These muffin mix pancakes only require 3 ingredients: muffin mix, milk, and an egg! They're delicious as is, but also fun to add mix-ins like blueberries or chocolate chips.
This recipe takes me back to my college days. My mom used to add a box of Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin Mix to the care packages she'd send me, so I would make pancakes to stretch the box for as long as possible.
Recipe Notes
- 3 Simple Ingredients: All you'll need is your favorite muffin mix, milk, and an egg! Works with gluten-free mixes, as well as non-dairy milk.
- Works across brands. This recipe works with any muffin mix you have. Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to, but you can make Martha White muffin mix pancakes or Betty Crocker muffin mix pancakes, too.
- Customizable. Although it would no longer be a 3-ingredient recipe, you can add any mix-ins you like! My favorite is blueberry, but feel free to add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or whatever else you can think of.
Ingredients Needed
Hacking your box of muffin mix into pancakes requires just a couple of extra ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Muffin Mix - Any flavor, any brand. Feel free to use dairy-free or gluten-free mix if needed!
- Egg - For binding. Allow it to come to room temperature to make it easier to mix into the batter. If eggs are a no-no, try swapping in your favorite vegan egg replacer like JUST Eggs or mashed banana.
- Milk - Regular dairy milk or plant-based milk both work beautifully here. If you opt for plant-based milk, be sure to choose an unsweetened variety — the muffin mix already has a lot of sugar. You can also use buttermilk if you want them to have a little tang!
- Mix-Ins of Choice - If I can get my little man to eat some extra fruit in the morning, I consider it a win. As such, blueberries and bananas are regular additions to these pancakes from muffin mix! If I’m feeling particularly decadent, chocolate chips are another favorite.
How To Make Pancakes From Muffin Mix
Using muffin mix for pancakes is a snap. Here’s how they’re made:
Step 1: Make batter. Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together until you have a smooth batter.
Step 2: Cook pancakes. Heat a nonstick skillet or a griddle on medium-low heat. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, pour the batter onto the skillet. Add some blueberries or chocolate chips, if adding.
Step 3: Flip. Let the pancakes cook for about 2-3 minutes before flipping (you should see bubbles on the surface), then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Optional Variations
Here are a few ways you can customize your short stack:
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free muffin mix. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes after mixing to allow the flour to rehydrate and prevent your pancakes from turning gritty.
- Dairy-Free: Use your favorite dairy-free muffin mix and use your preferred unsweetened plant-based milk.
- Vegan: Use vegan muffin mix, dairy-free milk, and your preferred vegan egg substitute.
- Different Flavors: Feel free to swap in new mixes to celebrate the seasons. Try lemon muffin mix or pumpkin spice muffin mix! You can also add blueberries to the batter and make blueberry pancakes from muffin mix.
- Freezer Pancakes: Give “Future You” a time-saving gift by making extra pancakes with muffin mix. Let them cool to room temp, then separate them with pieces of parchment paper before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When you need a grab-and-go breakfast or snack, simply pop one or more in the toaster oven or microwave!
Recipe Success Tips
Learning how to make pancakes with Betty Crocker muffin mix (or any muffin mix!) is pretty simple. That said, you should keep a few things in mind:
- Muffin mix is higher in sugar than pancake mix, which means it’s more prone to burning. Keep an eye on things and adjust the heat if you notice it browning too quickly!
- Due to the higher sugar content, muffin mix also leaves the pan a little sticky so make sure to add oil between each pancake and use a paper towel to wipe off the sticky residue if necessary.
- To prevent your pancakes from getting soggy, let them cool on a wire rack.
- You can also keep your cooked pancakes in a 200°F oven to keep them warm while you finish the batch so everyone can have a warm plate all at the same time. Note that you shouldn’t keep pancakes in a warm oven for more than about 30 minutes or you’ll risk them drying out.
- These muffin mix pancakes are sweet on their own so you can eat them without syrup! At most, you’ll only need a teeny bit of syrup or a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Storage Directions
Since this recipe only makes 6 pancakes and they're so dang delicious, it's unlikely they'll last long enough for you to store them!
That said, any leftovers can be stacked using small pieces of parchment paper to keep them separate (this helps them not stick together!) and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to a month.
To reheat, pop them in the toaster oven (preferred), on a warm, dry skillet, or in the microwave.
FAQs
Aside from using it to make delightful plain muffin pancakes, you have lots of options:
1. Add mix-ins like fresh or frozen berries or chocolate chips for some fun flavorful and textural components.
2. Experiment by adding spices and extracts like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or vanilla extract.
3. Instead of using plain milk, substitute it with buttermilk or some thinned-out yogurt.
If your muffin mix pancakes are turning out flat instead of fluffy, there could be a few reasons:
1. Make sure you're not adding too much liquid. If the batter is too runny, you may want to add a bit more of the muffin mix, working a tablespoon or so at a time.
2. Avoid overmixing, which can lead to gluten development, resulting in tougher pancakes with less fluffiness. Mix the ingredients until they are just combined.
3. The muffin mix likely contains leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda, which help the pancakes rise. If your pancakes are consistently flat, check the expiration date of your mix. Over time, they can lose their effectiveness. If it's expired, consider adding a small amount of baking powder (around ½ teaspoon per cup of muffin mix) to the batter to help achieve the desired fluffiness.
4. Allowing the pancake batter to rest for a few minutes before cooking can improve the fluffiness of the pancakes. Give the batter a brief rest of 10-15 minutes before cooking (or 30 minutes if you're using a gluten-free mix).
5. Cooking pancakes at too high a heat can cause them to spread out and cook too quickly, resulting in flatter pancakes. Make sure your griddle or pan is heated to medium or medium-low heat.
I haven't tried (yet) but they should make delicious waffles! Keep an eye on your waffle iron and play around with cooking times, as muffin mixes are high in sugar and can burn easily. Start checking your waffles at 4 minutes.
More Breakfast Recipes
- If your mornings are busy and you like to meal prep, make a batch of my gluten-free granola or these breakfast bars on the weekend!
- These gluten-free waffles and red velvet waffles are super delicious and are my favorite things to keep in my freezer. I just pop them in the toaster for a quick breakfast or snack!
- If you love a sweet treat in the morning, make my fluffy and moist gluten-free coffee cake.
- On weekends I love making a batch of these gluten-free blueberry muffins and bringing them with me to soccer practice!
Muffin Mix Pancake Recipe
Ingredients
- 6.5 oz muffin mix
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk of choice
- blueberries or chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix together until you have a smooth batter.
- Heat a nonstick skillet or a griddle on medium-low heat. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, pour the batter onto the skillet. Add some blueberries or chocolate chips, if adding.
- Let the pancakes cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Marilyn Field says
Yum-mers!