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Austrian

Kaiserschmarrn

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A thick, fluffy pancake torn into pieces in the pan and caramelised with butter and sugar, served with icing sugar and fruit compote — an Austrian Alpine classic.

Kaiserschmarrn is an Austrian dessert, ready in about 25 minutes and made with egg, all-purpose flour and butter. It serves 3 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Kaiserschmarrn
Photo: Takeaway / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Serves
3
Level
Easy
Calories
481

Ingredients

3 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the egg (opens in a new tab) yolks with the milk (opens in a new tab), flour, vanilla (opens in a new tab) and salt into a smooth, thick batter. In a clean bowl, whisk the whites with the sugar (opens in a new tab) to firm peaks and fold into the batter.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Melt half the butter (opens in a new tab) in a large ovenproof frying pan, pour in the batter and scatter over the raisins (opens in a new tab). Cook over medium-low heat until the base is golden, then put the pan in the oven (opens in a new tab) until puffed and just set.

    Food safety: The pan handle will be very hot when it comes out of the oven.

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Back on the hob, tear the pancake into bite-sized pieces with two forks. Add the remaining butter (opens in a new tab) and a tablespoon of the icing sugar (opens in a new tab) and toss until lightly caramelised.

    • 3 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Dust with the rest of the icing sugar (opens in a new tab) and serve straight from the pan with compote.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
Austria · Well documentedPopular stories link it to Emperor Franz Joseph I, but these are anecdotal.Also popular in Germany, SwitzerlandMore food from Austria
Dish
Dessert · Lunch · Brunch · Desserts
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Oven-baked
Taste
sweet, buttery, mild
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Child-friendly
Cook more with
Egg · All-purpose flour · Butter · Milk · Sugar · Vanilla extract
Techniques
Baking · Pan-frying

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom milk, butter
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

481 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 231 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 14%
  • Carbohydrate 47%
  • Fat 39%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy481 kcal208 kcal
Protein16.4 g7.1 g
Carbohydrate56.2 g24.4 g
Net carbohydrate54.9 g23.8 g
Sugars18.1 g7.8 g
Added sugars13.2 g5.7 g
Fibre1.3 g0.6 g
Fat20.4 g8.9 g
Saturated fat10.6 g4.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol285 mg124 mg
Sodium316 mg137 mg
Salt equivalent0.8 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
264 mg
Calcium
145 mg
Iron
3.5 mg
Magnesium
28 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
237 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
2.4 µg
Vitamin B12
1 µg
Folate (DFE)
182 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: raisins, jam.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Folding in whipped egg whites is what makes it light and fluffy.

Common mistakes

  • Too much heat burns the base before the top sets — finish in the oven or cover the pan.

Serve with

  • Serve with plum compote, apple sauce or lingonberries.

Storage

  • Best eaten immediately.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 10 min

    Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail for 3 seconds.

  2. Bake · about 11 min

    Springs back when lightly pressed and is just shrinking from the tin sides.

  3. Start to finish: about 21 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

Reviews & corrections

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