If you want a thin pancake with a savoury filling, choose a wholemeal pancake mix with instructions suited to that style. A complete mix that only needs water requires fewer ingredients, but it isn’t automatically wholemeal. Whichever you choose, check the ingredients, allergens and any extras needed on the pack.
If you want a wholemeal base for savoury toppings, check the types of grain and the proportion of wholemeal flour in the ingredients list. According to the Voedingscentrum, wholegrain products contain more fibre than white grain products. For individual mixes, compare the nutritional information on the same basis too.
A standard wholemeal pancake mix is a good fit if you want thin pancakes to fill with ingredients such as cheese, vegetables or egg, and prefer to choose your own milk, eggs and cooking fat. Check in advance what the pack says you need to add.
If adding extra ingredients makes breakfast more complicated, a complete mix could be a good option. Koopmans says that its Pannenkoeken Compleet mix only needs water. Check separately whether the variant you choose meets your wholemeal requirements.
First decide whether whole grains, the style of pancake or easy preparation matters most to you. Then check the ingredients and allergens on the exact pack you’re buying, especially if these are important for your household.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Whole grains and fibre | Check the ingredients list for the types of grain and any wholemeal flour listed. Only compare nutritional values if both are given per 100 g of dry mix or both per 100 g of prepared product. | If I mainly want to use whole grains, I want to know what’s actually in the mix. For around 31% of shoppers, a wholegrain base comes first. |
| Style for savoury fillings | Check whether the instructions describe a thin pancake or a smaller, thicker American pancake. | If I want to fill my pancake with cheese or vegetables, I need a thin one; for separate toppings, I might prefer a thicker pancake. For around 31% of shoppers, the preferred style is the deciding factor. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients and allergen information for your chosen variant, and check which milk, eggs and cooking fat you need to add yourself. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients or want to make up the batter myself, I check both the mix and the extras. For around 23% of shoppers, this is the top priority. |
| Preparation | Check how many ingredients you need to add and read the preparation instructions. Even a mix that only needs water still has to be cooked. | On a busy morning, I want to get as few ingredients ready as possible, even if that means I have less choice over what goes into the batter. This matters most to around 15% of shoppers. |
For its wholemeal mixes from Koopmans and PLUS, PLUS gives nutritional values for the prepared product. This includes the milk, eggs and cooking fat, so it isn’t comparable with values for the dry mix.
Check whether the nutritional information is per 100 g of mix or per 100 g of prepared pancake, and only compare like with like.
The wholemeal mixes mentioned may contain wheat and oats; other allergens may also be listed on the label. So the term ‘wholemeal’ doesn’t mean a mix is gluten-free.
If you need to avoid gluten or other ingredients, look for explicit labelling and check the current ingredients and allergen information on the pack you choose.
American pancakes are smaller and thicker than the thin pancakes you spread across the bottom of the pan. You’ll notice the difference if you want to use a savoury filling.
For a thin pancake you can fill, choose a mix with suitable preparation instructions. Choose an American pancake mix if you want that smaller, thicker style.
Koopmans offers a wholemeal pancake mix for pancakes you can top with sweet or savoury ingredients.
AH has its own 300 g wholemeal pancake mix.
PLUS offers its own 400 g wholemeal pancake mix.
Jumbo’s range overview lists its own wholemeal pancake mix alongside other types of pancake mix.
Dr. Oetker offers a 300 g wholemeal American pancake mix for smaller, thicker pancakes.
No, not automatically: the wholemeal mixes mentioned contain wheat or oats, among other ingredients. If you need a gluten-free product, check that the one you choose is explicitly labelled gluten-free and read the allergen information on the pack.
No. The product information for Koopmans Volkoren says the batter isn’t intended to be eaten raw and must be cooked thoroughly. Follow the cooking instructions on the pack of your mix.
For prepacked food, allergens are listed in the ingredients list. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) explains that 14 allergens must be declared. When you buy a product, check the information on that specific pack.
Follow the storage instructions on the pack of the variant you’ve chosen. Koopmans Volkoren says to store it in a cool, dry place. Check your own pack for how to seal and store it after opening.
