Homemade “Instant” Pancake Mix and Blueberry Pancakes
After the maple festivities last Saturday, Hubby really wanted pancakes on Sunday morning. He was sad to find out that we didn’t have any pancake mix in the house and asked me to grab some at the store. I scoffed at him and said I’d make them from scratch.
We rarely eat processed foods at home. Except for pancakes. We don’t eat them very often, but usually there is a container with the mix that you just add water to. I’m sure the ingredient list on that container is pretty scarey and contains tons of ingredients that no one knows how to pronouce. So I decided to take this opportunity to prevent those super-long-there’s-no-way-I-can-read-this-ingredient-so-I-probably-shouldn’t-be-eating-it ingredients from getting into our bodies.
Aside from my baking obsession, we eat pretty healthy in the Beantown Baker household. We both eat our 5 fruits/veggies a day thanks to Hubby packing lunches for us every morning. He includes something for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. A lot of produce and the rest is homemade. For dinner we always cook unless we’re eating out.
So I set out to find a pancake recipe to make from scratch. I did grab some beautiful blueberries while I was at the store that morning to throw into our pancakes (I used the rest to make our favorite banana-blueberry muffins). I was going to start with Google, but instead headed towards my shelf of cookbooks. I do have quite a few and I’m trying to use them more often. I opened my trusty Alton Brown cookbook and found a perfect solution. A recipe for a pancake mix! So I would be able to have pancakes that morning and have a mix to use in the future.
The mix is very simple to throw together. I’m storing mine in the freezer because I doubt we’ll use it up in three months. I found the pancake batter to be a bit thick, so I added more buttermilk to thin them out. This recipe yields some really tasty pancakes. The addition of those plump blueberries and real maple syrup definitely took these over the top!
One Year Ago: Cinnamon Biscuits
Yield: 3 batches of 12 pancakes
Ingredients:
For the Instant Pancake Mix
6 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp sugar
For the Pancakes
2 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp melted butter
2 cups Instant Pancake Mix, recipe above
1 stick butter, for greasing the pan
2 cups fresh blueberries, optional
Directions:
Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F.
Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.
Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix. Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together. Don't try to work all the lumps out.
Lightly butter the griddle. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel so that no butter is visible.
For the Instant Pancake Mix
Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container. Shake to mix.
Use the mix within 3 months.
Pancakes
Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle and sprinkle on fruit if desired. When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the griddle-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancakes. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.
Serve immediately or remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.
Recipe from Alton Brown's Good Eats and The Early Years Cookbook
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I’m with you–every ingredient in this salad is a winner on it’s own. Together? Forgetaboutit! The colors are beautiful and I can imagine how great it tastes with the balance of bitter, sweet, and tart.
Love the new layout, also. Way to go!
Yum! I am also addicted to kale since doing a CSA here in Boston 🙂
It’s so funny, because as I was scrolling through Tastespotting tonight and saw this post, I had to click because it looked so familiar to my winter couscous bowl… and then, I couldn’t believe it when I saw my blog credited at the bottom! This is a first for me 🙂 Thanks so much for the credit!
So you’ve recently moved back to Cincinnati? Which part? My family and I live in Anderson Township.
beantownbaker — January 13th, 2013 @ 10:02 am
Thanks so much for the recipe!!
We work in West Chester and are living in Oakley right now. Trying to find a house at some point…
I think this sounds amazing, Jen! And I love how colorful it is. I am always looking for new winter salads that are colorful, flavorful, and interesting.
beantownbaker — January 13th, 2013 @ 10:06 pm
This is definitely colorful, flavorful, and interesting. I have seriously been OBSESSED with pomegranates this winter, and this salad totally feeds into that obsession.
I’m on a major quinoa AND kale kick so this salad is right up my alley. So colorful and pretty, too!
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:47 pm
Pretty food is definitely always tastier than ugly food 🙂
looks a lot like the one i posted last week 🙂 obviously, i’m all over it!!
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:48 pm
Very similar indeed!
This is perfect for that kale and pomegranate I have in the fridge! I’m always excited to find new things to put together ahead of time for lunches and dinners, thanks! Hope you are settling in nicely 🙂
beantownbaker — January 14th, 2013 @ 3:49 pm
I couldn’t agree more. Making food ahead of time saves the day during the week! I can’t imagine not eating leftovers… Things are going pretty well for us in Ohio so far. Hope things are going well for you and your little bundle on the way!
Sounds great to me! I love the ingredients. And the colors 🙂
This sounds right up my alley! YUM!!
I was thinking about an easy and colorful, flavorful, and power-packed healthy side dish to bring for a potluck lunch after a trail work party this coming weekend. I had these amazing cute pumpkins to harvest from my garden and love both kale and quinoa. I thought to myself, mmmm, what if I made some kind of pumpkin kale quinoa and goat cheese salad to share? One quick internet search and I came across this gem! I modified and concocted a tad, which is normal for me. Thanks so much for the recipe and ingredient confirmations! The honey, olive oil, and smokey / spicy combo was the secret ingredient for me! Happy fooding!
beantownbaker — November 3rd, 2013 @ 12:35 pm
Glad you enjoyed it! I am always tweaking recipes to make them fit what I have on hand and what we like too.