If you want to bake biscuits you can shape, choose a mix whose instructions tell you to shape dough and bake it in the oven. Don’t choose a pancake mix just because it has a premium label. The pancake mixes we looked at are designed for batter cooked in a frying pan. When comparing biscuit mixes, check the type of biscuit, the ingredients you’ll need and the allergen information.
Want to roll out dough, cut out shapes or roll it into balls for biscuits baked in the oven? Check how to prepare the dough for a biscuit mix. The product instructions from Koopmans and Albert Heijn clearly distinguish this from pancake batter.
For pancakes, you can choose between mixes that need milk and eggs, mixes that only need water, and a shaker bottle. Koopmans and PLUS describe these products as pancake mixes, not mixes for biscuits you can shape.
Check the current packaging for ingredients, allergens and any cross-contamination warnings. What’s relevant varies by product and preparation method. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority highlights the allergen information that must appear on the labels of pre-packed products.
First decide whether you want to make biscuit dough or pancake batter. Then check the ingredients and what else you’ll need to prepare it.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation method | For biscuits you can shape, look for instructions to knead the dough and bake it in the oven, rather than instructions for batter cooked in a frying pan. | I want to shape biscuits and bake them in the oven; a mix for runny pancake batter isn’t suitable. For around 42% of consumers, the product type is the main consideration. |
| Allergens and ingredients | Check the current packaging for the ingredients, allergen information and any cross-contamination warnings. | If I need to consider an allergen or dietary preference, I want to know what’s in the mix and in the ingredients I need to add. This is the first concern for an estimated 33% of consumers. |
| Additional ingredients and equipment | Compare the ingredients you need to add and check whether you’ll need an oven or a frying pan. | I want to be able to bake with the ingredients and equipment I have available. For around 25% of consumers, convenience is the deciding factor. |
The pancake mixes we looked at are prepared as batter and cooked in a frying pan. The biscuit mixes we looked at, on the other hand, involve shaping dough and baking it in the oven.
If you want to make biscuits, check that the packaging describes biscuit dough and baking in the oven.
A brand name or premium label won’t tell you whether a mix will make the type of biscuit you want. A chocolate-chip mix is also designed to make a different-tasting biscuit from a shortbread mix.
Choose the type of biscuit you want first, then read the preparation instructions and ingredients.
Ingredients and allergens can vary from product to product. An image or general category name is no substitute for the information on the packaging.
Before using the mix, read the current allergen information and check the ingredients you’ll be adding yourself, too.
A pancake mix that needs water is different from one that needs milk and eggs. A biscuit mix may need butter or margarine.
Read the full preparation instructions before choosing a mix, including the equipment you’ll need.
Koopmans sells pancake mixes as well as a separate range of biscuit mixes.
Albert Heijn sells mixes for shortbread and chocolate-chip biscuits, among other products.
Jumbo has its own plain pancake mix.
PLUS sells plain and complete pancake mixes, among other products.
Lidl lists Belbake Original Pancake Mix as a product available in store.
ALDI includes Albona pancake mix and biscuit mixes in its home baking range.
This mix is for anyone who wants to make chocolate-chip biscuits. If you’re looking for a plain shortbread mix for cut-out biscuits, check whether another mix includes instructions for making them.
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For chocolate-chip biscuits rather than plain shortbread. Before buying, check which ingredients the packaging says you need to add.
Pack size: 425 g.
For biscuits you can shape and bake in the oven, choose a mix with instructions for making biscuit dough. The pancake mixes we looked at, including those from PLUS, are designed for batter cooked in a frying pan. The biscuit mixes we looked at from Albert Heijn, on the other hand, describe how to shape the dough and bake it in the oven.
Look for a biscuit mix whose instructions say you can knead and roll out the dough. For its shortbread mix, Albert Heijn describes a ball of dough that you can roll out or divide into smaller balls.
It depends on the product. Albert Heijn says to add 200 g of butter or margarine to its shortbread mix, and optionally an egg. A standard pancake mix may need milk and eggs, while Koopmans Complete Pancake Mix needs water.
Read the allergen information on the current packaging and check what you’re adding to the mix yourself, too. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information must appear on the labels of pre-packed products.
