Kaiserschmarrn is a traditional torn-up pancake from Austria. Thick, fluffy, comforting chunks are dusted with sugar and served with fruit compote. Perfect for dessert, brunch or whenever.

Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes) with compote on the side

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Pancakes are a big favorite in our family. I don't usually have time to make them during the week, when we are in school at least, but they are regularly requested at the weekend.

Often it's "little pancakes" made with apple and carrot, similar to the beetroot and pear pancakes I have shared here. Other times it's "big pancakes", also known as an individual Dutch baby pancake or, more recently, a peach Dutch baby pancake.

Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes) from side

Both are very fancy compared to the simple pancakes I grew up with, although I did love the lemon pancakes we had for Shrove Tuesday (one of the ideas in the mardi gras food I shared). But then there was Kaiserschmarrn when we went to Austria which was definitely that bit more special.

A family love of Austria

My parents kind of adopted Austria as their summer home when I was a child. For a number of years we went there every year for two or three weeks on vacation/holiday and then every other year as the addiction wore off a little.

We went to one area in particular but also visited some new ones each time. We explored different small towns but particularly took in lots of different hikes.

Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes) from above with compote drizzled over

Compared to Scotland, Austria was a dream come true for a kid being dragged out hiking - the weather was considerably better and there were huts you stopped off in for lunch rather than huddling with a soggy sandwich behind a hill.

Sausages and goulash were the most common dishes but another that I always loved and would occasionally have as my lunch, if I didn't share with my parents for dessert, was Kaiserschmarrn.

Kaiserschmarrn close up topped with compote

What is Kaiserschmarrn?

Kaiserschmarrn, or 'emperor's mess/trifle' is basically a thick but fluffy chopped-up pancake, usually served with a fruit compote and dusted with confectioner's/icing sugar.

I always had it with a berry compote, but you can also serve stewed apples, honey, jam or whatever you prefer really.

It gets it's airiness by separating the eggs and whisking the whites and folding them in to the main batter, much like a souffle. Some versions add rum-soaked raisins in the mixture too.

batter for Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes)

Steps to make Kaiserschmarrn

Separate the eggs into two separate bowls.
Add milk, flour, vanilla and lemon zest to the egg yolks and beat until mixed.
Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks then beat the sugar in with them.
Fold the whites into the yolk batter.
Warm some butter in a small skillet and add the batter.
Once it firms slightly, flip over and cook other side.
Shred the pancake with two forks and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

cooking Kaiserschmarrn on second side before it is torn up

I can still see myself having it one time on a beautiful balcony restaurant somewhere, and it's simple, tasty, comforting warmth brings a ray of sunshine to your mouth.

OK, maybe a slight exaggeration but it's really good so I'd highly recommend trying this any excuse you get, not just Shrove Tuesday.

What to serve with these pancake pieces

Here I've made a simple raspberry-cranberry compote to go with it. I always remember Kaiserschmarrn served with a preiselbeern (lingonberry) sauce but they are not exactly common here so this is the closest I could do.

Redcurrants, as you can see in the photos, made into a simple sauce would be another great option though also not always that easy to find.

The sweet-tart berry flavor goes really well so this mix fits perfectly. It's very quick to make and low in sugar so you can ladle it on. You could also use a bought compote/jam or fresh fruit, though I do recommend the raspberry-cranberry compote here.

Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes) overhead before adding compote

This one to two-person serving of Kaiserschmarrn fits perfectly in a small skillet/frying pan but you can easily scale up for more people and a larger pan. However many you are serving, enjoy this easy, tasty dish. It makes a great brunch or dessert. It's worth finding any excuse.

Try these other Austrian/ German comfort foods:

Bacon onion spaetzle (tasty little noodles but you can sub other pasta)
German pancake soup (Flädlesuppe, a simple broth with pancakes in it)
Sauerbraten (German pot roast with a spiced wine sauce)
Dampfnudel (sweet steamed dumplings)
Rote Grütze (a red berry pudding/compote)
Plus get more German recipes in the archives.

Tools for this recipe

I'd recommend a small skillet, such as a Lodge 8in Cast Iron Skillet for this recipe.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.

skillet with Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes) and sauce drizzled over

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian torn pancakes)

These traditional Austrian pancakes are light and fluffy, perfect for breakfast or dessert.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Austrian

Servings: -2

Calories: 688kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

2 tablespoon cranberries 15g fresh or frozen
½ cup raspberries 75g fresh or frozen
¼ cup orange juice 60ml
½ teaspoon sugar
2 eggs separated
½ cup all purpose flour 80g plain flour
½ cup milk 120ml
¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
¼ teaspoon lemon zest approx
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar (fine)
½ tablespoon butter 5g
½ tablespoon confectioner's sugar icing sugar, for dusting

Instructions

First make the compote - put the cranberries, raspberries, orange juice and sugar in a small pan and heat over a medium heat. Heat for around 10-15 minutes until the cranberries pop and break up and the mixture thickens slightly. Cool slightly, but it is good serves warm.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, flour, milk, vanilla, lemon zest and salt in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to a soft peak. Whisk in the sugar until well mixed then gently fold the mix in to the flour-milk mixture.
Heat the butter over a medium heat in a small skillet and swirl so the base has a thin coating. Add the pancake mixture and allow to cook approx 5 minutes until gently brown on the underside.
Use one or two spatulas to flip over the pancake. Don't worry if it doesn't work perfectly (it rarely does - I got a nice splash on my shirt doing it), you are going to be breaking it up soon anyway.
As it's cooking on the other side, use two forks to break up the pancake into chunks. Allow it to cook on the other side around 5 more minutes, until gently brown and cooked through.
Dust with confectioner's/icing sugar and serve with the compote while still warm.

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Kaiserschmarrn is a traditional torn-up pancake from Austria. Thick, fluffy, comforting chunks are dusted with sugar and served with fruit compote (which is easy to make too!). Perfect for dessert, brunch or whenever you find an excuse. #Austrianfood #pancake #brunch #dessert

This post was first shared in Feb 2015, and has since been updated, primarily with new photos. When I first made it we had huge piles of snow so I thought I'd take a photo of it on our snow-mountain outside to remind me of the mountain settings I first had this in!