The Prudent Pantry: DiY Pancake Mix Recipe

As I mentioned the other week, it dawned on me recently that I could make my own pancake mix. I never buy mixes, because making pancakes from scratch is just as easy and I get to control the ingredients (no preservatives!), but I found that having a mix in the pantry led me to make pancakes more often.

And a life full of pancakes is a happy life (if perhaps a bit more stout).

In a move that may surprise anyone who knows my procrastinating ways, I made good on my idea almost immediately. Here are two recipes if you'd like to make your own. And of course, if you want pancakes now, just cook them up right away!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

These are healthful, but so tasty you'd never know it.

Mix:
2 cups whole-wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Put dry ingredients through sifter. If any large wheat flakes remain, discard them. Mix well and store in a Mason jar, Tupperware, or Ziploc bag.

To make pancakes:

Mix together 2 eggs, 1/3-cup vegetable oil, and 1 1//2-2 cups milk. Add to dry ingredients until just mixed. Cook by the ¼ cup on a hot griddle.

Mom's Pancakes

These are not MY mom's pancakes, but I think they are someone's mom's pancakes.

Mix:
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
4 teaspoons baking powder (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix together and store.

To make pancakes:

Mix together 2 eggs, 2 cups milk, and 1 stick butter (melted). Add to dry ingredients until just mixed. Cook by the ¼ cup on a hot griddle.

As you can see, these recipes are very similar. The butter is the only major difference, aside from the type of flour used. Half a cup of butter is much more decadent than a third cup of oil, but it is also incredibly tasty. Consider mixing up a batch of each, perhaps using the whole wheat for every day use and Mom's for Sundays.

Annika Barranti is a writer living in Los Angeles and blogging at Through the Looking Glass. She and her husband are raising two children and trying to eat well on a tiny budget.