Whipping up pancakes from scratch sounds like a morning well spent, an idyllic start to a day that can only be better than the last. That’s until an hour later and you’re facing a flour-covered, eggshell-strewn countertop—with the saddest pancakes on earth to show for it.
The truth is, no one wants to fiddle with measuring cups and bags of flour at 6am. You should be sipping coffee and taking it slow, not stressed and crying and covered in pancake batter!
And so, instant pancake mix: the picture-perfect breakfast in a dump-it-all bag. With just eggs and water, you get your fluffy stacks and enough time for a quick jog… or a crawling return to bed. To save you even more time, we tested some local pancake mixes to find the ones you should get.
How we tested
We picked 10 locally available pancake mixes for testing, then grouped the brands into two major categories: supermarket and small batch pancake mix.
We prepared each pancake mix to their package instructions, following their suggested measurements and ingredients. To test the baseline flavor equally, we used water and oil over milk and butter unless stated otherwise. (Ram, for example, explicitly requires milk.) Each batch of pancakes were evaluated in terms of flavor, rise, and texture.
Read on for the local pancake mix brands we recommend:
- Our supermarket pancake mix picks
- Our buttermilk pancake mix picks
- A pancake mix that tastes like vanilla cake
- A clean-tasting, healthy-ish pancake mix
Best supermarket pancake mix
You’ll find these pancake mixes at every major supermarket, ranging from small 200g boxes to whopping 1kg bags for commercial use.
Our Pick: Maya The Original Hotcake Mix
Maya has been in the instant pancake game for at least 60 years. That time has been well spent perfecting their Original Hotcake Mix, beloved by generations of home cooks and moms (ours included). You get the platonic ideal of a basic pancake: a beautifully browned top, great spring, and a dense but fluffy, not-too-sweet bite. It’s flavorful enough to enjoy on its own, and can handle additional powdered sugar or maple syrup. Trust your mom on this one. Maya’s excellent—and always has been.
