For a Christmas brunch, choose a plain or multigrain mix if you want to make several pancakes and have milk and eggs at home. A complete mix may only need water and cooking fat; a shaker bottle is an option for a smaller snack, but check what you need to add to each variety. If you need a gluten-free option, choose a mix explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the current label: a description such as ‘thick cut’ doesn’t guarantee a thicker result.
If you want to work out in advance how many packs you’ll need, check the stated yield as well as the ingredients you need to add yourself. Albert Heijn says that AH Naturel makes around 12 pancakes per pack; Koopmans Meergranen is stated to make 11 to 13 pancakes.
If you’d rather measure out fewer ingredients, compare a complete mix with a shaker bottle. PLUS says its Complete mix needs water and cooking fat; its Naturel shaker bottle needs milk, and the mixed batter should be used straight away.
Check the variety you’ve chosen, not just the brand. A gluten-free label doesn’t replace checking for other allergens: Albert Heijn says that Koopmans Pannenkoeken Glutenvrij may contain egg and milk.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Yield for a group | Compare the stated number of pancakes per pack and check what you need to add, such as milk and eggs. | When I’m making pancakes for a Christmas brunch, I want to know whether I can make enough for my guests. For around 36% of consumers, yield would be the first thing they consider. |
| Preparation | Check whether the mix needs water, milk or eggs, and whether you’ll need a mixing bowl or shaker bottle. | For a quick breakfast, I want to make the batter without measuring out lots of ingredients. Less preparation would be the main priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current label on your chosen mix, and check any additions and toppings separately. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know what’s in both the mix and the rest of the dish. Around 21% of consumers would put these checks first. |
| Flavour and snack idea | Choose between a neutral base and a flavoured variety; treat a thicker result as a separate recipe and serving choice. | For a snack, I want to decide whether a distinctive flavour is suitable and how to serve the pancakes. For around 14% of consumers, that would be the most important consideration. |
Different varieties can contain different ingredients and allergens. For example, Albert Heijn says that Koopmans Pannenkoeken Glutenvrij may contain egg and milk.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you’ve chosen. Also check what you’ll be adding yourself, such as milk, cooking fat and toppings.
PLUS Complete still needs water and cooking fat. The PLUS Naturel shaker bottle needs milk; PLUS says to use the mixed batter straight away.
Before you shop, read the preparation instructions for the variety you want to buy and check which ingredients you already have at home.
The preparation instructions for AH Naturel and PLUS Complete describe batter that is spread thinly across the pan. So the name of a mix doesn’t mean you’ll get thick-cut slices.
Choose your mix based on its ingredients, what you need to add and its flavour. Plan a thicker snack separately, in the recipe and how you serve it.
The range shown by Jumbo includes Koopmans original, multigrain and gluten-free pancake mixes, as well as shaker bottle varieties.
Albert Heijn’s own-brand range includes plain, complete, multigrain, wholemeal and gluten-free pancake mixes.
PLUS’s own-brand range includes a complete mix and a Naturel shaker bottle.
Albona is ALDI’s own brand, with baking mixes for pancakes that include a plain variety.
Belbake is Lidl’s brand, with products including an original pancake mix.
These Koopmans mixes give you a choice between 400 g packs for planning a brunch and a 210 g Complete variety for a smaller snack. Check what you need to add to each product; none of these names guarantees a ‘thick cut’ result.
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A multigrain mix to consider for a Christmas brunch if you want to add milk and eggs yourself.
Pack size: 400 g. Check the current label for preparation instructions and allergen information.
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A Complete variety in a bottle, worth considering if you want to do less mixing for a smaller snack.
Pack size: 210 g. Check the pack to see what you need to add and how to use the batter.
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An original mix to consider if you want to add the ingredients for the batter yourself for your Christmas brunch.
Pack size: 400 g. Read the preparation instructions and allergen information on the current label.
No, not the PLUS Complete mix: PLUS says it needs 700 ml water and cooking butter or oil. If you’re buying another complete mix, read its preparation instructions before you shop.
A shaker bottle can save you from using a separate mixing bowl, as you mix and pour from the bottle. The PLUS Naturel shaker bottle needs milk, and PLUS says to use the mixed batter straight away.
Don’t treat ‘thick cut’ as a promise of the result you’ll get from a pancake mix. The instructions for AH Naturel and PLUS Complete describe batter that is spread thinly across the pan. Choose a mix based on its stated ingredients and preparation, then decide separately how you want to serve your snack.
Not automatically: as well as checking the gluten-free label, check for other allergens and the ingredients you’ll add during preparation. Albert Heijn says that Koopmans Pannenkoeken Glutenvrij may contain egg and milk.
Read the allergen information on the label of the pack you’ve chosen. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergen information for prepacked products must appear on the label; check additions and toppings separately, too.
