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Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake – German Torn Pancakes
by: Gerhild Fulson / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.
Published: August 23, 2012, Updated: April 16, 2025
Kaiserschmarrn, or “Emperor’s Mess,” is a fluffy, caramelized pancake that’s torn into pieces and served with a dusting of sugar. It may look messy, but it tastes royally good!
Kaiserschmarrn, aka, torn Pancake, is a wonderful treat! Light, fluffy, and delicious. Try making this recipe Just like Oma!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.
Oma's Recipe Rundown
- Ease of Making: Moderate - requires separating and whipping egg whites, but the process is straightforward and fun, especially when tearing the pancake into pieces.
- Taste: Light, fluffy, and slightly sweet with a hint of caramelization, perfect with a dusting of powdered sugar and a side of fruit compote.
- Top Tip: For extra fluffiness, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter without overmixing to maintain the airy texture.
- Gluten-Free: Yes, if you substitute with a gluten-free flour blend. Ensure all other ingredients are gluten-free as well.
Top Tips For The Best Results
- Whip Egg Whites to Stiff Peaks: Ensure egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks to achieve the characteristic fluffiness of kaiserschmarrn.
- Use a Cast Iron Skillet: A well-seasoned cast iron skillet distributes heat evenly, helping to achieve a golden-brown crust.
- Caramelize with Butter and Sugar: After tearing the pancake, return it to the pan with a bit of butter and sugar to caramelize the edges for added flavor and texture.
- Serve Immediately: Kaiserschmarrn is best enjoyed fresh and warm; serve it straight from the pan with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and your favorite fruit compote
More Schmarrn
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.
- 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, now 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!
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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 for Crostedi. 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 the German 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.
Oma's Kaiserschmarrn: Austrian Pancake – German Torn Pancakes
Kaiserschmarrn, or “Emperor’s Mess,” is a fluffy, caramelized pancake torn into pieces and dusted with sugar—a royally delicious treat!
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Total Time:
30 minutes
Servings:
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs, separated
- ¾ cup (98 grams) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (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:
- In a large bowl, mix together egg yolks, flour, milk, salt, baking powder and sugar till well mixed. Let batter stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the stiff egg whites into batter.
- Gently fold in raisins.
- 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.
- Flip pancake, adding 2 tablespoons of butter, and continue to cook on other side until browned.
- Using two forks, tear pancake into bite-size pieces and continue cooking briefly.
- 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
Recipe updated April 16, 2025
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Comments? Questions?
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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.
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