Homemade pancake mix for quarantine fun is not just a fun project with the family, but who doesn’t want to eat them all up. If you love pancakes, waffles, biscuits, or and dumplings, then enjoy this recipe. The kids will learn something new, plus, it’s healthier to make your own mix when you control the sodium, sugars, and so on. Homemade means: chemical-free and that’s worth it. As well, it saves time when you’re in a hurry. Feel free to add apples, spices, and substitute up to 50% whole grains without having to adjust the recipe.
Recipe Success: have fun, let the kids help, and try different things, this homemade pancake mix is very versatile.
Homemade Pancake Mix
| Step 1 | Tools | Grams | Ounces | % |
| All-purpose flour | 8 cups | 1040 | 36.68 | 100 |
| Dried milk powder | 1 1 /2 cups | 195 | 6.87 | 18.75 |
| Brown sugar | 1/2 cup | 100 | 3.53 | |
| Baking powder | 5 tablespoons | 77 | 2.72 | |
| Salt | 4 teaspoons |
In a large bread mixing bowl; whisk the dry ingredients together well.
| Step 2 | Tools | Grams | Ounces | % |
| Butter, lard, or shortening | 1 1/2 cup | 340 | 12 | 32.69 |
Cut in with pastry blender, or rub in butter and flour between fingers; breaking and rubbing the butter into pieces until the mix resembles coarse meal.
Chef Notes: check the date of the baking powder; making sure it’s fresh, as the mix can sit up to 2 months and you don’t want your leavening to go flop a month later. Double-acting works best here, and remember to use aluminum-free powders.
Storing: In air tight container, it will last 2 months in a cool dry place, if using butter, it’s best to store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Grilling up the Pancakes
Preheat the griddle or large skillet to medium-high heat. Heavy griddles and cast iron can take a good 10 minutes to heat up evenly. Like all pancakes, you can add chocolate chips or fruit the batter.
| Makes 8, five-inch cakes | Tools | Grams | Ounces | % |
| Milk | 1 cup | |||
| Eggs | 2 | 110 | ||
| Pancake mix | 2 cup |
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the eggs and milk together then add the pancake mix. (batter is thick)
Oil the grill surface lightly and pour about 1/4 cup of the batter. Cakes will sizzle just a bit and that’s the perfect sign the pan is hot enough. In about 1-1 1/2 minutes cake should have bubbled and spatula should slip under the edges pretty easy. Flip and cook the second side for about 1 minute. If tops are more than a dark golden color the griddle is too hot.
Chef Notes: the batter is very thick but cooks out nice, sometimes I help the pancakes by spreading the batter with a spoon, but not too much, as they will cook up moist and soft without much help. Pancake-mix will clump up when stored in the refrigerator, use a spoon to mash down the lumps before using.
Variations: 1. Don’t substitute buttermilk for the milk, as the ratio will end with gummy pancakes usually.
2. Cut fruit can be added to the batter, 1/3 cup of diced fresh apples, blueberries, or bananas work fine.
3. If cinnamon is added 1/4 teaspoon with 1 tablespoon of sugar balances the flavor well
Buttermilk Biscuits
The homemade pancake mix is also great as a biscuit and with buttermilk!
| Makes 9-11 biscuits | Tools | Grams | Ounces | % |
| Buttermilk | 3/4 cup | 181 | 6.4 | |
| Egg | 1 large | – | – | |
| Pancake mix | 2 1/3 cups |
Preheat the oven to 425oF (218oC)
Prepare: one cookie sheet or baking pan; 9×13 lined with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl add the buttermilk and egg whipping the mixture well. Then add the homemade pancake mix all at once with a fork mixing just enough to form a ball. Flour a work surface and hands with 1-2 tablespoons of flour. Using a rubber spatula scrape the dough onto the work surface. Knead by folding the dough over 10 times using the heel of one or both hands. Press down in a forward motion rolling the dough away from you, and then folding it back over its self (this stretches the gluten), rotating dough 90 degrees between folds and stop. No matter how much you want to knead more, don’t. It will appear you could be kneed a few more times, but it’s better not to overwork the dough.
Roll or pat to about 3/4 inch (2cm) thick and cut into about 3 inch (7.6cm) rounds or desired shapes.
Place biscuits on a 9×13 baking sheet lined with parchment paper allowing them to touch each other for soft, higher sides. Separate them about one inch apart for crisp sides.
Chef Notes: to neutralize the sour flavor in buttermilk or yogurt; for those who don’t appreciate that flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every 2-2 1/2 cups of flour or mix.
Buttermilk Waffles Made from the Pancake Mix
Yep, waffles can be made with the pancake mix too. And everyone just loves the special effort it takes for waffles. Add some finely chopped pecans in the batter, but be careful to chop them small enough not to interfere with the batter.
Preheat the griddle to medium-high heat. Heavy griddles and cast iron can take a good 10 minutes to heat up evenly, but do it slow or you will have hot spots.
Makes 5-6 mediium sized waffles | Tools | Grams | Ounces | % |
| Butter milk | 1/2 cups | 121 | 4.3 | |
| Milk | 1/4 cup | 121 | 4.3 | |
| Egg | 2 large | – | – | |
| Butter, melted | 2 tablespoons | – | – | |
| Pancake mix | 2 cups |
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the eggs and milk together then add the pancake mix.
In the preheated waffle iron oil the surface well, pour batter into the waffle iron; close, and cook according to your waffle iron instructions. Usually, it takes about 4-5 minutes for a non-industrial model.
Notes:
- U.S.News, Jill Castle, Reviving the Family Meal During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Nice idea, I’ll try it with the kids, they loved the idea.
Some of my favorite things to cook. I am not much of a biscuit guy though.
I created this recipe while in NY in 2009, I gave it as gifts and really enjoyed it! I’m not a biscuit person either, but I do love a great pancake now and then! Stay safe and at peace out there, it’s hard times but it will get better! (: