No need to get flour all over the place, or dirty a bunch of dishes. Scoop some ready-made pancake mix into a bowl, crack an egg, add some milk, and you’re ready to start cooking!

What’s in This Mix?

DIY Pancake mix is like using Bisquick, only more affordable! All you’re doing is creating a bulk mix of the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The best part is it will stay fresh for up to six months! Now, on Saturday morning all you need is to scoop the mix in a bowl and add the wet ingredients—eggs, milk, butter, and if you’re feeling fancy, vanilla extract.

Milk vs Buttermilk

I’m always on Team Buttermilk when it comes to pancakes. I think they make the fluffiest pancakes, but I wanted to make a mix that would work even for those weekends when I only had regular milk in the fridge. Buttermilk is thicker than milk, so if you want to have a pancake that’s nearly equal in texture to a buttermilk pancake (light and fluffy, not rubbery), a 1-to-1 replacement of milk for buttermilk won’t quite work. However, decreasing the amount of milk works very well. For this recipe, you can use either 1 cup buttermilk or 3/4 cup milk for the perfect light, fluffy pancake every time!

How to Make Perfect Pancakes

Pancakes by nature are simple and forgiving, but here are a few tips to help make them just right:

Your skillet should be sizzling hot.Don’t over-mix your batter. A little lumpy is fine!Keep butter by your side to fry the perfect cake.Flip when the edges look a little dry, and bubbles are coming to the surface.

Ways to Switch Up Your Pancake Game

Dress up your pancakes! Add blueberries, chocolate chips, or sliced bananas into the batter just before flipping. Also, feel free to experiment with other kinds of flour! I’m partial to half spelt and half all purpose, or substituting whole wheat pastry flour (it gives you a lighter, fluffier texture than whole wheat flour) for all or part of the all-purpose flour.

How to Freeze and Reheat Pancakes

Let the pancakes cool to room temperature, then layer between sheets of parchment paper, and seal in a gallon-sized, zip-top bag. To reheat, spread a few frozen pancakes on a plate in a single layer (it’s okay if they overlap a little) and zap in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds, then pop them in the toaster. The microwave thaws them, and then the toaster to finishes the job and also provides the crisp fresh-off-the-griddle edges.

More Ways to Have Pancakes for Breakfast!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Chocolate Chip Pancakes With Raspberry Sauce Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

6 cups (940 g) all-purpose flour 1/3 cup (77 g) granulated sugar 3 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons kosher salt

To make the pancakes (makes 6 pancakes):

1 cup pancake mix 3/4 cup milk, or 1 cup buttermilk 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon melted butter, plus more for the pan

Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the pancake mix. Use a spatula to stir to combine. Don’t worry about getting all the lumps out. Once bubbles form on the top and the edges of the pancake look slightly drier than the middle, flip the pancake. You should cook the pancake for about 3 minutes on the first side and 1 to 2 minutes after flipping. The pancakes should be lightly golden on both sides, with crispy edges.