Easy Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - Austrian Shredded Pancakes (2024)

Inside: My family’s favorite Kaiserschmarrn recipe. This easy recipe for Austrian-style shredded pancakes uses simple ingredients you already have on hand. Crunchy and caramelized on the outside, with a fluffy and custardy center.

We recently took our little one to Germany. My husband’s family is from Bavaria, so we spent some time in Munich and explored the nearby Austrian and Bavarian towns. It was so beautiful – basically like walking in a postcard. And the food was outstanding.

Some of our favorites included the meats and cheeses:

The sausages:

And of course, the pretzels:

But our favorite dish was Kaiserschmarrn.

While technically an Austrian dessert, it was on every breakfast buffet we came across and was prepared slightly differently at each stop.

Sometimes, the Kaiserschmarrn recipe included rum-soaked raisins. Sometimes prunes. Occasionally the Kaiserschmarrn recipe was served with applesauce or plum sauce, and sometimes with jam, but if we were VERY lucky, it was served with a vanilla sauce.

What remained the same however, was the way the pancake was cooked. Tiny bites of caramelized pancake, with a crunchy exterior and a fluffy custard-y inside. Scented with vanilla, and lightly sweetened, it tasted like heaven.

This Kaiserschmarrn recipe is our favorite version.

We usually serve with powdered sugar, blueberry jam, and fresh berries. Sometimes I go all out and make a nice Bavarian cream sauce, and other times I just take instant vanilla pudding and thin it out to make good ‘ol “American” cream sauce, lol.

To make my “cheater” vanilla sauce, I just take 1 tbsp of instant vanilla pudding and mix it with 4 tbsp of whole milk. Stir until it thickens and it’s totally divine drizzled over this easy to make Kaiserschmarrn recipe.

While this is a bit of decadent breakfast, some days, you just need a little of something extra good.

And when this little one asks me to make up a batch of Kaiserschmarrn, it’s hard to say no.

Easy Kaiserschmarrn Recipe – Austrian Shredded Pancakes

Easy Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - Austrian Shredded Pancakes (7)

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Easy Kaiserschmarrn Recipe

An easy recipe for Kaiserschmarrn, using simple ingredients. You'll love this caramelized fluffy Austrian-style shredded pancake.

CourseBreakfast

Prep Time 8 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 18 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 4largeeggs, separated
  • 2tbspbutter, melted
  • 1tspvanilla extract
  • pinchsalt
  • 2tbspgranulated sugar
  • 1 cupflour
  • 1cupwhole milk

To Caramelize

  • butter
  • granulated sugar

To Serve

  • powdered sugar
  • fresh berries, optional
  • jam, optional
  • vanilla sauce, optional

Instructions

  1. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Place egg whites into a bowl and using either a stand mixer or a handheld mixer with a wire whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. (About 2 minutes on high speed).

  2. Gently place whipped egg whites into a clean bowl and set aside. In the mixer bowl, add egg yolks, melted butter, vanilla, salt, and sugar. Mix together for about 3 minutes on medium speed.

  3. Turn off mixer, and add in the milk and flour and stir together to gently incorporate with your rubber spatula. This prevents flour from flying out all over your kitchen. Then, mix at medium speed until the batter is well incorporated. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.

  4. Once batter is mixed, top with egg whites and gently fold in. Do this slowly and softly until all the egg whites have been mixed in.

  5. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 1 tbsp butter until it starts to sizzle. Turn pan to coat butter evenly, and pour in half the batter.

  6. Cook slowly, for about 6 minutes until the pancake starts to brown. I like to check by gently using my spatula to peek underneath.

  7. Once the bottom is golden brown, cut the pancake into quarters and sprinkle the raw batter side with about 1-2 tsp of granulated sugar.

  8. Gently flip each piece, and add another tbsp of butter to the pan.

  9. Continue cooking until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

  10. Using two spatulas or forks, gently shred pancakes. The outside should be crunchy and caramelized, and the middle should be cooked through and soft. If desired, you can add a little more butter and sugar to the pan and gently toss.

  11. To serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with fresh berries. You can also place little bowls of jam and vanilla sauce on the side. Enjoy!

My Easy Kaiserschmarrn Recipe In Photos:

Separate the yolks and whites.

Whip the egg whites at high speed for about 2 minutes or until soft peaks form.

Be careful not to over-mix the egg whites. Place whipped egg whites into a clean bowl and set aside.

In the same mixer bowl, add in the egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix at medium speed until well incorporated.

Easy Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - Austrian Shredded Pancakes (12)

Stir in the flour and milk with a rubber spatula, and then mix on medium speed. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed.

Add in the whipped egg whites and gently fold in.

Place pan over medium low heat and melt butter until it sizzles.

Place half the batter and cook for about 6 minutes or until the bottom is a nice golden brown color.

I like to use a spatula to peek under to check.

I cut the pancake in quarters so it’s easier to flip. Before flipping, sprinkle raw pancake side with some granulated sugar.

Flip and add some more butter to help brown the other side.

Using two spatulas or forks, gently shred the pancakes and add in a bit more butter and sugar if desired.

Top with powdered sugar and fresh berries, and serve with jam and vanilla sauce if desired. I hope you enjoy this simple and easy Kaiserschmarrn recipe!

Like this recipe? Then check out my simple Belgian Waffles!

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Easy Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - Austrian Shredded Pancakes (2024)

FAQs

What are Austrian pancakes called? ›

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 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.

Where is Kaiserschmarrn from? ›

A common dish found in published cookbooks and manuscript recipes from Jewish Vienna is Kaiserschmarrn, a kind of scrambled pancake with raisins. This Viennese recipe spread throughout the German-speaking world, and eventually appeared in cookbooks across German-speaking Europe.

What are fluffy pancakes made of? ›

Baking Powder + Baking Soda.

These two ingredients are key. They work together to keep the batter light and airy, creating fluffier pancakes.

Why is it called Kaiserschmarrn? ›

Kaiserschmarrn (German pronunciation: [ˈkaɪ̯zɐˌʃmaʁn]) or Kaiserschmarren ( German: [ˈkaɪ̯zɐˌʃmaʁən]) (Emperor's Mess) is a lightly sweetened pancake that takes its name from the Austrian emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I, who was fond of this fluffy shredded pancake.

What is the German word for pancake? ›

Answer and Explanation: The German translation of "pancake" is Pfannkuchen, which is pronounced /fahn-KOO-hehn/, and it is a masculine noun.

What is the most famous German dessert? ›

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is Germany's most famous dessert. It's also known as Black Forrest Cake.

What dessert did the Old World eat? ›

English sweets included many types of cakes, custards, and fritters such as funnel cake. They used strawberries, apples, figs, raisins, currants and almonds. They also made cheese-based sweets including cheesecake.

What dessert did Germany invent? ›

German desserts
NameDescription
Linzer Auge
Mohnkloß
MuskazineMade from almonds, spices, sugar, flour, eggs and marzipan.
MarmorkuchenCake made by lightly mingling two different batters, one dark and one light in color. Marmorkuchen, or marble cake, originated in Germany in the nineteenth century and is popular to this day.
57 more rows

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 in English? ›

Kaiserschmarrn (Scrambled Pancake) is an Austrian dessert that's also very popular in Bavaria! A sweet fluffy pancake made with rum-soaked raisins is torn into bite-sized pieces, caramelized, and served sprinkled with powdered sugar, applesauce, and preserves.

Why do you put milk instead of water in pancakes? ›

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 is the best oil for fluffy pancakes? ›

Using extra virgin olive oil in place of the melted butter in this recipe adds moisture in addition to flavor, resulting in a light and fluffy pancake that's perfectly tender and moist, not dry or doughy in the least.

What are Japanese pancakes called? ›

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake)

What are European pancakes called? ›

Nowadays, people sometimes refer to pancakes as European pancakes (aka crepes) i. Basically what Americans call crepes pretty much the whole of Europe calls pancakes. Crepes is just a french word for pancakes, also the French make their crepes a bit bigger than other European make their pancakes.

What is the Australian word for pancakes? ›

"Unlike American pancakes, the Australian pikelets can be purchased ready-made in grocery stores. You can eat the cold or hot and they are typically topped with cream, jam, fruit or butter and sugar!

What are pancakes of Eastern Europe called? ›

Blini (plural blinis or blini, rarely bliny; Russian: блины pl.), singular: blin, are an Eastern European pancake made from various kinds of flour or buckwheat, wheat, etc. They may be served with smetana, tvorog, caviar and other garnishes, or simply smeared with butter.

What are three types of pancakes? ›

15 Types of Pancake Recipes from Across the Globe
  • French Crêpes. French crêpes are well known in the UK and are officially made in a crêpe pan to form a thin pancake. ...
  • American-Style Pancakes. ...
  • Scotch Pancakes. ...
  • Indonesian Serabi. ...
  • Russian Blinis. ...
  • Moroccan Msem*n. ...
  • Danish Aebleskiver. ...
  • Irish Boxty.

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