This is hands down the BEST Homemade Pancake Mix from scratch that makes delightfully fluffy, light pancakes with a hint of sweetness that taste so much better than what you get with store-bought instant pancake mixes. BUT, even better, this same mix also doubles up as a Homemade Waffle Mix to give you perfectly crispy, super light, scrumptious waffles too! 🙂
The best Homemade Pancake Mix from scratch that’s better than store bought!
Why make a Homemade Pancake Mix?
How many weekends do you crave for a stack of pancakes, but have to make the batter from scratch, measuring out each ingredient? Or you have to rely on that store bought pancake mix that doesn’t taste all that good! And as you know, those instant pancake mixes are the furthest thing from ideal.
Well, good news! This one is for all the pancake and waffle fans out there! 🙂
Whether it’s a busy weekday or a lazy weekend, I’d never say no to a deliciously fluffy pancake or a light, crispy waffle. And I make my fair share of pancakes and waffles (check out these coffee pancakes, sheet pan pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, blueberry pancakes, and my overnight yeasted waffles, and spiced yeasted waffles!). Thanks to this homemade pancake mix there’s a quick and easy to way get my pancake fix on busy days and on weekends! Plus you know exactly what is in the homemade pancake mix that you made.
Why this homemade pancake mix is the best out there
So after A LOT of testing, I FINALLY made my own HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX that easily doubles up as a HOMEMADE WAFFLE MIX too! 🙂 How awesome is that? This is easily the best homemade pancake mix recipe and it goes without saying that it’s better than anything store-bought.
It makes light, fluffy pancakes with a hint of sweetness that you absolutely couldn’t resist.
Plus, this homemade mix has just one extra ingredient, that makes pancakes that are lighter and fluffier than other mixes out there.
Not only pancakes though – it also makes deliciously crispy waffles with the same batter mix too!
Yes, I am a pancake and waffle purist of sorts, and I know that the batters for pancakes and waffles are different from each other. Pancakes need to puff up, but waffle batter needs more fat and is lighter so that you get light, crispy waffles. My favorite waffle recipe is a yeasted waffle recipe (coming on the blog soon), but it requires some planning ahead.
But what about those frenetic Mondays when you want perfectly crispy and light as feathers waffles for breakfast? 🙂 That’s where my Homemade Waffle Mix (Homemade Pancake Mix) becomes a life-saver! 🙂
So there’s no reason why week days (or afternoons or after hours) can’t mean pancakes and waffles too!
In this post, I’ll show you how to make homemade pancake mix from scratch, and how to make waffles AND pancakes from the same mix. So that you can enjoy from scratch waffles or pancakes whenever you like!
Usually store-bought pancake mixes have a chemical after-taste that comes from preservatives. But that’s obviously not the case with this homemade pancake mix. These pancakes are made with all the regular ingredients that you use to make pancakes or waffles, so that you get deliciously fresh and scrumptious results, every time.
What’s so great about using homemade pancake mix from scratch?
- Store-bought pancake mixes have preservatives which make pancakes and waffles taste a bit “artificial”. This homemade pancake mix (homemade waffle mix) uses the same ingredients that you’d normally use to make pancakes or waffles, so they ALWAYS taste delicious and you know exactly what goes in.
- This pancake mix is just a matter of measuring the ingredients into a blender and then blend to mix well, and then transfer the mix into an air-tight container. Once you have a full jar of this mix, you can easily make a batch of fluffy pancakes or crispy waffles anytime you want!
- It saves you time from having to measure each ingredient into a bowl to make pancakes or waffles from scratch the regular way. You only need to measure one ingredient here – the pancake mix, and then just add eggs, butter and milk (all in one bowl).
- This homemade pancake mix uses cornflour or cornstarch. This lightens up the mix resulting in a lighter batter that gives you fluffier pancakes, and crispier and lighter waffles.
- If rubbery pancakes are a problem, then this mix is the solution! Rubbery pancakes happen because you over-mix the batter, and the flour forms too much gluten. The addition of cornstarch helps reduce the gluten formation as well. Just make sure to mix the ingredients only until they are just combined, and you will NEVER have rubbery pancakes again.
- Instead of using regular sugar, I use confectioner’s sugar to sweeten this DIY pancake mix recipe. I find that when I use regular sugar, it sinks to the bottom of the mix, even after blending it. But with confectioner’s sugar, you won’t have that problem. It distributes well with the flour and cornstarch.
- No baking soda – I actually do like baking soda in my pancakes or waffles. It’s a great leavening agent. BUT for this pancake mix recipe, I decided not to include baking soda. If you’re using buttermilk, baking soda is easily neutralized, but not everyone has buttermilk readily available at home. So I wanted to make an easy to make homemade pancake mix that will work with buttermilk OR milk. So there is no risk of your pancakes having a “soapy” taste because of the baking soda.
I LOVE using this pancake mix. It’s easy and makes perfect pancakes every single time. But if you have the time to make even fluffier pancakes, there is one extra step you could do. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks and whisk the egg whites until they are fluffy. Then the fluffy egg whites are folded into the batter, which results in an even fluffier pancake or lighter waffle.
When I make waffles with this homemade waffle mix, I add extra oil to the batter. You can still get great waffles using the same recipe as the pancakes (really!), but I find adding that extra oil, makes your waffles crispier and taste better.
Making perfect waffles with this homemade waffle mix
- Since waffles are made in a waffle maker, you have high heat coming from both sides, unlike pancakes.
- The goal with pancakes is to make them fluffy and almost cake-like in texture. The goal with waffles is to make them crispy on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside. So the heat from both sides helps achieve that crispiness.
- Extra fat in the waffle batter is crucial. The extra fat helps the waffle develop that crispy surface. Extra sugar helps with the caramelization of the waffle surface too. However, this batter is perfectly sweet, so I didn’t want to add any extra sweetness.
- The extra oil also makes the waffle batter runnier than the batter for pancakes. A looser batter makes for lighter waffles. This batter will expand in the waffle maker as it heats up, and the result will be crispy, light, waffle perfection!
Want even fluffier waffles? You can separate the egg whites and whisk them to fluffy, soft peaks and then fold it into the batter. Do not over-mix the egg whites into the batter.
So now you know how incredibly easy it is to make your own homemade pancake mix from scratch (or your own homemade waffle mix). 🙂 So there’s NOTHING stopping you from enjoying delicious pancakes or waffles whenever you feel like it, no matter what time of the day!
Even your weekend breakfasts and brunches just got easier with this time saving DIY pancake mix!
RECIPE VIDEO FOR THE HOMEMADE PANCAKE MIX
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Homemade Pancake Mix / Homemade Waffle Mix
Ingredients:
Homemade Pancake Mix / Waffle Mix (makes enough for 4 batches)
- 100 g confectioner's sugar about 1 cup, spoon and leveled
- 750 g flour 6 cups, spoon and leveled
- 300 g cornstarch 2 cups, spoon and leveled
- 75 g baking powder US - 5 tbsp 2 tsp
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
Measurements for just ONE batch of pancake or waffle mix
- 187 g flour 1.5 cups, spoon and leveled
- 25 g confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup, spoon and leveled
- 75 g cornstarch 1/2 cup, spoon and leveled
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 Batch of Pancakes - feeds 4 people (about 10 - 12 pancakes)
- 310 g homemade pancake mix / waffle mix (1 batch) 2 ⅓ cups + 1 tbsp (please see recipe notes)
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk or full cream milk (+ 1/2 tbsp white vinegar)
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla
1 Batch of Waffles - feeds 4 people (about 5 large, round waffles)
- 310 g homemade pancake mix / waffle mix (1 batch) 2 ⅓ cups + 1 tbsp (please see recipe notes)
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk or full cream milk (+ 1/2 tbsp white vinegar)
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- ¼ cup oil a neutral oil like vegetable oil
- ½ tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Homemade Pancake Mix / Waffle Mix
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse to blend well.
- Alternatively, SIFT all the ingredients into a very large bowl. Use a whisk to thoroughly mix the ingredients.
- Place all the ingredients in an air-tight jar or container. Store in a cool, dark place until needed.
- Print the label (click here for the label), that you can stick on your Pancake Mix / Waffle Mix jar.
1 Batch of Pancakes
- Place the pancake mix in a bowl. Create a well in the center. Add the milk, vanilla, butter and eggs.
- Stir just until you get a smooth, thick batter. DO NOT OVER-MIX.
- Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat. Add some oil to the heated pan. When the pan is hot, place ¼ cup of the pancake mix on the hot pan. Cook for a few minutes, until the edges are set, and you can see the bubbles on the surface.
- Carefully flip the pancake over and cook for a further few minutes until cooked through and they are dark golden brown in color.
- Serve with butter and maple syrup or anyway you prefer.
1 Batch of Waffles
- Place the waffle mix in a bowl. Create a well in the center. Add the milk, vanilla, oil, butter and eggs.
- Stir just until you get a smooth batter. DO NOT OVER-MIX. Add up to 2 tbsp of extra water if the batter is too thick.
- Preheat waffle iron, and brush the iron with vegetable oil.
- Once heated, fill ¾ of the waffle iron with the waffle mix. Cook according to the waffle iron instructions.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, or anyway you prefer.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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Tom Summers says
I tried this pancake mix for our Christmas morning breakfast and it was a huge hit with everyone. I followed the recipe to the T and everyone said it was the best they have ever tasted. I made waffles with the mix the next morning and they were just as good! I found the pancakes and the waffles both browned better with no butter or oil in the pan or waffle iron, as they are all Teflon coated anyway. I am making a big batch mix for storage now. Thank you : )
Mary Roser says
I made the single recipe, which calls for 1/2 cup of cornstarch. That seemed to me to be a bit much, but I followed the recipe anyway. ( I do make homemade waffles and pancakes frequently) Well these waffles and pancakes (I made both) looked fine but they had a terrible after taste. My grandchildren did not eat them welll and I threw out the leftover batter. Please let me know if this was a problem for you or if there is a correction on the amount of cornstarch to use.
Dini says
Hi Mary
If you used weight measurements, then the cornstarch amount is correct.
As I have mentioned on my measurement conversion page, I always recommend going by weight because volume measurements can vary from person to person.
If you packed too much cornstarch into your measuring cup, you could’ve added a lot more than 75 g of cornstarch.
The amount of cornstarch in the recipe makes the pancake batter much lighter and if cooked properly will not have any cornstarch “taste”.
I recommend using weight measurements for more consistent results.
I also recommend making sure that you use baking powder and not baking soda as well. As these two products are very different, and baking soda would produce a very off aftertaste.
Hope that helps!
Blugrassman says
I always riff on recipes this was hard to do here but wow I think I did take the taste up a notch by substituting the powdered sugar with maple sugar! BOOM . Thank you for this tasty recipe.
Carol says
Tried the waffle version. It came soft and light…May I ask how if I can adapt the same recipe to create liege waffles.
Dini says
Hi Carol
Liege waffles are completely different from these waffles.
Liege waffles are made with yeast leavened dough and have a light bread-like texture with caramelized pockets.
You can find a recipe for yeast waffles here – https://www.theflavorbender.com/best-overnight-yeasted-waffles/
They are still not liege waffles but are lighter than the buttermilk waffles.
NANA says
I used the GLUTEN FREE baking flour instead and it still turned out so good! Thank you!
Donna Robertson says
This a great recipe. We tried the waffles, they were excellent. Next the pancakes. Thanks for sharing
Debbie says
Hi this looks great but i have never put cornstarch in my pancakes. What does that do? I will be tying it. Ty
Dini says
Hi Debbie
As written in the post, the cornstarch makes the batter mix lighter, therefore making fluffier pancakes.
Hope that helps
Judy says
What is with these people don’t they read you put the grams then you put the cup size and teaspoon and tablespoon size they need to go back and reread plus you said you used Course salt but it says grind it. PEOPLE YOU NEED TO READ BEFORE YOU GIVE NEGATIVE ANSWERS I’M 80 YEARS OLD AND I READ IT RIGHT (COME ON) with things going on like they are in this world I don’t know how some people are going to make it because they have no Street smarts or sense
K Bee says
We made pancake and waffles. Both were absolutely the best!!! Added to Faves!!
MJ Dow says
The recipe looks great but I am not familiar with metric measurements. Perhaps you could provide both metric and English information?
Thank you.
Dini says
Hi Mj Dow
I’m not sure what English measurements are unfortunately.
If you do mean ounces, then google is great at converting grams into ounces.
Hope that helps!
KAIROS says
Made this recipe this morning, it was a hit with the whole family. We live on a boat and only had a small amount of cornstarch so used about 1/2 a cup and the rest AP flour, the pancakes were still fluffy and delicious!