Better quality pancake mixes that won't break the bank?

[Sid Post]

I have been Googling pancake mixes on the "error'net" but, so many are obviously driven by advertising kickbacks and promoted reviews, I really haven't gained much from what I have read.

It started when I stumbled onto a Pearl Milling 'premium' pancake mix that isn't in production any longer, at least for the time being, due to various supply chain constraints (suspected).

 

For convenience, I am thinking complete "just add water" pancake mixes for convenience but, I'm not opposed to adding an egg or milk for something special at home.  Cost needs to be reasonable but, not "Walmart friendly" either.

 

I like Buttermilk pancakes and I would like to try some Buckwheat pancakes.  All-in-one mixes are important for camping and hiking

 

What are my better options?

[blue_dolphin]

Not sure if you are looking for a product recommendation or a recipe. If it's the latter, I can recommend two. 

Kenji's Basic Dry Pancake Mix from his Food Lab Cookbook works well. Available online here. It's just flour, baking powder and soda, salt and a bit of sugar so it's not a just add water mix as you'll need milk and eggs, which it sounds like you are open to. 

Adding a whole grain to the mix, the Handy Spelt Flour Pancake Mix in Joshua McFadden's Grains for Every Season is also good.  It uses powdered buttermilk in the mix so it offers that tang.  Also requires the addition of water or milk, vegetable oil or butter and an egg.  

Edited November 7, 2022 by blue_dolphin (log)

[BetD]

I wonder if using powdered milk and eggs in your mix would allow you to simply add water when you were on the trail?

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by BetD (log)

[weinoo]

In lieu of making your own (probably the best option so you can tailor it to your taste), have you tried the Bob's Red Mill products.  I can't imagine they're not at least good.

[Sid Post]

14 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Not sure if you are looking for a product recommendation or a recipe. If it's the latter, I can recommend two. 

Kenji's Basic Dry Pancake Mix from his Food Lab Cookbook works well. Available online here. It's just flour, baking powder and soda, salt and a bit of sugar so it's not a just add water mix as you'll need milk and eggs, which it sounds like you are open to. 

Adding a whole grain to the mix, the Handy Spelt Flour Pancake Mix in Joshua McFadden's Grains for Every Season is also good.  It uses powdered buttermilk in the mix so it offers that tang.  Also requires the addition of water or milk, vegetable oil or butter and an egg.  

 

Thanks, those look good.  Yes, I am open to both.  The house makes it reasonable for eggs and milk and a "make at home" option.  I have considered that a few time but, getting good quality flour locally has been problematic so, I generally opted for things like Krusteaz or Kodiak occasionally.

 

Camping/backing/hiking, I really need a complete 'all-in-one' option for simplicity and practicality though, I could add some of that powdered buttermilk powder or similar things to a batter.

[Sid Post]

1 hour ago, BetD said:

I wonder if using powdered mild and eggs in your mix would allow you to simply add water when you were on the trail?

 

 

The powdered buttermilk at a Walmart suggests this is an option.  My experience with powdered eggs is marginal at best.

[Sid Post]

16 minutes ago, weinoo said:

In lieu of making your own (probably the best option so you can tailor it to your taste), have you tried the Bob's Red Mill products.  I can't imagine they're not at least good.

 

I'm actually looking for the Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat pancake mix but, ~$35 for ~12oz is unreasonable!  I will probably get some of the 'regular' next time I'm in town and it is in stock.

 

Supply chain and stock problems here in East Texas make things like that problematic.

[Kim Shook]

We recently tried this for the first time:

 

and we were very happy with the results:

You can add an egg and some melted butter, if you like, but you can also just add water, so they are suitable for home or camping.  And they have them at Amazon two 2-lb. bags for $19.  

 

[rotuts]

Wow.

 

my kind of thread.

 

indeed , 

 

Im sure Id enjoy 

 

a good quality mix 

 

and eggs and butter :

 

got those 

 

then I remember 

 

Bob's Red Mill

 

a lot of their items @ MarketBasket

 

https://www.bobsredmill.com/shop/mixes.html?whole_grain=1

 

Ill look for these .

 

thank you for the idea.

 

 

[donk79]

Repackaging would definitely be needed, but my family has enjoyed Krusteaz mix from Costco for a long time.  I personally like to make it with added real buttermilk, but my wife and daughter prefer it without.  Add some oil and it makes great waffles as well.  I am sure that is only the beginning!

[Sid Post]

Krusteaz comes up a lot in "best" pancake mix reviews.  While I really like the brand generally, I wonder how much is driving by paid reviews, ad spending, and similar revenue based systems.

[MaryIsobel]

Started buying Krusteaz at Costco years ago and have found no reason to change. To me, pancakes are pancakes - I'm not a huge fan (I am all about fresh berries and such for topping) but my kids loved them and with the mix it is one of the first things they learned to "cook" by themselves.

[weinoo]

6 hours ago, Sid Post said:

 

I'm actually looking for the Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat pancake mix but, ~$35 for ~12oz is unreasonable!  I will probably get some of the 'regular' next time I'm in town and it is in stock.

 

Supply chain and stock problems here in East Texas make things like that problematic.

 

Have you looked at the prices on Amazon because they are way less than that?

 

Maybe you're unable to use Amazon?

[Sid Post]

4 hours ago, weinoo said:

 

Have you looked at the prices on Amazon because they are way less than that?

 

Maybe you're unable to use Amazon?

When I posted originally, Amazon only had Bob's Red Mill pancake mixes at >$20 per box which was simply unrealistic for someone looking for a reasonable pancake mix.  When I can get Kodiak locally for $5/box, there was no way I would pay $27/box for the Buckwheat pancake mix.

 

Today, I found some vendors with 4 boxes per order that were in the mid-$20's so, ~$6~$8 per box which was more 'palatable' for me.  I have some Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat and 7/10 grain pancake mix ordered to try out.  In the meantime, I found a box of Krusteaz Buttermilk which I brought home from my trip to Lowes in the 'big city' ~35 miles away.

 

I hit several larger stores while I was in town and, the main grocery store chain had no Bob's Red Mill or Krusteaz pancake mix.  Walmart was my best source but, they had none of the store brand, one variety of Pearl (aka Aunt Jemima), some Bisquick, and the Krusteaz I bought (only 2 boxes left).

Edited November 8, 2022 by Sid Post (log)

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, Sid Post said:

When I posted originally, Amazon only had Bob's Red Mill pancake mixes at >$20 per box which was simply unrealistic for someone looking for a reasonable pancake mix.  When I can get Kodiak locally for $5/box, there was no way I would pay $27/box for the Buckwheat pancake mix.

 

Today, I found some vendors with 4 boxes per order that were in the mid-$20's so, ~$6~$8 per box which was more 'palatable' for me.  I have some Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat and 7/10 grain pancake mix ordered to try out.  In the meantime, I found a box of Krusteaz Buttermilk which I brought home from my trip to Lowes in the 'big city' ~35 miles away.

 

I hit several larger stores while I was in town and, the main grocery store chain had no Bob's Red Mill or Krusteaz pancake mix.  Walmart was my best source but, they had none of the store brand, one variety of Pearl (aka Aunt Jemima), some Bisquick, and the Krusteaz I bought (only 2 boxes left).

 

You're all set. Have fun.

[AlaMoi]

if one is willing to make simple efforts like adding water and an egg, it's not much of a stretch to start with

flour

pinch of salt

baking powder

granulated sugar

I use egg whisked into the milk, or buttermilk.

 

powdered buttermilk is also available

or use faux buttermilk

or use real buttermilk.

 

flavoring adds

vanilla extract

almond extract

peppermint extract

rum flavor

 

other adds

blueberries

banana

strawberries

pecans

 

the home made mix is always fresh, no 'funny tastes' from preservatives/flow agents/etc/etc.

 

note:  using buttermilk, after opening the container of powdered buttermilk, transfer it to a glass jar with tight lid - it will turned into a rock in about 2 weeks if left in the original container.

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by AlaMoi (log)

[IndyRob]

IMHO, the whole point behind pancakes is that they're cheap and they're good.  If you try to elevate them with specialty flours it ain't gonna work.  It's a GD pancake.

 

Yes, some are better than others, but it's not about exotic ingredients.  It's about learning how to do it properly over time.

[weinoo]

11 hours ago, IndyRob said:

IMHO, the whole point behind pancakes is that they're cheap and they're good.  If you try to elevate them with specialty flours it ain't gonna work.  It's a GD pancake.

 

Yes, some are better than others, but it's not about exotic ingredients.  It's about learning how to do it properly over time.

 

Yes - I like to use a mix of 50:50 whole wheat and white flours, but that is as exotic as it gets. For crêpes, white flour only, unless the crêpes are galettes.

[Sid Post]

12 hours ago, IndyRob said:

IMHO, the whole point behind pancakes is that they're cheap and they're good.  If you try to elevate them with specialty flours it ain't gonna work.  It's a GD pancake.

 

Yes, some are better than others, but it's not about exotic ingredients.  It's about learning how to do it properly over time.

 

A bit harsh IMHO.  Sure, I could use White bread exclusively for my sandwiches but, a good multigrain is a whole lot healthier and IMHO tastes a lot better.  Then there are the issues like getting mustard all over my fingers because the white bread lacked integrity and fell apart where the multigrain held on to the mustard, tomato, lettuce, and deli meat.

 

If you can't tell, I'm not into a super sweet non-nutritional white bread and like a good quality bread.

 

Pancakes may not be sandwich bread but, there are real differences in taste, nutrition, and quality.

[IndyRob]

Sorry if that came off as harsh, but I just think that when people try to elevate traditional staples, it just doesn't work.  If it did, then that new way would become the new traditional staple.

 

Now, it's one thing if you're truly going for a true variation - say, by using buckwheat.  But that would be, in my view, a buckwheat pancake.  But I don't think people (at least in America which I think is where we're talking about if the subject is pancakes) are really looking for multigrain examples.

 

I looked around and Denny's does offer a '9 grain' pancake (IHOP and Perkins apparently do not offer anything similar).  But it exists among all the Banana or Chocolate Chip varieties.  They all seem to be more about the buttermilk than the flour.

 

Edit:  I guess I'm just feeling protective of the traditional American pancake.  Actually, I prefer crepes, myself.  And if you want to whip your egg whites to create an incredibly fluffy pancake, I won't argue about calling it a pancake.  But it's not really in the tradition, is it?

Edited November 11, 2022 by IndyRob (log)

[Sid Post]

Traditional pancakes have their place but, as I get older, nutrition quality matters.  Plus, the taste becomes an issue as well.

 

Sandwich bread for me is a classic example.  Kids typically have a strong affinity for simple plain white bread which lacks what most consider to be good nutritional content.  Lots of simple carbs and sugar and missing a lot of what classic bread used to contain.

 

As I got older, my preferences in bread evolved more into heartier breads that were typically browned for more flavor along with more whole grains which is closer to what our predecessors ate before "Wonder Bread".

 

These days, a lot of people are pre-diabetic as well so, a simple pancake with a sugary syrup really has some bad side effects for them.  I know as I have gotten older, I do much better with complex carbs and proteins that digest slower and more evenly without spiking my insulin levels.

 

If I go to a hotel 'free' breakfast or diner on the roadside somewhere, I don't have an issue eating a classic pancake stack but, I better add some eggs, bacon, or sausage or my sugar level is going to crash in an hour or two.  To only be a teenager again where I could eat anything without a care in the world ... like powdered donuts and various Hostess cakes without a care in the world!  These days, if the hotel continental 'free' breakfast has Otis Spunkmeyer muffins, I am apt to put a hurting on them even though they aren't that good for me at my age!

 

In terms of pancakes, I'm looking at them like I do breads where I want something more complex and hearty with a good flavor and without having half the stuff in a commercial chemistry lab in it.  I'm not saying I'm against modern food additives, just that I want Banana flavoring to come from Bananas, Blueberry 'nuggets' to come from Blueberries, etc.!  I am definitely not in the Chocolate Chip and Funfetti community of pancake consumers!  Honey buns and Ding Dongs I parted ways a long time ago as well.

 

This is a big part of what brought me 'full circle' back to the humble pancake and French Toast.  Waffles and Crepes are occasionally an option as well in a more full featured breakfast but, I need to be mindful of sugar and simple carb Insulin spikes without enough complex carbs and protein.  Hearty bread in an egg wash at home is a nice option but, outside the scope of this pancake thread or any camping/hiking breakfast options.

[AlaMoi]

I cannot speak to insulin levels, etc.  not been there, haven't done that.

 

but, in 70 years of experience based on my grandmother pancaking on a coal stove . . .

there's two methods to buckwheat pancakes.

'instant' rise using baking powder/baking soda

or

overnight yeast risen batter.

 

"over night" is the operative clue.  absolutely not "fast food"

my grandmother kept a "starter" - vs "tomorrow's active yeast"

she ran a hunting/fishing lodge - so a starter was the standard thing for everyday fixings.

 

I keep buckwheat flour in the freezer - I make buckwheat pancakes as the mood strikes.

done both instant and yeast raised.  if you have the "luxury" of doing an overnight yeast rise - it is seriously better.

 

I don't do the starter bit as I don't make buckwheat pancakes every morning for a plethora of B&B guests.

 

my brother and my cousins used to have buckwheat pancake eating contests . . . so when they are house guests l, , , yeah, I go with Granny's starter . . . min five days alert time needed , , ,

[donk79]

2 hours ago, Sid Post said:

Traditional pancakes have their place but, as I get older, nutrition quality matters.  Plus, the taste becomes an issue as well.

 

Sandwich bread for me is a classic example.  Kids typically have a strong affinity for simple plain white bread which lacks what most consider to be good nutritional content.  Lots of simple carbs and sugar and missing a lot of what classic bread used to contain.

 

As I got older, my preferences in bread evolved more into heartier breads that were typically browned for more flavor along with more whole grains which is closer to what our predecessors ate before "Wonder Bread".

 

These days, a lot of people are pre-diabetic as well so, a simple pancake with a sugary syrup really has some bad side effects for them.  I know as I have gotten older, I do much better with complex carbs and proteins that digest slower and more evenly without spiking my insulin levels.

 

If I go to a hotel 'free' breakfast or diner on the roadside somewhere, I don't have an issue eating a classic pancake stack but, I better add some eggs, bacon, or sausage or my sugar level is going to crash in an hour or two.  To only be a teenager again where I could eat anything without a care in the world ... like powdered donuts and various Hostess cakes without a care in the world!  These days, if the hotel continental 'free' breakfast has Otis Spunkmeyer muffins, I am apt to put a hurting on them even though they aren't that good for me at my age!

 

In terms of pancakes, I'm looking at them like I do breads where I want something more complex and hearty with a good flavor and without having half the stuff in a commercial chemistry lab in it.  I'm not saying I'm against modern food additives, just that I want Banana flavoring to come from Bananas, Blueberry 'nuggets' to come from Blueberries, etc.!  I am definitely not in the Chocolate Chip and Funfetti community of pancake consumers!  Honey buns and Ding Dongs I parted ways a long time ago as well.

 

This is a big part of what brought me 'full circle' back to the humble pancake and French Toast.  Waffles and Crepes are occasionally an option as well in a more full featured breakfast but, I need to be mindful of sugar and simple carb Insulin spikes without enough complex carbs and protein.  Hearty bread in an egg wash at home is a nice option but, outside the scope of this pancake thread or any camping/hiking breakfast options.

Thinking about all of this, and coming back to your original question, several months ago I tried adding 1-minute oats into my Krusteaz pancake mix (riffing off of the buckwheat pancake texture/fiber/nutrition idea).  I personally found the added texture and flavor to be a great improvement to the basic mix.  My daughter did begin to beg for "plain old pancakes" though.

[rotuts]

I used to make pancakes from AuntJ's

 

buttermick , in the box.

 

Im in :

 

 

this was at Tj's   Ill use it as my reference mix.   water and an egg

 

Ill look for BRMill this weekend @ Marketbasket.

 

[rotuts]

was able to remember pancake mix

 

this AM @ marketbasxket

 

they had BRM :

 

 

Im trying the Buckwheat.  didn't see the blue bag

 

will look @ time of refill.   maybe BRM  is trying to move in on the Krusteaz crowd ?