Choose a cinnamon or speculoos mix if you want the pancake itself to bring the flavour to your Christmas brunch or dessert. A neutral base lets you serve both sweet and savoury toppings. A complete mix means fewer separate ingredients for the batter, but check the additions required, allergens and yield for each variety before buying for your guests.
If you’d rather not add your own spices for brunch or dessert, cinnamon and speculoos varieties give the pancakes a distinct flavour. Just consider whether your guests might want savoury pancakes too.
A complete mix can be handy when you’re preparing other dishes as well as cooking pancakes. Check how much water you need, what you’ll need for cooking and which allergens the mix contains.
If guests need gluten-free or plant-based options, consider the whole preparation: the mix, any added ingredients, cooking fat and toppings. A neutral base also makes it easy to serve separate sweet and savoury pancakes.
First decide whether you want the mix or the toppings to provide the flavour. Then check the preparation instructions, any ingredients that matter to your guests and how many pancakes you want to make.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour of the base | Check whether the mix already contains cinnamon or speculoos, and whether that flavour will work with your planned toppings. | For a sweet Christmas brunch, I want the pancakes to have a recognisable flavour even without extra spices; this is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Ease of preparation | Check what you need to add to the batter and whether you’ll also need butter or oil for cooking. | When I’m making several dishes at once, I want to measure out as few separate ingredients as possible. Around 29% of consumers prioritise straightforward preparation. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients and allergen information for the mix, as well as the ingredients you’ll be adding yourself. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to be able to check the whole preparation; this is the main concern for around 21% of consumers. |
| Yield per pack | Compare the stated number of pancakes with the number of people eating and the portions you want to serve. | When I’m catering for several guests, I want to make enough batter without having to guess the yield; around 14% of consumers prioritise portion size. |
The preparation instructions don’t tell you which ingredients are already in the dry mix. PLUS lists wheat, milk and egg in its Complete mix.
Read the ingredients and allergen information before choosing a complete mix for guests who need to avoid certain ingredients.
The Koopmans Gluten-Free mix sold by Albert Heijn may contain egg and milk, according to the product information. Anything you add later also determines which ingredients are in the pancakes you serve.
Check the mix packaging, then review your chosen liquid, cooking fat and toppings separately.
Cinnamon and speculoos give the base its flavour. A neutral mix gives you more freedom to finish some pancakes with sweet toppings and others with savoury ones.
Choose a neutral base as your main option if you want to serve both. You can always use a flavoured mix for a separate dessert course.
A small shaker bottle and a larger pack aren’t designed to make the same number of pancakes. One pack may not provide enough batter for your group.
Check the stated yield for each variety and choose the number of packs to suit your guests and how many pancakes you want to serve.
Offers cinnamon, speculoos, multigrain, complete and gluten-free pancake mixes, among others. The right variety depends on the flavour and preparation you’re looking for.
AH Plain Pancake Mix is a neutral base that you can finish however you like.
Jumbo’s organic pancake mix is an option if you’re looking for a base to customise for Christmas.
PLUS Complete is a pancake mix for anyone who wants to make the batter with water.
These Joybuy products are complete or neutral mixes for a Christmas brunch where you can choose your own toppings. The shaker bottles are suited to smaller batches; for every variety, check what you need to add and how many pancakes it makes.
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For anyone who wants to make the batter without measuring out milk and eggs separately. According to Joybuy, add 350 ml of water to this shaker bottle. Before buying, check the allergens and make sure the yield is enough for your group.
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A multigrain base for anyone who wants to create their own festive flavour with sweet or savoury toppings. Check how many pancakes you want to make and which ingredients you need to add to the batter and for cooking.
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A neutral choice for guests who want both sweet and savoury pancakes. Add your own ingredients to give them a festive flavour; check the packaging to see what you’ll need for preparation.
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A shaker bottle for a smaller batch that you can top with sweet or savoury ingredients. Check how many pancakes it makes and which liquid you need to add; this isn’t a complete mix that only needs water.
It depends on what you want to serve: cinnamon or speculoos gives the base a distinct flavour, while a neutral mix leaves room for your own sweet or savoury toppings. Don’t let a label such as ‘premium’ matter more than the ingredients, preparation method and yield of the specific product.
The product information for Koopmans Complete and PLUS Complete lists water as an ingredient to add to the batter. You’ll still need butter or oil for cooking; also check the ingredients and allergens in the mix itself for each variety.
Not necessarily: Albert Heijn states that Koopmans Gluten-Free may contain egg and milk. Check the current packaging, and also take the ingredients in the batter and toppings into account.
For AH Plain Pancake Mix, Albert Heijn provides instructions using a plant-based drink and an egg replacement. Don’t assume the same instructions apply to another mix, and choose cooking fat and toppings that suit your planned preparation too.
