DIY - Pancake Mix

Here’s another convenience food that we grew up with because it took the guess-work out of measuring dry ingredients and fat that were needed to make pancakes or biscuits. Although I couldn’t find the exact ingredient composition online, Wikipedia states that this pancake mix contains flour, shortening, salt, and baking powder. That’s white flour and shortening that contributes 4.5 grams of trans fats per cup of baking mix.

Trans fats are artificial fats that can actually raise your LDL and lower HDL, which is the exact opposite situation we want to achieve because it increases the risk of heart disease. If you want the convenience of a ready-made pancake mix, simply mix up large batches of a healthier version of dry ingredients without the fat and store them in an air-tight container, free from moisture that will cause the leavening agents to go off. When ready to use, add the milk, egg, and oil or butter to a predetermined amount of the dry mix.

Here is a healthier version of a pancake batter whose dry ingredients can be scaled up. It uses whole-grain spelt flour (but you can substitute wheat flour if desired). You can substitute olive or grapeseed oil for the butter and any type of milk, just start with 1 cup first since most milks are not as thick as buttermilk. I’ve also made the recipe with 1T of sucanat and they were wonderful.