Kratzet - Mehlkratzet - Duranand

Kratzet (also called Mehlkratzet or Duranand depending on the canton) is the Swiss-German answer to Austrian Kaiserschmarrn, a torn-up pancake that gets crisped in butter and served with stewed fruit. The batter is essentially a thick crepe: flour, four eggs, milk, and a pinch of salt, cooked in a skillet, then deliberately ripped into ragged pieces with the edge of a spatula or skillet and tossed back into more butter to brown.

Dusted with sugar and topped with cooked plums, apples, or applesauce, it’s a beloved Sunday-night dinner across German-speaking Switzerland and southern Germany.

Kitchen Tips

• Let the batter rest 10 minutes before cooking. Resting hydrates the flour and produces a silkier, less tough pancake.
• Cook the first pancake in a large skillet over medium heat, not high. Browning too fast leaves the inside undercooked when you start tearing.
• Use the edge of a metal spatula to chop the cooking pancake into pieces. Two forks work too if you don’t want to scratch a non-stick pan.
• Don’t skip the second skillet step. Crisping the torn pieces in fresh butter is what gives kratzet its signature golden, slightly crunchy edges.
• Keep finished pieces warm in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) while you cook the rest if making multiple batches.

Variations

• Stir 2 tablespoons raisins or chopped dates into the batter for a kaiserschmarrn-style twist.
• Skip the sugar and serve unsweetened alongside roasted meats with gravy as a savory side.
• Serve with warm applesauce, plum compote, or vanilla custard for the full Swiss treatment.