For a quick baking session with children, a complete mix or shaker bottle is an obvious choice if they mainly want to help make the batter. If you’d like to measure out the ingredients together, a standard dry mix is a better fit. According to Jumbo’s instructions, making a homemade sourdough starter takes 3 to 6 days, so it’s a project in its own right rather than a quick substitute for pancake mix. Keep children away from the hot pan, and always check the label of your chosen product if you have dietary requirements.
With supervision, children can help with cold preparation tasks such as measuring ingredients or mixing the batter. A complete shaker bottle means fewer separate ingredients to measure out. The hot pan should always be handled by an adult; VeiligheidNL advises keeping children out of the kitchen while cooking.
The label on the specific mix is key, including details of any ingredients that need to be added during preparation. A standard pancake mix isn’t automatically gluten-free or suitable for someone with a food allergy.
If you’re keen to look after a starter, you’ll need to set aside time for it. Jumbo’s sourdough instructions describe a multi-day starter for bread, not how to prepare a ready-made sourdough pancake mix.
Best for: a quick preparation session where a child can add water or shake the bottle under supervision.
What to consider: there are fewer separate ingredients to measure, but the hot pan must be handled by an adult.
Best for: measuring ingredients and mixing the batter together as part of the activity.
What to consider: check which ingredients you need to add yourself; according to Koopmans, Koopmans Origineel requires milk, eggs and butter.
Best for: a planned project where looking after the starter is the activity itself.
What to consider: the bread starter in Jumbo’s instructions takes 3 to 6 days to be ready; the instructions aren’t a recipe for sourdough pancake mix.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Easy preparation | Check what you need to add and how many pancakes the pack makes according to the instructions. | If I only have a short time to make batter with my child, I want a clear task that doesn’t involve lots of separate ingredients. For around 36% of consumers, easy preparation is the top priority. |
| Sourdough as a project | Check whether it’s pancake mix and whether it requires a starter, resting time or extra preparation steps. | I specifically want to spend time looking after a starter, so I plan the baking in advance. This project-based approach is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label, any warnings and the details of ingredients you need to add yourself. | If my child has dietary requirements or an allergy, I need to check the specific pack before we make the batter. Around 21% of consumers give this check top priority. |
| Quantity and yield | Compare the pack size and stated yield with the number of people you’re cooking for. | I want to make enough pancakes without choosing a quantity that doesn’t suit our baking session. For around 14% of consumers, the yield is the main consideration. |
Jumbo’s sourdough instructions are for a bread starter that takes 3 to 6 days to be ready. That’s quite different from making batter straight away with a standard mix.
If a product mentions sourdough, check whether it’s actually intended for pancakes and whether preparation involves a starter or resting time.
Making a starter from scratch also takes time and attention along the way.
According to PLUS, its Naturel mix, which it describes as vegan, contains wheat and oats and may contain barley, egg and milk. So this claim is no substitute for checking the allergen information.
Read the ingredients and warnings on the current pack. If you need a gluten-free option, choose a product whose specific packaging confirms that it’s suitable.
Adding water or shaking a bottle doesn’t make the hot pan any less dangerous. VeiligheidNL warns of the risk of burns while cooking.
With supervision, let children help with cold preparation tasks, and keep them out of the kitchen when an adult is cooking the pancakes.
Koopmans offers a range that includes a standard mix, a complete shaker bottle and a separate gluten-free option.
Albert Heijn’s product page for a Koopmans shaker bottle provides preparation and allergen information to help you assess that specific mix.
Jumbo offers several types of pancake mix, including plain and gluten-free options.
PLUS Naturel is a 400 g dry pancake mix which, according to PLUS, requires milk, eggs and butter or oil.
ALDI describes Albona pancake baking mix as a 400 g multigrain mix.
Lidl describes Belbake Pannenkoekenmix origineel as a 400 g pack, making around 12 pancakes according to the product page.
These Joybuy products are pancake mixes for a supervised baking session, ranging from complete mixes and shaker bottles to dry mixes. If you specifically want to use sourdough, check whether the product actually contains sourdough and what preparation steps are involved.
Image unavailable
For anyone making batter with a child who wants a complete mix. Check the packaging to see what you need to add and read the allergen information; leave the cooking to an adult.
Image unavailable
A shaker bottle is a good fit if shaking the batter is the supervised task for your child. Check how much milk the instructions call for and read the label if you have dietary requirements; an adult should handle the hot pan.
Image unavailable
For a baking session where measuring and mixing the ingredients together is part of the fun. Check whether the instructions call for milk, eggs and butter or oil, and keep children away from the hot pan.
Image unavailable
For anyone looking for a dry mix made with different grains and wanting to prepare the batter together. Check the ingredients and anything you need to add on the pack, especially if an allergen is a concern; an adult should do the cooking.
Image unavailable
A small pack for anyone who wants to mix the batter together. Check the preparation instructions and allergen information before adding ingredients; an adult should always handle the hot pan.
Don’t let children cook at the hot pan on their own. With supervision, they can help with cold preparation tasks such as measuring ingredients or stirring the batter; VeiligheidNL advises keeping children out of the kitchen while cooking because of the risk of burns.
It depends on the specific mix, so read the preparation instructions. For Koopmans Schudfles Pannenkoeken Compleet, Albert Heijn’s product information says to add 350 ml of water; the Naturel mix described by PLUS, on the other hand, requires milk, eggs and butter or oil.
Don’t assume a pancake mix is suitable just because it’s in that category. Check the current packaging of the specific product; Koopmans states that its separate Glutenvrije Pannenkoeken carries an AOECS mark, but this doesn’t automatically apply to other varieties.
Read the label on the pack. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority states that allergen information must be shown on the label of prepacked foods; also check which ingredients you need to add yourself according to the recipe.
Not if you first need to make a starter. The bread starter in Jumbo’s instructions takes 3 to 6 days to be ready; if you want to make pancakes that same afternoon, a standard or complete mix needs less preparation.
