Who is this choice relevant to?

Home bakers who want to make an organic cake

You’re looking for a mix for a cake baked in the oven and want to avoid buying one designed for making pancakes. For cake mix, check the organic label on the packaging too.

Pancake makers comparing grains

You want to make organic pancakes and are choosing between, for example, a wheat mix, a multigrain mix and a mix with buckwheat as its main ingredient. Product information from Jumbo, Albert Heijn and PLUS shows how their flour bases differ.

Bakers who need to check grains and allergens

Your choice isn’t just about the word ‘organic’. Check the ingredients and the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements, especially if you need to avoid certain grains or allergens.

What should you look for when choosing?

First decide whether you’re baking a cake in the oven or making pancakes in a pan. Then check the organic label, ingredients and preparation instructions for the mix that suits your recipe.

What to consider What to check before buying Who it matters to
Baking result Compare the product category and preparation instructions: cooking in a pan for pancakes or baking in the oven for cake. If you want to bake a cake in the oven, look for a mix designed for that recipe, rather than pancake batter. Around 36% of consumers prioritise choosing the right type of baking mix.
Organic label Check the label on the specific packaging. For a prepacked organic product from the EU, look for the European organic logo. If organic is the deciding factor for me, I want to check the label on the variety I’ve chosen before looking at the type of flour. This check comes first for around 29% of consumers.
Grains and allergens Read the ingredients and allergen information, including any statements about possible traces. If you need to avoid a particular type of grain or an allergen, you can’t rely on the product name alone. For around 21% of consumers, this is the most important condition when buying.
Flour base and preparation Compare the types of flour used and check which ingredients you’ll need to add yourself. For pancakes, I want to know which grains are in the mix and what I need to make the batter. Around 14% of consumers put this practical consideration first.

Common mistakes

  • Using pancake mix as a standard cake mix

    According to the product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo, their pancake mixes are designed for cooking in a pan; Ekoplaza’s cake mix is for baking in the oven. They’re therefore not direct substitutes in a cake recipe.

    For a cake, choose a mix with suitable oven-baking instructions. Use pancake mix when your recipe actually calls for pancakes, for example, to make a pancake cake.

  • Assuming ‘organic’ means gluten-free or allergen-free

    Albert Heijn’s organic multigrain mix contains spelt, rye and wheat. Other types of flour may also have allergens or possible traces listed.

    Check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging every time, even if the product name highlights a particular type of flour.

  • Mistaking a product category for an organic certification

    A range with separate pancake and cake mixes doesn’t, by itself, tell you whether a specific product is labelled organic.

    Check the organic certification on the mix you want to buy. Skal Biocontrole states that the European organic logo is compulsory on prepacked organic food produced in the EU.

  • Skipping the preparation instructions

    The ingredients you need to add vary from one mix to another. PLUS also states that Koopmans Bio Meergranen batter isn’t intended to be eaten raw and must be thoroughly heated.

    Check your recipe against the instructions on the packaging you’ve chosen and follow the preparation method given.

Brands and product ranges to consider

Koopmans

According to the product information at Jumbo, Koopmans Bio Meergranen is an organic pancake mix with a flour base that includes wheat, oats, maize and buckwheat.

  • An option if you want to make organic multigrain pancakes.
  • The mix is designed for pancakes, not as a standard base for cake. Check the allergen information too, including the statement about possible traces of egg and milk.

Albert Heijn

According to its product page, Albert Heijn’s organic multigrain pancake mix contains spelt flour, rye flour and wheat flour.

  • The flour types listed make it easier to compare this variety with a different grain mix.
  • Not suitable if you need to avoid wheat, spelt or rye. Check the possible traces statement on the packaging too.

Jumbo

Jumbo sells an organic pancake mix made with wheat flour; the product information describes cooking it in a pan.

  • A wheat-based option to compare with organic multigrain or buckwheat pancake mixes.
  • The mix contains wheat and isn’t a standard cake mix. Check the full allergen declaration.

PLUS

PLUS product information lists both Koopmans Bio Meergranen and Smaakt Boekweitpannenkoekenmix bio.

  • You can compare the flour base of a multigrain mix with that of the Smaakt variety, which is made up of 90% buckwheat flour.
  • Both are pancake mixes. The Smaakt variety may contain traces of peanuts, soya, nuts and sesame.

Lidl / Belbake

Lidl offers pancake mix and separate cake mixes under the Belbake brand.

  • The separate product categories help you choose a mix that suits your recipe first.
  • Check the label on the specific variety if you’re looking for an organic mix.

ALDI / Albona

ALDI offers separate pancake mixes and mixes for cakes and other bakes under the Albona brand.

  • The product category is a useful starting point when choosing between cooking in a pan and baking in the oven.
  • Check whether the packaging you’ve chosen is labelled organic; don’t assume this from the brand name.

Products on Joybuy

Matching products coming soon.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bake a cake with organic pancake mix?

Don’t use pancake mix as a direct substitute for cake mix in a standard cake recipe. According to their product information, the pancake mixes from Albert Heijn and Jumbo are designed for cooking in a pan; Ekoplaza’s cake mix is for baking in the oven. For a cake, look for cake mix and check that the variety you’ve chosen is organic.

How can I identify an organic packaged baking mix?

Check the organic label on the specific packaging. According to Skal Biocontrole, the European organic logo is compulsory on prepacked organic food produced in the EU. For products like these, look for the logo and the accompanying label information.

Is organic multigrain pancake mix gluten-free?

Don’t assume it is. According to its product page, Albert Heijn’s organic multigrain mix contains spelt, rye and wheat, while the Koopmans variety contains wheat and oats, among other ingredients. If you need to avoid gluten, look for a variety explicitly labelled gluten-free and read the current ingredients and allergen information.

What should I add to organic pancake mix?

It depends on the mix you choose. The product information from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS explains which ingredients you need for the batter and cooking for each variety. Check the instructions before buying, especially if you’re following a specific recipe.

Can I taste pancake batter raw?

Follow the warning on the packaging: PLUS states that Koopmans Bio Meergranen batter isn’t intended to be eaten raw and must be thoroughly heated.