Æbleskiver
Photo: cyclonebill from Copenhagen, Denmark · CC BY-SA 2.0

History

Æbleskiver (literally apple slices) originally contained sliced apple in the batter, a practice that largely disappeared in the 20th century. The name persisted even after the filling changed. The Christmas market tradition of selling æbleskiver has made them one of the most visible seasonal foods in Danish public life.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse all food experiences

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield 24Hands-on 30 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 300g plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp cardamom
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 400ml buttermilk
  • 50g melted butter, plus more for the pan

Method

  1. Mix the flour, bicarbonate, baking powder, sugar, salt and cardamom in a bowl.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks with the buttermilk and melted butter; combine with the dry ingredients until smooth.
  3. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold gently into the batter in two stages.
  4. Heat the æbleskiver pan over medium heat; add a small knob of butter to each well.
  5. Fill each well three-quarters full; when the edges begin to set (about 90 seconds), use a skewer or chopstick to rotate each æbleskiver 90 degrees.
  6. Continue rotating until completely spherical and golden on all sides, about 5-6 minutes total.
  7. Serve hot with strawberry jam and icing sugar.

Tip from the editors. A dedicated æbleskiver pan (pandekagest) is essential; a regular pan will not work. The rotation technique takes two or three batches to master.

Where to eat æbleskiver

Æbleskiver in Aarhus

Aarhus Christmas Market ★ 4.3

$ Market

Aarhus Julemarked fills the old Ridehuset riding hall with about 80 craft stalls from late November to 20 December; the cafe pours gløgg. Entry is free.

Directions

Aarhus Street Food ★ 4.1

$$ Street foodUntil 22:00 weekdays, 23:00 weekends

The bus garage food hall is the most reliable late-evening option in the city centre, with stalls running until 22:00-23:00 and a heated indoor space.

TryAny stall

Directions

Schweizerbageriet ★ 4.5

$ Bakery

The oldest bakery in Aarhus, founded 1898, charges less than most specialty cafes for a kanelsnurre that is genuinely better. At M.P. Bruuns Gade 56.

TryKanelsnurre and dark coffee

Directions

All Aarhus signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want æbleskiver covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →