Make-Your-Own Pancake Mix. Delicious and Thrifty.

I've been making my own pancake mix for years now, and my family loves these pancakes on most Sundays.  I originally got the recipe from the book "Six Ingredients or Less" by Carlean Johnson (and the title annoys me significantly because it should be Six Ingredients or Fewer).  You might wonder why you would make your own pancake mix when you can buy a box off the shelf.  Here are three good reasons:

• These pancakes taste good.  They're fluffy.  You can easily add other ingredients like blueberries, chopped fruit, cinnamon, vanilla extract, etc. The kids love it when I throw in a few chocolate chips
• These pancakes are nutritionally sound.  You can use some or all whole wheat flour.  You can control how much sugar and/or salt you add.  You get some protein from the milk and egg
• This homemade mix costs less than 1/3 the price of boxed mix.  If you're a real nerd, see below for the fun unit costs

 Pancake Mix
7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat flour for half of this amount)
1/4 cup baking powder
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp salt (can decrease if you're concerned about sodium intake)
2/3 cup sugar



 I mix up a double batch every couple of months or so and store it in a canister ready to go. 

Pancakes from "Pancake Mix"
1 1/4 cups Pancake Mix
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted (I always use 2 Tbsp canola oil since it's easier than melting butter)
1 egg, slightly beaten

Combine egg and milk, and butter (or oil).  Add pancake mix and stir just until combined, it should still be a little lumpy.  Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter per cake on a hot lightly oiled griddle or skillet. Makes 6-7 pancakes.

Tip: jot down the instructions on what to add to the pancake mix and tape it on your canister of mix, then you'll be ready to put them together quickly.

Happy flipping!

Some (incomplete) math:
Hungry Jack and Cub store brand mix were each $2.49 for 32 oz, or 7.8 cents per oz.  This is a pretty decent margin on what are really very inexpensive ingredients.

I buy flour in bulk, 25 lbs for $8.98, or 2.2 cents per oz
Sugar is 4.2 cents per oz