Homemade Pancake Mix — Because the Box Kind Just Isn’t It Anymore

Homemade pancake mix changed my Saturday mornings in a way I genuinely did not expect. Like, I thought I was fine with the Aunt Jemima box. I really did. And then one morning I ran out — kids screaming, everyone hungry, me in my pajamas at 8am — and I just… made it from scratch out of desperation. And now I can never go back. I’m actually a little annoyed about it.

This was maybe eight months ago. My son Youssef had been requesting pancakes every single weekend like clockwork, and I’d been buying box mix like a normal person. Then that Saturday happened and I thought okay, flour, baking powder, sugar — how hard can this be? Turns out? Not hard at all. Actually embarrassingly easy. I felt a little silly for not doing it sooner.

Also check : Sugar Free Breakfast Pancakes

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What Even IS a Pancake Mix and Why Make Your Own

Okay so here’s the thing about homemade pancake mix — it’s basically just the dry ingredients premixed and stored in a jar. That’s it. That’s the whole secret. You make a big batch once, store it, and then on a lazy Sunday morning all you have to do is add the wet ingredients. It takes like 20 minutes to put together the mix itself and then you have pancakes for weeks.

The homemade pancake mix is also just… better? Like the texture is fluffier, you can control what goes in it (no weird preservatives I can’t pronounce), and honestly it costs way less than buying boxes every couple of weeks. My mom always made hers from scratch and I used to think that was an old-fashioned thing. Mom, if you’re reading this, you were right. You’re always right. I’m sorry.

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The Dry Mix — Make a Big Batch

Before we even get to the actual pancake-making part, let’s talk about the mix itself. This is what you store in a jar or airtight container and keep in your pantry.

For the dry homemade pancake mix (makes enough for about 4-5 batches of pancakes):

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• (Optional) 1 teaspoon cinnamon — I add this every time now, it just makes everything smell better

Just whisk all of that together really well in a big bowl, then pour it into an airtight container or a mason jar. Label it so your family doesn’t mistake it for something else. (My husband once grabbed my pancake mix thinking it was flour for bread. Disaster. Complete disaster.)

This mix keeps for up to 3 months in a cool dry place. Or longer in the fridge if you want to be extra safe.

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Okay NOW the Pancakes

So when you’re ready to actually make pancakes, here’s what you need per batch (makes about 8-10 medium pancakes, feeds 3-4 people depending on how hungry everyone is):

From your mix:

• 2 cups of your homemade pancake mix

Wet ingredients to add fresh:

• 1 1/2 cups milk (whole milk makes them richer, 2% works fine, oat milk works too — tried it)
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (or vegetable oil if that’s what you’ve got)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract — this is optional but please don’t skip it, it makes a difference I promise

A note about the milk situation: I’ve used regular milk, oat milk, and once buttermilk by accident because I grabbed the wrong carton. Buttermilk actually made the BEST pancakes I’ve ever had. So now I do that on purpose. If you can find buttermilk, use it.

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How to Actually Make the Pancakes

Right. Let’s do this.

Step 1: Heat your pan or griddle over medium heat. Not medium-high. Medium. I spent years burning the outside of pancakes while the inside was still raw because I had the heat too high. Medium heat. Be patient.

Step 2: Whisk your wet ingredients together in a bowl — milk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla.

Step 3: Add 2 cups of your homemade pancake mix to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. And I mean JUST combined. Lumpy is fine. Lumpy is good. Lumpy batter makes fluffy pancakes. The second you try to make it perfectly smooth, you’ve overmixed it and activated too much gluten and now your pancakes will be chewy and sad. I know this from experience.

Step 4: Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. Don’t skip this. I always skip this. My pancakes are always better when I don’t skip this. Learn from my mistakes.

Step 5: Lightly butter your pan — I use actual butter, not cooking spray, because cooking spray makes the edges taste weird to me — and pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.

Step 6: Wait. This is the hard part for me. Wait until you see bubbles forming on the surface and the edges look set and slightly dry. Then flip. Once. Do not press down on the pancake after flipping. I see people do this and I physically flinch. You’re squishing out all the fluffiness! Stop it!

Step 7: Cook for another 1-2 minutes on the second side. They’re done.

Now— oh wait, I forgot to mention — keep finished pancakes on a plate in a 200°F oven while you make the rest. Covering them with a kitchen towel on the counter just makes them steam and go soggy. Oven method only.

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Tips That Took Me Way Too Long to Learn

Using homemade pancake mix as your base opens up so many options, and I’ve tried most of them at this point:

• Add blueberries directly to the pan after pouring the batter, don’t mix them into the batter. They sink and burst unevenly if you mix them in. Drop them on top of the poured batter. Game changer. My neighbor Karima showed me this and I felt like a fool for not knowing.
• Chocolate chips go in the same way. Pour batter, then immediately scatter chips on top. Youssef requests this version approximately every week.
• For extra fluffy results: separate your eggs, mix the yolks into the batter normally, then beat the whites until stiff and fold them in last. I do this maybe once a month when I’m feeling ambitious. The pancakes are AMAZING. Also my kitchen looks like it was hit by a tornado afterward.
• If your homemade pancake mix batter seems too thick, add milk a splash at a time. Too thin? Add a small spoonful of mix. It’s more forgiving than you think.
• Don’t use pre-made pancake syrup if you can avoid it. Just butter and a tiny bit of honey. Or fruit. Or nothing. But if you do use syrup, please heat it up first. Cold syrup on hot pancakes is a crime.

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Real Morning, Real Talk

The first time I made pancakes from scratch with my own homemade pancake mix, Youssef said — I’m not even joking — “Mama these taste like the restaurant ones.” And I know he’s seven and has questionable taste in most things (he dips his pancakes in ketchup, which I have chosen not to comment on), but that hit different.

These pancakes are soft, fluffy, a little golden on the outside, and just… right. Nothing fancy. No secret chef techniques. Just good simple ingredients mixed together properly and cooked with a little patience.

And honestly? Having a jar of homemade pancake mix sitting in my pantry makes me feel weirdly prepared and competent. Like I have my life together. Even when I very much do not.

Try it this weekend. Make the big batch of mix on a Friday night — takes 10 minutes — and then Saturday morning pancakes become almost effortless. Let me know how yours turn out, seriously, because I love hearing about other people’s pancake situations 🥞✨