The Ebelskiver Scoop
An ebel-what? Ebelskiver. An ebelskiver is pronounced “e-bull-skive-er”, although, I’ve also heard other interpretations, as you can imagine.
In fact, I’ve also seen it spelled “aebleskiver.” An ebelskiver to some is a “Danish pancake” (since they are a tradition in Denmark) and to others, they are “pancakes puffs.”
To me, they are pretty much “awesome!” The best part about the fall season are apples, which are the heart of this organic recipe. The smells coming from your kitchen will have you screaming for cool crisp air and trips to the orchard.
Purchasing the Pan
I first learned of this breakfast, snack, dessert, (or dinner if you are a “breakfast for dinner” kind of guy or gal) from a friend of the family. My reaction mimicked the first sentence of this post, except perhaps with extra question marks!
I was intrigued by this ebelskiver thing, so I did some investigating. First and foremost, these ebelskiver pans are easy to find thanks to the internet. Here’s my ebelskiver pan.
Technique
Learning how to make these puffy pancake doughnuts was a bit tricky at first. But try not to get frustrated. It’ll take the fun out of it all 😉
After preparing the batter and pouring it into the pan, you will find after round 2 or 3 you will be a pro!
One tip I saw on TV was to remember which ebelskiver indent you filled with batter first and go clockwise. This way, you will recall which ebelskiver will likely need to be flipped first.
Keep It Going, You Are Almost There!
Once each crater of the pan is filled about half of the way, throw a small dollop of the apple filling, but just enough so it doesn’t overflow the batter.
Here’s another tip: you can toss in anything you want really.
After just a few minutes, you will see the ebelskivers bubble at the top, similar to pancakes. Before flipping, check to see if the one side of the ebelskiver is able to lift itself from the pan using two wooden skewers, (or anything similar that won’t melt or scratch).
It can be a bit of a balancing act, but with confidence and you can do it! When they are a light brown/golden color, gently, but quickly take the batter within the hemispherical indents and flip them over.
Don’t worry if the first one didn’t turn out and flip all the way or if it doesn’t look quite “right” … because they’ll still taste great!
Customize Away!
When I first started to make ebelskivers, I followed the recipe to a “T”, however, I realized that the baker (you!) can make a lot of customizations, too!
I haven’t experimented with any grain-free pancake batters, but I would say it’s worth a try! Be sure not to mix the ingredients too much as the batter may wind up creating a dense ebelskiver.
One time when I made them, I pulled just about everything I could think of out of my pantry and refrigerator. Here are some examples:
- fruit
- jam
- nut butters
- chocolate chips
- cheese
- pumpkin
- apple butter
The list could go on. But I’ll leave the experimenting up to you! The versatility of these ebelskivers is so great that eventually, you will master the sweet or savory ebelskiver.
Homemade Powdered Sugar & Digging In!
Strictly optional: Homemade powdered sugar is a nice sweet touch to include. Toss some sucanat into your coffee grinder and grind away! In just moments, you will have a delightful light powdery sweetener.
Allow the ebelskivers to cool for several minutes. You may be tempted, but they may be too hot! Okay, now dig into these moist creations!
These will make a great fall time dish to share with your friends and family during the holiday season. I hope you enjoy!
To go wheat-free or not. Decisions… decisions…
Oh, one more thing…I haven’t gone wheat-free, grain-free, or gluten-free. There is so much controversial information to be heard from people through word-of-mouth or from the internet.
Many people have to make changes to their diet because of how their bodies react to the grains/gluten. It’s important to listen to your body and feed what it needs in order to better you and your health.
As we know, a lot of the food we eat today doesn’t always seem to be prepared the way we once thought, including wheat.
I like the idea of incorporating ancient grains, however, I do like trying wheat free recipes, because they’re usually packed with other delicious and healthy ingredients.
I’m not a huge wheat eater, so eating food made with wheat ingredients is something that occurs in moderation, anyway. I like to think some of the bad food is okay in moderation 😉
Perhaps, I am in denial and just truly want to continue baking my grandmother’s recipes. I recently celebrated her birthday, which consisted of casseroles and baked goods (all of which had wheat and gluten).
Organic Apple Cinnamon Ebelskivers
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 28 Ebelskivers (approximately) 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: danish
Description
An ebelskiver to some is a “Danish pancake” (since they are a tradition in Denmark) and to others, they are “pancakes puffs.” Add apples for breakfast or dessert in the fall.
Ingredients
Batter:
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
- 1/4 cup flax meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite sweetener (I used honey, although other sweeteners may require more or less depending on your sweet tooth)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs, beaten (I haven’t tried alternative egg versions, but from what I’ve read, flax and chia eggs seem to have success in similar pancake recipes)
- 2 cups nut milk (I used almond milk, although other alternatives should work just as well)
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil (I used olive oil, but I don’t notice any olive flavor in the recipe)
Filling (or use another filling of your choice)
- 2 apples chopped (Choose a variety you would use in your favorite apple pie recipe. Sometimes, it’s nice to use a combination of a different varieties for different flavors.)
- splash of lemon
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Misc.:
- Coconut oil (for lathering ebelskiver pan)
- Sucanat powder (for dusting the final product)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients together, set aside.
- Cut apple into small chunks or use food chopper/processor to save time. Add a splash of lemon to apples and stir (to prevent browning).
- Add cinnamon to apple mixture (I know, I know, this means, we are browning the apples anyway, but it just looks prettier when they aren’t completely brown), and set side
- Add wet ingredients to dry mixture. Stir, but do not over stir (batter will be lumpy similar to pancake batter). Pour batter into a small pitcher for ease of pouring into ebelskiver pan (optional)
- Heat stove top to medium. Using basting brush, saturate the indents of the ebelskiver pan with coconut oil and pour batter halfway into each crater of the ebelskiver pan.
- Add a dollop of the apple filling on top of the batter of each crater on the pan (or other filling of your choice) and pour batter to cover apple filling onto each crater.
- When the ebelskivers begin to bubble, flip them completely over using two wooden skewers (or anything similar that won’t scratch or melt).
- After about a minute or two, remove ebelskivers from the pan when they are a light brown/golden color. Feel free to add additional sweetener to the final product, if you need that extra kick.
- Allow to cool for a couple minutes before serving.
- Store in refrigerator.
Notes
Equipment needed:
Reheating Instructions
Heat toaster oven to 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes.
Allow to cool for a couple minutes before serving.
This recipe can be customized to all tastes. Experiment and find a filling you enjoy best!
Nutritional Information: Calories: 66 Fat: 2.3g Carbs: 9.7g Protein: 1.9g Note: Nutritional Information is for 1 ebleskiver
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 Ebelskivers
What are some of your favorite fall time treats?
About Whitney McNutt
Hi! I’m Whitney. I currently live in Florida, however, I’m originally from Maryland. I am a graduate student working on my Master’s in Business Administration, while also working part-time. I have a lot of passions, some of which include food, green living, and photography. I love learning about new ways to live a healthy, organic, and peaceful life. I look forward to sharing this passion with others.
hallecottis says
Can’t wait to try this Whitney! Thanks for another awesome post!!
Jackie says
Using knitting needles is a great way to turn them (like the Danes do). And you get a more round puff if you first turn 1/4 way then come back and turn full instead of just flipping. You end up turning them constantly, starting with the first poured and going round til all turned. This is a standard meal in our danish home.
Whole Lifestyle Nutrition says
I think almond flour would work the best. Coconut flour would be to dense and “toasted” quinoa flour would work, but the best flavor would hands down be almond flour/butter.
Elke sabia says
I found one of these pans in a thrift shop a few months later a cookbook for it. I have not used it yet but I’ll definitely will try it now