Only choose a pancake mix after checking the ingredients and allergen information on the current packaging to make sure they suit what you need to avoid. Then check what else you need to add: even a complete mix that only needs water may contain milk, egg and wheat. If a mix is labelled gluten-free, check the other ingredients and the preparation instructions too.
For coeliac disease or a wheat, milk or egg allergy, it’s not just the ingredients in the mix that matter. Check the ‘may contain’ statement too, as well as the ingredients you need to add yourself according to the recipe.
A basic mix may suit you if you want to choose the milk, eggs or suitable alternatives yourself. The instructions on the pack will tell you what else you need.
A complete mix can reduce the number of separate ingredients you need. But check the allergens in the mix itself first: a recipe that only needs water tells you nothing about them.
Start with the allergen you need to avoid. Then compare the ingredients you need to add and how easy the mix is to prepare; these can vary from one mix to another.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable allergen information | Read the ingredients and ‘may contain’ statement on the current pack. If you avoid gluten, look for a specific gluten-free label too. | If I need to avoid an allergen strictly, I want to know whether both the mix and anything I add are suitable. For around 42% of consumers, this check comes first. |
| Ingredients you need to add | Check what liquid and other ingredients the recipe calls for, and whether you can use suitable alternatives. | If I want to bake without buying lots of extra ingredients, I need to know in advance what I’ll need besides the mix. Around 33% of consumers say this is their first consideration. |
| Ease of preparation | Check the preparation instructions and the stated number of servings per pack. Even with a complete mix, check the allergens too. | I want to bake without lots of separate ingredients, as long as the mix is suitable for what I need to avoid. Around 25% of consumers value this convenience most. |
A plain or standard mix may still need milk and eggs, while some complete mixes are made with water. The recipe tells you which ingredients you’ll need at home.
Read the preparation instructions before choosing a mix, and check the allergens in anything you add too.
You may need to buy milk, eggs, suitable alternatives or cooking fat separately.
According to the recipe, Koopmans gluten-free pancake mix still needs milk and eggs. A gluten-free label doesn’t tell you whether a product is suitable for someone with a milk or egg allergy.
Check the full ingredients list, the ‘may contain’ statement and everything the recipe asks you to add on the current pack.
The Koopmans and Jumbo complete mixes reviewed can be made with water, but list milk, egg and wheat as allergens present.
Use ‘complete’ as a guide to preparation, not to whether the mix is suitable for an allergy.
Albert Heijn points out that product ingredients and allergy information can change. The packaging you buy may therefore show different information from what you read online earlier.
Before use, read the ingredients, allergen information and preparation instructions on that pack.
The varieties mentioned within the same product category differ in ingredients and preparation. So assess the specific mix, not just the brand name.
Jumbo offers plain, complete and organic pancake mixes, among others. Allergen information varies by product.
Albert Heijn offers several types of pancake mix. The information on the specific pack is what matters when choosing.
Koopmans offers standard and complete pancake mixes, as well as separate varieties labelled gluten-free. These labels apply to different products and recipes.
These products offer different pack sizes and preparation methods to consider. Before choosing a mix from this selection, check the allergens and any ingredients you need to add on the current packaging.
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A shaker pack to consider if you want to make a smaller quantity. Check the pack to see what liquid you need to add and whether the ingredients and allergens are suitable for you.
Size: 175 g.
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A pack to consider if you want to make a larger quantity. Check the current pack to see what the recipe asks you to add, and check the allergens in both the mix and those extra ingredients.
Size: 400 g.
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A complete mix to consider if you want to use fewer separate ingredients. Check the preparation instructions on this pack and read the information about milk, egg and gluten-containing ingredients too.
Size: 210 g.
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A smaller pack to consider if wheat isn’t an ingredient you need to avoid. Check the full allergen information on the packaging, and make sure the egg required by the recipe is suitable for you.
Size: 100 g.
Use an online filter only to shortlist products. Before using a product, check the current packaging: Albert Heijn says that ingredients and allergy information can change, while the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority advises using the allergen information on the label as your starting point.
Don’t assume it is. The standard Jumbo and Koopmans mixes reviewed contain wheat or other gluten-containing cereals. If you need to avoid gluten, check whether the specific pack is labelled gluten-free, and whether the other ingredients and anything you add are suitable for you.
No. For the Koopmans and Jumbo complete mixes reviewed, it means you only need to add water to prepare them; both list milk, egg and wheat as allergens present. Check the current label even for a complete mix.
Check the ingredients list on the packaging. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, the label must state the presence of 14 allergens. Also check any ‘may contain’ wording and the ingredients you add to the recipe yourself.
