The Best Store-Bought Pancake Mix Only Needs Water

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In the world of boxed baking mixes, products that call for mix-ins like milk, oil, and eggs usually outperform ones that only require water. After all, fresh ingredients equal a fresher taste, and the fat and moisture found in these ingredients create a better texture, too. But in a shocking twist, the grand champion in our ranking of the best grocery store pancake mixes – Augason Farms Buttermilk Pancake Mix – only requires water to form the batter.

Why does this mix make such deliciously fluffy, golden pancakes, despite the bare-bones prep process? It's because all the ingredients you'd use in a from-scratch recipe are included in the product, such as baking soda for a good rise, powdered eggs and buttermilk for a rich flavor and pillowy texture, and salt to round out the taste. This mix also contains cornstarch, the ingredient Ina Garten uses to make pancakes more tender. The starch inhibits the development of gluten, preventing the flapjacks from turning tough.

One customer on Amazon wrote that Augason Farms' pancake mix is the best they've ever tried, complimenting the "nice golden color" and "light and fluffy/spongy" texture. They added that their family strongly preferred this mix over other products that require more work and ingredients to make. Another reviewer wrote that the flapjacks "tasted so good that I had pancakes for breakfast 4 mornings in a row." This winning mix also gets rave reviews for its super-long shelf life.

Augason Farms Buttermilk Pancake Mix not only tastes great, but retains peak quality for 10 years under ideal storage conditions. One of the most vital tips for storing an emergency food and water supply is to find tasty, long-lasting products that need little to no extra ingredients to prepare, and this flapjack mix fits the rules to a tee. Reviewers who are often in need of emergency foodstuffs sing praises about the flavor, price, and generous size of over three pounds.

With such a large quantity on your hands, you can (and should) use this mix to create all sorts of tasty dishes. The classic taste would pair perfectly with tons of pancake add-ins to take your stack to the next level. Try folding pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, or shredded apples into the batter for a fresh and flavorful twist, or go savory with shredded cheese and bacon bits.

You can also convert pancake mix into waffle mix with one easy step: Adding a bit of oil. Augason Farms knows what's up, as the instructions on its mix tell you to do exactly that if you're in the mood for some golden-brown waffles. But there are other desserts you can make with store-bought pancake mix, too, from fluffy donuts to cinnamon rolls and even easy fruit cobblers. With its amazing shelf life and value, you'll be able to try all of these hacks and more before you start to run out.