Pancakes are such a part of American culture — among the likes of macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and hamburgers — that many of us cant imagine weekend breakfast without a stack of them drowned in syrup. So in honor of National Pancake Day (a day thats celebrated by IHOP every year with free pancakes), which is February 28, were comparing boxed pancake mix with the homemade kind to find out which is better, more cost effective, and quicker.
Many of us have succumbed to the allure of boxed mixes (using it for cooking rather than pranking celebrities), which offer the ease of just scooping out the amount needed and only require us to add a few wet ingredients. But are boxed mixes, such as Bisquick (which weve been using since the 1930s), really better than homemade? Are they worth it? Do we actually save time in using a boxed mix? Whats actually in a box of Bisquick?
According to the Bisquick directions, all you need to add is milk and eggs to the powdered mixture. If you choose the homemade route, you need to measure out flour and baking powder, then add milk and eggs. But is it that so much harder? We estimate it cant take any more than 2 minutes extra to measure out a homemade recipe.Advertisement
Niacin: vitamin B3Thiamine Mononitrate: synthetic form of vitamin B1Riboflavin: vitamin B2Folic Acid: vitamin B9Sodium Aluminum Phosphate: a chemical additive that helps baking powder do its job (its also added to baking powder)Monocalcium Phosphate: an acidic chemical additive that helps baking powder react (its also added in baking powder)Dextrose: another name for glucose, a simple sugar and carbohydrateAdvertisement
Surprisingly, once theyre broken down, the ingredients dont seem so foreign after all. However, Bisquick contains partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fat — per serving, Bisquick contains 1.5 grams of it. Trans fat raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol — so its not good for your hearts health, period.
A box of Bisquick costs around $3.59. And of course youll have to factor in milk and eggs (a gallon of milk costs about $3.69 and a dozen eggs costs $2.69). Youll need 9 eggs ($2.02) and 4 1/2 cups of milk ($1.04) per Bisquick box, which brings the total to $6.65. Thats $0.24 per serving for Bisquick.Advertisement
A 5-pound bag of flour costs about $3.00 and a canister of baking powder about $2.29. Add to that the amount of eggs and milk youll need, which is about 20 eggs ($4.49) and 20 cups of milk ($4.61). And dont forget the baking powder. A 10-ounce canister of baking powder has 60 teaspoons. To make the pancakes you will use 25 teaspoons of baking powder (calculated that 1 1/4 teaspoons is needed per 1 cup of flour), which costs $0.95. The total comes to $13.05, which is $0.22 per serving for homemade pancakes.
So in the end, youre saving $0.02 per serving if you make your pancakes from scratch. Do you think its worth it?
* Calculations based on the fact that a 40-ounce box of Bisquick has about 9 cups of mix, which gives you about 28 servings (a serving is calculated per 1/3 cup of mix). If you make homemade pancakes using flour, you can make more than twice that amount (there are 20 cups in a 5-pound bag of flour), which can make 60 servings.
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Assuming that you have the shelf space for it, pancake mix is worth keeping on hand to help you save a little time and effort in the mornings. These mixes really just consist of the same dry ingredients that go into a conventional pancake recipe, to which you add similar wet ingredients, so theres no real loss of quality in going store-bought (note: just add water mixes are a different bag altogether). And that extra step of separating eggs and whipping the whites into peaks that some pancake recipes call for? Save yourself the arm workout, because it doesnt seem to make any noticeable difference in pancake fluffiness.
Hesitant as I am to work from boxed mixes, I always make pancakes from scratch. Its not what I would call a lengthy kitchen project. But first thing in the morning, every moment between a hungry person and her food tends to really count. With that in mind, might a store-bought pancake mix be a smart alternative?
THE FOODIE Calorie agnostic, our foodie judge has a sophisticated palate and a love of cooking
Relative Healthfulness About the same. Both versions are composed mostly of flour, milk, and eggs. The homemade recipe uses melted butter whereas store-bought calls for vegetable oil.
Time Commitment It took me about 15 minutes to prepare the homemade batter, much of which was spent beating the egg whites into peaks. The store-bought mix took less than five minutes to put together.
WHICH IS CHEAPER? Homemade vs. Store bought PANCAKES!
FAQ
Is it cheaper to buy pancake mix or make your own?
How much does it cost to make pancakes at home?
Is it worth making pancakes from scratch?
Is it better to save pancake batter or pancakes?
Are pancakes easy to make?
Pancakes are really simple to make and don’t require any special ingredients, which makes them easy to whip up on any given Saturday morning. Here are the ingredients needed to make this homemade pancake recipe: All-Purpose Flour: This is the backbone of the pancake. Flour is the structure of the pancake and gives them that classic “cakey” texture.
Are pancakes healthy to eat?
Pancake mixes are made from enriched flours, sugar, syrup, trans fats that have had nutrients added to the flour during manufacturing process. It also contains very low fiber, added sugar and syrup is likely to raise the blood sugars quickly. In this way pancake mixes are not healthy. But if they are made at home in an Indian style they are more healthy.
What’s the difference between store-bought and homemade pancakes?
About the same. Both versions are composed mostly of flour, milk, and eggs. The homemade recipe uses melted butter whereas store-bought calls for vegetable oil. It took me about 15 minutes to prepare the homemade batter, much of which was spent beating the egg whites into peaks. The store-bought mix took less than five minutes to put together.
Are ‘Just Add Water’ pancake mixes better than store-bought?
These mixes really just consist of the same dry ingredients that go into a conventional pancake recipe, to which you add similar wet ingredients, so there’s no real loss of quality in going store-bought (note: ‘just add water’ mixes are a different bag altogether).