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9 best pancake mixes for a flipping good Shrove Tuesday

From classic crepes to fluffy American-style hotcakes, there’s something for everyone to celebrate with

Eva Waite-Taylor
Friday 17 February 2023 12:30 EST
We tested for ease of use, texture and of course taste – get your frying pans ready
We tested for ease of use, texture and of course taste – get your frying pans ready (The Independent)
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Pancake Day – or Shrove Tuesday – is celebrated on the day that precedes the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday. Owing to the fact it is linked to Easter, which changes annually depending on the moon, this year Pancake Day falls on 21 February. And it has well and truly crêped up on us.

Shrove Tuesday is traditionally a feasting day, but the convention of eating pancakes comes from the Christian tradition of using up indulgent foods such as eggs and milk ahead of Lent.

While it’s a religious day for many, it’s chiefly celebrated across the globe by enjoying pancakes, sweet and savoury. And if you’re unsure of your ability to whip up some good ones, you’ll be pleased to know that there are some excellent pancake mixes out there to help you.

When deciding on your style of choice, there are two distinct options: American-style and traditional crêpes. The former are thick and fluffy with a light texture and traditionally served as a stack with maple syrup, while traditional crêpes are a thinner consistency, often eaten rolled up with the fillings inside, be that lemon and sugar, Nutella or golden syrup.

In honour of making sure every preference is catered for, both types are featured in this round-up. Similarly, we’ve included vegan, gluten-free and protein pancake mixes, to really give you the cream of the crop.

How we tested

Over the course of a month, we flipped between lots of these mixes, testing for ease of use, texture and of course taste. Get your frying pans at the ready: you batter believe we’ve found some good ones.

The best pancake mixes for 2023 are:

  • Best pancake mix – McDougalls classic pancake mix: £1.60, Ocado.com
  • Best pancake mix shaker – Sainsbury’s pancake mix shaker: £1, Sainsburys.co.uk
  • Best for American-style pancakes – Dr. Oetker pancake mix American style: £1, Ocado.com
  • Best DIY restaurant kit – Crêpeaffaire DIY pancake mix: £12.50, Crepeaffaire.com
  • Best for gluten-free pancakes – Manna Dew gluten free pancake mix: £10.40, Mannadew.co.uk
  • Best for thick pancakes and waffles – Aunt Bessie American pancake and waffle mix: £1.10, Sainsburys.co.uk
  • Best vegan pancake mix – Creative Nature pancake and waffle mix: £2, Ocado.com
  • Best collagen pancakes – MyVitamins collagen pancakes: £10.49, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best protein pancakes – Myprotein protein pancake mix: £7.08, Myprotein.com

McDougalls classic pancake mix

pancake mix indybest
  • Best: Pancake mix
  • Type of pancakes: Classic crêpes
  • Serves: 12
  • Weight: 192g

This mixture served up 12 classic pancakes with minimal effort required – all you need is one egg and some water – and we can confirm that McDougalls does deliver on its promise of delicious classic pancakes. And we should mention that these have a little more of a savoury taste, which we liked. Owing to their consistency, they were easy to roll or fold, even when we packed them full of our favourite toppings like Nutella (£2.90, Waitrose.com) and banana. The only downside was the need for additional ingredients, but it’s a small price to pay for great crêpes.

  1.  £1 from Ocado.com
Prices may vary
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Sainsbury’s pancake mix shaker

sainsburys-pancake-mix-indybest
  • Best: Pancake mix shaker
  • Type of pancakes: Classic crêpes
  • Makes: 6
  • Weight: 155g

There’s no denying that we were a little sceptical when we read the instructions – add 300ml cold water to the container, turn it upside down and wait two minutes. We were expecting lumps galore but were pleasantly surprised when we were met with a smooth batter for our crêpes. Pancake shakers we’ve tried in the past have produced quite a sweet mix, but luckily we didn’t have the same issue here. You’ll only be able to make six, but at £1 a pop and just having to add water, it’s very good value.

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Dr. Oetker pancake mix American style

pancake-mix-indybest-dr-oeteker
  • Best: For American-style pancakes
  • Type of pancakes: American pancakes
  • Makes: 7
  • Weight: 210g

If your Shrove Tuesday preference is fluffy American-style pancakes, this mix from Dr. Oetker is where it’s at. The dry ingredients turn into a batter by simply mixing with 300ml milk and the result is thick, delicious hotcakes. We found them easy to flip and they weren’t too doughy in the middle. One of our testers said they tasted just like the ones they’d had stateside – you can’t argue with that. In some of the batches, we added blueberries, others mashed banana – both of which tasted delicious. For the price and taste, you really can’t go wrong.

  1.  £1 from Ocado.com
Prices may vary
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Crêpeaffaire DIY pancake mix

crepeaffaire-DIY-Pancake-Mix-Pack-pancake-day-indybest
  • Best: DIY restaurant kit
  • Type of pancakes: Classic crêpes
  • Makes: 10
  • Weight: 250g

Restaurant chain Crêpeaffaire specialises in, you guessed it, all things pancake. Its extensive menu includes sweet, savoury and vegan options in-store. But you can also get its delicious recipes at home thanks to its pancakes in the post scheme. You can choose between a vegan (£13.50, Crepeaffaire.com) mix and this normal kit. All of them contain a range of fillings, we received Nutella, maple syrup and chocolate sauce, as well as sprinkles, white chocolate and Oreo pieces. A total dream.

The pancake mix was easy to whip up; all we needed to do was add water and stir to make 10 fresh crêpes. The finished result was perfectly thin pancakes that tasted as good as the ones you get from the restaurant. The addition of toppings was a game-changer and we think these are a great pick for something a little more indulgent this Pancake Day.

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Manna Dew gluten free pancake mix

manna-dew-indybest-Pancake-Mix-Pic-1.jpeg
  • Best: For gluten-free pancakes
  • Type of pancakes: Classic crêpes
  • Makes: N/A
  • Weight: 950g

If you’re coeliac or have a gluten intolerance, and are yet to be acquainted with Manna Dew, now is the time.

We had high hopes for its pancake mix and it did not disappoint – we followed the instructions to a tee, mixing in vegetable oil, maple syrup (any sweetener will do), milk, and egg to create the batter. The slight sweetness to the pancakes was lovely and not something we’d previously thought to add. The consistency was light and great for gluten-free crêpes.

The downside here is that you do need to use lots of your own ingredients, which might defeat the point for some. And while it’s a pricier option in comparison, you do get 950g worth of pancakes.

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Aunt Bessie American pancake and waffle mix

aunt-bessies-american-pancakes-waffles-indybest.jpeg
  • Best: For thick pancakes and waffles
  • Type of pancakes: American-style pancakes
  • Makes: 12
  • Weight: 200g

Another great pick if you’re after American style because Aunt Bessie has nailed the recipe for creating quick and easy, perfectly fluffy pancakes. The downside here is that you do have to use eggs, which for some may belie the purpose of a pre-mixed kit, but we did find that it created 12 perfect hotcakes that weren’t too sweet and had a good rise to them. It’s also a great choice if you have a waffle maker, as the mixture can also make these doughy delicacies too.

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Creative Nature pancake and waffle mix

indybest-creative-nature-pancake-and-waffle-mix.jpeg
  • Best: Vegan pancake mix
  • Type of pancakes: American-style pancakes
  • Makes: 9
  • Weight: 266g

If you’re looking for a vegan and allergen-friendly pick, Creative Nature has delivered. The mixture is free from soy, dairy, gluten and nuts, so it’s a real crowd-pleaser. Much like the others, it’s super easy to use – add 100ml plant-based milk and two tablespoons of cider vinegar to the dry ingredients before pouring a small amount of batter into a hot frying pan. When cooking, you’ll see bubbles coming to the surface, which means they’re ready to be flipped. What you’re left with are light and fluffy hotcakes ready to be devoured with your favourite topping.

  1.  £2 from Ocado.com
Prices may vary
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MyVitamins collagen pancakes

collagen-pancakes-indybest
  • Best: Collagen pancakes
  • Type of pancakes: American-style pancakes
  • Makes: 10
  • Weight: 500g

A rather niche one here, but if you’re looking to supercharge your collagen intake this Pancake Day, you’re in luck because MyVitamins has developed a recipe. For the uninitiated, collagen is the protein in your body that helps with hair thickness, skin elasticity and nail growth, so it’s a popular health supplement.

As for these pancakes, they come in two flavours – plain or chocolate – and they’re convenient and easy to make as they just require milk. They’re even simpler to whip up if you have a protein shaker at home as they can be mixed in this and poured directly into the pan. Two large scoops make two pancakes, so this should keep you going for a while.

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MyProtein protein pancake mix

Myprotein protein pancake mix.jpeg
  • Best: Protein pancakes
  • Type of pancakes: American-style pancakes
  • Makes: 10
  • Weight: 500g

For the fitness-focused among us, these protein pancakes are a sure-fire way to make sure you’re recovering while you indulge. We mixed 2 scoops with 125ml water in our shaker and had a thick batter consistency. As for flavour, these are some of the sweeter pancakes we tried.

Owing to the quantities, this mix will see you way beyond Pancake Day and is a delicious, filling breakfast; perfect for weekdays and weekends alike. Plus, if the maple syrup flavour isn’t quite to your taste, you can choose between golden syrup, chocolate and cookies and cream.

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The verdict: Pancake mixes

There’s a lot to choose from here, so it very much depends on what you’re after. If it’s thin pancakes you’re in the mood for, choose the McDougalls classic pancake mix, which produced simple yet delicious crêpes in no time at all.

But, if you’re looking for delicious, American-style pancakes then you can’t go wrong with Dr. Oetker pancake mix American style. The mix produces perfectly fluffy hotcakes at a pocket-friendly price. Now all you need to do is decide what filling you’re going to have.

Want to get your flip on? Read our guide to the best non-stick frying pans

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