The Pancake Mix That Takes You Straight Back To Childhood Breakfasts

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Pancakes are a special breakfast dish that are almost as fun to make as they are to eat. And using pancake mix makes it even easier to get to the fun flipping stage of pancake preparation. Of course, convenience shouldn't trump flavor and fluffiness, so we set out to which boxes are worth buying. In a taste test of 13 pancake mixes, one of our favorites was from none other than the classic Hungry Jack brand. 

While we tend to grow out of some childhood favorites, Hungry Jack Buttermilk Pancake Mix is just as tasty as an adult. We whipped these up quickly and easily because all the mix needs is water to become pancake batter. Because water is a neutral, wet ingredient with no leavening powers, we were skeptical how the pancakes would turn out. But our doubts were soon put to rest with a stack of perfectly fluffy, light, and airy pancakes that had a slightly sweet, delicate flavor. Plus, the crumb soaked up a drizzle of maple syrup beautifully.

Customer reviews on Amazon backed our opinions, with many stating the pancakes are "the best" and taste "very delicious." Even a Youtube video of a blind taste test by pro chefs collaborating with Epicurious lauded the taste and texture of Hungry Jack's pancakes as moist and tender. One taste tester said they had "a nice balanced flavor and crispy edges," while another stated, "I feel like this is something I would get at a diner."

While Hungry Jack's pancake mixes only need water to transform the dry ingredients into batter, there are so many ways to improve upon the recipe with other pantry staples. In fact, you don't need to add any ingredient at all as you can simply sift the dry ingredients beforehand to achieve the fluffiest pancakes ever. That said, swapping water with buttermilk is another way to elevate the mix to even fluffier heights. If you don't have buttermilk, using regular milk (instead of water) will make pancakes richer and more flavorful. An unexpected yet effective liquid to add to your pancake batter is beer as its carbonated bubbles bring yet another leavening agent to the table.

Additionally, sugar can also be the key to better store-bought pancake mix. While there's no doubt that Hungry Jack Buttermilk Pancake Mix has sugar in it already, an extra dose of sweetener will help the batter brown and caramelize over the griddle for irresistibly crisp edges. If you're worried about pancakes drying out, a spoonful of applesauce will ensure your pancakes are as moist as they are airy. Using extracts like vanilla or almond options, as well as spices like cinnamon and allspice are also great ways to add nuanced flavors to your batter with little effort. Naturally, a high-quality maple syrup in and of itself is a vast improvement to pancakes — check out our ranking of popular maple syrup brands to pick the best option.