2. In another bowl, combine egg yolks and buttermilk and mix together.
  3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar all at once.
  4. Add melted butter and mix until blended on low speed (I do this by hand with a whisk).

  5. Fold in the egg whites using a spatula.
  6. Heat an Aebleskiver pan over medium heat, brush each cup with melted butter.
  7. Using a 1/4 cup measure, Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into each cup, and, when bubbly around the edges, turn with a long wooden skewer or toothpick, this takes less than 2 minutes.

  8. Continue cooking on the other side until golden. You can test for doneness by removing one of the balls of cooked dough and breaking in half.
  9. If you would like to fill the Aebleskiver, you can place about 1 tablespoon of batter in pan, then drop a teaspoon of jam and top with more batter.
  10. Serve immediately, sprinkled with powdered sugar, jam and butter.

Recipe Notes

  • You can skip the step where the eggs are separated, and simply add the eggs one at a time and beat well, but the dough will not have quite the same consistency as when the egg whites are beaten and folded in! I often skip the separation of eggs and just beat the egg before adding to batter. 
  • This recipe is easily halved. a half recipe yields about 20 pieces. 
  • Best when batter is made right before cooking. 
  • If the pan gets too hot and is burning the batter, remove from heat and let cool a bit! Don’t let the pan get too hot or the batter with burn before it has a chance to cook inside. Medium to medium-high heat works best!

66 thoughts on “Buttermilk Aebleskivers

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Recipe Rating




  1. 5 stars
    This was the worst aebleskivers recipe I have ever tried! The middle of the aebleskivers don’t cook at all and if it somehow magically does cook, then it takes 10 **** minutes! DO NOT TRY THIS RECIPE!

    1. Mike, if you have an electric stove with coil burners like mine, the problem might be the thermostats for the burners. If not, and if you are using a cast iron pan, maybe you could lower the heat, and wait for the first side to cook longer before you flip the aebleskivers. Sample one when you think they are done before you remove them all. I hope this helps.

    2. Good heavens Mike, you could have asked for help rather that put “do not try this recipe” in big capital letters, jeez!

      1. 5 stars
        I married into a Danish American family and we have made these every Christmas. I lost the original recipe and found yours. This is the best aebleskiver recipe we’ve tried. It’s a keeper! Thanks for contributing to our Christmas morning!

        1. Thank you Jeanne! So happy to hear you love this recipe. AND that you are able to honor your Danish heritage through cooking!
          Thanks for reading ABK,
          xo
          Si

  2. Mike Hunt doesn’t know his skivers, man. This recipe turned out great. He needs to be a little more Danish

  3. 5 stars
    These aeblskivers are perfect!! Best recipe I’ve ever tried. My great grandmother was Danish. I’ve used her handwritten recipe for years but I won’t ever again. Her’s were dense and heavy. These are light and fluffy! Mine cooked perfectly in the middle. Make sure your pan is not too hot and you will get perfect ableskivers too.

    1. Thanks so much Brynne! We love this recipe too. It is the most simple one I have tried, and I agree, the heat is key to cooking perfectly!
      xo
      Si

  4. 5 stars
    Made these this morning and they were FANTASTIC. Used a cookie scoop to fill the pan and it was so simple and clean! Definitely replacing my other recipes with this one. Thanks for another great recipe, Si!

    1. Emily,
      Great tip! Thanks so much for your comment and recipe rating. I will be using this tip next time I make Aebleskivers!
      xo
      Si

  5. 5 stars
    Excellent skivers! Just made these for Easter breakfast and everyone loved them. The recipe made enough for 6 people (4 if my teenage son was home). I tried something new today by preheating my cast iron pan in the oven. This seemed to make for more even heat on the stovetop. Just watch that center divot which is always hottest.

    1. Jzone,
      Thank you for your positive feedback on this recipe and for your tips for pre-heating. I’m glad you had a wonderful Easter breakfast!
      xo,
      Si

  6. 4 stars
    I had never heard of these until I came across a man making them at the local market. I decided to try and make them myself so I went out and found a pan and this recipe?

    Aside from not having anything to compare them to, they came out light, fluffy and delicious. Easy to follow recipe and am very pleased.

    1. Thanks for sharing, Alissa. This recipe is such a fun change up from other breakfast treats and I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for reading ABK!

      xo,
      Si

  7. 5 stars
    Tried this recipe this past weekend with AMAZING results! By the end I didn’t need to even add butter to my cast iron (on a gas stove) Aebleskivers pan because of the butter in the batter~ I may add some cinnamon or cardamom to the recipe next time. Thank you for sharing!

    1. You’re welcome, Kevin! I’m glad you enjoyed them, and cinnamon and cardamom would be great additions. Thanks for sharing,
      Si

    1. Hi Joyce,

      I haven’t ever counted, but I’m guessing about 2 dozen? I will try to keep count when I make them in a couple of weeks and adjust the recipe. Thanks for reading ABK,
      xo
      Si

    1. Thank you Melissa! I made a batch yesterday and they were gone in minutes.
      Thanks for reading ABK,
      xo
      Si

    1. Thanks Carin! I Hope you love this simple recipe. Would love to hear a report back about using your pan!
      Merry Christmas,
      xo
      Si

  8. 5 stars
    This is the best recipe. We used to use the recipe that came with our pan, but I couldn’t find it. This was by far better. The buttermilk adds a lot of flavor and fluffiness.

    We added cinnamon and vanilla extract and used blackberry jam, marmalade and chocolate chip.

    The marmalade was by far the best.

    1. Thank you Jenna! I think the buttermilk is what makes this recipe special. Nothing creates a light texture quite like buttermilk. Happy holidays and thanks so much for reading ABK,
      xo
      Si

  9. 5 stars
    My family grew up eating these every holiday season. After having my own family I went out, bought a pan, and searched for new recipes for my family. This one has by far been our favorite! Thank you❤️

    1. Thank you Aimee! This is a relatively new tradition for us, but we love this recipe too. Buttermilk tends to make everything better 🙂
      Thanks for following along here!
      xo
      Si

    2. I love making these for the holiday season as well. They’re such a special and unique treat. Thanks for sharing, Aimee!
      xo
      Si

  10. 4 stars
    This is a great recipe, but your technique needs practice. Yours come out flat. They should be rounded. Don’t be afraid to use enough batter. This recipe makes 3 batches. If you make more than that, you are underfilling your pan. You will have to adjust the heat and add more butter as you rotate turns to create a sphere. Also, add a teaspoon or so of a high heat oil like avocado oil to the butter you are using in your pan so it can take the heat and stay golden. I can send you pics if you’d like to see what they are supposed to look like. Please post new pics after you perfect the sphere so your readers know what they are trying to achieve.

  11. 5 stars
    I was given an aebleskiver pan for my wedding by my husbands grandmother that is Danish and we are a military family so I have been dragging this pan all around the country for 10 YEARS and never been brave enough to try to make these “danish pancakes”. So finally I decided this Christmas I wanted to start a new family tradition and thought I would give it try after reading Si’s Instagram post about these buttermilk aebleskivers. And let me tell you what, I have no idea why I was so intimidated by they amazingly easy and delicious little things! This recipe is FABULOUS! They turned out so well and now my kids want them all the time, so I guess I will have to come up with a different thing for Christmas morning because these aebleskivers are now a staple in our breakfast routine and would be a shame to only eat once a year! Thank you for helping me make my Danish ancestors proud!

  12. 5 stars
    We make these in the spring and the fall for LDS general conference! I can’t make enough! My family loves them! This recipe is perfect, too! Thanks, Si!

  13. 5 stars
    I grew up eating these and have never been brave enough to try them! Thanks for encouraging me to try! My family loved them and these will now be a part of our Easter celebration and probably Christmas too!

  14. 5 stars
    I was introduced to aebleskivers by our Danish exchange student this year. I probably never would have attempted them without his demonstration but they are really easy and very tasty. The recipe he used from his mother is very similar but has cardamom and lemon zest in it. They are so yummy!

    1. Oh that sounds delicious with the cardamom and lemon zest! I love making these during the holidays, and I’m glad to hear your enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing and for reading ABK Katrina!
      xo
      Si

  15. 5 stars
    Wonderful recipe Si! They turned out just like when my mom made them for us as kids. I used a mixture of canola and butter to grease the pan. It worked a charm. Using a cookie scoop as someone commented below was a genius move! I cooked them on the lowest heat possible and they turned our gorgeously golden and perfectly done in the middle. Puffed to perfection. Thank you for yet another fantastic recipe!

  16. 5 stars
    We love these! I just made these for mother’s day, at my son’s request and they were awesome as usual. I always forget how big of a batch these make but they’ll get snacked on too. Probably could’ve halved the recipe for our family of four. Great for kids to just pick up and eat though! Something that helps me is using a standard size cookie scoop to scoop the dough into the pan. Seems to be the perfect size. Thanks for another great recipe, Si!

    1. I agree, Emily, they are perfect for snacking! Thank you for sharing and for reading ABK,
      xo
      Si

  17. 4 stars
    Very good but.. two tablespoons was way too much for my pan even without filling. I would probably say « fill to the line » my first batch was a mess and the center didn’t cook forever. Also I want to stress that it’s important to do this on med heat like you said. Low and slow is how to do this pancake. I didn’t beat the egg whites and the texture was great. The easiest way to turn them was push them from one side along the bottom and like rolling not flipping. I used a chopstick. these were really the most fun pancakes I have ever made. And I am working my way through every kind of pancake on earth… I want to make them with bacon and maple extract… and maybe one with green onion and cheese…. I shall experiment.

  18. 5 stars
    Absolutely perfect & easy recipe!
    I first had Aebleskivers when I was young on a family trip to Solvang, California. 30 years later…this has been a Christmas family tradition ever since. FYI…The Aebleskiver makers used long skinny knitting needles to turn the dough as it cooked…so that’s what my whole family uses.
    Thanks again Si for another delicious recipe.❤️🎄

  19. 5 stars
    Loved these!! My grandparents used to make some just like these with applesauce in the middle. Introduced this recipe to my roommates and they loved it too. We filled ours with Nutella!

  20. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe 3 times as aebleskivers and 3 times as pancakes! It’s a family favorite now! Thank you for sharing! Note: It’s worth it to beat the egg whites separately. I think that’s what makes this such a perfect recipe.

  21. 5 stars
    Best aebleskiver recipe I’ve tried. Super light, fluffy and delicious. My family couldn’t stop eating them even after they were full. This will be my “go to” recipe from now on. Thank you!

  22. 5 stars
    I don’t have anything to compare this to, but this recipe was a hit! They are delicious, light, and fluffy. I put hazelnut spread in some and left some plain.

    1. Hi Skye!
      Aebleskivers with hazelnut spread sounds like heaven to me! Thanks for your positive feedback for this recipe and thank you for reading ABK.
      xo,
      Si

  23. Question that no one has addressed. Can these be made ahead? Will they keep in the fridge or frozen and then reheated when you’re ready to eat?

      1. 5 stars
        Agreed that these are best day of – but I have made them and then put the extras in the freezer and enjoyed later. Also SUPER delicious. Microwaved for about 1 minute.

  24. 5 stars
    These are just like my Danish grandmother’s only better, since she cooked them in shortening instead of butter. Such a great recipe!

  25. 5 stars
    My family loves this recipe! It is delicious and a new tradition for special occasions. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Hi Jackie,
      Making memories while making and eating good food is ALWAYS a good idea! We love this recipe too, and I’m so glad you’ve deemed it worthy to use for special family occasions. It’s great to start new traditions, many of my traditions revolve around good food. Thank you for reading ABK and thank you for your comments.
      xo,
      Si

  26. 5 stars
    A most excellent recipe. Super delicious. Sometimes when I’m lazy and I don’t want to get out my aebelskievers pan, I make this dough as pancakes. Super delicious and fluffy. Best I’ve found online! Thank you!

  27. 5 stars
    My kids absolutely love that my husband’s family history is deeply rooted in Denmark, so aebleskivers are a favorite around here. It’s fun to share a cultural tradition and even better that they’re absolutely delicious! I make this recipe for every special occasion. We enjoy these aebleskivers on Christmas morning, conference weekend, and any other time we want a special breakfast.

  28. 5 stars
    I never knew what an aebleskiver was until I read this post several years ago. I knew I had to try it though. An airy buttermilk pancake type mixture with some fruit preserve in the middle. What’s not to love here? Made it for the family one weekend and it’s definitely become one of our favorite weekend breakfast treats.

  29. I’m not Danish but AEBLESKIVERS are a tradition in my family. I have a favorite recipe from the old More Make-A Mix Cookery Book (circa 1980) Wonderful flavor & quick but I will be trying this recipe as soon as my mix runs out. I read many of the comments and thought it might help some of you prevent battery centers or disc shaped rather than golf ball shaped skivers. Turning aebkeskivers is more of a slight lifting of one edge.Don’t flip. Poke the cooked edge with a toothpick and lift slightly while turning about a quarter turn. This allows the batter in the center to run down forming a nice round ball. Wait for that to firm up enough to repeat. Thanks Si, I’s sure this recipe is a winner.

  30. 5 stars
    I first tasted these as a child in Minnesota when a Danish neighbor, dear Mrs. Anderson, made them. My mother then bought a pan and made them for us on special occasions. Mrs. Anderson always used a large needle to turn them and I thought that was the most fun thing! We always had them with applesauce on the side (and bacon, of course). We never separated the eggs so this will be new for me…Making them tonight and hope my grandson likes them as much as I and my daughter always have!

    1. Hi Dawn,

      These sound so delicious! What a fun story to go along with it. Happy to hear that you’re sharing such a fun tradition!

      Best,
      Jillian @ABK Team