This month’s Recipe Redux theme is DIY (do it yourself) Kitchen Essentials – something you may have purchased in the past but now make from scratch and keep stocked in your kitchen.
I was so excited about this theme. The toughest decision I had was to decide on whether to choose my cereal bar, pancake/waffle mix, strawberry jam, or banana bread. I love to make and share my thoughts on all of these recipes but decided to go with my Whole Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix. After about two years of perfecting the mix, you can call me Aunt Jemima! Additionally, when I was a kid, I woke up pretty much every morning to the sweet smell of my mom’s pancakes. She was clearly not concerned with my sugar intake because by the time I was done preparing my plate, I would say that my pancakes were swimming in syrup. YUMMY!
I was first inspired to make my own mix when I got the King Arthur’s Whole Grain Baking cookbook. They had a great base mix that seemed so easy that I should try it. I did and never returned to the “mix in a box” again. What I liked about the mix was that it was not too far from a standard pancake/waffle mix recipe. I knew my kids would not notice a huge difference and readily eat them. This is always an important consideration in any recipe change that I make.
The King Arthur recipe had all the basic ingredients of a nutritious whole grain mix: whole-wheat flour, oats, and simple white flour. But, after my first time making it, I decided that I was too lazy to ground up the oats every time I made the mix so I (happily) eliminated the oats because if I did not, then I would not make the mix. I figured eliminating that step and making the mix was better than not making the mix at all.
Next, I wanted to step up the nutrition because my kids eat them EVERY morning. This led me to toss in some ground flaxseed and almond meal to increase the fiber, which had been lost when I eliminated the oats, and increase the proteins, so my kids would not be eating a breakfast of only carbs. These two changes did not change the color, texture, or taste of the base mix. And guess what, I also took the sugar out of the recipe! Ann really questioned me on this because she said sugar was needed for the baking process. She tried to cite some chemical properties of sugar that the pancakes/waffles need but I had been eating these for over a year without the sugar so I just nodded to acknowledge her food chemistry expertise and moved on. LOL! But in just one pancake, she is now a believer. My kids put enough maple syrup (we use the real stuff!) on there that I did not feel that we needed more sugar added to the mix.
Now that I have perfected my mix, I make the mix in huge batches that last me at least a month or two and store the mix in an airtight plastic container. I also make my pancakes/waffles in huge batches so that I can store them and re-heat them for my kids. See how you can do this, too, with my Cook-N-Freeze method.
Whole Grain Pancake or Waffle Mix
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients for Pancake / Waffle Mix
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 3 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp baking soda
Ingredients to Make Pancakes or Waffles from Mix
- 1 cup pancake / waffle mix
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil or butter
- 1 cup milk or milk alternative
Instructions
Instructions to Make Pancake / Waffle Mix
- Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Store in a airtight container or follow the instructions below to make pancakes or waffles.
Instructions to Make Pancakes
- Preheat skillet on medium high or 375 degree F if you are using a pancake griddle.
- Add 1 cup of mix with one egg, one cup of milk, and one tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. There may be a few lumps left but that is fine.
- Lightly grease your skillet or griddle with vegetable oil or butter. Spoon about 1/4 cup of mix onto the skillet or griddle. Heat on both sides for about 3 minutes. The first side is done when the pancake starts to bubble and loose shine. Continue until the batter if finished.
Instructions to Make Waffles
- Preheat your waffle maker according to manufacturer instructions.
- Add 1 cup of mix with one egg, one cup of milk, and one tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. There may be a few lumps left but that is fine.
- Spray the cooking surface of the waffle maker with a non-stick spray to prevent sticking. This step is optional if your waffle maker does not have problems with sticking.
- Add about 1/4 cup of waffle mix to your waffle maker, close the lid and let cook according to manufacturer instruction. The serving size may differ based on the size of the waffle maker. Continue until the batter is finished.
Notes
- You can also add 3 ½ cup of old fashioned oats in the mix to add extra whole grain and fiber. Be sure to grind the oats in the food processor before mixing into your dry ingredients. The baking soda and baking powder measurements can stay the same.
- If you don't have almond meal or need to make a nut-free version, then just leave out of the mix.
[bctt tweet=”Make a big batch of this pancake / waffle mix so you can make from scratch whenever mood strikes…”]
