Pancake mix isn’t a substitute for sliced bread at a Sunday meal; choose it when you want to make a separate pancake dish before or after the meal. A complete mix requires fewer additional ingredients, while a basic mix gives you more control over how you prepare it. If you have any allergen restrictions, always check the exact variant and its current packaging.
You want to make pancakes alongside your Sunday meal without measuring out milk and eggs for the batter. A complete mix that only needs water fits the bill; just check which cooking fat the instructions call for.
You want to decide how to prepare the batter and what sweet or savoury ingredients to add. With a basic mix, check which ingredients the standard recipe requires and whether the packaging suggests a suitable alternative method.
You have a specific restriction, for example around gluten, milk or eggs. The name of a mix isn’t enough: check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statement for the exact variant.
First, check whether the mix is suitable for any allergen restrictions. Then choose between fewer preparation steps, the freedom to adapt the batter and a specific ingredient profile.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Less preparation | Check whether the mix only needs water and which cooking fat is required; also look at the stated yield. | If I’m also preparing a Sunday meal, I don’t want to get lots of separate ingredients ready for the batter. For around 29% of consumers, minimal preparation is the top priority. |
| Freedom to adapt the recipe | Check which ingredients the standard recipe requires and whether an alternative method is described. | For a savoury or sweet pancake dish, I want to choose what to add to the batter myself. Around 29% of consumers put that freedom first. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and allergen information, including any ‘may contain’ statement; also check what you’ll be adding yourself. | If gluten, milk or eggs are a restriction for me, both the exact mix and the way it’s prepared need to be suitable. This check is the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Ingredient profile | Compare the listed types of flour and check whether ‘multigrain’ or ‘organic’ appears on the exact packaging. | If I’m looking for a multigrain mix or organically grown ingredients, I want to know which types of flour I’m buying. For around 21% of consumers, this ingredient profile comes first. |
Only needing to add water tells you about the preparation, not the ingredients. According to their product information, the Koopmans and PLUS complete mixes described here contain milk and eggs.
If you have a restriction, read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact packaging before choosing a complete mix.
The Koopmans organic multigrain mix described here contains wheat and oats; the Jumbo organic mix lists wheat. So these descriptions don’t tell you whether a product is suitable for a gluten-free diet.
If you need a gluten-free option, look for a variant labelled as such and check the current allergen information.
A pack of basic mix and a pack of complete mix don’t require the same additional ingredients. The stated number of pancakes also depends on the preparation method.
Compare the full recipe, the cooking fat required and the stated yield before deciding how many packs you need.
Variants within the same category can contain different ingredients. That makes the details on the exact packaging more important than the shop or brand name.
Check the ingredients and allergen information for the variant you’re actually buying, even if you’ve used it before.
Koopmans offers a basic mix, a complete mix, an organic multigrain mix and a gluten-free variant.
AH Mix voor pannenkoeken naturel is a basic mix, so you finish making the batter yourself.
Jumbo offers both a plain mix and an organic pancake mix.
PLUS Complete is a pancake mix to which you add water.
ALDI describes a 400 g Albona multigrain baking mix for pancakes.
No. Pancake mix is designed for making pancake batter, not as a replacement for sliced bread. Choose it when you specifically want to prepare a separate savoury or sweet pancake dish.
Choose a complete mix if you want to add only water to the batter; choose a basic mix if you want to decide which ingredients to add yourself. For both types, check the packaging for the cooking fat required and allergen information.
Read the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ statement on the current packaging for the exact variant. Also take into account any milk, eggs or other ingredients you add to the batter at home.
No. The Koopmans organic multigrain mix described here lists wheat and oats, while the Jumbo organic mix lists wheat. If you need a gluten-free option, choose a variant explicitly labelled as gluten-free and check the current packaging.
No. Albert Heijn says that Koopmans Pannenkoeken Compleet batter isn’t intended to be eaten raw and must be cooked thoroughly. For other mixes, follow the instructions on their own packaging.
