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A square cast-iron aebleskiver pan filled with eight perfectly golden-brown, puffed Danish pancake balls cooking on a gas stovetop.

Authentic Grandma's Danish Aebleskiver

A vintage, authentic Danish recipe for fluffy buttermilk pancake balls with a sweet, hidden applesauce center, cooked to perfection in cast iron.
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Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs whites and yolks separated
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • Applesauce for filling
  • Butter or shortening for greasing pan
  • Jam for serving

Equipment

  • Cast-iron monk's pan (Æbleskivepande)
  • Electric mixer or whisk
  • Fork or wooden skewer
  • Mixing bowls

Method
 

  1. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks. Add the sugar, salt, and buttermilk, mixing well.
  3. Gradually stir the sifted dry ingredients into the yolk mixture until just combined.
  4. In a separate, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  5. Gently fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the main batter using a spatula. Do not overmix.
  6. Heat the aebleskiver pan over medium heat. Add a generous amount of butter or shortening to grease each cup.
  7. Fill each cup about halfway with batter.
  8. Immediately place 1 teaspoon of applesauce directly into the center of the dough in each cup.
  9. When the bottom is half-baked and golden, use a fork to turn the batter over, sealing the applesauce inside.
  10. Finish baking, turning occasionally, until the spheres are golden brown all around and cooked through. Serve hot with jam.

Notes

Folding the Whites: Be extremely gentle when folding in the egg whites to preserve the air for maximum fluffiness.