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McDonald’s may be known for its burgers and fries, but the decades-old fast food chain has also become a go-to spot for those in need of a quick breakfast. With a selection of breakfast sandwiches, a breakfast burrito, oatmeal, and more, there are tons of “McValues” to be had. However, for those looking for a tried-and-true morning meal, McDonald’s pancakes, also known as hotcakes, cannot be beat.
Served with sweet maple-flavored syrup and salted whipped butter, each order comes with three golden brown pancakes, and, if you don’t care to drive all the way to your nearest location, you can make them in the comfort of your own home. In a video shared by Raphael Gomes on TikTok, the social media user breaks down a two-ingredient (plus water) hack, which they claim tastes nearly identical to McDonald’s version.
In the clip, Gomes combines 1 1/3 cups of Bisquick Pancake Mix with a 1/2 cup of Sprite and a 1/2 cup of water. As the ingredients are blended, Gomes admits the mixture smells like McDonald’s pancakes.
To complete the pancake hack, Gomes prepares his cooktop with a little bit of vegetable shortening before pouring the batter into 5-inch round cakes. He then cooks the pancakes for one minute on one side before flipping. “Insane,” he declares as he gazes upon the finished product.
Do McDonald’s pancakes really contain Sprite?
While Gomes notes that the Sprite is likely added to create fluffiness in the pancakes, there’s no mention of Sprite or any other soda on the ingredients list of McDonald’s pancakes. In fact, the pancakes don’t include any ingredients, aside from natural flavors, that are also listed on the ingredients list of Sprite. That said, soda is known to impart sugar and carbonation into matters that offer a light and bouncy texture and is often included in copycat recipes for McDonald’s pancakes.
In the comments section of the TikTok user’s video, one person claiming to be a former McDonald’s employee in the Philippines confirmed they “never use Sprite on our pancakes,” adding that their pancakes were supposedly made by adding water to a powdered mix. Others in the U.S. alleged that their pancakes arrived frozen and were reheated upon order.
Once you’ve got your McDonald’s-like pancakes at the ready, you can continue to follow in the footsteps of the fast food chain by pairing them with sausage, or plate them alongside scrambled eggs, sausage, a warm biscuit, and hash browns like it does with its Big Breakfast meal. And, of course, don’t forget syrup and butter. Although McDonald’s reportedly makes its own syrup, Gomes named Pearl Milling Company’s Original Syrup as a worthy substitute.
