The Kaiserschmarren, Emperor’s Omelette is a dessert of Austrian origin. Indeed, Kaiser means Emperor and Schmarren means mess. This Austrian dessert, popular both in Bavaria and in Trentino Alto Adige, is made from eggs, milk, flour and sugar mixed together in a bowl and then cooked in a pan, preferably copper as tradition suggests, with butter and some sugar. Served with apple sauce, blueberry jam or raspberry jam, it is very similar to Strauben, another Tyrolean sweet that is fried in plenty of oil and also served with jams. For the indulgent there is also a version with the indispensable and irreplaceable hazelnut spread.
In the South Tyrol area it is also known as Schmorm and raisins and rum are often added to give more flavor to the Emperor’s omelette. In the Kaiserschmarren video recipe below you will hear me sometimes call this dessert the Empress’s Omelette because, for many, it was originally the preferred breakfast of the most famous Austro-Hungarian Empress, namely Elisabeth of Bavaria, also known as Sissi. So, whether of an Emperor or an Empress, the result does not change: humble ingredients that, combined, can create sweets that remain impressed in the culinary history of a people and beyond.
You surely know that my passion doesn’t stop at Marche recipes, that is, my region, but thanks to travel, curiosity and the desire to try new dishes, it spans across Italy and the rest of the world. On the blog you can find other typical Trentino recipes and more. For example, a few years ago we made together Bretzels, iconic salty dough knots perfect with cold cuts and cheeses, Canederli (bread dumplings) typical of Trentino and Austria. Then we made Bavarian baked potatoes (Ofenkartoffeln). All dishes I love to eat when I visit South Tyrol or Austria. I will always remember my mother the first time she ordered Canederli: she expected boiled potatoes but got dumplings of stale bread with speck, cooked in broth and served with melted butter.
I decided to try the Emperor’s Sweet Omelette after seeing a TikTok video. If you like, you can follow my recipes by also subscribing to my profile by clicking here. A peasant sweet, from rural tradition, prepared for the breakfast of those who had to take animals to pasture or work in the fields. Simple ingredients that every family had at home, a dish that gave energy and that kept for a whole day. It was also served as an after-work snack.
Today raisins and rum, apple pieces and many other ingredients are added. In the past there were only eggs, milk, flour and sugar. For families that distilled grappa or spirits at home, one or two teaspoons would be added at most to flavour the sweet omelette. Then people moved on to vanilla and the thousand variations that you find on the web.
My Kaiserschmarren recipe is faithful to the version of the Austrian sweet: just eggs, milk, sugar and flour with a hint of vanilla, since I won’t be adding rum and raisins. I served this thick crepe, which is then cut into little squares and caramelized with butter and sugar, as the Tyrolean sweet is typically served, with berry jam and a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Austrian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, All seasons
- Energy 258.50 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.76 (g) of which sugars 23.98 (g)
- Proteins 6.45 (g)
- Fat 10.31 (g) of which saturated 5.95 (g)of which unsaturated 4.39 (g)
- Fibers 1.78 (g)
- Sodium 153.49 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 75 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Kaiserschmarren, the Emperor’s Austrian Omelette
- 50 g flour (about 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (approx.))
- 3 eggs (medium-large, at room temperature)
- 60 ml milk (at room temperature (about 1/4 cup))
- 25 g sugar (about 2 tbsp)
- 1 packet vanilla (or one vial)
- 1 pinch salt
- 30 g butter (about 2 tbsp (for cooking))
- 30 g sugar (about 2 tbsp (for caramelizing))
- 50 g berry jam (or another fruit jam of your choice, preferably blueberry, raspberry or cherry (about 3 1/2 tbsp))
- powdered sugar
Don’t be confused by the various names given to this sweet: we are always talking about an egg mess loaded with energy and flavour that, over the centuries and across regions, has taken different names while remaining essentially the same.
Tools to prepare Alto Adige Schmorm:
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand whisk
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Spatula (rubber)
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Glass
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Stove
- 1 Frying pan
If you use a hand whisk you won’t need the electric mixer to prepare the egg batter for the Kaiserschmarren, that is the sweet mountain omelette from Trentino without rum and raisins. This typical Tyrolean dish is so called because it was the favorite sweet of Emperor Franz Joseph who frequented the valley.
Steps to make Kaiserschmarren, the Emperor’s Omelette or Trentino Schmorm
Let’s begin by cracking the three eggs into a bowl. In many versions of this recipe on the web, and I believe very reliably, the egg whites are separated and whipped to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt while the yolks are worked with the sugar. I chose to work with whole eggs for practicality, but I’m sure next time I’ll try the separated-egg version of the Schmorm. Another small difference, as you’ll see in the video recipe under the first photo, I chose to mix the batter with an electric mixer, but you can use a hand whisk or an electric whisk, the result will be the same.
Add a pinch of salt and the amount of sugar indicated in the ingredients list. Whisk until you obtain a frothy batter. Then add the milk, the vanilla and the sifted flour directly into the bowl. Our batter for the sweet omelette is finally ready and we can move to the stove.
Take a large plate and place a small bowl with the jam you chose in the center; I used my favorite berry jam. With a small spatula transfer the Emperor’s omelette onto the plate, dust with powdered sugar and serve it hot to your family or guests if you decided to end a dinner with this dessert. Remember that every piece of omelette should be dipped in jam and tradition wants that it is eaten together with the hands, like a child would. Are you ready to get messy and lick your fingers?
I can only wish you enjoy your meal and remind you that I wait for you every day here on my blog with many easy, quick and delicious recipes like this one!
Use a pan with a diameter between 9.5 in and 10 in so that the mountain sweet omelette can rise nice and high. If you have a copper pan or a casserole that’s even better; the Kaiserschmarren tradition actually involves cooking the omelette in a copper-bottomed pan. Put the 30 g (about 2 tbsp) of butter into the pan and use a wooden spoon to spread it across the bottom and sides until fully melted.
Pour in the batter and let it cook over low heat: this will prevent burning and sticking. Do not cover the pan, please. The sweet mountain omelette recipe is very simple, the most critical part is cooking. You will need to avoid burning it and prevent it from sticking. You can move it gently with the wooden spoon or a spatula. After four or five minutes of cooking, you should cut it halfway through, as you can see in the video recipe above, using the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
Flip the two halves so they can cook on the other side. Sprinkle with half of the sugar amount indicated for cooking. After another four or five minutes, you can proceed with the cuts: create many small squares always using the rubber spatula. Then sprinkle with the remaining amount of white sugar. The Kaiserschmarren should remain moist inside and caramelized on the outside. Turn off the stove and get ready to serve the most famous Austrian breakfast or snack in the world!
Tips and variations for Kaiserschmarren, the sweet omelette:
As main tips, here are a few notes I recommend: work the egg batter well with the other ingredients so that the sweet omelette can puff up during cooking. If you wish, you can whip the egg whites to stiff peaks separated from the yolks, which you will work with the sugar. Then add the flour, the milk and the vanilla to the yolk mixture. Turn off the mixer, add the whipped egg whites and fold them in with a rubber spatula using gentle upward motions.
As already explained, the phase requiring the most attention is cooking and caramelizing the sugar. Keep the stove flame low, don’t leave while it cooks and turn the omelette at least once before making the cuts. Sprinkle several times with sugar if it seems little, without overdoing it, otherwise it could get too sweet.
Main variation: obviously the jam or preserve you choose to serve with this Austrian sweet. You can also choose hazelnut spread, pistachio cream, honey or maple syrup if you prefer. Always dust with powdered sugar. You can add a bit of grappa or rum, just a few tablespoons at most, to flavor the omelette. You can also add raisins, as you read in many Trentino tradition recipes. Soak them for about 30 minutes, then squeeze them well and finally add them to the egg mixture before cooking the Kaiserschmarren omelette in the pan.
