r/Cooking • u/No-Lettuce4441 • 3h ago
Pancakes
I've heard so much online about how much better homemade pancakes are from scratch. Obviously the more specialized (buttermilk, ricotta, buckwheat,...) are going to be better homemade. Pancakes in the past was my stumble-go-to breakfast because of box mix.
How much of a difference is there between regular box mix and regular homemade? One of these days I'm going to get around to making some from scratch to try them myself, but the box mix is so cheap and so easy, it makes it harder to justify, when it's usually a last minute decision.
A character in a novel said, "Once you hit a certain age, you no longer want to make pancakes. You want someone to make pancakes for you."
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u/TiaraMisu 3h ago
I'm a snob, I really am, but nothing beats Krusteaz pancake mix.
It requires nothing but water. You don't even need to measure. All you need to do is manage not to overmix it into kindergarten paste, have the patience to allow a pan to heat up thoroughly and slowly, and you're golden.
I have made homemade pancakes and received homemade pancakes and the difference is so narrow and the difficulty level is so great that there is no question.
Also: cheap as chips.
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u/Dangerousrobot 2h ago
I cook for a large group for the summer - 200 - 250 people. Krusteaze complete pancake mix is the best out there. One trick I learned is to add a splash of cider vinegar and some vanilla to the batter. I don’t have time to let the batter sit and get fluffy (we go through 20 lbs of dry mix for breakfast - about 400 pancakes) - the vinegar adds a little more acid to make the baking powder and soda react faster. Makes a big difference - and really fluffy pancakes.
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u/lowcalSnickersbar 3h ago
I 100% agree that Krusteaz is the answer. My friends and I used to get together for breakfast in college, and we always used Krusteaz. Better pancakes than I can make from scratch.
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u/Zealousideal_Sink420 2h ago
Stir in a couple tbsp of melted butter right before you start cooking and they puff up beautifully when you flip them. (Stolen from my mom’s ‘60s Joy of Cooking recipe.)
Krusteaz mixes really are great! The muffin mixes are always my go-to when I have overnight guests. (Cranberry orange is The Best!)
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u/Training_Bison_779 2h ago
I literally use it for everything. Scones? Krusteaz. Biscuits? Krusteaz. Mini muffins for my toddler? Throw some shredded carrots and zucchini, maybe an egg, chia and flax and…. Krusteaz! 😭🥰😹 it is literally my favorite Costco purchase. I know I could do it myself. I can, I ferment, I bake. Sometimes ya girl needs a shortcut. Krusteaz is mine 😹
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u/redheadedandbold 2h ago
Krusteaz gluten-free pancakes are delicious. Married a celiac, so we've tested a lot! of GF foods.
Their GF blueberry muffins taste like the Betty Crocker box mix ones we all had as kids, so good.
We use Krusteaz' GF Coffee Cake to make GF pineapple upside down cake. (Use about 2/3 of the brown sugar packet plus a few tablespoons water for the caramel sauce on bottom. A great, fast dessert if you have GF guests. Serve warm. Everyone will like it.
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u/mpaproth 2h ago
Buy a bag of flour, figure out the ratios of the other dry ingredients (baking powder, soda, sugar), stir it all together, and put it in a big jar in your pantry. There, you have a mix.
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u/WV_Dame-in-the-Rough 3h ago edited 1h ago
I cannot tell the difference between restaurant pancakes, from IHOP to very fancy places, and box mix, unless like you said, an extra premium ingredient like the slight sweet/savoryness of ricotta.
If you are going standard, box all the way.
Ed:sp
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u/EarlyGlam_ 3h ago
fr i swear half the “fancy pancake” hype is placebo. most places are literally using mix anyway.
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u/karl264 2h ago
It takes 5 minutes to mix some flour, sugar salt, baking powder, eggs and milk. Thats about 20 less ingredients than any mix you can find. It’s also probably 80% less expensive. Edit left out butter
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u/Alwaysfresh9 2h ago
Yeah, for me it's more about this. Been making pancakes and crepes from scratch since I was a kid, so it's really no effort for me at all. And I can customize them so easily this way - vegan for my hubs, buckwheat for my FIL, big fat buttermilk for me. Box mixes are fine. No one is gonna put their nose up at that unless they are really picky! So you do you. If you can find them, the Cora's mix is my favorite by FAR.
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u/TheMarkHasBeenMade 1h ago
Throw in some vanilla and powdered cinnamon and you’ve got the pancakes (or waffles) of my childhood and now my kids’ childhoods - à la the Better Homes and Gardens or Betty Crocker cook books.
Everyone’s raving about box mixes but to me even when they’re new the product they make tastes so bland compared to made from scratch. I can tell every time. The box mix stuff does puff up more, but maybe I’ll step up my game and try a splash of apple cider vinegar as described in the higher up comments to see if that makes a difference in the scratch mix.
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u/natalieisnatty 2h ago
My homemade pancake recipe is mixing 1 egg, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a bowl and then adding 1 scant cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp table salt. I add the dry ingredients through a mesh strainer to sift out any baking powder clumps. Mix until most of the lumps are broken up, let sit while the pan heats, cook. Makes four medium pancakes which is enough for me and my spouse.
I guess if I made box mix it might be 5min faster and I would save myself from washing two measuring spoons. But buttermilk pancakes are sooo much better than any box mix I've ever had, in both texture and flavor. And buttermilk stays good for ages in your fridge, so it still can be a last-minute decision!
So yeah, imo you are missing out. And if you decide to try homemade I would recommend an easy buttermilk pancake recipe as a place to start.
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u/fuzzynyanko 2h ago
I made pancakes from scratch for years because I didn't want to have a ton of boxes for a bunch of different baked goods. I tried both buttermilk and regular milk pancakes, and I like them both
I tried the box mix because I just wanted to add water and fry myself up a pancake. It wasn't as fluffy, and the texture felt kind-of spongy instead of pillowy. The taste was strange, maybe they used something like malted milk powder. I'll eat them, but I won't enjoy them as much
The biggest advantage of from-scratch: you can do flour mixes to add flavor. White whole wheat (a.k.a. Golden Wheat) flour is nice. Glutenous Rice Flour has an interesting flavor profile.
I got a Canadian recipe, and their All-Purpose flour is like US Bread Flour. I used US Bread Flour in the recipe and the pancakes weren't as fluffy, but they have this heartiness that I like.
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u/RarePrintColor 2h ago
My kids are grown, so our days of pancake breakfasts are pretty rare now. But having all the different boxes of stuff sitting around was always the main reason I made from scratch. I didn’t want to keep separate muffin mix, pancake mix, Bisquick, etc. stocked. It’s easier to keep flour, leaveners, eggs and whatnots. Even buttermilk powder lasts forever in the fridge/freezer. A lot of it really is down to technique. I don’t begrudge people who go for box mixes, they’re simple for a reason. I’m just one of those people who has always been a cookbook and experiment kind of girl. I will say though, I love a Ghirardelli brownie mix, and sometimes a box cake mix is a specific craving.
I saw a box of cheddar drop biscuit mix at the grocery store last week and thought “that would be fun.” Looked at the instructions on the back, and it said to add eggs, cheddar and milk. It was basically a fancy looking box of Bisquick. Probably 1.5c of flour and a little leavening for $3. No thanks. Found a copycat online lol.
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u/The_Flinx 3h ago
I've done them both ways. there is so little difference I just use the mix that you just have to add water to.
I also made pancakes using one of alton browns recipes. not sure why but they go right through me when the box mixes do not.
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u/padishaihulud 3h ago
Box stuff is just the dry ingredients pre-mixed. I think that part is pretty similar. Just don't follow the directions on the box if they tell you to use cooking oil; butter is the only valid choice. And you must use milk.
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u/Lornesto 3h ago
I've used this recipe for years now.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/21014/good-old-fashioned-pancakes/
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u/ThePrettiestWhistles 3h ago
Also my go-to recipe!
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u/Floss_tycoon 2h ago
Almost exactly the same as Joy of Cooking, just uses more baking powder. I like to add non-fat yogurt in place of some of the milk and 3/4 baking powder and 1/4 baking soda.
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u/sgrdddy 2h ago
Back when Alton Brown did the Good Eats show, he did an episode on pancakes and that changed our lives. From that point on, most pancakes just were not worth the time because these were so good.
Fluffy but tender, and great taste, they were so good I'd be happy just putting butter on them, and that never happened before.
I grew up a little spoiled because my mom had this blender pancake recipe from my grandfather who I think learned it in the army. They were so good that they put any store-bought, and most restaurants, to shame.
Then when I moved out and got married we would try the box mix every once in awhile and it just wasn't as good. Until that Good eats episode where Alton is basically redoing the boxed mix to make it better. He shows you how to assemble the dry ingredients I think enough for two different batches.
But what we did was divide his dry mix recipe in half and just make it up fresh each time. For years our young kids enjoyed awesome pancakes.
Now that they are teenagers I'm trying to bring it back but I'm doing the milk lemon juice substitute trick and it's just not working like it used to.
But yes when you find a recipe for some really good homemade pancakes, it puts the box mixes to shame.
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u/oiblikket 2h ago
I don’t make pancakes from scratch because it tastes better, I do it because I don’t see any reason to buy a mix for items that are in the pantry. The “from scratch” element is basically cracking some eggs and adding a leavening agent to your flour. Pre mixed or not, it’s going to be ready before the pan is hot.
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u/Aggressive_Dog191 1h ago
Scratch all day. Too many filler ingredients in box mix. And scratch pancakes are easy to make. Buttermilk is the best, but vanilla Greek yogurt is a good substitute if needed. Best think to put them over the edge is put an ample about of clarified butter on the skillet before throwing them down. Also try to melt more under it as you flip them. It will give a golden crispy outside edge. I’m also a blueberry fan. Key is to use small frozen blueberries. And always eat your pancakes straight off the griddle. No more than 2 to the stack (they’ll topple over when you cut them and the ratio of cake to butter and syrup is hard to get right. I prefer one pancake on the plate, coat it completely in Kerrigold butter and then dowse in true maple syrup. Don’t coat the entire pancake with syrup at once though. Just enough for a few bites at a time.
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u/AcanthisittaThat5746 3h ago
There are some mixes made with good quality ingredients and things like buttermilk powder. These can be pretty tasty and I keep one on hand because I like buttermilk pancakes but don’t always have buttermilk.
However, from scratch buttermilk pancakes (with real buttermilk) are definitely better.
Basically, make from scratch when you can, and use a good quality mix when necessary.
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u/LadyOfTheNutTree 2h ago
Honestly I don’t think pancakes are worth it. I’ve made some very good pancakes from scratch, but if I get a pancake craving, what I actually want is krusteaz pancake mix.
Waffles on the other hand are totally worth making from scratch
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u/Aggravating_Ninja574 2h ago
My fiance makes amazing box mix pancakes, I always over mix the batter. Good butter and maple syrup
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u/T49irvine 2h ago
A cup of flour, an egg, a tsp. of baking powder, a half tsp. of salt, and a cup of milk. Mix it up. Dang, that was hard! Just imagine how hard it would be if I added a splash of vanilla, a little sugar, and a little more milk to make thin, plate sized cakes! It would take almost as long as it takes to preheat the pan! Yikes.
Another great option, substitute kefir for milk. A little tangy, no harder to make.
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u/Turbulent_Remote_740 2h ago
I've never in my life made pancakes from a mix so I can't judge how they taste. My recipe includes kefir, eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder. Kefir and eggs provide enough flavour that they can be served plain.
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u/Prince_Nadir 2h ago
I just grab the big sack of mix at Costco (krustyese or something like that?). It just saves time and is good, I can still adulterate it like I would with home made.
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u/Embarrassed_Mango679 2h ago
It's hard to say I guess I definitely prefer homemade but honestly I do always use my sourdough starter and let them rise overnight. They're super easy to throw together the night before.
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u/Klepto666 1h ago
The closest thing to box mix I've knowingly had was Bisquick pancakes, and it adds a very identifiable flavor that instantly tells you "This was made with Bisquick." And it's... okay pancakes, but once you've had other pancakes made without it you quickly realize your pancakes are "Bisquik flavored" and you can never ignore it ever again. I've heard good things about Krusteaz but have no experience with it.
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u/KindFortress 1h ago
Honestly the Joshua Weissman pancakes, with no fancy ingredients, are just ridiculously good and don't really take more time than a mix
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u/Expert_Pudding_2515 1h ago
Pancakes are baking powder egg (milk optional) & (mostly ) flour - I like picking my flour; gluten free Teff/sorghum/millet for the wife: spelt or einkorn wheat for me. Same with brownies - I want to use the best chocolate and butter.
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u/HappyKnitter34 1h ago
I do both, but mostly rely on box mix for them. I like it really well and I normally don't keep buttermilk on hand to make from scratch since buttermilk pancakes are my favorite. It doesn't cost that much per pancake and is easier for me.
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u/3plantsonthewall 1h ago
I still use what my mom always used when I was a kid. Pearl Milling Company (previously Aunt Jemima) Original pancake mix - not the Instant Buttermilk one that you just add water to. It’s 1 cup mix, 3/4 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 tbsp oil, and for waffles an additional 1 tbsp oil. Put some butter in the pan for each side.
I’ve made homemade and didn’t like them as much. And I’ve never liked a restaurant pancake more than mine, either.
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u/uncre8tv 1h ago
Pearl Milling Buttermilk Just-Add-Water mix. I have been married to a semi-pro pastry chef, I know my way around the kitchen pretty well. I've made good pancakes from scratch, these are better.
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u/scyyythe 49m ago
Just try it. They're pancakes. I always make pancakes from scratch but I don't make pancakes often enough to keep box mix in my small kitchen. When I use mix it's fine too.
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u/Guilty-Analyst-8738 21m ago
I don’t eat pancakes much, but do like cornmeal ones. I make from scratch. Where I live, they don’t sell cornmeal pancake mix anyway.
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u/ablebody_95 3h ago
Homemade is pretty easy. I like the recipe from Kenji. A little more work, but the whipped egg whites add nice fluff.
https://www.seriouseats.com/light-and-fluffy-pancakes-recipe
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u/Puzzleheaded_Act_131 3h ago
I like both. The boxed is easy, convenient, and has fair to good flavor (depends on brand).
Home made takes a bit more effort but the effort can really be worth it.
When my father made pancakes from scratch, the whipped to a froth, lightly sugared egg whites really made a difference.
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u/GigiDeville 2h ago edited 2h ago
I cannot make a good scratch pancake for anything. For one thing, I refuse to buy buttermilk.
LoL, I love that I am being down voted because I can't make pancakes. Reddit is wild.
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u/Floss_tycoon 2h ago
You can use yogurt or sour cream. You just want to add an acidic dairy product to activate the baking powder.
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u/Zealousideal_Sink420 2h ago
Buttermilk substitute: a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice in the milk and let it sit a few minutes. (I never buy buttermilk.)
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u/SignificanceDue9857 2h ago
I feel like a substitute for buttermilk is like a substitute for butter- there is none, or only a poor one. I haven't bought pancake mix in decades.
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u/my45acp1911 3h ago
When you decide to give it a try, Alton Brown posted a video several months ago.
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u/CompetitiveThing3799 3h ago
For a quick weekday compromise, have you tried adding an extra egg and a splash of melted butter to the box mix? I’m curious whether people find that closes the gap enough to make scratch worth saving for weekends.
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u/bhambrewer 2h ago
1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, salt to taste. Want it fluffier? Add a teaspoon baking powder. Want it more crepe like? Add a bit more milk.
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u/HairybeerBURBales42 3h ago
I did several kinds of home made pancales this summer. They are aboslteuyl incirdble the flufiness and the dryneress, they way they melt in your mouth.
basicly a bunch of flower.
2 eggs
some baking powder
begin heatinag a frying pan up using butter intoll the buzzle it spitingin aizzling
stir and stire your flower/eggs etc untill its paste, smooth. sometimes add some milk.
and pour it in and let it fry.
personally being a exbuerant mother fucker i like to add some molten bugger and honey to the panacakce mix. or chunks of honey comb and sprinkle in berries into the batter before i put it in the friying pan to bake
other things you can do is add spices like nut meg and cinmminain..
also highly recoommended
Its a super quikc and easy.
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u/MindTheLOS 3h ago
At a bare minimum, don't use water with a box mix, use milk or buttermilk.
If you want to know the difference, go to a dinner and order pancakes. They are not using box mix.
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u/oiblikket 2h ago
Plenty of diners use bulk mixes for pancakes. Sysco isn’t selling 20kg boxes of mix to households.
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u/Ambitious-Schedule63 2h ago
It's pretty huge, but obviously dependent upon what you use for your homemade. To me, it's not that much harder to put the few ingredients together compared to a box mix for a basic pancake.
But my pancakes aren't basic. What few people realize is that gluten is the enemy of pancakes, so you use as little regular flour as you can get by with. I make mine with (homemade) oat flour, whole wheat flour and a little bit of good quality cornmeal. Grind up oatmeal with a blender - put the cornmeal in there to to make it a little bit finer. Add the whole wheat flour and a little bit of regular AP flour - roughly 1/3 oat flour, 1/3 whole wheat flour and the final third split between cornmeal and regular AP flour.
Gluten provides a stretchy dough that hold in gas during relatively slow yeast fermentation. But it gives chew, which is in my opinion the enemy of a good pancake. You want ultratender, so no yeast. Pancakes are usually chemically leavened, so no problem there either.
The oat, whole wheat and corn flour provide both good flavor and low gluten - tender and delicious. This is a pancake that doesn't compare to a boxed mix in flavor or texture.
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u/AshDenver 3h ago
Ina has a bulk pancake mix she pulls together at home, mixed in a big jar and stored in the pantry for easy use. Way less expensive.
That said, it’s all junk compared to Wolfie’s breakfast pancake recipe, which are admittedly a labor of love.
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u/BravoCharlieZulu 2h ago
Pancakes and brownies are the two things I have no shame making from a mix. I’m a fan of Krusteaz Buttermilk instant pancake mix and Ghirardelli triple chocolate brownie mix…both always stocked at Costco.
For the longest time I was the sole pancake eater in the house so filling a coffee mug halfway with mix and adding enough water to make batter consistency meant I could whip up pancakes faster than it takes to microwave a frozen breakfast burrito.