Anything to make breakfast easy and quick is a win in our book, so these 3 ingredient muffin mix pancakes are a no-brainer. In only 10 minutes and with basic ingredients, you can cook up a fluffy stack of flapjacks in whatever flavor your family likes. Perfect for breakfast, dinner, or even dessert!
And since pancakes from muffin mix are so deliciously fluffy and cake-like, you should probably plan on making a double batch.
Reasons to Make Muffin Mix Pancakes
- They turn out fluffier and more flavorful than the ones made with plain boxed mixes.
- An easy freezer meal idea.
This easy pancake recipe is easy to double, giving you an abundance of flapjacks for a heat and eat meal on busy mornings! - Easy to customize.
No matter what flavor you use, the sky’s the limit when it comes to add-ins and toppings for 3 ingredient pancakes. Keep things simple, or get creative and pile them high for a fluffy sweet treat for dessert!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Muffin Mix – You will notice the amount of mix varies in our recipe – between 6 and 7 ounces. This is because we generally try to use a whole package, and the amounts in a package vary per brand. That’s why it’s important to be flexible with the amount of liquid, too.
As for what flavor of muffin mix to use – any of them work, so use whatever your family will enjoy the most. Favorites of ours are lemon poppy seed, chocolate chip, banana, and raspberry. - Milk – Substitutes such as oat, almond, and soy milk all work wonderfully in pancake recipes! Water can also be used as a substitute, but the resulting flapjacks will not be as rich.
- Vanilla Extract – An optional ingredient, but one we believe makes a big difference! This small yet mighty ingredient will heighten the flavor of the milk as well as balance the flavor of the egg.
- Butter – We’re not taking back what we said about these being 3 ingredient pancakes! The butter is just for greasing the pan. Cooking spray is also fine to use.
Easy Pancake Recipe Tips
- Avoid over mixing the batter.
If you stir the batter too much, you’ll end up with tough, gummy muffin mix pancakes. Air bubbles will burst and cause the cakes to struggle to rise, and so the final texture won’t be nearly as fluffy.
For the best results, incorporate the ingredients until just combined.
- Use a measuring scoop to ensure even cooking.
When they are too large, muffin mix pancakes can be a struggle to flip. This is because of the heavier batter.We recommend using 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake for a nice, medium-sized flapjack. For reference, 3 tablespoons is slightly less than ¼ cup.
TFN Pro Tip
To keep things quick and simple, use a 1/4 cup measure for the batter, but don’t fill it all the way.
- Wait for bubbles to appear before flipping.
It can sometimes be a challenge to get the perfect golden brown exterior on 3 ingredient pancakes because they cook a little differently than traditional flapjacks.
One of the easiest ways to know when pancakes from muffin mix are ready to flip is visually. When you see bubbles across the surface of the batter, it’s time to flip them over!
Other Add-Ins for Pancakes From Muffin Mix
Fresh or frozen fruit. We love banana pancakes, so we think adding the fruit to this easy pancake recipe is a fantastic idea, too. The batter is sturdy enough to hold up to their weight. The same goes for berries of all shapes and sizes–fresh or frozen!
Nuts add a welcome texture, with almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts being among our favorites. These all go great with the fruity flavors found in different dry mixes, too!
Seeds – Have you used chia seeds in your baked goods? They’re high in protein and fiber, and also act as an egg substitute. Flax seeds behave similarly, and it’s actually common to use both. You can easily pack tons of nutritional value into your breakfast!
Muffin Mix Pancakes FAQ
Absolutely! Waffle batter is naturally thicker, sweeter, and fattier than pancake batter, and so this recipe works perfectly. We would just recommend using a bit less liquid so that the batter is thicker.
Muffin mix is sweeter, uses less milk, and results in a denser cake. This is because muffin mixes include fat and baking powder, whereas pancake mixes do not.
That’s a great question, because the process varies depending on the brand used, particularly when it comes to the amount of milk to use.
As a result, we recommend adding the milk in small amounts, stirring it in, and making the judgment call based on the thickness of the batter. For Martha White mix, you will likely need ⅔ cup of milk.
Storing and Reheating
Excess batter can be refrigerated for 3 days or so, and any leftover flapjacks can be stored in the fridge for up to a week (though they begin to dry out sooner than that.)
When it comes to saving muffin mix pancakes, we actually recommend freezing them! Cook them all up and let them cool. Then, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
They reheat well in a toaster or microwave–and it isn’t necessary to thaw them first! After warming them through, they’re fantastic as-is, or with a drizzle of homemade strawberry syrup on top.
3 Ingredient Muffin Mix Pancakes
Equipment
- non-stick griddle
- medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 6-7 ounces dry muffin mix any flavor *see Notes below
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup milk or less *see Notes below
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- 1 tablespoon butter or non-stick cooking spray (for greasing skillet)
Instructions
- Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
- To a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the dry muffin mix, egg, milk, and extract (if using). Combine ingredients with a balloon whisk or fork until no lumps remain and no dry mix is visible.
- Grease the preheated skillet with butter or non-stick cooking spray. When butter melts and begins to bubble, place 3-tablespoon portions of batter onto the preheated skillet, leaving some space between each.
- Cook the pancakes for 2-4 minutes on the first side, then use a spatula to flip pancakes over; cook on second side for 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.
- To keep cooked pancakes warm while you cook the remaining batter, place them on a wire rack in an oven set to 150°F. (or its lowest setting).
Notes
- About the muffin mix: Betty Crocker muffin mix has 6.9 ounces per package, while other brands like Martha White have 7 ounces. If using Betty Crocker brand, you may need slightly less than 2/3 cup of milk.
- Mix-ins: Depending on the muffin mix flavor you use, free to add mix-ins to your batter such as bananas, fresh or frozen berries, chocolate chips, nuts, chia seeds, flax, etc.
- Serve warm with butter and maple or strawberry pancake syrup!
- Storage: Cooked and cooled pancakes will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, or frozen in an airtight container or freezer storage bag for up to 2 months.
PREVIOUS
Leave a Reply