Æbleskiver (Danish Christmas Donuts) – My Grandma’s Recipe: (2024)

Æbleskiver (Danish Christmas Donuts) – My Grandma’s Recipe: (1)

Æbleskiver is a traditional Danish Christmas treat, enjoyed throughout December. In Denmark, you can buy frozen ones in the grocery store, but the homemade æbleskiver are about a million times better, served straight from the pan, with powdered sugar and homemade strawberry jam, and a glass of gløgg (Danish mulled wine) with raisins and almonds.

During the Christmas month, you would typically invite friends and family over for æbleskiver and gløgg on weekend afternoons. I have seen æbleskiver described as a Danish dessert, but you would rarely see æbleskiver as part of a meal, and even more rarely, you would see æbleskiver served without gløgg.

My late grandma’s recipe is made with yeast and buttermilk, and it has less sugar than many of the other recipes out there, and thus a slightly more grown-up flavor. This recipe yields 28 æbleskiver, which should be enough for 4 persons, unless they are like me, and eat 10+ æbleskiver each:)

Recipe notes

You fry the æbleskiver in lard or oil, never in butter. The reason why you cannot use butter is that æbleskiver are fried at rather high temperature, which will burn the butter.

You need a special æbleskive pan to make æbleskiver. It is typically made from cast iron and has 7 round wells, or cavities, which you fill with batter.

If you don’t have fresh yeast, you can use active dry yeast. Follow the directions on the package if substituting.

In Denmark we use a knitting pin to turn the æbleskiver and to check when they are ready. I guess you could also use a fork, but knitting pins are particularly good for the purpose. When the æbleskive is crispy on the outside, and no batter sticks to the knitting pin when probing, the æbleskive is ready.

In the video below, you can see how my mom, aka Mummi P, makes æbleskiver:)

Æbleskiver (Danish Christmas Donuts) – My Grandma’s Recipe: (2)

Recipe: Æbleskiver – Danish Christmas Donuts

Recipe by Mitzie Mee – SanneCourse: Dessert, Holidays, ChristmasCuisine: Denmark

Servings

28

æbleskiver

During the Christmas month, you would typically invite friends and family over for æbleskiver and gløgg on weekend afternoons. I have seen æbleskiver described as a Danish dessert, but you would rarely see æbleskiver as part of a meal, and even more rarely, you would see æbleskiver served without gløgg.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

  • 1⅔ cup 1⅔ buttermilk

  • 0.9 oz 0.9 fresh yeast

  • 2 teaspoons 2 sugar

  • 1 teaspoon 1 Danish vanilla sugar or vanilla extract

  • ½ teaspoon ½ salt

  • 4 4 eggs

  • 2 cups 2 flour

  • Lard or oil for frying

Directions

  • Heat the buttermilk until lukewarm. Be careful not to overheat as the buttermilk will curdle at higher temperatures.
  • Crumble the yeast and add sugar, salt, and vanilla sugar.
  • Mix with the lukewarm buttermilk until the yeast is dissolved.
  • Separate the egg yolks and the egg whites (do not throw away). Add the egg yolks to the batter.
  • Add flour.
  • Whip the egg whites until foamy and fluffy.
  • Gently fold in the egg whites.
  • Let the batter rise for one hour at room temperature or slightly warmer.
  • Transfer the batter to a pitcher. No need to stir the batter.
  • Add lard to each of the wells in the æbleskiver pan.
  • Turn on the heat and wait for the æbleskiver pan to heat up properly. You fry the æbleskiver at medium high heat.
  • Pour batter to the edge of each well.
  • Turn the æbleskiver when they are golden brown and crispy on the outside. It is important that you continuously add lard to the wells while frying.
  • Add more lard to the wells.
  • Fry until golden brown on this half of the sphere too.
  • Serve with powdered sugar, jam and gløgg (Danish mulled wine).

Recipe Video

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      Æbleskiver (Danish Christmas Donuts) – My Grandma’s Recipe: (2024)

      FAQs

      Æbleskiver (Danish Christmas Donuts) – My Grandma’s Recipe:? ›

      Risalamande - Danish Rice Pudding

      Risalamande has been a beloved Christmas dessert in Denmark for decades. It is known from around year 1900, when the upper class began serving Risalamande with cherry sauce for Christmas instead of rice porridge.

      Which of these desserts is traditionally served for Christmas in Denmark? ›

      Risalamande - Danish Rice Pudding

      Risalamande has been a beloved Christmas dessert in Denmark for decades. It is known from around year 1900, when the upper class began serving Risalamande with cherry sauce for Christmas instead of rice porridge.

      Is a Danish a donut? ›

      Many people believe and call a Danish a donut and a donut a Danish. To settle this on going battle between donut and Danish, here is the difference. A Danish is leavened (risen with yeast) and baked, whilst donut's are either cake or leavened bread that is fried.

      What is the most famous dessert in Denmark? ›

      The Brunsviger

      The most mouth-watering of all Danish delicacies, the brunsviger is a cake of crater-filled dough, drizzled by a thick layer of brown sugar and butter. This delicious concoction of sugar and fat soaks into the spongey cake, making for a delicious, moreish and sticky teatime snack.

      What is the Danish Christmas delicacy? ›

      Just like other Danish Christmas traditions, the Danish Christmas food has not changed much over the years. Among the Danish favourites are æbleskiver, risalamande with cherry sauce, crispy Christmas duck, and caramelised potatoes. Below you will find carefully curated Christmas favourites from the Danish kitchen.

      What ethnicity are Danish people? ›

      Its people are called Danes. Ethnic Danes (who are Scandinavians) make up the vast majority of Denmark's population. Scandinavians are the descendants of the Vikings, and the four Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland) all have a similar history and culture.

      What do Danish people call danishes? ›

      In Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, the term for Danish pastry is wienerbrød (or wienerbröd), meaning "Viennese bread".

      What does the 🍩 mean? ›

      It is commonly used to represent real and metaphorical doughnuts, breakfast, bakeries and baked foods, snacks, coffee breaks, The Simpsons, and negative stereotypes of police officers.

      What are some traditional desserts from Denmark? ›

      Danish desserts
      NameDescription
      RisengrødRice pudding with cinnamon
      RisalamandeRice porridge dessert typically topped with fruit jam
      CitronfromageLemon mousse dessert typically topped with whipped cream
      FrugtsalatSalad mixed with various fruits, nuts, chocolate, and marzipan, then topped with vanilla custard
      15 more rows

      Which is a real dessert served at the Christmas feast? ›

      Traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables. Other types of poultry, roast beef, or ham, are also used. Pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are staples for dessert.

      What are the traditional Christmas games in Denmark? ›

      Christmas games

      But the Danes have a brilliant game called pakkeleg. Everyone brings a present, puts it in the middle of the table, then rolls a dice. If you roll a six you can select a gift. This continues around the table until all gifts are taken.

      What is Copenhagen traditional Christmas dinner? ›

      Danish Christmas is tied to traditions, and for many, the Christmas menu is probably synonymous with roasted duck, caramelised potatoes and Risalamande.

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