If you have milk, eggs and cooking fat at home, a regular plain mix is a practical choice for a student dinner. If you’d rather use fewer extra ingredients, look for a complete mix that you can make with water. For sourdough pancakes, you’ll need a suitable active starter or a mix that specifically lists sourdough in its ingredients. If you’re starting a starter from scratch, Jumbo says it takes several days to prepare.
A plain mix is a good fit if you already have those ingredients and cooking fat, and don’t mind mixing the batter yourself. PLUS and Jumbo’s product information describes plain mixes that need additional ingredients.
If you specifically want to bake with sourdough, you could try a suitable recipe using your existing starter. Jumbo says that making a starter from scratch takes 3 to 6 days, so it’s not an option for dinner that same evening.
If you’d rather not add milk and eggs, a complete mix made with water may be more practical. Koopmans and PLUS describe options like these, but using water as the mixing liquid doesn’t mean the mix itself is free from milk or egg.
First decide whether sourdough itself is your goal, or whether you mainly want to make pancakes with the ingredients you already have.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients needed | Check how much milk, how many eggs and how much cooking fat the instructions call for, and see what you already have at home. | If I have limited supplies, I want to avoid having to buy several extra ingredients for a plain mix. Around 36% of consumers put this overall shopping requirement first. |
| Real sourdough | Check whether the ingredients list mentions sourdough or a sourdough starter; allow time to prepare a starter from scratch. | I want to make pancakes using an actual sourdough method, not just a mix with grains or raising agents. For around 29% of consumers, choosing sourdough is the main priority. |
| Easy preparation | Check whether you need to add water or milk, and whether you’ll need a bowl, whisk or shaker bottle. | After lectures, I want to make batter without needing lots of extra ingredients. For around 21% of consumers, keeping preparation simple is the first consideration. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the latest ingredients and allergen information, even for a mix that you make with water. | I need to be able to check which grains, milk and egg ingredients are in the specific mix before I start cooking. Around 14% of consumers say they prioritise these checks. |
Koopmans Origineel and Jumbo Naturel list grains and raising agents in their product information, but not a sourdough starter. The presence of buckwheat or wholemeal flour doesn’t confirm that the mix uses a sourdough process.
If sourdough is what you’re looking for, check the packaging or full product information for an explicit mention of sourdough or sourdough starter.
A plain mix may still call for milk, eggs and cooking fat. A complete mix means fewer ingredients to add, but you may still need butter or oil for cooking.
Read the instructions and add all the ingredients you’ll need to your list before choosing between options.
The complete mixes from Koopmans and PLUS reviewed here are made with water, but their ingredients information lists milk and egg ingredients.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the specific pack; the liquid you add doesn’t tell you what’s already in the powder.
According to its product information, Koopmans offers an original pancake mix and complete options, including a shaker bottle. This lets you choose how many ingredients you want to add and how much mixing you want to do yourself.
Jumbo Mix voor Pannenkoeken Naturel is a regular mix for anyone who wants to add their own ingredients to the batter.
PLUS describes plain, complete and wholemeal pancake mixes. Choosing between the plain and complete options partly depends on which ingredients you want to add.
This wholegrain pancake mix is an option if you’re considering a regular mix for a student dinner. Check the ingredients if you’re specifically looking for a mix with sourdough starter.
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For anyone considering a wholegrain pancake mix for a student dinner. Size: 400 g. Before buying, check which ingredients you need to add and whether the pack mentions sourdough starter if that’s what you’re looking for.
No, not necessarily. The ingredients information for Koopmans Origineel and Jumbo Naturel lists grains and raising agents, but doesn’t confirm that these products contain a sourdough starter. Check the full ingredients information if sourdough is essential for you.
A complete mix may be more convenient if you don’t want to add milk and eggs to the batter. Koopmans Compleet and PLUS Complete are made with water, although you may still need cooking fat for the pan. Both complete options described contain milk and egg ingredients.
Not if you follow the starter method described by Jumbo: the starter is ready after 3 to 6 days. If you already have an active starter, use a recipe designed for it; don’t assume you can make a regular mix with starter without adapting the instructions.
Not with Koopmans Pannenkoeken Origineel: the product information shown by Albert Heijn says the batter isn’t intended to be eaten raw and must be cooked thoroughly. For another mix, follow the instructions on its packaging.
