How to make pancake mix: this homemade pancake mix uses just 5 ingredients and takes minutes to prepare, for up to 6 months of almost “instant” light and fluffy pancakes and waffles!

Ditch the boxed pancake mix (and the preservatives within) for this simple, 2-minute homemade pancake mix recipe for 6 months of “instant” pancakes. They will taste way better than boxed, contain no preservatives or other “nasties,” and are ready with minimal mess and effort on lazy mornings!

By preparing this dry pancake mix recipe in advance, you can store it in your pantry for up to six months. That way, any time you’re in the mood for pancakes, just scoop the dry mix into a bowl, add the wet ingredients, and mix. Fuss-free, delicious fluffy pancakes (or waffles) will be on plates in no time! Plus, you get to avoid measuring out individual ingredients (and the inevitable mess from it) every time!

Want to try other pancake recipes from scratch? You might enjoy these lemon ricotta pancakes, spinach crepes, thick fluffy Japanese-style pancakes, Danish blueberry pancake balls (aebleskiver), or Lebanese qatayef ashta (ashta stuffed pancakes)!

Pancake Mix Ingredients

What’s in pancake mix? Pancakes mix is essentially a bulk mix of all the dry ingredients needed to prepare pancakes. This includes flour, sugar, leavening agents, and salt. By only combining shelf-stable ingredients, you can store the homemade mix pancake for up to six months!

• Flour: There are actually several options you have here aside from white all-purpose flour.
  • Cake flour
  • 50/50 white and whole wheat flour
  • 50/50 white and spelt flour
  • Whole wheat pastry flour
  • Gluten-free All-purpose flour (i.e., Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s blends).
• Leavening agents: Fluffy American-style pancakes rely on baking powder and baking soda to achieve the correct fluffy/puffed-up consistency.

Make sure the leavening agents are both fresh and have over 6 months of remaining shelf life.

• Sugar: Like the flour, regular white granulated is typical, but is easily substituted to fit your flavor and dietary requirements.
  • Coconut sugar (unrefined)
  • Raw cane sugar – closest to regular white sugar but less refined
  • A sugar alternative (i.e., erythritol, stevia, etc.) – adjust the amount to taste, though.

You may omit the sugar entirely if you want to use the dry pancake from scratch recipe for sweet and savory purposes.

• Salt: I recommend using kosher salt or sea salt for the best flavor. If using regular table salt, you’ll want to use slightly less.

How To Make Pancake Mix?

Making pancake mix from scratch is practically effortless with this super easy recipe. Simply combine all the above ingredients, mix, and store!

How To Store Pancake Mix

Store the homemade pancake mix in an airtight glass container in a cool, dark, dry place like a pantry or kitchen cupboard for up to 6 months.

Make things even more effortless by portioning the dry pancake mix recipe into single-batch Ziplock bags. One measuring cup of pancake mix makes 5-6 pancakes. So there’s NO measuring required when it comes time to using it.

How To Make Pancakes With Pancake Mix

Making homemade pancakes using this homemade pancake mix is super simple, whether following your own recipe or using it in others.

The Dry to Wet Ingredient Ratio

If you want to make a homemade pancake batter recipe using this DIY dry pancake mix, no problem. Here are the perfect ratios that I’ve found.

Per every ONE cup of homemade pancake mix (which will make around 5-6 pancakes), use:

• 1 cup buttermilk OR 3/4 cup milk (dairy or dairy-free)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon melted butter (dairy or dairy-free OR coconut oil/vegetable oil)

You could also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (highly recommended!) and any extra add-ins, like chocolate chips, blueberries/raspberries, citrus zest, spices (cinnamon, pumpkin spice, etc.), etc.

For vegan pancakes, replace the egg with an egg replacer such as a chia egg, flax egg, or whipped aquafaba.

Using Buttermilk Vs. Milk in Pancakes

Buttermilk can help make moister, more tender pancakes that are fluffier and richer, with a subtle tang compared to milk pancakes. As a bonus, buttermilk also helps to activate the leavening agents in the pancake mix.

If you plan to use regular milk, add ½ teaspoon lemon juice (or ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar) to activate the baking soda. You can also make a buttermilk substitute using dairy or dairy-free milk and an acid.

Using Pancake Mix With Other Recipes

Simply combine the volume or weight of all the individual dry ingredients (flour, sugar, leavening agents, salt) and then use the equivalent total amount of dry mix.

Or, even simpler, since the volume of the sugar, salt, and leavening agents are so minimal, you can simply replace the amount of flour used.

For example, for my lemon ricotta pancakes, the dry ingredients equal 1 cup (flour) + 2.5 tsp (all other dry ingredients). But I recommend using just one cup of homemade pancake mix.

The Method

These simple fluffy pancakes come together so quickly and are practically foolproof. Here’s how to make pancakes from scratch using homemade pancake mix.

1. Add all the wet ingredients to a bowl and whisk/mix to combine.
2. Then, sift in the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until combined. Don’t worry about getting out all the lumps. Otherwise, you risk overworking the pancake batter.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat and add a bit of butter.
4. Once melted, add 1/3 cup “scoops” to the pan to form your pancakes. Allow them to cook until bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes and the underside is a golden color. Then flip the pancakes and cook until golden below (usually 3-4 minutes for the first side, then 1-2 for the second one).

Enjoy with all your favorite toppings like syrup and berries!

How To Make Waffles with Pancake Mix

Yes, you can use this pancake mix to make waffles too. In fact, the recipe will be similar to the pancake one, simply increasing the amount of liquid you add until you achieve the correct batter consistency.

Add just enough batter to almost cover the waffle iron and cook until done (check waffle iron instructions for times/more info).

How To Make Crepes with Pancake Mix

As crepes are naturally thin, they don’t require the leavening agents used in regular pancakes. However, you can still use this pancake mix to make crepes with extra milk in the recipe to make a thin batter to coat your skillet.

I recommend using close to 1⅓ – 1½ cups of milk per 1 cup of homemade pancake mix.

Making crepes is also a great way to use the pancake mix if you find that the baking powder or baking soda are past their best and no longer creating very fluffy pancakes.

Simply heat the skillet with a bit of butter over medium heat. Once hot, pour enough batter in to tilt and cover the base of the skillet in a thin layer (1/4 cup- 1/3 cup depending on the size of the skillet). Cook until lightly golden beneath, flip, and repeat.

How To Freeze and Reheat Pancakes

Even after streamlining the pancake-making process, thanks to this recipe for pancake mix, meal-prepping pancakes can be made even simpler by batch cooking them and freezing them for later.

1. First, allow the pancakes to cool to room temperature.
2. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or Ziplock bag, stacked with sheets of parchment paper or wax paper between them (to avoid sticking). Store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.

The amount of time you can store the pancakes will vary based on any extra mix-ins you’ve added to the recipe.

When you want to enjoy one, you can reheat the pancakes from frozen in the microwave (defrost setting first them 40-50 seconds). Or reheat in a toaster (using defrost setting) or in the oven (spread across a foil-covered baking sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350ºF/180ºC).

More Sweet Breakfast Recipes

• Quick easy French toast
• Chocolate baked oatmeal
• How to make overnight oats (5 flavors)
• 3-Ingredient chia pudding
• How to make an acai bowl

If you try this easy homemade pancake mix recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!