Kaiserschmarrn Recipe - (Austrian Shredded Pancake) - The Foreign Fork (2024)

Shredded pancakes, rum-soaked raisins, and a side of plum preserves make this Kaiserschmarrn, a popular Austrian dessert. The sugar that coats the pancake caramelizes to make a sweet and delicious Austrian treat!

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Austrian Food is packed to the brim with absolutely delightful recipes (my favorite is this Wiener Schnitzel). And what’s even better– Austrians absolutely love their dessert (Sacher Torte, anyone?). And this recipe proves it!

Recipe Origins

What does Kaiserschmarrn mean, you ask? When translated, the word “kaiser” is German for “emperor” and “schmarrn” means “mess”. So the name means “Emperor’s Mess”.

The name is no joke! Kaiserschmarrn sure does look like a mess, but my-oh-my is it a delicious mess.

There are a few theories about how Kaiserschmarrn got its name, and all of them involve the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I in one way or another. This is my favorite:

How Kaiserschmarrn Got Its Name

Emperor Franz Joseph I was married to Elisabeth of Bavaria. Elisabeth was very health conscious and strict about keeping a healthy diet, so she requested that the royal chef only make her very light desserts.

Franz Joseph, on the other hand, loved dessert. He found this quality about Elisabeth irritating.

One day the royal chef made this dish for Elisabeth, but she found it far too rich, so she gave it to her husband to eat instead. Upon being handed the plate, Franz Joseph said “Now let me see what “schmarren” this chef has cooked up.”

He ended up loving the dessert and finishing both helpings. Kaiserschmarrn has been a common dessert in Austria ever since!

Why Make this Recipe

1. “Travel” to Austria: If you want to try some flavors of Austria, this is a good recipe to try!If you ACTUALLY want to travel to Austria, check out this list of the Best Places to Visit in Austria.
2. Fluffy: This pancake recipe is delicious. It is so thick and fluffy, and is sweet without being overpowering.
3. Breakfast OR dessert!: You pick. I won’t judge 😉

What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?

Ingredients

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

1. Rum: I used spiced rum. You can use whatever you have on hand.
2. Raisins: These are traditional to include, but you can omit them if you do not like raisins.
3. Flour: All purpose flour
4. Lemon: You will only need the zest.

Tools

1. Utensils: Whisk, rubber spatula, spatula
2. Electric Hand Mixer: Or a stand mixer
3. Mixing Bowls: Small, medium, and large
4. Pan: I use my largest frying pan for this recipe.

How to Make this Recipe

Step 1: Soak the Raisins

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the rum for about 15 minutes.

Then, strain the raisins out of the rum and discard the rum.

Set the raisins aside.

Step 2: Make the Batter

In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks with the vanilla, milk, lemon zest, and salt. Add the flour and 2 tbsp of granulated sugar. Whisk until combined.

Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Add ½ tbsp of granulated sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.

Add the egg whites into the batter and gently hand mix with a rubber spatula until the whites from the whites blend into the batter.

Step 3: Cook the Pancake

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Once the butter begins to bubble, add the batter into the pan.

Sprinkle the top of the batter with the rum-soaked raisins and the remaining ½ tbsp of granulated sugar. Cover with lid and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes.

Once the bottom is cooked, flip the pancake. Continue cooking until the Kaiserschmarrn batter is cooked all the way through.

Step 4: Shred and Serve

Once cooked, leave the pancake in the pan but use a spatula to cut the pancake into uneven bites.

Top the shredded pancake with powdered sugar and serve with a side of applesauce or plum preserves. Serve warm in the pan.

What to Top Kaiserschmarrn With

There are a lot of options for toppings/dips you can use with your kaiserschmarrn. This recipe calls for

• Applesauce
• Plum Preserves

You can also use

• Four Berry Jam
• Red Currant Jam
• Raspberry Jam
• Lingonberry Compote
• Strawberry Compote
• Plain

Other Add Ins

This recipe calls for rum-soaked raisins, the most popular addition to Kaiserschmarrn. If you want to experiment with other additions, you can also try:

• Slivered almonds
• Cherries
• Plums
• Small pieces of apple

Caramelizing Your Pancake

If you want to add a bit of caramelization to the pancakes, add a coat of powdered sugar after the pancakes have been cut.

Continue stirring the pancakes over the heat for a few minutes until the sugar crusts onto the pancake. Then sprinkle a bit more sugar and serve with jam.

Expert Tips

• Some recipes for Kaiserschmarrn pour a tablespoon or 2 of the reserved rum into the pancake batter. If you like the taste of rum, you can certainly do this!
• Be gentle when folding the egg whites into the batter! We want as much air in the batter as possible, and the more you mix, the more air deflates out of the eggs.
• You may need to cut the large pancake in half in order to flip it. That is totally fine as we will be destroying the pancake when it is done cooking anyways.

Recipe FAQs

Did you like this recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:

• Liptauer from Austria
• Kasespatzle from Germany and Austria
• Swiss Roll Recipe with Raspberry Filling
• How to Make a Pancake Breakfast Board