Make Ahead

Game-Changing Pancake Mix

by:
January 11, 2016
4.8
4 Ratings
Game-Changing Pancake Mix
Photo by EmilyC
  • Makes 10 cups of dry mix (enough to make about sixty 4-inch pancakes)
Author Notes

This pancake mix is perfect for those bleary-eyed mornings or late nights when you want good food fast. It also happens to make some of the best pancakes I’ve tried. To create the recipe, I used the oatmeal pancake mix from King Arthur Flour as my jumping off point, and then turned to recipes from Good to the Grain and Huckleberry for further inspiration. The pancakes are full of flavor from the oats and flours, and have crispy-edges from the olive oil in the mix. The mix keeps for at least a month in the fridge, and when you’re ready for pancakes, the ratio is simple to remember: 1 cup of mix to 1 cup of buttermilk and 1 egg. Enjoy them plain, with nothing more than warm maple syrup and salted butter, or feel free to jazz them up with blueberries and lemon zest, chocolate chips, or other favorite mix-ins and toppings. —EmilyC

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For assembling pancake mix:
  • 2 1/2 cups (255 grams) old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup (117 grams) rye flour
  • 2 cups (270 grams) whole-wheat flour
  • 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • For making pancakes:
  • 1 cup pancake mix
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • Butter, for frying pancakes
  • (Makes six 4-inch pancakes; scale as desired)
Directions
  1. To assemble pancake mix: In a food processor, blitz the oats until they are finely ground.
  2. Combine the oats and all other dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment on your mixer, mix together the dry ingredients on low speed, then slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while the mixer is running. Stop the mixer and pinch a small portion of the mix between your fingers. It should barely clump and stay together. If it doesn’t clump, drizzle in just enough additional olive oil until it reaches the right consistency. Store the mix in an airtight jar or container for a few weeks at room temperature, or over a month in the refrigerator or freezer.
  3. To make pancakes, put 1 cup of the mix in a large bowl and whisk a few times to aerate. Whisk in 1 cup of buttermilk and 1 egg. Let the batter stand for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken up.
  4. Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat and grease it with plenty of butter. Ladle the batter onto the griddle using a 1/4-cup measure. When bubbles come to the surface and the edges start to brown, flip the pancakes and cook on the other side until golden brown and crispy around the edges. (If desired, place a cookie sheet in the oven and heat oven to 220° F; as your pancakes are done, transfer them to the cookie sheet to keep them warm while preparing the rest.) Serve with warm maple syrup and softened salted butter.
Tags:
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Sera Erlys Black
    Sera Erlys Black
  • MQAvatar
    MQAvatar
  • Etta
    Etta
  • Kate Cohen
    Kate Cohen
  • EmilyC
    EmilyC
EmilyC

Recipe by: EmilyC

I'm a home cook. I love salads. Two things you'll always find in my refrigerator are lemons and butter, and in my pantry good quality chocolate and the makings for chocolate chip cookies.

Popular on Food52

14 Reviews

Sera E.
Sera E. January 25, 2018
Love this!
My adaptation:
For assembling pancake mix::
2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup rye flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil

For making pancakes::
1 cup pancake mix
1 cup buttermilk or milk/yogurt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coconut sugar (optional)
1/4 c peanut butter (optional)
Brown butter, for frying pancakes

Thanks!
 
MQAvatar
MQAvatar July 9, 2016
Most ingredients by weight, but why not all of them? I'd rather not dirty any measuring cups/spoons if I'm already using a scale. Either way, I can't wait to try this.
So, I'm a little obsessive and I happen to have my scale out all the time: how much does one cup of the pancake mix weight?
 
Etta
Etta May 1, 2016
This is my new go-to pancake recipe. Thanks! I added a glob of spent sourdough starter along with the milk and egg, similar to the sourdough pancakes I typically make, and the pancakes turned out very light and fluffy.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC May 2, 2016
Great to hear! -- and I'll bet the sourdough makes them especially good!
 
Kate C.
Kate C. April 28, 2016
Have you tried this with oat flour rather than ground oats?
 
EmilyC
EmilyC April 28, 2016
No but it should work just fine and save you the extra step!
 
Sandra H.
Sandra H. July 23, 2020
Kate, did you try it? How much did you use? I have oat flour but no oats at the moment!
 
Alyson
Alyson April 25, 2016
How would it work with a non-dairy milk/buttermilk? thanks.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC April 26, 2016
I suspect a non-dairy substitute would work just fine, though I've only used buttermilk, and in a pinch, yogurt mixed with milk. Report back with your results if you make them!
 
SSherman
SSherman April 24, 2016
Would this need to be altered in anyway to use the mix for waffles?
 
EmilyC
EmilyC April 25, 2016
Hi -- I honestly don't know because I haven't tried using this mix for waffles. I might add another egg if making waffles, but otherwise I suspect the mix will work just fine. Please report back if you try this!
 
foofaraw
foofaraw April 21, 2016
This looks great! Will try soon. Sorry for asking silly question, would the olive oil cause baking powder and / or baking soda in advance (making them finish reacting before cooked)? Or should I add the oil when I about to make pancake?
 
EmilyC
EmilyC April 21, 2016
Not a silly question at all! If there's any activation between the olive oil and the rest of the mix, it's minimal. Even though 1 cup of olive oil seems like a lot, it doesn't moisten the mix much at all, and it's so handy to already have it in the mix. I've found that there's plenty of 'lift' in the pancakes, between the baking powder, soda, and egg. But to be warned, if you're looking for pancakes that are light and billowy, these are not your pancakes! With the oats and different flours, they're tender/soft with crispy edges, which I've come to prefer! : ) Hope this helps!
 
melissa
melissa December 20, 2017
what's the purpose of the olive oil in the recipe? never seen a pancake recipe that included it. thanks!