These Nutella ebelskivers put a deliciously chocolatey spin on classic Danish Pancakes! The light and fluffy pancake balls are filled with chocolate hazelnut spread, and they're about to be your new favorite breakfast indulgence!
I'm just going to come right out and say it: if you love pancakes but you've never made ebelskivers, you're doing it wrong. Ebelskivers are the breakfast treat you never knew you needed. Once you try them, you'll wonder where they've been all your life.
Jump to:
What Are Ebelskivers?
What exactly are ebelskivers, you ask? Ebelskivers (or æbleskivers, as they're called in their native Denmark) are small pancake balls made from a light and airy pancake batter. Basically, imagine that a pancake and a donut hole had a baby, and that's an ebelskiver!
They're delicious served plain, just dusted with a bit of confectioners' sugar, but they're best when stuffed with flavorful fillings like fruit jam or nut butter. My all-time favorite filling: Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread. Yes, I know Nutella isn't a traditional choice of filling ("æble" means apple in Danish, and æbleskivers are typically filled with apple slices in Denmark), but don't come at me!
But wait... aren't Danish pancakes a lot like French crêpes? There's another popular type of pancake in Denmark, called "pandekager", that is a thin, crêpe-like pancake that's rolled or folded with fillings inside. Us Americans refer to both elebskivers and pandekagers as "Danish pancakes", so it can be confusing!
I tried ebelskivers for the first time at a holiday brunch with my Danish host family while I spending a semester studying abroad in Copenhagen during college, and I instantly fell in love.
These nutella ebelskivers are one of my favorite breakfast indulgences, with their light and airy exterior and rich, luscious filling. They're made from a simple pancake batter, which includes whipped egg whites in order to achieve the ebelskivers' light, fluffy texture. Fresh out of the pan they'll have a perfectly golden crust and a gooey, chocolatey-hazelnut center that's simply to die for!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Eggs - Egg yolks and whites are added to the recipe separately, with the yolks being whisked together with the other wet ingredients and the whites being beaten and then folded into the batter.
Whole Milk - Milk adds moisture and richness to the pancake batter. I have not tested this recipe with non-dairy milk.
Nutella - I chose to fill these pancake balls with the popular chocolate hazelnut spread, but you can fill them with whatever you like. Check out some of my other filling suggestions further down in this post.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- An electric hand mixer, for beating the egg whites for the pancake batter.
- An ebelskiver pan, for cooking the pancakes. Yes, this is definitely a niche piece of kitchen equipment, but it's absolutely worth it if you enjoy cooking breakfast. I love and recommend my Nordic Ware ebelskiver pan!
- Wooden skewers, for turning the pancakes as they cook.
- Tongs, for removing the pancakes from the pan.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.
Step 1: Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Whisk the egg yolks until lightly fluffy. Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Step 3: Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon until blended. The batter will be slightly lumpy.
Step 4: Beat the egg whites using an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Step 5: Add a third of the beaten egg whites to the batter and stir gently to combine. Then add the remaining beaten egg whites and fold in just until combined.
Step 6: Heat the pan on the stove over medium heat. Brush a bit of melted butter into each of the holes. Spoon a heaping Tablespoon of batter into each hole. Working quickly, spoon about 1 teaspoon of Nutella on top of the batter.
Step 7: Top with another Tablespoon of batter. Cook the ebelskivers until the bottoms become golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Step 8: Using wooden skewers, gently turn each ebelskiver over by pushing down on one side of the pancake with one skewer and using the other skewer to turn the pancake over. Cook them for an additional 3-4 minutes. Use tongs to remove the pancakes from the pan.
Step 9: Dust the ebelskivers with confectioners' sugar and serve hot.
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review on the recipe below! And don't forget to subscribe to Always Eat Dessert for even more easy dessert recipes and helpful baking tips.
Recipe
Nutella Ebelskivers
Special Equipment
- 2 Wooden skewers
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs (yolks and whites separated)
- 1 cup (227 grams) whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter melted (plus more for cooking)
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (150 grams) Nutella
- confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) baking powder, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) fine sea salt
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks until lightly fluffy.2 large eggs
- Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla and whisk to combine.1 cup (227 grams) whole milk, 2 Tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
- Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently with a wooden spoon until blended. The batter will be slightly lumpy.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites using an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.2 large eggs
- Add a third of the beaten egg whites to the batter and fold in to combine. Then add the remaining beaten egg whites and fold in just until combined.
- Brush a bit of melted butter into each of the wells of your ebelskiver pan. Heat the pan on the stove over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, the pan is ready to cook the ebelskivers.
- Spoon a heaping Tablespoon of batter into each well. Working quickly, spoon about 1 teaspoon of Nutella on top of the batter in each well, and then top each with another Tablespoon of batter. Cook the ebelskivers until the bottoms become golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.½ cup (150 grams) Nutella
- Using wooden skewers, gently turn each ebelskiver over by pushing down on one side of the pancake with one skewer and using the other skewer to turn the pancake over. Cook them for an additional 3-4 minutes until both sides are golden brown. Use tongs to remove the pancakes from the pan.
- Add more butter to the pan and cook the remaining pancake batter using the same method.
- Once cooked, dust the ebelskivers with confectioners' sugar and serve hot.
Video
Notes
More Ebelskiver Filling Ideas
Get creative and go sweet or savory with your ebelskiver fillings! Here are some ideas:
- Chopped apple with cinnamon
- Blueberries
- Sliced strawberries
- Fruit jam
- Peanut butter
- Chocolate chips
- Cinnamon sugar
- Sliced bananas
- Bacon bits
- Cheese
- Herbs
Allison's Top Tips
Be sure to butter the holes of the pan well before adding the batter. The butter helps to ensure that the batter doesn't stick to the pan, and it adds a delicious, golden crispness to the outside of the pancakes.
Just like with traditional pancakes, you'll know that the ebelskivers are ready to be flipped when the bubbles on the top of each pancake begin to pop.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: Ebelskivers, once cooled, can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Briefly reheat the pancakes in the oven (for a crispier pancake) or the microwave (for a softer pancake) before enjoying.
Refrigerator: If you've filled the ebelskivers with something other than Nutella that requires refrigeration, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Comments
No Comments