Let me paint a picture of a perfect morning in our home: the wonderful smell of coffee spreads through the kitchen, and a tall stack of warm pancakes is on the plate on the kitchen counter.
My boys come rushing down the stairs, grab three to four pancakes and pour maple syrup and whipped cream over them. My hubby prefers to eat them with bacon.
Best Pancake Mix
Whether you like sweet or savory pancakes, you must agree with me that they are a perfect way to start a day!
I used to go with the traditional recipe and make pancakes from scratch: I would make a mix and then pour it into my pancake griddle.
On one occasion, my dear friend Catherine whom you probably already know mentioned that she used pre-made pancake mixes.
At first, I thought, “Why would I use a pre-made mix when I always have everything I need in my kitchen to make one?!” “The mix cannot possibly produce pancakes with the same flawlessly fluffy texture.” and so on.
I like Catherine’s cooking and always take her advice, so I decided to test pancake mixes.
The moment has come to acknowledge my error. I was shocked by some of the pancake mix’s quality.
We’ll look for the best pancake mix after I’ve explained why I think pancake mixes are so practical to use.
Why Should You Use A Pancake Mix?
1. Easy to Use
Yes, you do have all the ingredients needed to make a pancake mix from scratch in your kitchen. Yes, pancakes are already so easy to make. But why not make it even easier?
Believe me: it is a great relief knowing that there is a box of your favorite pancake mix in your cabinet, always ready and waiting to be made into delicious, fluffy pancakes.
Depending on the pre-made pancake mix you use, the only thing you need to do is add water, milk, or an egg, and within minutes you’ll have what I call a perfect morning.
2. Precision
I believe that, just like me, most of you barely measure your ingredients while making pancakes – a bit of butter here, a pinch of salt there, eggs, flour, milk, and the mix is ready!
The procedure is simple, but you can encounter some issues. I know I did.
Sometimes, they turn out flat, flavorless, or chewy, or maybe we don’t make enough mix, so there aren’t enough pancakes for all our guests. On the other hand, there may be some excess, though the latter is rarely a case – my family is always ready to eat a giant stack of pancakes!
With a pre-made pancake mix, this does not happen. You know exactly how many pancakes you will get, and you will always get the same taste!
3. Variety
My favorite thing about pancake mixes is that they can be used in so many recipes apart from pancakes!
You can make muffins, cakes, rolls, and my personal favorites – waffles.
What To Consider When Buying A Pancake Mix?
Now that you know why pancake mixes are great – let’s see what you should keep in mind when buying them.
1. Ingredients
When you take a look at the ingredients of a pancake mix, you will see that they differ from the usual ingredients that are part of your homemade pancake mix.
Namely, pancake mixes include:
- Enriched flour in various forms – wheat, oat, coconut, rice, etc. – is a matter of your personal preference because the flour will affect the taste and texture of the pancakes.
- Leavening, a substance used to raise the mix – this ingredient consists of many chemical substances, but it can be summarized in two words: “baking powder.”
- Salt, usually regular sea salt, just like you’d use in a homemade mix
- Sugar, usually cane sugar, or its 0-calorie alternative, sweetener – again, you will choose this according to your preference
- Some kind of starch, usually potato or tapioca – both are natural and help your pancakes achieve the desired consistency
All the mixes we’ll be reviewing are gluten-free.
2. Nutrition Facts
While different brands of pancake mixes may present their ingredients in a different manner (some descriptions can be quite obscure, and I will help you deal with them), you can always find the same table of nutrition facts.
It will tell you how many servings you have in a pack, what is the size of a serving, how many calories there are, and their breakdown: fat, protein, cholesterol, and sodium.
There are some alternatives good for weight loss, e.g., high protein keto mixtures – stay tuned, and you’ll learn more about that!
3. Quantity
Always pay attention to the number of servings that you get in a package.
One serving turns into two pancakes.
This is important so that you can plan out your delicious meals in advance!
4. Taste
As I already mentioned, the taste varies, and it is affected by the type of flour used in a pancake mix. Some are sweeter and don’t need any add-ons, but you can always alter the taste with a diverse range of ingredients if you feel that pancakes are not sweet enough.
My personal pancake mix favorites are:
- Syrup
- Peanut butter
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Melted Nutella
5. Price
I won’t drag out on this much – the only thing you should be paying attention to is the amount of the mixture and, eventually, the number of pancakes that you get for your money!
Reviews of The Most Recommended Pancake Mixes 2022
Now that you are familiar with what is essential to know in order to choose the best pancake mix, let’s proceed to my research:
Kodiak Cakes Protein Pancake Power Cakes, Flapjack & Waffle Baking Mix
All ingredients listed in this pancake mix are of high quality: wheat and oat flour, whole grains, no sugar. The taste comes from buttermilk, which adds to the taste but also to the number of calories.
As for nutrition, this mix offers something that you cannot make with your traditional homemade pancake recipe: a high amount of protein (14g) in a single serving, which is 3/4 cup (53g). Total fat is 2g, while 190 calories per serving are a great source of energy.
As you can see, it is packed with protein, which is one of the essential nutrients for your muscles and a source of energy (17 kJ/4 kcal) per gram.
However, those of you who have a sweet tooth may want a few add-ons! As for the amount that you get for the price, you get 20 oz., which is enough for around 11 servings.
My husband prefers this mixture because it’s not too sweet and is also highly nutritious. His opinion corresponds to the very high rating among users of this mix.
Although there are some cheaper options, I find this mix very well-balanced.
Pros
- Quality ingredients
- Simple instructions
- Healthy
- Provide energy
Cons
- Not sweet enough
- Price
Pamela’s Products Pancake Mix – Gluten Free
Pamela’s pancake mix is made with brown and white rice flour and contains tapioca and potato starch, so the texture of the pancakes will be perfect – just follow the instructions.
It contains baking soda and baking powder, which also accounts for the excellent texture and baking potential.
It is not dairy-free, as it contains buttermilk. Also, do not buy this mixture if you are vegan or have tree nut allergies.
It is not a “just add water” type of mix as it also requires eggs and oil, according to the instructions, which will add to the calories that are already high (160) per serving (40g).
There are around 45 servings per package, which is a great budget-friendly deal.
With this mix, you get the largest number of pancakes – 90! While this is great if you know that many people are going to enjoy your pancakes, be careful to plan ahead, as the expiry date will usually allow you to store this mix for around 7 months. You can store the box in the fridge once you open it.
If you made more pancakes than you needed, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate – but keep in mind that you should eat them within four to five days because of the ingredients!
The taste is fairly sweet, and there is no need to alter it.
I’ve experimented a lot with this mix and used it in a variety of other recipes, and my family loved banana bread and muffins that I made with Pamela’s pancake mix, perhaps even more than the pancakes!
Pros
- Texture
- Quantity
- Sweet taste
- Excellent for baking
Cons
- Better for muffins and bread
Paleo Pancake & Waffle Mix by Birch Benders
This is another healthy option on the market.
It consists of coconut and almond flour, which adds to its taste. However, these kinds of flour might produce a slightly different texture – a bit more flat than usual.
Monk fruit, an artificial sweetener, is responsible for the sweet taste of pancakes. If you want to enhance the taste of coconut, you can fry them in coconut oil.
It is low carb and keto-friendly (5g of protein in 35g), and per each serving, you consume 140 calories, which is relatively high.
While Kodiak instructions advise you to add some milk to the mix if you want a higher amount of protein, Paleo Mix says that you should just add water.
If you find that the texture of your pancakes is not thick enough, I suggest you cheat a little bit and add some milk!
Speaking of which, if you are a fan of coconuts, you can enhance the taste by adding some coconut milk. On another note, if you are a fan of almonds, you can enhance the essence of almond flour by adding some almond milk. You can also check our comparison article between all-purpose flour and almond flour and which are almond’s flour best substitutes.
Also, when you add just water, you may have problems with a pancake sticking to the pan or burning – some milk will solve this too!
What is the amount that you get for the lowest price? – 11 servings.
Pros
- Healthy
- Price
- Taste
Cons
- Texture
Good Dee’s Pancake Mix
This mix is made with almond flour, which means (as we already learned) that this adds to the taste of your pancakes, but subtracts from the quality of their texture. As far as other ingredients are concerned, this mix is sweetened with stevia, and although stevia is similar to monk fruit mentioned earlier, this sweetener is not approved by the FDA.
However, I would not say that stevia is bad – it is a natural and 200-400 times sweeter substitute for regular sugar (in contrast to monk fruit, which is 100-200 times sweeter). This means that a very low amount of stevia adds to the sweet taste of this pancake mix.
Both are good options and have various advantages: no added sugars, which means they do not increase blood sugar levels, as well as zero calories and zero carbohydrates.
This mix is low in carb (only 5g in a portion), but it requires an egg, unlike the previous ones that require just water or milk. The instructions also say to add vanilla, which hints that the taste is not sweet enough.
If you are not satisfied with the texture of your pancakes made with this mix, or if there is a bit of an “eggy” taste after you add an egg, add some water.
Each package has around ten portions for an affordable price.
When we consider nutrition info, pancakes made with this mix would be considered “keto” as they contain protein and are sugar-free. However, when it comes to taste, this is not the best option.
Pros
- Keto
- Price
- Sweet taste
Cons
- Requires four additional ingredients
- Instructions are not very clear
King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Pancake Mix
King Arthur Pancake Mix is made with brown rice flour and potato and tapioca starch, so the texture of the pancakes will be excellent.
While the ingredients are of high quality, there are 180 calories in a single serving, which will definitely keep you energized. There is a low amount of protein (2g per serving) involved to call it a keto-friendly mix, and it contains 3g of cane sugar (so no artificial sweeteners).
It is not dairy-free, so keep that in mind if you are lactose intolerant. They also provide you with instructions on how you can make this mix non-dairy.
You get eight servings in a pack, and you can order a pack of six, so 48 servings in total – which is plenty of pancakes to be made. I use this mix whenever I want to make a giant stack of pancakes.
The expiry date varies from a couple of months to a year from the moment that you buy this mix. Thus, make sure to check the date before you buy it, as one package will turn into 96 pancakes!
The instructions are easy to follow, and the taste that you will get is great.
Moreover, my kids have a sweet tooth, and they adore pancakes made with King Arthur’s mix! They love them plain or with maple syrup and blueberries.
Pros
- Quality
- Quantity
- Texture
Cons
- Requires three additional ingredients
Conclusion: Which Pancake Mix Should Make It To Your Griddle?
After learning all these facts about the mixes, I am here to help you choose the best pancake mix.
I prefer quality over quantity – and the winner here is Kodiak Cakes Protein Pancake Mix. It offers both a high protein intake and a delightful taste to your pancakes, which is a great balance. Its current first position on the market stands to reason.
The alternative that I would suggest if you’re looking for something of high quality but not necessarily dietary is King Arthur Pancake Mix. Your pancakes are guaranteed to be crispy on the edges and soft on the inside with this mix, and it is a cheaper option as well – you will get a giant stack of pancakes for a very reasonable price!
Today our focus was on pancakes, but let me know if you want me to write more about all the various things I make from pancake mixes in the comment section below – I’d be pleased to share my recipes with you!
Speaking of pancakes and my recipes, check out this one before you go: Delicious Swedish pancakes!
Related: Does Pancake Mix Go Bad?