Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Torn-Up Pancakes) (2024)

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We Love Kaiserschmarrn And This Pancake “Mess” Is Very Easy To Make!

Looking for a dessert that is easy to make and where it definitely doesn’t matter if you mess it up? Try Kaiserschmarrn (sometimes also written as Kaiserschmarren)!

This “messy pancake” is a delicious dessert – made from a sweet batter – that has been popular for almost two centuries!

Served with powdered sugar and various fruit jams (compotes), it’s a classic Austrian dish you can find if you travel around Europe near the Alps. Given that it’s such a regional dish, it can be hard to find a Kaiserschmarrn recipe in English. Well, that’s where we come in!

Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Torn-Up Pancakes) (1)

That said, Kaiserschmarrn has a great back story – in fact, it has many versions. What is agreed upon is the fact that it got its name from being a favorite dish of AustrianEmperor Francis JosephI.

The name Kaiserschmarrn is made up of two words. “Kaiser” means Emperor and “Schmarren” is a loose, colloquial term to mean “mess” in the south of Germany and Austria.

How the Emperor got to tasting Kaiserschmarrn for the first time is up for debate: from having a wife looking to lose weight to having a nervous farmer cook it up for lunch when the Emperor stopped by. Whatever the story, the broken apart pancake is delicious!

Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Torn-Up Pancakes) (2)

Kaiserschmarrn is a dessert that is close to our hearts, too. Lisa grew up eating Kaiserschmarrn because even though it is Austrian, it is also popular in Bavaria in the south of Germany (where she grew up).

She often made it when she was a kid old enough to use a stove – but she left out the rum raisins!

Eric’s first interaction with Kaiserschmarrn was in Vienna at an authentic Viennese restaurant a few years back. Let’s just say that eating Kaiserschmarrn in the Austrian capital (complete with plum compote) was an unforgettable experience.

Honestly, Eric still raves about how that dessert was one of the best he has ever tasted. Yeah, it was that good.

Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Torn-Up Pancakes) (3)

To whip together your own broken pancake, just follow the recipe below. It is very easy to do and is perfect for those cooks just starting out who maybe haven’t honed their skills yet!

The original recipe includes rum-soaked raisins but they can be left out or substituted for other kinds of dried fruit.

As for the toppings, a hearty dusting of powdered sugar is a must when it comes to Kaiserschmarrn. It is also often served with a fruit compote (which is slightly different from jam – but jam also tastes great if you don’t have any compote).

It was originally done with plum compote but apple sauce also works very well with the eggy, doughy, sweet pancake! We hope you enjoy this recipe – have fun making a mess of things!

Related Recipes

If you liked Kaiserschmarrn, there are other great Austrian desserts or (or just desserts that are pancakes) that you may like!

  • Apple Pancakes – These German pancakes are sweet, thick, and fluffy!
  • Mohnnudeln – Austrian potato noodles covered in poppy seeds and sugar
  • Apple Strudel – A classic Viennese dessert that goes great with vanilla sauce

Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Torn-Up Pancakes) (4)

Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian Pancakes)

Sweet and doughy, Kaiserschmarrn (literally "Emperor's Mess") is a delicious Austrian dessert that is so easy to prepare. Made from eggs, flour, milk, and sugar, this messy looking pancake is best served with a sweet plum jam, apple sauce, or just powdered sugar!

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup raisins, optional
  • 2 tablespoons rum or water, if using raisins
  • 4 medium-sized eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • powdered sugar and/or plum jam, to garnish

Instructions

  • If you want to include raisins into your recipe, soak them for around 15-30 minutes in 2 tablespoons of rum. If you don’t like rum and/or are sharing this meal with kids, just use water instead.

  • Separate the eggs – egg yolks into a large mixing bowl and egg whites into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Make sure that no egg yolk gets into the egg whites as this would make it harder to beat the egg whites in the next step.

  • Beat the egg whites in their bowl for a few minutes until stiff. When tilting the bowl, the egg whites should barely move/slide. Another way to test that the egg whites are stiff enough is to raise your beaters. If the egg whites create a little "mountain" in the bowl, your egg whites are stiff enough.

  • In the bowl with the egg yolks, add sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat with your electric mixer until the batter is smooth.

  • Add in the milk and the flour interchangeably into the egg yolk mixture in small increments while beating the batter on the lowest setting.

  • Set your electric mixer aside and carefully fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a spatula. Also add the raisins (optional).

  • Heat butter in a large frying pan and pour the batter in. If you have a smaller pan, you might want to fry the batter in two batches. We usually use a pan with a 10-inch diameter and prefer to fry it in two intervals as it makes it easier to flip and rip. Fry the pancake on low-medium heat for around 5 minutes until the bottom is slightly golden brown.

  • Break/rip your pancake into a couple of big pieces with a spatula and flip. The top of the pancake might still be uncooked which is fine – it will cook quickly once flipped. After flipping the pancake wait for around 2 minutes for it to cook lightly, then start ripping the pancake into even smaller pieces. Keep moving the pieces until everything is golden brown and fully cooked through.

  • Plate your pieces and serve your pancake with powdered sugar, plum jam, or apple sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 188mg | Sodium: 191mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 54g

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Austrian

Author Recipes From Europe

Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe (Austrian Torn-Up Pancakes) (2024)

FAQs

What does Kaiserschmarrn mean in English? ›

masculine noun , Kaiserschmarrn masculine noun. (Aus) sugared, cut-up pancake with raisins.

What was the Franz Joseph dessert? ›

Kaiserschmarren is prepared from pancake dough and – besides the Sacher Cake – one of the most popular sweets of the Viennese cuisine. Enjoy this imperial Viennese delicacy! One of the many legends about the origin of Kaiserschmarren says that Emperor Franz Joseph I liked to have Palatschinken (pancakes) for dessert.

What is a fun fact about Kaiserschmarrn? ›

The name means “imperial mess” in German. The story goes that a frazzled farmer created the dish in a tizzy when Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife showed up hungry at his home. As a last-ditch attempt to save face, the farmer shredded his disastrous pancake and topped it with sugar and marmalade.

What is Kaiserschmarrn served with? ›

The pancake is shredded using two forks during frying and usually sprinkled with powdered sugar, then served hot with apple or plum sauce or various fruit compotes, including plum, lingonberry, strawberry, or apple.

What is the Austrian word for pancake? ›

Palatschinken are the Austrian version of pancakes or what the French would refer to as crêpes. They can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, whether with butter and maple syrup, filled with your choice of sweet or savoury fillings, or chopped up and added to soup.

What was Emperor Franz Joseph favorite food? ›

Tafelspitz & Tradition Imperial Tradition

Emperor Franz Joseph made boiled beef hugely popular when he declared that it was his favourite meal.

What is the most famous German dessert? ›

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is Germany's most famous dessert. It's also known as Black Forrest Cake. What do German people eat for dessert?

What did the Habsburgs eat? ›

A typical banquet used to include several delicacies such as young pigeons served in black sauce with chocolate, quails, turkeys, pig loins, veal liver or hare pâté. Also rabbits with capers and stuffed goat were very much appreciated, as well as meat coming from their favourite sport: hunting.

What were pancakes invented for? ›

Pancakes were also associated with the Christian Lent. It was a way for people to use up their eggs, fats, and other ingredients that they weren't permitted to eat during the time of Lent. Pancakes eventually made their way to America.

What are 3 random facts about pancakes? ›

Here are Ten Fun Facts about Pancakes:

It was invented in 1889 in St. Joseph, Missouri. ​It is common in France to touch the handle of the frying pan and to make a wish while the pancake is turned, holding a coin in one hand. ​The first pancake recipe appeared in an English cookbook in the fifteenth century.

What are some fun facts about Swedish pancakes? ›

Swedish pancakes are very thin, more similar to a French crêpes than a fluffy American pancake. They have a spongy texture and are not naturally very sweet, which is why they are topped with whipped cream and jam! Strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, or cloudberry jams might be served, but my favorite is strawberry.

What is the national dessert of Austria? ›

Kaiserschmarrn is a sort of pancake which is then broken into smaller pieces before serving, and it originated during the Austrian-Hungarian Empire period, and it was said to be the favorite of the kaiser Franz Josef I.

Which country is Kaiserschmarrn from? ›

The chopped pancakes are a long-term favourite in Austria. While the Austro-Hungarian monarchy may have united any number of peoples under its emblem of the two eagles, when it came to his choice of meals Emperor Franz Joseph proved very loyal to his native country and region.

What is the Irish word for pancake? ›

pancake1, s. 1 Cu: Pancóg f. Pancake day, Máirt f Inide.

What is the Dutch word pancake? ›

Literally translated “pannenkoek” is the Dutch word for pancake.

What do Spanish people call pancakes? ›

Meaning of "Pancakes" in Spanish

In Spanish, "tortitas" or "panqueques" refers to the same delicious breakfast food loved by many. They are round, flat cakes made from batter, typically consisting of flour, eggs, milk, and baking powder.

What is the meaning of French pancake? ›

For starters, some of you may say that a French pancake is a crêpe but not at all. In the great tales of Captain Baker, it is said that the French pancake is actually a mix from the sweetness of crêpes and the cakey texture of pancakes (a wise man would say it's the best of both worlds).

References

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