Break The Rules On Your Boxed Pancake Mix By Breaking An Egg - The Daily Meal (2024)

Break The Rules On Your Boxed Pancake Mix By Breaking An Egg - The Daily Meal (4)

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ByJess Jeziorowski|

A quick weekend brunch calls for boxed pancake mixes, ready-made for the sake of convenience. But you don't need to sacrifice taste for convenience; food should still taste good. Sometimes boxed pancake mixes are lacking. Perhaps the flapjacks don't puff up the way they do at your favorite diner, or they turn out cakey and gluey. It's okay to break the rules and add ingredients to improve those pancakes– like an egg.

Adding an egg to your boxed pancake mix will add a bit of richness thanks to the egg yolk, which has a good amount of fat and proteins in it. Besides richness, this added fat will provide a subtle flavor and a bit of color to the pancakes. If the box already calls for eggs, try adding an extra yolk on its own, as it will make the pancake batter more luscious. If tossing that extra egg white seems a bit wasteful, you can whip all the egg whites into stiff peaks and gently fold them into the batter — think of a dacquoise sponge and channel your inner Mary Berry. The whipped eggs will help the pancake rise and stay fluffy, taking your boxed pancake mix from boring and flat to tall and fluffy.

Eggs are a necessary ingredient in pancake recipes

Break The Rules On Your Boxed Pancake Mix By Breaking An Egg - The Daily Meal (5)

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When it comes to boxed pancake mixes, eggs are used as binders and a liquid — flavor and protein are close a close second. However, an egg's most important job in pancakes is for maintaining the structure of pancakes. Because pancakes have such little gluten the egg ensures they don't collapse. Eggs make sure those little air bubbles you see in a pancake stay put by trapping that air. As the pancakes cook the proteins form a network and tense up, becoming rigid and providing that structure. A word of caution though — if you add too many eggs you'll end up with a loose pancake batter that will need to be balanced with more pancake mix.

If you're vegan or allergic to eggs, there are a fewingredients you can use to substitute an egg. Unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas are a common swap as they act as a flavorful binder. If you have it, you can also use ground flaxseed mixed with water for a flaxseed egg.

Improve boxed pancake mixes with pantry staples

Break The Rules On Your Boxed Pancake Mix By Breaking An Egg - The Daily Meal (6)

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Eggs aren't the only thing that can amp up your pancake brunch. If your boxed pancake mix splashes "Just add water!" on the packaging, don't. By replacing the water with milk your pancakes will taste and eat richer. You can even go one step further and replace the liquid with buttermilk. It'll add a slight acidic tang, but also activate the leaveners in the pancake mix. The results might just remind you of pancakes at grandma's.

If diner-style pancakes are what you're after, you can elevate store-bought pancake mix with malted milk powder. If your pancake mix is already sweetened, be cautious with how much you add — a tablespoon or two should be enough. Besides malted milk powder, add-ins like spices, berries, chocolate or butterscotch chips, even some canned pumpkin will go a long way in making your Sunday brunch feel more special.

One of the top tips for making better pancakesis to not overmix. The more you stir it the higher chance of gluten developing, which is what we don't want in a pancake. Gluten development in a pancake leads to flabby, rubbery pancakes. Pancake batter should be stirred until just mixed — lumps are totally okay.

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Break The Rules On Your Boxed Pancake Mix By Breaking An Egg - The Daily Meal (2024)

FAQs

Break The Rules On Your Boxed Pancake Mix By Breaking An Egg - The Daily Meal? ›

Adding an egg to your boxed pancake mix will add a bit of richness thanks to the egg yolk, which has a good amount of fat and proteins in it. Besides richness, this added fat will provide a subtle flavor and a bit of color to the pancakes.

What does adding an extra egg to pancake mix do? ›

Eggs also give the batter additional, richer flavor from the yolk fat. If you add too many eggs, you'll have “pancakes” that look more like custard or crepes. When you don't add enough eggs, the cakes will be drier and tougher.

What happens if you don't add eggs to pancake mix? ›

The fact is, without eggs, your best pancakes will never be as fluffy as a classic pancake recipe that includes them. That doesn't mean they still won't taste great though!

Can you save pancake batter with egg? ›

Can You Save Pancake Batter? Don't let leftover pancake batter go to waste! Store the batter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.

What should you avoid when mixing pancake batter? ›

Just don't make the most common pancake mistake — over-mixing your pancake batter! Perfectly fluffy pancakes take just a few turns of the wrist. Over-mixing is an ambitious baker's enemy. Too much stirring can turn what would otherwise be lofty, tender pancakes into tough, flat disappointments.

What happens if you add an extra egg to a box cake mix? ›

Because eggs help build the cake's structure (don't use them and you're looking at a gooey mess), adding an extra egg yolk makes the cake batter denser. Translation: you'll have a moister confection. Conversely, she suggests an extra egg white for a fluffier cake.

Can I substitute eggs in pancake mix? ›

I decided to try three substitutes — Just Egg, applesauce, and banana — for making pancakes. I was surprised by how fluffy the pancakes turned out, but the applesauce was by far my favorite.

Is it better to use milk instead of water in pancake mix? ›

1. Use Milk/ Alternative Milk Instead Of Water. Even though the mix may call for water, you can easily substitute that for an alternative milk (I like oat milk). You may have to add a dash more due to the difference in consistency, but it'll taste so much better!

What can be used in place of an egg? ›

WHAT TO USE INSTEAD OF EGGS WHEN BAKING
  • MASHED BANANA. ...
  • APPLESAUCE. ...
  • SILKEN TOFU. ...
  • GROUND FLAXSEED OR CHIA SEEDS & WATER. ...
  • YOGURT. ...
  • BUTTERMILK. ...
  • SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK. ...
  • ARROWROOT POWDER OR CORNSTARCH.

Is it better to refrigerate pancake batter? ›

Pancake Batter Lasts Two Days In The Refrigerator

You don't want to risk consuming eggs that have gone bad because they have a greater chance of causing foodborne illness, so when you add them to your batter, the countdown begins.

Why do restaurants put pancake batter in eggs? ›

The aeration in the pancake batter makes the eggs light, tender, and fluffy without adding any obvious flavor, so the egg dish is both hefty and light at the same time. Pancake batter also gives the eggs enough body and structure to hold together over the meaty, cheesy fillings.

How to tell if pancake mix is bad? ›

There are a couple of ways to tell if your pancake mix has turned inedible. If there are clumps in the batter, this might mean that your mix was exposed to moisture and shouldn't be consumed. Additionally, if the mix smells soured this means the powdered milk in the batter has gone bad.

What makes restaurant pancakes so good? ›

Restaurants use better quality ingredients

Restaurants tend to use real, farm-fresh eggs and real milk when making their pancakes, which as you might guess, adds to a richer, higher-quality eating experience.

Do you cook pancakes on high or low heat? ›

The ideal temperature for cooking pancakes

Either way, it's obvious that delicious pancakes require an ideal griddle temperature (and a little bit of patience) to get that nice, fluffy texture. Simply put: the best temperature for cooking pancakes is 375°F on a griddle or medium to medium high heat on the stove.

What do too many eggs in pancakes do? ›

With little gluten, pancakes rely on eggs to provide the additional structure necessary to hold the bubbles and allow the pancake to rise. The fat in the yolk also provides richness and flavor. Too much egg, however, will make the pancake dense and custard-like; not enough will make it drier and more biscuit-like.

What makes pancakes rise and be fluffy? ›

Pancakes and waffles typically both contain baking soda, which causes them to rise. As soon as the baking soda is combined with the wet ingredients (which contain an acidic ingredient, like often buttermilk), it starts producing carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise.

How to keep pancakes fluffy? ›

Fluffy pancakes technique
  1. Don't over-mix your batter. It's fine if you have a few lumps. ...
  2. Don't let the batter hang around for too long. It's best to use it before bubbles start to form in the mixture, as the pancakes may not rise fully when cooking. ...
  3. Make sure your pan is hot enough to cook the batter quickly.
Feb 8, 2024

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