Are Boxed Pancake Mixes Actually Worth It?

I think about pancakes a lot. I'm a mom and a chef, and making pancakes from scratch is absolutely worth it because it gives you control over ingredients, keeps costs down, reduces waste, and produces better flavor with very little extra effort. I say that knowing full well how convenient boxed mixes are, and how often they're used in both home and professional kitchens. As a former pastry chef for a large high school, I know it's easy to instantly elevate boxed pancake mix for crowds (hint: Use buttermilk), but cooking from scratch still wins out.

From a taste perspective, homemade pancakes simply do better. When you mix from scratch, you decide on the amounts and types of flour, liquid, and fat, which leads to better browning, a tender crumb, and flavor that doesn't taste flat or overly sweet. Conversely, boxed mixes are designed for consistency rather than nuance. That trade-off is noticeable once you know what to look for, especially with our short and sweet easy pancake recipe. It's a hit, even with my notoriously picky eight-year-old. 

Many store-bought mixes rely on palm oil, sugars derived from corn, and heavily processed flours to extend shelf life and standardize results. But when you make pancakes at home, you decide exactly what goes in the recipe. The brand and type of unbleached flour, organic or cane sugar, fresh leavening, and even powdered buttermilk if you want flexibility without refrigeration — these choices are yours. And no one's stopping you from making your own pancake mix in bulk form, either.

Making pancakes from scratch also allows you to adjust sweetness, richness, and texture based on whom you're feeding. That kind of flexibility is hard to replicate with a box. I have great respect for foods that please my daughter, who enthusiastically refuses to trust the chef in me. But pancakes are our touchstone. She prefers them "thinner and fluffier" (her words not mine) and a little less sweet than the ones she eats elsewhere. So I tone down the baking powder and the sugar just a bit, leaving a thin layer of fluffiness surrounded by a circumference of crispiness.

No matter how you fine tune your pancakes, it's all about making them tender and not rubbery. The first secret is something baking nerds and seasoned chefs swear by: The muffin method. It sounds fancy, but it's simple, and it's the reason your pancakes turn out tender instead of tough. The idea is to mix your wet ingredients in one bowl and your dry ingredients in another, then gently fold them together just until the batter is moistened. Tip two is don't press your pancakes while they cook. It squeezes out steam and inhibits rise. If bubbles form on top and the edges look set, that's when you flip. Oh, and more thing — try any of these pancake add-ins to take your stack to the next level. We adore orange zest in the batter, strawberries on top, and honey mixed with melted butter to finish.