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Ebelskivers are a Danish pancake that is cooked into a sphere using a special pan. They are fluffy and silky smooth on the inside, and you can fill them with anything from fresh berries to cream cheese. Flipping them in the pan is almost as fun as eating them!
I think breakfast is my favorite meal. There, I said it! I seriously wake up with food on my mind, and breakfast is a world of possibilities. I love breakfast sweet or savory, quick or complicated. There’s nothing like a great breakfast to start off your day on the right foot. If you love breakfast too, you’ve got to try this Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake, these delicious Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls, and these Perfect Crepes.
Ebelskiver
An ebelskiver (traditionally spelled Æbleskiver) is a delicious Danish pancake that is cooked in a pan that looks like you took ice cream scoops out of. The batter is poured into the holes and you end up with a fluffy and delicious pancake sphere that is sweet and perfect served with maple syrup and whipped cream. They are super fun to make too! Flipping the ebelskivers is a fun challenge in the kitchen that isn’t hard, but it’s something you’ll enjoy practicing!
I absolutely love making ebelskivers. They are the more exciting version of a buttermilk pancake and are a nice refreshing break from our usual favorites like breakfast casserole and German oven pancakes. They look absolutely adorable! You can dust them with powdered sugar and serve them stacked on a plate drizzled with blueberry syrup, and it looks like a fine dining breakfast!
Ingredients in Ebelskivers
The ingredients in ebelskivers are really similar to a pancake batter recipe. The main difference is you will whip up the egg whites. They add a lot of air to the batter. This makes the batter really light and fluffy. It also helps them cook better all the way through since they are less dense. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.
- Egg Whites: These pancakes are a little more delicate than your regular batter because you will whip these egg whites to stiff peaks. It will help to keep the batter really fluffy.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is just the easiest to work with and keeps the ebelskivers fluffy.
- Sugar: This pancake batter is a little sweeter, which is one of the reasons they brown and puff up so perfectly.
- Baking Powder: This helps the pancake puff up and get nice and fluffy.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda helps the baking powder, they work together to make a nice fluffy pancake.
- Salt: I like a little salt to help balance out the sweetness and to bring out all the flavors in the batter.
- Butter: You will need melted butter for the batter, and some more to grease the pan before cooking them.
- Egg Yolks: I love this recipe because you don’t have any leftover yolks! All of the yolks go into the batter, you just separate them from the whites so you can whip the whites to give the batter more lift.
- Buttermilk: This is a key ingredient, it adds the perfect flavor to the batter. I make it at home from my regular milk because I usually don’t need that much of it at a time!
Ebelskiver Recipe
You may have seen ebelskivers before and thought that they were too hard to make. Well, think again! They are a really simple batter, and they aren’t as hard to flip as they look. They are a super fun recipe to whip up for special occasions. My family loves to eat these around Christmas time. I usually put fillings inside because my kids absolutely love it.
- Whisk Eggs: In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in your melted butter, egg yolks, and buttermilk and whisk until just combined.
- Fold: Gently fold the egg whites into the rest of the batter until it all comes together.
- Heat and Grease Pan: You will need an ebelskiver pan to cook these, heat your pan over medium heat and brush each cup with some of your melted butter then fill each cup nearly full, about 2 tablespoons.
- Flip: Once the ebelskivers begin to bubble, flip each one halfway over using a wooden skewer or fork, allowing the batter to slide out of the cooked portion of the ebelskiver and into the cup to cook, you will repeat this step once more to complete the ball. Continue to rotate the ebelskiver around until they are all an even golden brown and completely cooked all the way through.
- Enjoy: Remove the finished ebelskivers from the pan and enjoy fresh! These are typically dusted with powdered sugar and eaten with jam, but you can pair them with any of your favorite toppings.
Tips for Making Ebelskivers
- Adding More Batter: If while you are rotating the ebelskivers there are holes or there isn’t quite enough batter to fill the sphere, you can pour a little additional batter in. You want to pour in enough batter to fill the hole all the way to the top. Then when you flip them, they won’t be hollow.
- Adding Fillings: One of the fun things about making ebelskivers is that you can actually fill them with anything you want! Once you pour in the batter, before you flip it to close off the ebelskiver, you can add your filling. You could do Nutella, berries, chocolate chips, brown sugar, bananas, the list goes on! Think about what you like to eat on your pancakes. Anything you love will be the perfect filling!
- Flipping Ebelskivers: This is the fun part, and it really isn’t hard! Basically, you are cooking them in a round pan. Once the top of the batter starts bubbling (just like with pancakes) they are ready to flip. To flip them, you will poke the edge of the batter with a fork, chopstick, or wooden skewer. Then you slide the cooked bottom out from underneath and put it over the top to complete the circle. It can take a few tries to get it right. All of them will taste amazing no matter how perfect they look!
Storing Leftovers
These Danish pancakes are super fun to make and taste amazing fresh. I would recommend eating them right away, but if you have some leftovers, here is how to store them.
- In the Refrigerator: Ebelskivers are best served fresh, but you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Overnight Breakfast Recipes to Try
There’s nothing like the smell of breakfast when you wake up. It’s honestly the perfect way to start my day. Usually I’m not the lucky one waking up to the smells of breakfast, which is why I’ve spent a lot of time on these delicious overnight breakfast recipes. This way, your whole family (including YOU!) can wake up to the smell of a delicious meal waiting for you!
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Ebelskivers
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- 2 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 ¼ cup buttermilk
- Additional melted butter for greasing the aebleskiver pan.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in your melted butter, egg yolks, and buttermilk and whisk until just combined.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the rest of the batter until it all comes together.
- You will need an ebelskiver pan to cook these, heat your pan over medium heat and brush each cup with some of your melted butter then fill each cup nearly full, about 2 tablespoons.
- Once the ebelskivers begin to bubble, flip each one half way over using a wooden skewer or fork, allowing the batter to slide out of the cooked portion of the ebelskiver and into the cup to cook, you will repeat this step once more to complete the ball. Continue to rotate the ebelskiver around until they are all an even golden brown and completely cooked all the way through.
- Remove the finished ableskivers from the pan and enjoy fresh! These are typically dusted with powdered sugar and eaten with jam, but you can pair them with any of your favorite toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yummy. This recipe made about 35 ableskivers with my pan. Burner on low!
Can one use muffin tins?
You can! However, because of the flat bottom of a muffin tin, it makes it difficult to get a rounded edge on the ebelskivers.
I have my grandmothers cast iron pan? Should I cure it first? I has been stored in our basement ar least 23 years!!!
Wow, how cool!! Yes, I would cure it before using it. Let me know how they turn out for you!