A plain or original pancake mix gives you the most flexibility to put together an Easter lunch with a choice of sweet and savoury toppings. Choose a cinnamon mix if you want the pancake itself to provide the dessert flavour, or a complete mix if you’d rather measure out fewer ingredients for the batter. Whichever you choose, check what needs to be added and read the label, especially if your guests need to avoid certain allergens.
If you want to offer both sweet and savoury toppings, a plain or original mix leaves the flavour largely to your choice of toppings. Decide in advance which toppings you’d like to serve and how much batter you’ll need.
If you want the pancake itself to taste of cinnamon, a flavoured mix is a better fit. Bear that flavour in mind when choosing fruit or other toppings.
A complete mix may save you from measuring out milk and eggs for the batter. You’ll still need to check what fat is needed for frying, as well as the ingredients and allergen information, especially if you’re catering for guests with different needs.
First decide whether you want the flavour to come from the toppings, the mix or simply a quick-to-prepare lunch. Then check the instructions and any ingredients that matter to your guests on each pack.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Room for toppings | Choose a plain or original flavour base and check how many portions each pack makes. | I want guests to be able to choose between sweet and savoury toppings without the mix dictating the flavour. Around 36% of consumers give this flexibility top priority. |
| Minimal preparation | Check what you need to add to the batter and whether you’ll need fat for frying. | If I want to cook pancakes fresh during lunch, I want to measure out as few separate batter ingredients as possible. For around 29% of consumers, convenience comes first. |
| Flavour in the batter | Check what flavour the mix contains and choose toppings to match. | A pancake with a pronounced cinnamon flavour suits my dessert plans, even if it limits the choice of toppings. This kind of flavour base is the main consideration for around 21% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the label, including any ‘may contain’ warnings, and check what you’ll be adding yourself too. | I need to know before cooking whether all the ingredients are suitable for everyone at the table. For around 14% of consumers, this check is the top priority. |
A cinnamon mix gives the pancake itself a pronounced dessert flavour, but leaves less room for a variety of toppings. An original mix may be a better choice if guests want to customise their pancakes in different ways.
Before choosing, decide whether the pancake or the toppings should provide the main flavour. Match strong-flavoured toppings to any flavoured mix you choose.
When you’re serving several guests, you also need to consider how many portions each pack makes and which ingredients you’ll need to add yourself. A complete mix simplifies the batter, but you may still need butter or oil for frying.
Check the preparation instructions and use the stated yield to work out how many packs you’ll need.
PLUS describes its Naturel mix as vegan, even though the standard preparation instructions call for milk and eggs. Pancakes made according to those instructions are therefore not vegan.
Check both the ingredients in the mix and the preparation instructions. Only use alternative additions if you have a suitable recipe for the mix you’ve chosen.
Ingredients you add yourself and warnings such as ‘may contain’ are relevant too. According to the Voedingscentrum, label information is important if you have a food allergy.
Read the label on the exact pack you’re going to use and make sure the whole preparation method takes into account what your guests need to avoid.
These brands and retailers offer different types of pancake mix. For your Easter lunch, it’s the specific variety that matters, not just the brand name.
Koopmans offers varieties including Origineel, Compleet and Oma's Pannenkoeken met kaneel.
Albert Heijn’s range includes own-brand plain and complete mixes, as well as mixes from other brands.
Jumbo lists own-brand Naturel and Compleet varieties and also sells mixes from other brands, including Smaakt Bio Boekweit.
Lidl lists Belbake Pannenkoekenmix origineel as a product in its range.
Aldi lists a multigrain pancake mix and a plain variety under its Albona brand.
PLUS lists own-brand Naturel, Compleet and Volkoren varieties.
These Joybuy products include an original mix for a variety of toppings, a complete mix that needs less batter preparation and a multigrain mix. Check what you need to add yourself for each variety, and read the label if allergens are a concern for your guests.
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An original mix for a lunch where you can offer a choice of sweet and savoury toppings.
400 g pack. Make sure you also have the ingredients that the preparation instructions say to add to the batter, as well as fat for frying.
If you have allergies, check the current label, including any ‘may contain’ warnings.
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A complete mix for anyone who wants to measure out fewer separate ingredients for the batter. Check how much water the pack calls for and make sure you have enough mix for your guests.
210 g pack. The available product information is contradictory about allergens: the ingredients list mentions milk and egg, while another allergen statement says otherwise. Don’t use this variety for guests who need to avoid these allergens unless you’ve first confirmed the details on the current packaging.
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A multigrain mix to consider if you want to serve a range of sweet and savoury toppings.
400 g pack. Before lunch, check which ingredients you need to add for the batter and frying.
If you have allergies, read the label on the pack you’ve chosen; the product information mentions cereals containing gluten, among other ingredients.
A plain or original mix works well if you want the toppings to provide most of the flavour. Choose a cinnamon mix if you want the pancake itself to have a dessert flavour, or a complete mix if keeping preparation to a minimum is more important.
The complete varieties described by Koopmans, Jumbo and PLUS call for water only to make the batter. You may still need butter or oil for frying, so check the instructions and the amount of water specified on your pack.
Only after checking the current label and all the ingredients in the prepared pancake. Standard and complete varieties may contain wheat, milk or egg, among other ingredients. According to the Voedingscentrum, label information is important if you have a food allergy.
No. Don’t assume something is gluten-free just because it says buckwheat. If you need a gluten-free product, choose one that is explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the current label for other relevant allergens too.
Check availability shortly before you do your Easter food shopping. A product being listed in a retailer’s range doesn’t guarantee it will be available when you shop, so check the variety and the information on the packaging then too.
