Written By: Zach Morgan//Photography By: Ivan Solis
Do you ever wake up in the morning craving pancakes? (Why am I even asking, of course, you do!) I always keep a box of pancake mix around just in case I’m in the mood. But sometimes, a store-bought mix just doesn’t have the flavor (or fluffiness) of a homemade batch.
So that’s why our resident chef Zach shared with me a few little tweaks for how to make boxed pancake mix better – and to help you make a delicious, fluffy stack of pancakes in no time!
I have a confession to make. Although I’m a chef and love to cook things from scratch, I still use instant pancake mix. If I’m short on time or want something simple, I grab my box of Pearl Milling Company, Krusteaz, or Hungry Jack! However, even though I’m using the mix, I still like to spruce it up with some of my own touches – like eggs and ingredients to make them fluffy and sweeter. So here are my 7 tips to make your boxed pancake mix even better!
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How To Make Boxed Pancake Mix Better
1. USE MILK / MILK ALTERNATIVE INSTEAD OF WATER
2. ADD AN EGG TO THE PANCAKE MIX
3. ADD SOME MELTED BUTTER
4. ADD A DASH OF CLUB SODA
5. FOLD YOUR PANCAKE MIX TO MAKE IT FLUFFIER. YOU WANT LUMPS.
6. MAKE THEM SWEETER TASTING AND LOOKING
7. SPICE IT UP
1. Use Milk/ Alternative Milk Instead Of Water
Even though the mix may call for water, you can easily substitute that for an alternative milk (I like oat milk). You may have to add a dash more due to the difference in consistency, but it’ll taste so much better!
2. Add An Egg To The Pancake Mix
Whip up an egg with your milk and melted butter for fluffier and better-textured pancakes
3. Add Some Melted Butter
What’s better than melted butter on your pancakes? Melted butter IN your pancakes! Just trust me on this one and try it out.
4. Add A Dash Of Club Soda
Homemade pancakes are so fluffy because when you make them from scratch, it gives them a chance to form more air bubbles. An easy hack to get a similar effect is to add about 1 tbsp of club soda per person. The carbonation will help them rise and give you those pillowy pancakes that you want.
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5. FOLD YOUR PANCAKE MIX – YOU WANT LUMPS
For even fluffier pancakes, fold your dry and wet ingredients together. You don’t want smooth pancake mix, you want it a little lumpy for extra fluff. If you want to go the extra mile, you can sive your dry ingredients before adding in the wet ingredients.
6. SWEETER TASTING AND LOOKING
If you want extra sweet pancakes, you can add in a little sugar or sugar substitute. If you’re not sure if you need more sugar, you can always taste the batter for sweetness before you cook it. (Don’t forget about the raw egg that you might have added and the health risks associated). If you want a little extra sweetness and for your batch to look pretty, add a little powdered sugar. And don’t forget about other possible sweet toppings (syrup, fruit) before you go adding in more sugar.
7. Spice It Up
Some mixes already have flavors added to them, but a little more spice never hurt anyone. I like to add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or vanilla extract to give it more depth in flavor. You can even add a dash of cocoa powder for some chocolate pancakes!
Try mixing and matching these methods to find what works best for you, and let us know how your pancakes turn out!
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We add melted butter, vanilla extract or chocolate syrup with heavy whipping cream, warm water and lactose free milk. It comes out so fluffy and good to where syrup is not needed. We will sauté some apples or bananas or make a fruit compote with strawberries, and blueberries. We make whipped cream and Carmel syrup from scratch then sprinkle some oven chopped honey roasted walnuts or pecans on top.
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Sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that. -B
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Oh my, that dash of club soda worked a treat! Sooo fluffy. I always use an extra egg too, which also helps. Out favorite is along with the cinnamon, when I put the mixture in the pan I sprinkle a few frozen blueberries on (they thaw immediately in the heat). You can’t beat those pancakes for brekkie. ?
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Thats a great idea! Will definitely be adding that to my next batch. -B
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What if you try all the methods at once? Hot mess?
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Ha, it could be interesting! -B
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Please and Thanks!Reply
Check out this link for some of our favorites. Thanks for reading! -B
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What a great idea, will have to try this next time I have pancakes, although not sure what to use as club soda I don’t think we have that in Australia but I’ll look for something else. Thanks for the ideas sure it will be delicious.
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Enjoy! Thanks for reading. -B
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Any carbonated beverage will work. Totally replace the entire volume of water. Big Red pancakes are awesome!!
Cindy A.Reply
What do you cook them on.. oil? Butter? Technique to pouring? Just can’t get them right
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I do not use anything on my griddle. Use the water test. Heat the griddle/pan on medium heat. After a couple of minutes sprinkle some water droplets from your fingers on the griddle. When the droplets quickly scatter around its ready. Turn the heat down a bit and begin. To pour the batter I use a gravy ladle.
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I used milk, added butter / vanilla to batter.
DELICIOUS! Thank you.
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That sounds delicious! Will have to try that version for brunch sometime. xx -B
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You forgot one of the most important things about pancakes… let the batter rest a few minutes before cooking. (10 to 20 minutes)
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Thanks for reading and sharing your tip! 🙂 -xx B
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Hi Bobby,
Great suggestions. I’ll give the soda water a try. I like to mix in some almond flour for some added protein. Alternates like a little greek yogurt ( a tablespoon or so), a mashed banana or some chopped apples with the skin on and cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg are good for a change. Frozen berries always make the batter harder to cook right. Any suggestions for that problem?Reply
I made these with melted butter, milk, an egg, homemade vanilla extract, cinnamon sugar and nutmeg. They were so good! I was not ready for the slight spreading of the batter once on the griddle, but the light puffiness was glorious! Thanks so much, I’m a new fan at age 71
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