Learn how to make pancake mix at home with this dry, shelf-stable mix. Enjoy whipping up a delicious and easy homemade breakfast in just minutes! This homemade pancake mix is simple to make, takes just five ingredients and a few minutes of your time. With this mix sitting on your pantry shelf, you can have breakfast ready to eat in under ten minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The importance of a healthy breakfast cannot be overstated. It’s why we love our go-to breakfast casseroles that can be prepped at the beginning of each week. Filling those hungry bellies for a day of homesteading chores is key to a successful day and this homemade pancake mix is just one more of our favorite breakfast recipes.
- Convenient – We all love a good, convenient breakfast, and this one does not disappoint! We especially love that we can enjoy what most would consider a weekend breakfast, even on busy weekday mornings.
- Minimal Ingredients – I’m guessing most of us will already have all the ingredients needed to mix up this pancake mix. Keeping a well-stocked pantry is key to eating well on a budget and making from-scratch, homemade cooking doable.
- Fast – You can whip up 4-5 jars of homemade pancake mix and keep them sealed on your pantry shelf until ready to use. Be sure to label and date them so you remember what they are.
- Delicious – We all remember that beloved box of Krusteaz pancake mix, or those buttermilk pancakes grandma used to make. Don’t worry! This DIY pancake mix is just as delicious, and possibly even healthier, than those from your childhood memories.
- Kid-Approved – With eleven children in our home, we know what kids will enjoy! That’s why we love having pre-made mixes on the shelf, like this homemade healthy instant breakfast mix, for recipes in a flash.
Recipe Ingredients & Supplies
Find the printable recipe card below that includes a complete list of ingredients and measurements plus step-by-step instructions.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works great for this recipe and will stay fresh on your pantry shelf for up to six months. However, if you’d like to increase the nutritional value, use half all-purpose flour and half freshly-ground whole wheat flour. If using fresh-ground flour, the pancake mix will stay fresh for up to three months on the pantry shelf, but we recommend storing it in the refrigerator so it stays fresh even longer. (Learn more about baking with freshly milled flour here.)
- Salt – Remember, salt equals flavor, don’t skip it! We always recommend using Redmond Real Salt. Coupon code “HFSalt” will get you 15% off your order at checkout.
- Fruit (optional) – We love adding fresh, frozen, or even freeze dried fruit to our pancakes. If you have freeze dried berries, you can mix them right into the dry pancake mix. If using fresh or frozen fruit, add it when you’re mixing up the pancake batter.
- Jar Sealer (optional) – To keep your pancake mix as fresh as possible, we recommend sealing it using a vacuum jar sealer from ForJars or this vacuum jar sealer from Amazon.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Gluten-Free – Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of the all-purpose or whole wheat flour.
- Sugar or Sweetener – If you don’t want to use sugar in this recipe, substitute your favorite 1:1 sugar alternative. Or, for more maple flavor, omit the sugar from the dry pancake mix and add in two tablespoons of maple syrup when mixing up the pancake batter.
- Dairy-Free – When mixing the pancake batter, use your favorite dairy-free milk (almond, oat, coconut, etc.) and lard or ghee instead of butter when cooking the pancakes.
- Buttermilk Pancakes – Make these pancakes shine by using homemade buttermilk instead of regular milk!
How to Make Pancake Mix
Step 1: Grab a clean quart-sized Mason jar and a wide-mouth funnel. Make sure your jar is completely dry inside. Moisture will spoil your pancake mix!
Step 2: Add the flour(s), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and optional freeze dried fruit.
Step 3: Add the flat lid from a two-part Mason jar lid and seal it using a vacuum sealer. Lift the jar by the lid to test that the lid has properly sealed.
Step 4: Label and date the jar so you always remember what’s inside. If giving as a gift, add a tag that includes the instructions for making pancake batter. Dry pancake mix can be stored on the shelf for up to six months (three months if using whole wheat flour).
How to Make Pancake Batter
Step 5: When ready to make pancakes, dump the dry pancake mix into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine with a whisk.
Step 6: Add the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and fresh or frozen berries. Stir gently until no dry pockets of flour remain. Add more milk, as needed, until the desired consistency is reached.
Step 7: Heat a pan or a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add a pat of homemade butter or home-rendered lard and 1/3 cup of the pancake batter.
Step 8: Allow the pancakes to cook until small bubbles start to pop on the top of the pancake (one to two minutes). Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown (about one minute).
Step 9: Serve pancakes with more butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and some homemade breakfast sausage patties. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Double, triple or even quadruple this batch and mix up multiple batches simultaneously.
- Use fresh-milled flour! Freshly milled flour can be stored in the freezer for up to six months, so grind extra so you always have it on hand when needed.
- We love the benefits of cast iron because it provides an even heat for consistently cooked pancakes. (You can also see how to cook eggs in cast iron so they never stick, how to clean cast iron, and how to season a cast iron pan here.)
- Always cook a test pancake to make sure your heat is at the right level. Too high, and your pancakes will burn before they’re cooked through. Too low, and this will no longer be a quick and easy breakfast.
Other Homemade Mixes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐ rating and a comment in the recipe card below! Then, snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
Homemade Pancake Mix Recipe
Equipment
- Quart Mason Jar per batch
- Measuring Spoons and Cups
- Wide Mouth Funnel
- Mason Jar & Lid
- Vacuum Sealer optional
Ingredients
For the Pancake Mix
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour or use all all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1.5 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt we love Redmond Real Salt
- 1/2 cup freeze dried berries optional
For the Pancake Batter
- 1 jar pancake mix from recipe above
- 4 cups milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup berries fresh or frozen (optional)
Instructions
For the Pancake Mix
- Step 1: Grab a clean quart-sized Mason jar and a wide-mouth funnel. Make sure your jar is completely dry inside. Moisture will spoil your pancake mix!
- Step 2: Add the flour(s), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and optional freeze dried fruit.
- Step 3: Add the flat lid from a two-part Mason jar lid and seal it using a vacuum sealer. Lift the jar by the lid to test that the lid has properly sealed.
- Step 4: Label and date the jar so you always remember what’s inside. Store on the shelf for up to six months (three months if using whole wheat flour).
For the Pancake Batter
- Step 5: When ready to make pancakes, dump the dry pancake mix into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine with a whisk.
- Step 6: Add the milk, eggs, vanilla extract and fresh or frozen berries. Stir gently until no dry pockets of flour remain. Add more milk, as needed, until the desired consistency is reached.
- Step 7: Heat a pan or a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add a pat of homemade butter or home-rendered lard and 1/3 cup of the pancake batter.
- Step 8: Allow the pancakes to cook until small bubbles start to pop on the top of the pancake (one to two minutes). Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown (about one minute).
- Step 9: Serve pancakes with more butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and some homemade breakfast sausage patties. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-Free – Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of the all-purpose or whole wheat flour.
- Sugar or Sweetener – If you don’t want to use sugar in this recipe, substitute your favorite 1:1 sugar alternative. Or, for more maple flavor, omit the sugar from the dry pancake mix and add in two tablespoons of maple syrup when mixing up the pancake batter.
- Dairy-Free – When mixing the pancake batter, use your favorite dairy-free milk (almond, oat, coconut, etc.) and lard or ghee instead of butter when cooking the pancakes.
- Buttermilk Pancakes – Make these pancakes shine by using homemade buttermilk instead of regular milk!
- Double, triple or even quadruple this batch and mix up multiple batches simultaneously.
- Use fresh-milled flour! Freshly milled flour can be stored in the freezer for up to six months, so grind extra so you always have it on hand when needed.
- We love the benefits of cast iron because it provides an even heat for consistently cooked pancakes. (You can also see how to cook eggs in cast iron so they never stick, how to clean cast iron, and how to season a cast iron pan here.)
- Always cook a test pancake to make sure your heat is at the right level. Too high, and your pancakes will burn before they’re cooked through. Too low, and this will no longer be a quick and easy breakfast.
