Homemade Pancake Mix Recipe - Skip the Box and Make Your Own! (2024)

FAQs

What can I use if I don't have enough pancake mix? ›

If you run out of pancake mix, you can make pancakes at home with just a few simple ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and a bit of sugar. Once you mix those dry ingredients, you'll add the milk, an egg, and butter to create a terrific pancake batter.

Can you use milk instead of water for pancakes? You sure can! Instead of water, you can use any kind of milk, including almond milk and coconut milk, to mix up the pancake batter.

Yes. Self-rising flour already contains baking powder as a leavening agent whereas a recipe for pancakes using plain (“all-purpose”) flour will call for adding a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda.

Here's why. Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

Air! The combination of homemade buttermilk (milk and vinegar) and two leaveners (baking powder and baking soda) create lots of air bubbles in the pancake batter, resulting in the lightest and fluffiest pancakes imaginable.

Making good pancakes depends on three key factors: mixing the batter to the right consistency, heating the griddle properly and recognizing when to turn the cakes. Whether making pancake batter from scratch or from a packaged mix, stir it just enough to moisten the dry ingredients.

The oil, butter, and egg should be enough to create a rich, thick batter. While the batter would be thick, it's not likely to make light and fluffy cakes. The milk or water allows the batter to thin out and let all other ingredients make delectable cakes! The butter or oil is there to keep the pancakes moist.

Add an Egg

Even if your pancake mix doesn't call for an egg, mix one into the batter. The egg will add richness to the recipe and make the end result taste like homemade pancakes. If your pancake mix already calls for an egg, try adding an extra one.

What does egg do to pancakes? ›

Eggs are a crucial ingredient. They provide the cakes with the structure to hold light bubbles. Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes.

If your pancake mix simply calls for water, substitute the same amount of milk and enjoy an airier texture. For guaranteed moisture and richness, add some melted butter to your batter. A few tablespoons of Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese will give your pancakes a richer flavor.

Add all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time

If your batter is very runny, start with 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour and ¼ teaspoon of baking powder for every 2 tablespoons of flour you add in. Then, mix them well into the bowl. Once combined, without overly mixing, check the consistency.

To use oats to thicken pancake batter, add 2 tablespoons of oats per pancake, or ¼ cup per 4 pancakes. Either instant or quick oats are best, as these will quickly absorb the moisture in the pancake batter.