TikTok’s scrambled pancakes aka Kaiserschmarrn is a bizarre but quick way to make fluffy pancakes

Stacks of fluffy American pancakes, served with a decadent pad of butter and some syrup on the side are the norm. They have become the standard with several movies like Matilda (1996), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), etc reiterating it. Over the years, several chefs and food bloggers have shared innovative tips and tricks to achieve these movie-like high stacks. From not overmixing the batter, adding raising agents such as baking powder to even whipping egg whites, as the Japanese do, some work and others take a lot of effort.

Stepping away from this tradition, TikTok and Instagram users have been jumping on a viral hack – scrambled pancakes.

With less effort and almost zero need for precision, these flapjacks come together in a jiffy. These are perfect for those who are running short of time in the morning to make breakfast or have to whip up a batch for a big group of people.

Make your batter as usual. It is a known fact that the first pancake never turns out perfectly, so instead of making do with the slightly wonky cake, you can just scramble it the way you would eggs. Some variations include making a brownie batter scramble, a batter tinged with matcha or some with vanilla bean paste, almond extract, etc.

This dish may seem new to many, but is likely inspired by the Kaiserschmarrn, a traditional Austrian dessert. Translating to ‘imperial mess’ in German, the lore goes that a farmer created the dish when Austria’s Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife showed up at his home one day, hungry. Unsure about what to make, he shredded his disastrous pancake and topped it with sugar and marmalade. So now, Kaiserschmarrn is served with a fruit compote.

It is mainly eaten as a dessert, unlike the traditional pancakes. Come Christmas time, Kaiserschmarrn is also a mainstay in many markets in and around the former Austro-Hungarian empire.