If you want to keep the number of ingredients to a minimum late in the evening, look for a complete mix or a shaker bottle. If you have milk and eggs at home and want to control how you make the batter, a traditional mix may suit you better. A shaker bottle doesn’t always need just water, and even a small batch of batter still needs to be cooked. So check the ingredients you’ll need, the quantity, the type of flour and the allergens before being swayed by a label such as ‘premium’.
If you want to use as few separate ingredients as possible, compare complete mixes and shaker bottles. Check whether you need to add water or milk to each option; you’ll still need to cook the pancakes in a pan.
If you have milk, eggs and toppings at home, a traditional mix lets you decide what to add. Just check how much batter the pack makes if you only want to prepare one snack.
If you’re comparing types of flour, nutritional information or allergens, read the ingredients for the option you’re considering. A preparation suggestion using a plant-based drink doesn’t, by itself, tell you anything about the allergens in the dry mix.
For a late-night snack, first decide what matters most to you: minimal preparation, control over how you make it, the information on the label or a suitable quantity. Then read the instructions on the specific pack; ‘complete mix’ and ‘shaker bottle’ don’t always tell you the same thing about what you need to add.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal preparation | Check whether the batter needs water, milk or eggs, and whether you’ll need cooking fat. | When I get home late, I don’t want to have to gather several ingredients first. For around 33% of consumers, keeping preparation to a minimum comes first. |
| Flavour and style of pancake | Choose between traditional pancakes and smaller, thicker American pancakes, and check which ingredients you’ll need to add yourself. | With milk and eggs at home, I want to decide for myself how to make the batter and what to serve with it. Around 27% of consumers prioritise having that choice. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the types of flour, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statement on the pack. | If the ingredients are the deciding factor for me, I want to read the label before choosing an option. This check matters most to around 20% of consumers. |
| Portion size and leftovers | Compare how much the mix is expected to make and what you’ll need to add; when comparing similar products, check the price per kilo too. | For one snack, I don’t want to end up making a big stack without a plan for the rest. A suitable quantity is the top priority for around 20% of consumers. |
That description doesn’t tell you which ingredients to add, which allergens the mix contains or how many pancakes it makes.
Compare the ingredients list, preparation instructions and yield of the options you’re considering. Then choose according to your preferred flavour or brand.
The PLUS bottle we looked at needs milk; according to Joybuy, the Koopmans Complete shaker bottle needs water. PLUS also says that its mixed batter should be used straight away.
Check the ingredients you’ll need and the instructions for the mixed batter before buying. Choose a bottle that suits what you have at home and how much you want to make.
AH Wholemeal mix contains wheat and wheat gluten. Using a plant-based drink or an egg replacer when making it doesn’t change the ingredients in the dry mix.
If you have an allergy or intolerance, check the current ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statement for the exact option you’re buying.
A larger pack may make more pancakes than you want to eat at the time. What’s more, batter and cooked pancakes don’t automatically have the same storage instructions.
Check how much the mix makes before you start. Prepare a suitable quantity or follow appropriate storage advice for any leftover cooked pancakes.
Koopmans offers original mixes, complete mixes and shaker bottles. For a late-night snack, the ingredients you need to add matter more than the brand name alone.
The range includes plain, multigrain and wholemeal mixes, so you can compare the type of flour and the preparation instructions.
Jumbo offers plain, complete and organic pancake mixes. If preparation time or the ingredients you need matter to you, compare the instructions for each option.
PLUS offers, among other options, plain mix in a pack, complete mix and plain mix in a shaker bottle. The ingredients you need to add vary.
These three Koopmans products show different options for the same snack: a shaker bottle made with milk, a complete shaker bottle mixed with water, and a mix that lets you compare the grains used. As well as the pack size, check how to prepare the option you choose and its ingredients.
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A shaker bottle for anyone who prefers to mix the batter in the pack and has milk at home for making it.
Pack size: 175 g. The pancakes still need to be cooked in a pan after mixing; check the ingredients and allergens on the pack.
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A shaker bottle for anyone who wants to make the batter with water and prepare a smaller batch.
According to Joybuy, add 350 ml of water; the bottle is intended to make 4 to 6 pancakes. Even with a mix that you make with water, it’s important to check the allergens on the pack.
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A pack for anyone who wants to take the grains used into account and use more ingredients when making the batter.
The ingredients information on Joybuy lists 78% wheat flour, 5,0% rye flour and 4,0% wholemeal oat flour, among other ingredients. You’ll need milk, eggs and cooking fat to make it; check the pack for quantities and allergens.
No. A complete mix is best if you want to add very few ingredients to the batter, but you’ll still need to cook the pancakes. If you want to make a smaller batch, compare shaker bottles too, and check whether the one you choose needs water or milk.
Yes, especially if you have an allergy or intolerance. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information must appear on the label of pre-packed products; also check whether your chosen option has a ‘may contain’ statement.
No. The label doesn’t replace a comparison of ingredients, nutritional information, what you need to add and how much the mix makes. Use these practical details to work out which mix is right for the snack you want to make.
According to the Voedingscentrum’s storage guide, cooked pancakes keep for 2 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. This advice doesn’t automatically apply to uncooked batter: for the PLUS shaker bottle we looked at, PLUS says to use the mixed batter straight away and not store it.
