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 is Kaiserschmarrn made of? ›

Kaiserschmarren is a light, caramelized pancake made from a sweet batter using flour, eggs, sugar, salt, and milk, fried in butter.

What is the Franz Josef dessert? ›

In his honor, it was improved with milk, raisins and eggs. So the traditional Holzfällerschmarrn became the fine Kaiserschmarrn. Another legend says that the Emperor Franz Joseph I liked to have pastries for dessert, especially Palatschinken (an Austrian version of the French crêpe).

Why are my pancakes ripping? ›

If the batter is too thin, or you have used insufficient eggs then you may find that your pancakes break up easily.

What is the literal translation of 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.

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.

Does milk instead of water make pancakes better? ›

Can I Use Water Instead of Milk in Pancakes? Milk adds both flavor and texture to pancake batter, so if you are looking to make pancakes without milk, a simple swap to water doesn't always do the trick. For pancakes made without milk, you'll want to add some flavor through melted butter and vanilla extract.

What does adding more eggs to pancakes do? ›

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

Why is the first pancake always messed up? ›

The first is that heat hasn't yet evenly distributed across the surface of the pan when the first dollop of batter is added. The centre of the pan will invariably be hotter than the edges and there will be hot spots – especially with thin pans or with pans that are too big for the burner or hob.

Can dogs eat pancakes? ›

Pancakes are not good or healthy for dogs but as long as your dog doesn't have lactose or wheat intolerances and the pancakes are plain, your dog should be fine to eat them in moderation. Pancakes have limited nutritional value so your pooch should be getting all of their nutrients from a balanced dog diet.

What are German potato pancakes made of? ›

Beat eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl; stir in potatoes and onion. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of potato mixture into hot oil in batches. Press to flatten.

What is Japanese pancake made of? ›

The batter is made with flour, tempura scraps (tenkasu), grated yam (nagaimo or yamaimo), and eggs. It's then mixed with shredded cabbage and sometimes additional ingredients like shrimp and squid. A classic topping is pork belly slices, placed on top of the savory pancake while grilling.

What is a Dutch baby pancake made of? ›

The typical Dutch baby batter is made of eggs, flour, milk, and sugar. Or you could omit the sugar for savory Dutch baby pancakes. The batter gets poured into a preheated skillet or baking dish and then baked until it puffs up and becomes golden brown.

What is Swedish pancakes made of? ›

The batter for Swedish pancakes contains a higher ratio of milk, butter, and eggs to flour, resulting in something that's lighter and fluffier than crêpes. Swedish pancakes are also traditionally served with jam (lingonberry or strawberry) and whipped cream, although these days, anything goes.

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