Pancake Mix That's Better (and Cheaper) Than Store-Bought
Discover the secrets to a seriously fluffy stack.

Photo: Kate Mathis
If you believe that making great food requires special talent—well, forgive us for saying so, but you're wrong. You can scoop flour, right? And measure baking powder? If so, you can make a dry pancake mix that's cheaper than the premade version you'll find in the grocery store. Chef John Besh, author of the forthcoming Besh Big Easy, gave us his go-to recipe: Keep a batch on hand, and when you're ready to cook, just add eggs, milk, and oil; heat up a skillet; and tell everybody to come and get it.
To make dry mix:
Makes enough for 3 batches of pancakes.
Ingredients
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Store in a sealed container.
To cook pancakes:
Makes 18 (4-inch) pancakes
Ingredients
2 1/3 cups dry mix
2 beaten eggs
2 cups milk
¼ cup canola oil
Maple syrup, optional
Directions
Total time: 30 minutes
Put dry mix in large bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add eggs, milk, and canola oil; and mix gently. (There will be a few lumps in the batter.) Lightly oil the surface of a griddle or a large skillet, and heat over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup batter onto griddle for each pancake, spacing them out so they have room to spread without touching. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, about 3 minutes; then flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Continue cooking batches with remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup and your choice of toppings.
To make dry mix:
Makes enough for 3 batches of pancakes.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Store in a sealed container.
To cook pancakes:
Makes 18 (4-inch) pancakes
Ingredients
Directions
Total time: 30 minutes
Put dry mix in large bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add eggs, milk, and canola oil; and mix gently. (There will be a few lumps in the batter.) Lightly oil the surface of a griddle or a large skillet, and heat over medium heat. Pour ¼ cup batter onto griddle for each pancake, spacing them out so they have room to spread without touching. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, about 3 minutes; then flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Continue cooking batches with remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup and your choice of toppings.