When I was a teenager, I visited Solvang California while on vacation with my family. We ate Aebleskivers at a restaurant there and we haven’t been able to stop eating them since. They have become a Holiday or special occasion breakfast tradition. They take a little practice to learn to make properly and in my previous omnivore life, I was quite the little aebleskiver maker.
Sadly, when I went plant-based, I thought that I would never eat another aebleskiver again. They rely on white flour, egg whites beaten stiff, melted butter and buttermilk for their fluffy tenderness. I thought they couldn’t be veganized. Thankfully, I thought wrong.
That darling restaurant in Solvang gave my mom their aebleskiver recipe. I’m terribly sorry that I don’t know how to give them proper credit, It’s been too many years and a Google search reveals there are many little such restaurants in Solvang. I have a copy of it in my heavily abused used family cookbook, it just needed a little big modification 
Note to self: these are a special treat, and because they use oil and earth balance, remember not to make them every day or Dr. Esselstyn won’t be your friend anymore.
Vegan Aebleskivers
- 2 C. plain soymilk + 4 T. lemon juice, mixed and set aside (vegan buttermilk)
- 2 C. whole wheat pastry flour OR 2 C. gluten free flour + 1/2 t. xanthan gum
- 1 T. Ener-G egg replacer
- 2 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 2 T. pure maple syrup
- 4 T. Earth Balance natural buttery spread, melted
- 1 T. vanilla
- neutral vegetable oil of your choice for aebleskiver pan (I used safflower)
Method: preheat aebleskiver pan over medium heat before mixing all ingredients, if it’s not hot, your aebleskivers will be a disaster. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with a wire whisk (including the egg replacer, you do not need to mix it with water first). Add the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Put 1/2 t. vegetable oil in the bottom of each aebleskiver pan cup. Pour 2 T. (I use an 1/8 cup measuring cup) of batter into each cup.
After about 30-60 seconds, Turn the aebleskiver halfway out of the cup using a knitting needle, crochet hook or chopstick. The batter will pour out of the cooked portion and start to form a ball.
Cook 30-60 more seconds and turn another quarter turn. Cook 30-60 more seconds.
The final turn should have the cooked side facing entirely out and the batter forming the last bit of the ball in the bottom of the cup.
Place cooked aebleskivers in a warm oven to keep them crisp while cooking the next batch, you will need to add more oil to each cup in between batches to keep the batter from sticking. Split open and serve hot with a dab of earth balance (if you must) strawberry freezer jam and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Laugh at guests who ask for maple syrup.
Vedged Out 
Can I say I had never heard of this fab treat before??
Oh girl, get on Amazon now and order the pan, the link is where it says aebleskiver pan. You will die!!! (p.s. I can email you the original recipe if you want)
What a cool pan! Looks awesome…
Thanks! My hubby bought it for me for Christmas one year. Seriously made me have tears streaming down my face I love these babies so much! Most thoughtful gift ever! 🙂
This is good news cuz I gave up on these babies, too! I have the pan and everything. Definitely a big treat – and so adorable!
Hard to resist when mini AJ asks for them for a special breakfast. They’re her favorite. Okay, mine too 😉
I’ve seen them before, but never tried them. They look delicious. Congrats on finding a way to enjoy a favourite treat again! You certainly don’t make switching to vegan sound like it is in any way a deprivation of things you used to eat.
They are seriously incredible. They take a bit of time to make, so it’s certainly not something you want to make on a rushed morning. We usually have them for breakfast on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Birthdays.
And no, I’m not feeling deprived now 😉 though I admit the learning curve was rough in the beginning. I was all about meat, potatoes and full fat dairy.
Wow! Those look dangerously tasty 🙂 Never heard of them before, is that weird? Love the veganization, and they hardly look inferior to the real version – YUM! 🙂
Thanks Shira! Aebleskivers are incredible- they originated in Denmark. The town of Solvang was settled by the Danes which is why there are so many quaint restaurants there that serve them. And I reckon this version is every bit as tasty as the original 😉 xx
I don’t doubt it – they look insane!! 🙂 XO
🙂
Well… I, like Shira, have never heard of these… they look great though. I like learning about new things, so thanks, Somer!
Somebody needs an Aebleskiver pan for Christmas, best to start dropping hints now to the loved ones! 😉 Let me know if you’d like the original recipe, I can email it to you.
Haha! You can if you like – I’ll check it out at the very least 😀
It’s nothing fancy, but it is delicious…. I’ll email it later. I’ve never dared adulterate the recipe beyond veganizing it, but I suppose they are similar enough to pancakes that you could do any number of things to them.
Umm… yum! I’ve never seen or heard of these before, nor seen a pan like that. Is it cast iron? I think this looks like a perfect holiday breakfast treat, as you wrote in someone’s comment reply – not for every day, but a great indulgence. Do you use the pan for anything else?
The pan is cast iron, you can get other types of aebleskiver pans, but I wouldn’t recommend them. My parents have multiple ones and the cast iron ones are just the best. I did try making round little round omelets in the pan once before I went vegan, they were good, but not good enough for a repeat in my kitchen.
i think we all need a little indulgence of extra earth balance once in a while 😉 these aebleskivers look perfect. thanks for the step pictures, i used to think it was too difficult to make them with just the description of a recipe i read long time back:)
thanks for the vvp blogroll:) i missed out a bunch of posts during the bday week.
and you are the winner of the iron chef in my book! xo:)
Thanks Richa! Next time I’ll only do the chopped ones where they actually have a competition 😉
I thought step by step photos would be handy, aebleskivers are slightly tricky.
Let me know if you have any more questions, I was a little nervous at the last potluck 😉 xx
I never heard abou aebleskvwmfknders before but they look amaaaaaaazing! reminds of a special mini-mini-pancake from the netherlands: poffertjes! Those were great…. What did I want to say?
Oh yes. These aebleskivers look divine and I really like your cheese-recipes. I will try them soon. Greetings from Germany 🙂
Wow, thanks for commenting from Germany 😉
I think these are similar to the poffertjes and it’s probably regional food. So yummy! Have fun with the cheez recipes. I adore making vegan cheez!
This is such a great idea! I live near Solvang, and everyone always asks if I tried the Aebleskivers while there, but of course, I haven’t since they are not vegan. I’m excited to try this out on a special occasion 🙂 Thanks!
Oh Martie, this comment made my day. Solvang is so darling! Now you can have vegan aebleskivers my dear. Enjoy! xx
Wow those look crazy good!! I’m so impressed right now 🙂
Thanks Gabby! They are super delicious!
I, like everybody else, have never heard of these. But they sure look scrumptious! I’d love to sink my teeth into them!!! Crispy and airy looking! They kind of remind me of donut holes!
Oh my goodness, I can’t believe so many are in the dark without ever experiencing this deliciousness 😉 They are much fluffier than donut holes and probably 2 to 3 times the size 🙂
Oh. My. Goodness.
Glad I caught your attention 😉 xx
These are so cute 🙂 loved the recipe!
Thank you! They are adorable!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I lived in Denmark for a year, where these are everyone’s favorite Christmas treat, and I have missed them so much. Glad to have a healthier/less-buttery recipe for them!
Yes! This is the kind of thing I like to hear! Hope you enjoy these as much as the original! xx
I just keep seeing profiteroles with chocolate sauce dripping down the side as I look at your pic! I have that pan on my wishlist so hopefully will get it soon and try these!
Chocolate sauce would rock with these, GET THE PAN NOW so you’ll have it in time for the holidays! xx
WOAH! We definitely don’t have THESE in Australia, Somer, and we definitely need to!! Maybe stuffed with vegan nutella just to be all insanely decadent about it. 🙂
I can’t believe they even have their own pan (so cute!), and they have to be the most fun brunch item to pronounce EVER! (and is it weird that I find myself talking in a different voice as I’m repeatedly pronouncing it???)
Sparkles! You are too cute! I actually saw something similar at the Eumundi Markets in Queensland last summer when we were there, they were even selling the pans! I think they called them something else though. I was freaking out! Oh, vegan nutella is definitely something I have stuffed in these. You and I think alike girl! xx
Wow! I haven’t seen these since I was a little girl! I couldn’t remember what they were called but we used to eat them and they were so delicious! I saw a pan the other day at Harmon’s but I passed it by because I didn’t think I would ever make them vegan. BUT now I can!!! You’re a genius!
Oh! I’m so glad that I helped you remember! Buy that pan at Harmon’s! You won’t regret it!
HOW COOL! I’m from Denmark and we get these all the time at Christmas. Looking forward to trying your vegan version this christmas 🙂
Oh yeah! I hope you like them and that they remind you enough of the original! xx
How have I never had these before? Or even heard of them? This looks like one dangerous dessert- how do you not eat all of them?
Isn’t Solvang lovely? They have a miniature horse sanctuary and I swear, there is nothing cuter than a baby miniature horse. Except, like, puppies and baby pigs and cows. You know. 😉
Oh girl, you are totally missing out! Get thee an aebleskiver pan! Oh, I need to go back to Solvang now!
I think you should come to my house for a sleepover and make these for me – I can totally see a disaster and tears in my kitchen if I attempted this recipe on my own….all that flipping and batter and butter= a disaster, so really you should come and visit me 🙂
Ok, you make dinner, I’ll make breakfast…
I am crying Somer – they look absolutely AMAZING – just like the once my grandmother made for me when I was little! I am amazed that they are vegan!
Love it!
XXX
Hi Somer. Can you believe it? I’m actually back due to the pileup of posts in my inbox. Getting to them all bit by bit. These arena must-try.
I have veganized my MeeMaw’s pancake recipe. (My dad was not pleased.). My kids agree — the changes improved on her recipe. I’m working now on compiling our veganized go-to’s. it was some work over the last few months, but we’re all settled into our more compassionate (and healthy!) lifestyle.
I’m Danish and I just realized I didn’t have these at all this Christmas! And now all I can think about after seeing your photos are eating æbleskiver:)
There is a youtube of the Solvang restaurant making ableskiVer. It’s good.
Oh, these look YUMMY! Love stuff like this because I don’t eat baked treats much anymore. Love my g-f pancakes, though, but these look fantastic. Thanks again, Somer!
Keep your eye out in yard sales… we’ve found a number of Aebleskiver pans in yard sales over the years. Often people have no idea what they are but they were handed down through a relative. I’m very happy to see the vegan recipe!
Great idea!
I am so delighted to have discovered this recipe! I have the cast iron pan and it’s been our tradition to have these for breakfast for the holidays. Went I moved to a plant based diet I thought we’d never get to enjoy these again. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Tami! That’s wonderful! It’s been so fun getting to know you on Instagram! Xo
Is that 1T of vanilla extract? Seems like a lot of vanilla extract, I just want to make sure. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe though.
Yes, a tablespoon is the correct amount.
Thanks for this great recipe. I have a cast iron pan given to me by my Danish mother in law many years ago. I haven’t used it since going vegan but a really looking forward to trying this recipe.
Thank you so much for this incredible recipe!!! This was my first time making them and they were delicious. To go along with it we made an apple filling, they were even better than pancakes 🙂 We used a mixture of wheat and white all purpose flour which worked out well.
Wonderful!