{"id":134041,"date":"2021-02-11T14:34:01","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T20:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=134041"},"modified":"2025-11-06T12:12:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T18:12:06","slug":"5-ways-to-upgrade-instant-mix-pancakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/leisure\/food-drink\/5-ways-to-upgrade-instant-mix-pancakes\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Upgrade Instant Mix Pancakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Every man should be able to make great pancakes, whether for a quick dinner for himself, Saturday morning breakfast for the kids, or as part of a brunch for out-of-town guests staying over his house.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to the skill of great pancake-making<\/a>, the crucial thing isn\u2019t actually the ingredients used.<\/span><\/p>\n

Made from scratch, pancakes can take longer than necessary to whip up. Instant cakes \u2014 \u201cJust add water!\u201d \u2014 may not be <\/span>quite<\/span><\/i> as good, but they aren\u2019t that far off either. You may think that those mixes you buy from the store are full of nefarious, unpronounceable ingredients, but they\u2019re actually pretty innocuous. Generally containing just flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, it\u2019s about the same as you\u2019d make from scratch at home. The only yucky stuff in instant mix is a little bit of trans fat in the form of hydrogenated oil, but it\u2019s not much. Given that there\u2019s only a marginal difference in the actual ingredients used, the convenience of instant pancakes is certainly worth the slight tradeoff in taste. <\/span><\/p>\n

So feel free to use a box of Bisquick. The real key to next-level, restaurant-quality pancake-making is 1) knowing how to get the most out of that humble mix, and 2) knowing how to cook \u2018em to perfection. <\/span>You\u2019ll find tips for #2 here<\/span><\/a>. We cover five ways to ace #1 below.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Let the Batter Rest for 15-20 Minutes (And Don\u2019t Overmix It!) <\/h3>\n

If you do one incredibly easy thing to up your instant pancake game, simply let the mixed batter rest for 15-20 minutes before cooking it. <\/span><\/p>\n

This has a couple benefits: First, it allows the flour to hydrate and dissolve any clumps. When it comes to batter \u2014 whether for pancakes, muffins, or other baked goods \u2014 your instinct is likely to whisk the heck out of it and get rid of any clumps. You don\u2019t actually want to do that though. Without getting into the science here, know that overmixing stimulates too much gluten formation and results in a denser, chewier end product. Personally, that\u2019s not what I\u2019m going for in a pancake. Stop mixing the batter while there are still some clumps and then let it rest; the liquid will dissolve those clumps and make your batter perfectly even. <\/span><\/p>\n

The second benefit to the resting period is that it allows the starchy flour molecules to absorb more liquid before being cooked. More absorption means more fluff. To get a sense of what this is like, just visualize uncooked rice vs. cooked rice \u2014 the cooked grains have absorbed the water and gotten bigger\/fluffier. <\/span><\/p>\n

You can rest the batter longer, but it might get too thick and make for more of a leathery texture. (If that happens, you can just add more liquid, as long as you don\u2019t overmix it.) <\/span><\/p>\n

2. Use the Waffle Directions!<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Every package of pancake mix you buy will also include directions for making waffles. Rather than just adding water, as is the case for the pancake directions, you\u2019ll also add milk (for higher fat content), eggs (for even more fluffiness), and oil (for crispy edges). I don\u2019t know about you, but fluffy, crispy pancakes are right up my alley. Just follow the directions for making waffle mix and slap that batter on your griddle for a higher quality flapjack. <\/span><\/p>\n

3. Add Vanilla Extract <\/h3>\n

Vanilla extract (the pure stuff!) is the secret ingredient that makes nearly any sweet baked good really pop. All my favorite recipes utilize it \u2014 from French toast<\/a> to cookies to muffins to cakes. So there\u2019s no reason not to use it in your pancakes too. Add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the mix for every dozen pancakes. <\/span><\/p>\n

4. Use Mix-Ins <\/span><\/h3>\n
\"\"

Mix your goodies right into the batter.<\/p><\/div>\n

When it comes to pancakes, their real power is in the various other things you can add to the batter and also atop the cakes once they\u2019re served. If you want a restaurant-style pancake at home, go ahead and use instant pancake mix, but then jazz it up by mixing in and substituting other fun ingredients. <\/span><\/p>\n

To the batter, you can add chocolate chips, nuts, berries, Reese\u2019s Pieces, nutella, coffee grounds (1 tsp per dozen), etc. <\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to liquid, instead of water or milk you can use buttermilk, eggnog<\/a>, or even orange juice (use a 1:1 of OJ to other liquid) for a unique zest. <\/span><\/p>\n

The possibilities are endless, and pancake mix is so cheap that it doesn\u2019t hurt to do some weird experiments and see what happens. <\/span><\/p>\n

5. Make Crepes<\/h3>\n
\"\"

Strawberries and fresh whipped cream inside a crepe make for a delectable breakfast. Look at how thin and airy that crepe is. Tasty!<\/p><\/div>\n

If you want to really fancy up your instant pancakes, make crepes instead! They aren\u2019t all that different \u2014 crepes are just really thin pancakes that don\u2019t traditionally use any leavening. Pancake mix does contain baking powder, but for our at-home Saturday morning purposes, that\u2019s no problem. <\/span><\/p>\n

So, you\u2019re going to make a thin batter and then add savory or sweet fillings as you desire. <\/span><\/p>\n

For the batter, use this recipe: <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • 1 cup pancake mix<\/span><\/li>\n
  • 1 1\/2 cups milk<\/span><\/li>\n
  • 1 egg<\/span><\/li>\n
  • 1 tsp vanilla<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Mix it up, and go ahead and whisk until there are no lumps. We\u2019re not going for fluff here, so it\u2019s no problem to overmix a little. It will be much thinner than you’re used to. <\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    You\u2019ll want to use a skillet instead of a griddle. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and spray\/grease it. Pour about \u00bc cup batter onto the skillet and tilt it around so it covers the entire surface in a thin layer. <\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Since the crepe is so thin and delicate, it’ll be nearly impossible to flip the entire thing. Instead, let it cook 2-3 minutes, fold it in half and let it continue cooking another minute, then flip the whole thing and finish with another minute or so. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Remove from the pan, unfold (it will stick some, but it’s easy enough to sort of peel it apart), add your fillings, and serve.<\/span><\/p>\n

    You can go the savory route with fillings like ham and cheese or chicken and bacon, or you can choose a sweet combo like peaches\/strawberries and cream. Google \u201ccrepe fillings\u201d and you\u2019ll find dozens of fun and tasty options.  <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Every man should be able to make great pancakes, whether for a quick dinner for himself, Saturday morning breakfast for the kids, or as part of a brunch for out-of-town guests staying over his house. When it comes to the skill of great pancake-making, the crucial thing isn\u2019t actually the ingredients used. Made from scratch, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":134073,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[222,42273],"tags":[42283],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-134041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","category-living","tag-recipes"],"featured_image_urls":{"large":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pan-538x280.jpg","aom":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pan-372x230.jpg","reactor-320":"https:\/\/content.artofmanliness.com\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pan-320x227.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134041"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":188831,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134041\/revisions\/188831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134041"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/app-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=134041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}