Name: Aebleskiver Mini Pancakes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Danish
Ingredients: 2 large eggs (at room temp), yolks and whites separated; 3/4 cup whole milk or buttermilk; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder; 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled; GREASING PAN: 2 tablespoons melted butter; GARNISHING: Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar); SERVING: Raspberry jam, lemon curd, or maple syrup

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Aebleskiver mini pancakes are also known as Ebelskiver Danish pancakes. Light puffy and round, these small bites are like mini popovers. Irresistible! Make this easy recipe in 30 minutes.

Hot off the stove, brush pancake balls with melted butter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with jam, lemon curd, or warm maple syrup. Enjoy them for brunch. They’re appetizers, breakfast pastries or dessert.

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Aebelskiver mini pancakes with powdered sugar and raspberry jam in a mini round cast-iron server.

ABOUT AEBLESKIVER PAN

Aebleskivers are an important part of Danish heritage. Aebleskiver pans are traced back more than 300 years. Traditionally they’re forged of metal. They feature a long handle and 7 deep round wells.

I was first introduced to Danish pancakes at an international food festival. They were sold for 2 dollars each, and were ridiculously delicious. To curb my ebleskiver craving, I purchased a specialty pan to make them at home!

Aebleskiver mini pancakes have now become popular world wide, and so have the pans! Some are cast-iron. Others are non-stick with easy release. They’re sold at retailers like Williams Sonoma, Target, Walmart, and online.

Click an image below to buy an aebleskiver pan through these Amazon affiliate links. This non-stick pan is high-quality, easy to clean, and very affordable! The ebleskiver turning tools are helpful but optional.

On the fence about cast-iron vs. non-stick pans for Danish pancakes? Here’s a great article from the Seattle Times on Cast-Iron vs. Nonstick Skillets.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

During stay-at-home times, we all want easy comforting recipes. If you love Danish pastry, then you’ll really enjoy aebleskiver mini pancakes.

The ingredients you’ll need are common refrigerator and pantry items.

Large eggs
Whole milk or buttermilk
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar or caster sugar
Baking powder
Sea salt
Butter, melted and cooled
GREASING PAN: Melted butter
GARNISHING: Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
SERVING: Raspberry jam, lemon curd, or maple syrup

TRADITIONAL TOPPING FOR AEBLESKIVER DANISH PANCAKES: Rather than raspberry jam, many Scandinavians prefer Lingonberry Jam. It’s the same condiment served with traditional Swedish meatballs.

Ingredients for Aebleskiver Dutch Pancakes laid out on a white rustic tabletop along with cast-iron Ebelskiver pan and wooden turning tools.

HOW TO MAKE BATTER FOR DANISH PANCAKES

These traditional aebleskiver mini pancakes feature a light batter with whipped egg whites. It takes only 5 minutes to assemble the mixture.

RECIPE PREP: Heat oven to 200°. Melt butter in 2 ramekins. Take out 2 skewers, a soup spoon, a baking tray, and a damp cloth.

STEP 1: In a large batter bowl, whisk egg yolks, milk and vanilla.
STEP 2: Add flour, granulated sugar and salt. (Don’t add baking powder just yet!) Mix well. Add melted butter. Whisk until fully incorporated. Add baking powder. Whisk again, but don’t over-mix.
STEP 3: In another bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until stiff peaks form.
STEP 4: With a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into the batter.

HOW TO ACHIEVE FLUFFY MINI PANCAKES: Let batter rest 10 to 15 minutes before cooking. This gives the baking power time to react, and the flour time to absorb liquid from the mixture and become thicker.

HOW TO MAKE AEBLESKIVER MINI PANCAKES

TIP FOR CAST-IRON PAN: Contrary to popular belief, cast-iron does not heat quickly or evenly. If using a cast-iron pan, preheat it in the oven while prepping the batter. Once on stovetop, it’ll cook your mini pancakes more quickly, and the batter is less likely to stick to the pan.

STEP 1: Heat pan on stovetop. In general, for cast-iron pans: low heat. Non-stick pans: medium heat. Brush wells of pan with a generous amount of melted butter.
STEP 2: With a small metal scoop, fill the wells until almost full. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface of the raw batter and start popping, the balls rotate easily, and bottoms are golden.
STEP 3: With 2 skewers, flip balls 180°. The raw half should face down, with the cooked half facing up. Gently tuck the ends under. Between rotations, wipe skewers clean on a damp cloth. Cook 3 minutes.
STEP 4: At this point, abandon the skewers and use a soup spoon to rotate the balls. It’s easier to work with. Let Aebleskiver cook until they’re golden on all sides. Remove from pan.

MY STOVETOP TEMP FOR DANISH PANCAKES: I have a gas stovetop with cast-iron grates. My aebleskiver pan is cast-iron as well. I cook my mini pancakes over a low flame. If the temp was any higher, they’d scorch.

Four overhead images showing how to make Ebelskiver, step by step.

HOW TO KEEP AEBLESKIVERS WARM: Transfer mini pancakes to a baking tray. Store them in a warm oven until serving time.

Danish aebleskiver mini pancakes in a round cast-iron dish next to a jar of raspberry jam.

expert tips

These cooking tips will help you achieve recipe success when making aebleskiver mini pancakes!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT:There’s a small learning curve for cleanly rotating the balls. If you’re new to making aebleskiver, it’s important to practice first. Start with 1 or 2 test batches of 3 mini pancakes.
EBLESKIVER TURNING TOOLS: If you don’t have a set of wooden turning tools, use chopsticks, toothpicks, bamboo skewers, long knitting needles, or cake pop sticks. For the second rotation use a soup spoon.
HOW TO KEEP TURNING TOOLS CLEAN: Keep a damp cloth nearby. Between uses, wipe them down to remove batter.
HOW TO MAKE PERFECTLY ROUND AEBLESKIVER: This takes some skill. When rotating a ball, rather than flipping it over 180°, turn it 90° so the seam of the cooked part is vertical to the pan. Quickly fill in the the gap with more batter. Continue the rotation so the cooked half faces up and the raw batter faces down. Tuck in the edges.
HOW TO MAKE POURING BATTER EASIER: Transfer batter to a squeeze bottle. This is especially helpful when making perfectly round mini pancakes, turning them halfway and filling in the gaps with batter.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE FASTER: Rather than separating egg whites and beating until stiff, add whole eggs to the batter. The Aebleskiver will be a little less fluffy, but still really good!
SPICE VARIATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE: Traditional Scandinavian aebleskivers are spiced with ground cardamom, a 50/50 mix of ground cinnamon and ground cloves. Instead, I often add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter.
FILLING IDEAS FOR AEBLESKIVER MINI PANCAKES: Jam, chocolate, Nutella, cream cheese, or lemon curd. Fill the wells of the pan halfway. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the filling, then pour batter on top to seal it in.
TIP FOR EVEN BROWNING: Fill the wells of the pan in a clockwise direction. Rotate balls in the same order.
HOW TO SERVE DANISH PANCAKES: Brush surface with melted butter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with jam, lemon curd, or warm maple syrup.

Small cast-iron dish with aebleskiver mini pancakes dusted with powdered sugar and jar of jam.

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Overhead view of brunch table with Aebleskiver mini pancakes, jam, powdered sugar and small plant.

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