Top Pancake Mixes of 2025: Our Review of 13 Brands

Is there any better weekend morning than one that starts with a pancake feast? Not in my book. Light, fluffy flapjacks make for an easy and indulgent breakfast, and their versatility makes them a great option to feed a crowd. Top them with anything from just butter and syrup to a mixed berry compote, fried apples, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or even bacon. Sure, pancakes aren’t the hardest thing to whip up from scratch, but sometimes a time crunch just can’t accommodate that kind of ambition. If you’re a busy bee who frequently has a hankering for pancakes, it’s a good idea to keep a boxed pancake mix in your pantry.

Of course, pancake mixes vary widely. Some are buttermilk-based and others aren’t. Some are gluten-free, others are packed with protein. They might be fluffy and airy, thin and crunchy, thick and dense, or somewhere in between. I took the task of testing mixes from 13 different brands to let you know which ones are actually worth buying, and I have mixed feelings. 

After trying these options, I think homemade pancakes will always be better, but I’d have any of the following again. Admittedly, I haven’t picked up a boxed pancake mix in a while, so I was surprised to find that most of these pancakes can be made without eggs or milk (except for a select few towards the end). There were slight differences between each, but to make this list the pancakes had to have a soft and fluffy interior and a neutral-to-tangy flavor. 

The protein almond flour pancake mix from Simple Mills is one of the outliers on this list, so we might as well start here. I liked these pancakes, but I don’t think they would be a hit with kids or those with picky palates. The flavor of the almond flour is noticeable; by no means does it fade into the background, even with the addition of syrup. But if you like almond flour and you want a good, gluten-free boxed mix made with the ingredient, this is a stellar buy. 

These pancakes are notably packed with protein, another selling point. Even more impressive was their texture. They were light and fluffy, though not as airy as some of the following pancakes, and they had a nice crumb structure inside. If you don’t mind the general flavors of almond flour, this will make for a good mimic of your typical pancake. And if you always try to get a hit of protein first thing in the morning, this would be a great way to fulfill that need. 

Ah, Dolly. Who isn’t a fan of the country queen with a ‘do as big as her personality? It makes sense that she would come out with pancake and baking mixes — nothing exudes good ol’ Southern hospitality like a hearty home-cooked breakfast, and Parton’s pancakes are certainly hearty. Moreover, their overall flavor made them an easy addition to this list, though I could see a scant few having some things to say about the texture. 

I’ll get the potential problem point out of the way first — if you pride yourself on your homemade pancakes, you may notice that these are slightly denser than what you’re used to. However, “dense” doesn’t equate to “tough” by any means. The pancakes were still delightfully spongy, but they felt like they were more substantial than many of the others I tried. That’s a pro for me — getting full on fewer pancakes than normal? Yes, please. There’s a slight tang to their flavor, but they’re still neutral enough to dress up with whatever toppings suit your fancy.

Pearl Milling’s buttermilk pancake mix will generally be satisfying enough to feed a crowd. Unfamiliar with the brand? Well, it used to be Aunt Jemima, so it’s been in the baking mix game for a long time. This pancake mix boasted a couple of subtle differences from the previous two that made it a worthy mention on this list; though I wouldn’t call the pancakes anything to write home about, I’d advocate for keeping a box of the mix in your pantry. 

When cooked, these pancakes are nice and spongy, but they’re slightly airier than the aforementioned Dolly Parton mix. There’s a slight tang to the pancakes, but none of the flavors are super bold, which I think works to their benefit — they won’t turn off people who don’t love the signature almost sour flavor of homemade buttermilk pancakes. The pancake soaked up its syrup effortlessly, lending to a generally moist interior (though it wouldn’t have been dry without syrup). This mix whips up a solid batch of pancakes. They may not floor you, but they’d make for a decent budget buy. 

Despite slightly overcooking them (which did nothing to detract from these pancakes), Krusteaz’s light and fluffy buttermilk pancake mix still easily got a mention on this list for a few reasons. First, this mix (and all the prior, for that matter) only required water, and I appreciate when a mix doesn’t rely on you having other essential ingredients to pull it off well. If you ask me, Krusteaz’s pancakes also lived up to their light and fluffy moniker, a feat in itself. 

If I had to pick a mix on this list that made the closest dupe to popular chain pancakes, it would likely be this one. Their flavor was very much akin to what I’d expect from a diner pancake — still not quite as stellar as homemade, but good enough to justify ordering off a menu. The pancake also had an enviable crumb structure with noticeable air pockets, yet it remained moist without being soggy in the slightest. It’s a solid choice for a pancake mix and, if you have this Krusteaz option at your local supermarket, I’d suggest trying it out. 

Yet again, Kroger has come out of the shadows to surprise me with an above-adequate store-brand product. If there’s anything I’ve learned through my recent taste tests, it’s that store brands shouldn’t always be eschewed in favor of their specialized name-brand counterparts. Kroger, in particular, has given me pause with more than a few of its products, and I now find it pretty easy to choose its own brand when shopping — its complete buttermilk pancake mix is no exception. 

The order in which you’re reading this piece is the same order I tried the pancakes in and Kroger’s were my favorite so far. I will say, they didn’t fully deliver on that buttermilk sourness I was hoping to taste, but they were full of flavor nonetheless. The pancakes boasted the same light, fluffy texture as many of these pancakes did, and they soaked up the syrup drizzle almost instantly — I took the above photo right after putting syrup on, and you can barely see any sitting on top of the pancake. If you want to be indiscriminate with your pancakes, or you’re feeding a mixed crowd with people who prefer theirs plain as well as some who like to load them up, this mix is a great buy. 

I know I said that Kroger’s mix was my favorite of those I’d tried so far, and I promise, I wasn’t lying. But unfortunately for the store-brand mix, I had the organic buttermilk pancake mix from Birch Benders right after, and these cakes simply blew me away. If I had to pick only one mix off this list to recommend, it would easily be Birch Benders. The only downside is that it’s not the most budget-friendly option here. The above bag, which has a pound of mix, costs $6.99 at my local grocery store. Is nearly $7 a little steep for a relatively small bag of pancake mix? Maybe, but I think this is well worth the price. 

The buttermilk flavor of these pancakes was unmistakable, but still gentle enough that I don’t think these would turn anyone off. Rather than being sour, they were just full of flavor. The outside got wonderfully crispy on each side and gave way to a light and airy interior with an impressive crumb structure. They weren’t the fluffiest or thickest pancakes of the bunch, but that worked to their favor — it meant they had a nice crispy-to-fluffy ratio and didn’t feel too heavy. Moreover, this is another pancake mix that only requires water. It gets an A-plus in my book.

Another alternative option to many standard pancake mixes is Kodiak’s Power Cakes mix. These protein-packed pancakes easily hold their own against versions that contain less protein. If given this pancake in a side-by-side blind taste test with others, I’m sure I’d rate it pretty highly. It doesn’t differ too much in flavor or texture from what you’re used to, and, considering its protein content and that it’s made with whole grains, I had no problem determining whether this mix deserved a spot on my list. 

If you want a good dupe of your typical pancake that capitalizes on the benefits of using whole grains, Kodiak is a no-brainer buy. It gets a lovely thin crisp on the outside, and the inside is soft and fluffy, though not as airy as you may be used to. You can tell from its flavor that it’s made with whole grains, and if I were asked to identify the whole-grain pancake out of a lineup, it wouldn’t be hard to do — but that doesn’t detract from its flavor. If you need to up your protein intake or shy away from ultra-processed mixes, try this one. 

If you asked me to pick a pancake whose finished result looked the most like the image on the box, I’d probably pick Hungry Jack’s complete buttermilk pancake mix. I know you can’t really tell from the top-down photo I took, but trust me when I say these pancakes were probably the thickest of the bunch. They got unbelievably tall while cooking, and I didn’t mind in the slightest — rather, it meant that the photo on the box was a remarkably accurate depiction of what you get when you make the mix, something I find admirable.

I don’t know why I didn’t expect much from Hungry Jack. Perhaps its no-frills, typical white-and-red packaging or the fact that I got a 5-pound box for $6 led me to believe this mix might not be worthy of the “best of” scope of this piece. I was woefully wrong. 

Instead, one bite of the above pancake hit me with a punch of nostalgia, and I was thrust back to elementary school Saturdays that coupled pancakes with morning cartoons. It had a delightfully soft and airy interior, and it soaked up the syrup pretty well, though not to the point that it became soggy. I still have to call bona-fide homemade pancakes better, but this mix isn’t at all a bad substitute. 

I found another favorite among the bunch in Arrowhead Mills’ organic buttermilk pancake mix. This is another mix that utilizes whole grains and is made just with water, which makes it all the more impressive. Once again, what I got was pretty much what the package purported it to be — and, yes, this means these weren’t the thickest pancakes for sure. However, I don’t see that turning many people off of it. 

Despite not being thick, the pancakes still had a fluffy interior and were some of the airiest of the bunch, and their crisp outside made the whole eating experience all the more pleasurable. Even more impressive, though, was their flavor. They had that slight signature buttermilk tang, but behind that was a lot of depth. I don’t think this mix asks for any homemade additions to make it better, and though it’s not quite as big as other boxes and bags on this list, it’s not hard to advocate for. 

After cooking the buttermilk pancake mix from Bob’s Red Mill, I wasn’t sure it would make that list. Visually, it wasn’t super promising — the batter spread in the pan, making this the thinnest pancake of the bunch, and it still took forever to cook on each side. I tried it, prepared to toss it in the “nope” pile, but it turns out my fears were unfounded. What I thought would be the pancake’s downfall worked in its favor, making this a unique option among the rest. I made the mix with egg, oil, and water. 

First, as I said before, the pancakes were thin. After trying them, I concluded that this was a positive point about these pancakes. Not everyone likes ultra-fluffy pancakes, and these will still give you the soft interior, despite having a noticeably crisp outside. Moreover, this one didn’t soak up its syrup quite as much as the others. Again, this made these pancakes stand apart from the others, and I found myself appreciating them for it. I was able to taste the syrup better than on some other options that had absorbed it more quickly. I’m a fan of Bob’s Red Mill in general, so I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised that its pancake mix is a praiseworthy option. 

If you struggle to make your own gluten-free pancakes taste great, King Arthur’s mix is a worthy substitute. This is another brand whose flour I don’t hesitate to buy, but I hadn’t tried its gluten-free pancake mix before this taste test, partially because I don’t adhere to a gluten-free diet myself. However, if I ever decided to cut back and didn’t want all the muss and fuss of making GF recipes from scratch, you best believe I’d always have this bag in my pantry. This mix required eggs, oil, and milk. 

Honestly, had you lined up all these pancakes and asked me to select the gluten-free one, I’d have had a difficult time doing so. The only thing to signify that this mix was gluten-free was that its pancakes were ever-so-slightly denser than most of its competitors. Texture is one of the hardest things to get right when doing gluten-free baking, so I find this to be quite the feat. Its flavors are on point, and though the mix doesn’t advertise it as being a buttermilk mix, it had a tangible buttermilk-esque flavor to it. GF readers, look no further than King Arthur’s mix to easily satisfy your pancake cravings. 

Ah, the tried and true classic that you were probably waiting to see on this list. Bisquick’s original pancake mix is only at the bottom because I tried it last, but it managed to hold its ground despite being such a ubiquitous name in the baking mix industry. Another notable reason to keep this mix in your pantry — it also functions as a generic dry baking mix, and though I doubt finished bakes will quite match up to from-scratch versions, it will be handy to have if you suddenly find yourself out of flour and don’t feel like trekking to the store.

The height of these pancakes rivals Hungry Jack’s, as these were some of the thickest of the bunch. They were fluffy with an impressive texture throughout, and they would have lived up to a “light and fluffy” moniker if the company ever wanted to slap one on the box. Moreover, despite being an “original” mix rather than one branded as “buttermilk,” these pancakes had a distinctive tang. Actually, their whole flavor was noticeable, and they weren’t as neutral as some other options on this list. I think that’s an asset of this mix.

To compile this list of the “best” pancake mixes, I tested mixes from 13 brands, making each as directed by the package. Though pancake mixes can easily be made better with some home additions, I didn’t do that here, figuring the majority of customers probably wouldn’t go this route. Most of the mixes called just for water, while a few called for some combination of milk, eggs, and oil. When given an option between milk and water, I chose to use water, as there’s a good bet many consumers would do the same. I cooked each in neutral vegetable oil to mitigate any flavor differences from the cooking oil, and I topped them with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Each pancake had to have a light and fluffy texture and a neutral or slightly tangy flavor to make this list. I wasn’t super picky about flavor, mostly because pancakes are made to be loaded with toppings. As long as the flavor wasn’t at all off, it could make this list. There was one brand I tried that made its pancakes with bean flour — the flavors were entirely too potent, and I even ended up spitting it out, so that one didn’t show up above. Other than that, most of the mixes above were pretty comparable to one another, though a couple stood out for being particularly flavorful.