RAVE

Trader Joe’s “Buttermilk Pancake and All Purpose Baking Mix” is really quite a good pancake mix. In fact, this may be be one of the best pancake mixes you can buy. Plus it costs only TWO DOLLARS!!!

Trader Joe’s version is better than many well-known big brands, for example, Aunt Jemima’s (ahem) make that Pearl Milling company pancake mix.

What makes the Trader Joe’s mix better is it simple. It’s not highly processed. It does not say “100% complete” unlike many other mixes. Those are the ones which say “just add water”.

Where with Trader Joe’s mix – besides water – you will have to add one something : Eggs.

Yes people you heard me right, you will have to crack open and add an actual egg when you are mixing up this batter.

Take a deep breath. Have you recovered from the shock? If so please let me explain this is actually a good thing. The fact that you add have to add a real egg is the reason this mix is better.

Think about it. Your pancakes will not have powdered dehydrated eggs in them! Powdered egg is what the “100% complete mixes” have. Your pancakes will have fresh eggs. They will practically be home made. They will basically taste almost like they were made from scratch

Now if that adding an egg sounds like “way too much work” lets face it, you are way too lazy. Seriously, having to add a real fresh egg is why Trader Joe’s mix tastes better than other mixes where you just add water. Obviously those dry mixes have dehydrated egg powder in them.

I promise you it will be worth the tiny bit of extra effort and expense to add a real egg. You will get a batch of wonderful pancakes. Fresh eggs will give the pancakes you make using this batter almost a completely homemade taste. They will look yellow like “real pancakes” not from some dye but from the real egg yolks.

TIP: Do not overmix to keep them tender.

Another tip? So you want less. Maybe 4? I just make a batch following the recipe. Any extra batter, I just put in a jar and keep in the fridge where it will last 3 days or so. Freeze it if you won’t use it in a few days.

ADDDING YOUR OWN TOUCHES

If you wanted to, you could even add your own touches. Say mixing in some milk (or buttermilk for that matter). Or yogurt or kefir for some (or even all) of the water listed in the recipe.

Sometimes for example I might add add milk (in a 50/50 ratio, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup milk).

The milk will make a richer pancake. One reader here says he adds in real buttermilk, which could be great extra flavor I would think. Or you can add some Almond or Soy milk if you prefer.

This is of course is optional. Just following the box’s directions exactly adding just water plus an egg or two makes decent fluffy pancakes, about as good as you can get at IHOP or any diner.

OPTIONS: On occasion I might add other things to the mix. For example, adding Cornmeal: which makes you some nice “Corn pancakes”. I also add a tiny bit of oil or butter for those. These Corn Cake pancakes are quite good! You just compensate for the extra dry stuff with a little extra wet stuff (water or milk or buttermilk, etc). Keep the ratio so they are the same density.

Other substitutions for varieties sake:  Adding Regular or Quick Rolled Oats will yield OATCAKES. Add some Wheat Germ will give you get a extra nutty flavor and healthiness! Bananas? Jamaican Pancakes. Raisins? Nuts? Blueberries (TJ FROZEN BLUEBERRIES) Frozen strawberries? You get the picture. You can improvise with this mix to make a variety of pancakes easily from it.

Its also a “versatile base”….it says “Pancake And All Purpose Baking Mix” and on the back of the box they give some recipes for other things you could make using it such as Waffles, Drop Biscuits, Scones, even Focaccia (by adding yeast). I haven’t tried using it yet for these, but I should. I must try making some scones someday. I love them.

The box says “No Preservatives“. We like that right? Price-wise its pretty reasonable, $1.99 for 2 lbs of mix which is not bad compared to big brands like formerly Aunt Jemima’s, which by the way also has “trans-fats”! 

Bottom line: This mix makes excellent pancakes and is worth trying instead of the supermarket brands you might normally get. Get some of this to keep in your pantry. Maybe next Sunday make some yummy pancakes for the family. They will rave about them and say you’re the Number One Pancake Maker!

TOP WITH BUTTER, SYRUP, FRUIT, JAM…. or what ever you like best on your pancakes!

BONUS RECIPE: Spiced Chai Pancakes (see link)

https://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/breakfast/spiced-chai-pancakes

UPDATE 1 – Since writing the original post, I’ve learned my blood pressure was a wee bit higher than it should be, so I am now reading product labels carefully for Sodium, trying to be careful about my daily salt intake. Upon examining the NUTRITION INFO on the box I found this mix has a pretty high Sodium content! (UPDATE: this is an older outdated version; They reduced the Sodium)

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving size 1/2 cup mix
Calories 220
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 900 mg
Total Carbohydrate 42 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 5 g
Protein 7 g
Vitamin A 0 IU
Calcium 40 mg
Iron 1.44 mg

UPDATE 2 – SINCE I ORIGINALLY REVIEWED THIS, THEY REDUCED SODIUM  TO 520 mg (it was 900 mg) So Sodium now about 1/2 of the previous version!

INGREDIENTS
Unbleached Enriched Flour, Oil, Powdered Buttermilk, Dextrose, Salt.

Now you could make your own “pancake mix” a la Alton Brown’s recipe (link below) and keep it, ready to use, in a cupboard, fridge, or freezer. Then just add oil or butter and buttermilk and eggs, to the dry mix (and forego seperating the eggs) Of course this will cost far less than TJ’s or any other commercial mix and you can control the salt / sodium. But TJ’s stuff is easier, let’s face it.

Alton Brown’s pancake (mix) recipe

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/instant-pancake-mix-recipe/index.html