Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes (2024)

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Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes (1)

by: Gerhild Fulson / Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

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Kaiserschmarrn, aka Torn or Scrambled Pancakes, are among those homemade pancake recipes that will remind you of Oma's kitchen. This is actually an Austrian dessert, but it's become a traditional German pancake dish. Many serve it as a dessert, while many also enjoy it for Sunday brunch.

It isn't hard to find Kaiserschmarrn around Germany, especially in Bavaria where it is most popular. Look for it particularly at the outdoor vendors during Oktoberfest, but you'll also find it served in restaurants.

Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes (4)

Above are the Kaiserschmarrn my granddaughter, Lydia, made as she was staying over for a sleepover ... many, many years ago. We had so much fun making these. Watching her creatively decorate them with fresh fruit and teaching her how to dust them with powdered sugar (using a sieve) was almost as much fun as we had devouring them. Precious memories.

More Schmarrn ...

  • There's one made with bread called "Semmelschmarrn"
  • One made with Cream of Wheat called "Grießschmarrn"
  • Being German, of course there's one made with potatoes called "Kartoffelschmarrn"

All these Schmarrn are true comfort food! So perfect for imperfect times, such as these.

Kaiserschmarrn Fun Facts

Schmarrn is a 16th century German word meaning "to smear" or "to pain". Now-a-days, it means "rubbish". It's difficult to figure out the connection of those meanings with this delectable treat! And "Kaiser" means "emperor". So, the name Kaiserschmarrn means, "Emperor's _?_ ". :)

Kaiserschmarrn first made an appearance during the time just before the 20th century. Another name for this is The dessert of the Emperor. It is also called Emperor’s Mess! I guess one could say it looks like a mess with all those small pieces of pancakes. But, such a delicious mess!

It seems we have a great imperial chef to thank for inventing such a spectacular treat! It was first made and served to the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I. I'll bet his royal chef had no idea this sweet fluffy pancake would become such a hit across his country, and then the world!

Need that “all’s good with the world” feeling? Comfort food will do that. Get your copy of Oma's German favorites in herComfort Foods e-Cookbook.

Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes (5)

Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

How I discovered Kaiserschmarrn

Since my Mutti was from northern Germany, this dish was unknown to us. Several years ago, one of our readers, Roger, was looking for a recipe forCrostedi. I was finally able to track it down as Kratzeti which is the Austrian name for these pancakes.

Lydia Remembers...

I have so many Wunderbar memories in the kitchen with my Oma, and have had MANY of her most popular and traditional recipes, like this kaiserschmarrn!

Kaiserschmarrn has by far become one of my favorite recipes I've made with Oma, and is one that I certainly don't make enough.

I remember making this recipe for the first time with Oma at one of our sleepovers, and my favorite part was getting to tear it up, of course. There aren't many recipes where you get to rip it apart into smaller pieces after you make it. It's always, "Don't play with your food, Lydia.".... Well, that's the best part about kaiserschmarrn!

Seeing as I'm not much of a morning person, it's got to be a pretty Wunderbar recipe for me to want to cook so early. ;) This recipe is sooo worth it! Between this one and theGerman apple pancake,even the not so early-birds will love this breakfast recipe! But the great thing about kaiserschmarrn is that it can be served anytime! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner! I've certainly had it for all three.

Dusted with a little confectioners' sugar on top of the kaiserschmarrn and my favorite fruits on the side...YUM! You can serve it with whichever fruit you'd like! Or try it with syrup, even whipped cream, and make it a dessert!

With a recipe so versatile, there are no rights and wrongs, just have fun!

Learn a little bit about me,Lydia, and my kitchen adventures with Oma!

What to serve with Kaiserschmarrn

The traditional side for this is a plum compote. Alternatively, baked plums or plum jam would be delicious. Apple sauce is also often served with this or a side of fruit compote.

I think a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be awesome as well, after all, this isn't just a regular pancake.

Ready to make Kaiserschmarrn?

Is the recipe below locked?Here'swhy.

Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes (7)

Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes

Kaiserschmarrn, aka Torn or Scrambled Pancakes, are among those homemade pancakes recipes that will remind you of Oma's kitchen. Served at breakfast, lunch, or a light supper, you'll find it a reminder of Oma's kitchen. Yummy, yummy!

This is real traditional German pancake dish that actually stems from Austria, but ... shhhh ... we won't tell.

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

30 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • ¾cup (98 grams) all purpose flour
  • ½cup (120 milliliter) milk
  • pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons (26 grams) granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces (113 grams) raisins
  • 4 tablespoons(56 grams) butter, divided
  • powdered sugar to sprinkle over pancakes

Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix together egg yolks, flour, milk, salt, baking powder and sugar till well mixed. Let batter stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
  3. Gently fold the stiff egg whites into batter.
  4. Gently fold in raisins.
  5. In a large frying pan, melt 2 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Pour in the pancake batter into the hot pan and fry until golden brown on the bottom.
  6. Flip pancake, adding 2 tablespoons of butter, and continue to cook on other side until browned.
  7. Using two forks, tear pancake into bite-size pieces and continue cooking briefly.
  8. Serve, dusted with powdered sugar. Tastes great served with fruit or fruit sauce.

Notes/Hints:

  • You can omit the raisins
  • Or, you can soak those raisins in rum first, then add the drained raisins to the batter.
  • Add 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, if desired
  • Another perfect "pancake" dish for breakfast, lunch, buffets and supper is the German apple pancake that's made in the oven. So goood as well!

* * * * *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

10.07.2021 revision update

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Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes (19)

Kaiserschmarrn - German Pancake Recipe made Just like Oma

By Oma Gerhild Fulson
Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn Pancakes (20)
Kaiserschmarrn are among those homemade pancake recipes that will remind you of Oma's kitchen. A traditional Austrian & German light and fluffy shredded pancake.

Ingredients: eggs,all-purpose flour,baking powder,milk,salt,sugar,raisins,butter,powdered sugar,

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

Words to the Wise

"Don't waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice."

Proverbs 23:9 (NLT)

Top of Kaiserschmarrn

Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake Recipe – German Torn 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.

Do you cook Kaiserschmarrn in the oven or pan? ›

You can prepare Kaiserschmarrn in the oven as well. Use a skillet or oven-proof pan. In that case, cook the Kaiserschmarrn in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes at 180 °C / 350 °F. Using a spatula or a fork tear the pancake into bite-sized pieces and finish the recipe on the stove.

Why do you put cream of tartar in pancakes? ›

Without cream of tartar, the meringue wouldn't be as strong, which may result in pancakes that aren't as tall and fluffy as they could be,” she mentions. “Or you'd have a batter that weeps or begins to separate while it waits for its turn on the griddle.”

What does Kaiserschmarrn mean in English? ›

What is Kaiserschmarrn? Kaiserschmarrn is best described as scrambled sweet pancakes. The name is a compound of the German words Kaiser which means Emporer and Schmarrn which can be translated as “a scrambled dish”.

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 Kaiserschmarrn served with? ›

Serve with a plum or berry ragout, or fruit compote. The Kaiserschmarren can also be cooked at the top of the oven and caramelised at the end with a lid to cover.

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.

Why are my German pancakes not fluffy? ›

Why Didn't My Dutch Baby Puff Up? Like popovers and Yorkshire pudding, the thing that gives Dutch babies their signature puff is steam. In order for that steam to work the pancake into its signature peaks and valleys, you need two things: enough air in a well-developed batter and a piping-hot pan and oven.

Why don't my German pancakes puff up? ›

If the pan isn't hot enough then the liquid does not heat up and create the steam quickly enough and so the flour will cook through and set before the pancake can rise. We suggest that you give the oven and skillet plenty of time to heat up thoroughly before adding the batter.

What is the difference between German and Dutch pancakes? ›

A dutch baby pancake is sometimes referred to as a puff pancake, a dutch puff, or a German pancake. It is essentially a large popover or Yorkshire pudding with a custardy base and crisp tall edges. It is typically served for breakfast.

Does milk instead of water make pancakes better? ›

1. Use Milk/ Alternative Milk Instead Of Water. Even though the mix may call for water, you can easily substitute that for an alternative milk (I like oat milk). You may have to add a dash more due to the difference in consistency, but it'll taste so much better!

Do pancakes taste better with milk instead of water? ›

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 happens if I use baking soda instead of baking powder in pancakes? ›

However, if you're in a pinch, the substitution is one teaspoon baking soda equals three teaspoons baking powder. Baking soda is also much stronger than baking powder and, by trying to provide enough leavening, you may wind up with an unpleasant metallic, salty taste in the final baked product.

What is Japanese pancake made of? ›

Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese style pancake that is made with a batter, shredded cabbage, other fresh grated/sliced vegetables and often some type of meat/seafood (batters and fillings vary between the different regions of Japan).

What is a Dutch baby pancake made of? ›

Eggs and milk: This light and fluffy Dutch baby recipe starts with two eggs whisked with milk. Flour: All-purpose flour lends structure and helps hold the batter together. Seasonings: These sweet Dutch babies are flavored with nutmeg and a pinch of salt.

What are Chinese pancakes made of? ›

Ingredients
  • Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Nicotinamide, Thiamine),
  • Water,
  • Rapeseed Oil,
  • Potato Starch,

References

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