Vegan Pancake Mix Brands: A Quick Guide

Did you know that pancakes were invented in 1430? Recently, this tasty breakfast food has made its way into the vegan food sector! If you're a part of the vegan community, you'll be happy to hear all about the different types of vegan pancake mix brands.

Before you start adding to your online cart, there are some things you must know about vegan pancake mixes. Keep reading this article to get the best vegan pancake mix buying guide!

What Are Vegan Pancakes?

Regular pancake mixes often require eggs, milk, or other animal products. If you're vegan or trying to go vegan, these products go against the vegan diet. Thankfully, there are now many alternatives to pancake mixes.

The first is a vegan pancake mix that doesn't require animal products; usually, these mixes are organic too. Some vegan pancake mixes have options for chickpea, wheat, whole grain, and almond flour bases which means often the overall product is a lot healthier than regular pancakes.

What's the Difference between Organic versus Vegan Pancake Mixes?

When looking for a vegan pancake mix brand, ensure it is fully vegan and not just organic! Many people make the mistake of thinking a product is vegan just because it says it's organic.

The differences between an organic and vegan product come down to a few key ingredients. For example, a brand may have organic foods that still contain animal products like eggs and milk (found in some organic pancake mixes).

Ensure that the brand you're looking for is organic and vegan, while also being aware that a product might be vegan and not use organic products.

Storage Tips for Vegan Pancake Mix

Because most vegan pancake mixes tend to be organic, they need special care and storage. Don’t worry though, it’s easy (once you know)! When storing your vegan mix, ensure it's fully sealed; if any moisture or air enters your bag, it can disrupt the ingredients and lower its shelf-life. Also make sure the storage area isn’t humid, since this can also affect the overall quality of the mix.

What to Look For in Vegan Pancake Mix Brands

With increased popularity comes a lot of options — both good and bad ones. This means it's important to distinguish a good vegan pancake mix brand from a not-so-good one!

We’ve got your back though! Here is a quick vegan pancake mix buying guide. First, look at the ingredients. Do they use any unnecessary fillers like xantham gum, oil, flavoring, or sugars? If so, is that something you can personally look past, or do want a more organic product?

Next, make sure the product has a vegan certification. This certification should be somewhere on the box and the description of the product. If the product claims to be vegan but does not have a vegan certification, then it may be a false claim.

Lastly, pay attention to the brand. Are they fully vegan or do they have non-vegan and vegan products? If they do have non-vegan products, ensure that no cross-contamination is possible, especially if you have food allergies.

The Best Vegan Pancake Mix Buying Guide

Since vegan pancake mixes are still pretty new in the breakfast world, you may not know the different options available. So down below we provided a list of the top four vegan mixes!

1. Lehi Mills Vegan Pancake Mix

Of course, we had to add our own Lehi Mills mix because it truly is a great product. The mix only calls for water (or a dairy substitute like almond milk). Plus, the product itself is fully organic and certified vegan.

With this tasty mix, you’ll get 2 fluffy and delicious pancakes for every 1/4 of batter made. Each vegan pancake is also a good source of fiber and protein. Start your morning off right with a Lehi Mills pancake.

Lastly, Lehi Mills also offers non-vegan options if you live in a multi-diet home.

2. Hungry Jack

Hungry Jack is a very popular pancake brand, though most of the offered products are not vegan or organic. It does offer a Complete Wheat Blend Pancake and Waffle Mix that only calls for water or a dairy substitute.

However, be aware that this product is not as advertised as being vegan. It is only advertised as being healthier because it uses wheat flour. Ensure you read the ingredients before buying because it's possible they may change the components over time.

3. Angie's Pancakes

The Angie’s Pancake and Waffle Mix is not technically vegan, but if you replace the eggs and dairy with vegan subs, you'll have a vegan product.

Be aware that this brand does use non-organic products in its flour mix; if this is something that's important to you, you may want to look elsewhere.

4, Cherrybrook Kitchen

The Cherrybrook Kitchen’s Gluten-Free Pancake and Waffle Mix are vegan and, of course, gluten-free. The directions call for plant milk and vegetable oil — though vegetable oil does contain high amounts of fat. Instead, consider substituting with coconut oil instead.

This option is great for those who want a gluten-free and vegan product.

Vegan Pancake Mix to Avoid and Why

The above brands are very easy to find online and some may be in organic stores. If you’re looking for common grocery store alternatives, you might have a harder time finding vegan certified products. Here are some pancake mixes to avoid if you're trying to go vegan.

1. Bob's Red Mill

Although Bob’s Red Mill does have some accidental vegan options like their Gluten Free Pancake Mix, the recipe does call for eggs. You can use a substitute, but the final product may not have the right consistency or flavor.

This is because the product isn’t meant to be enjoyed as a vegan option; a certified vegan pancake mix will have all the dry ingredients incorporated so that the final product has the right texture/taste even without dairy!

2. Aunt Jemima & Bisquick

Most Aunt Jemima’s mixes call for a heavy amount of dairy and eggs. However, it does have two accidental vegan mixes called the Original Pancake and the Whole Wheat Pancake Mix.

Keep in mind that, just like Bob's Red Mill, the final outcome may not be the best since this mix was not designed to be vegan. Not to mention, Aunt Jemima’s mixes do contain non-organic products.

3. Bisquick Pancake Mixes

Bisquick is another popular pancake brand. You might notice that its mixes have no animal products, but be aware that this brand does contain the following fillers:

Bleached flour
Riboflavin
Cottonseed Oil, Leavening
Dextrose
Salt.

It's always best to only purchase real vegan and organic mixes.

4. Any Mixes That Contain Vitamin Fortification

Some pancake mixes will have Folic Acid, Riboflavin, and Iron. These products are all used for fortifying the final product with extra minerals and vitamins. Most of the time, these extra vitamins are vegan. Be cautious, however, since there is a chance some companies use raw organic vitamins that might contain whole or trace amounts of animal products.

5. Any Mixes That Could Have Traces of Eggs and Milk

Before buying an accidental vegan pancake mix, check to see if it has any trace amounts of milk and egg. Sometimes facilities will package items at the same time as non-vegan items, which can result in cross-contamination.

How to Make Vegan Pancakes

Most mixes will come equipped with flour, vegan shortening, baking soda, and dried plant-based milk. All you’ll have to do is add water! You can still change things up and elevate vegan pancakes by adding extracts, fresh fruit, and other great ingredients.

To make vegan pancakes, start by using your best vegan mix. Run a cup of vegan pancake mix through a sifter before adding any wet ingredients. This will reduce clumps and air bubbles.

Once the dry mix is ready, add a half cup of plant-based milk instead of water. This substitute will make your pancakes softer and more flavorful.

Next, add a teaspoon of sugar-free vanilla for extra flavor. Finally, add any fresh fruits like bananas, strawberries, or berries. Cook like normal on a skillet or griddle and enjoy!

FAQs for Vegan Pancake Mix

Whether you just became vegan or you’ve been a vegan for some time now, you might have some questions. Welcome to our Vegan FAQs!

Is Buttermilk Vegan?

Some pancake dry mixes will advertise for buttermilk pancakes, instead of regular pancakes. These options are never vegan unless a dairy-free milk and butter substitute are being used.

Honestly, in most cases, it is very hard to make a vegan buttermilk. It’s best to avoid buttermilk pancakes if you’re hoping for a vegan breakfast treat.

What Are Non-Dairy Subs?

Non-dairy milk is very easy to find. For example, oat, almond, coconut, cashew, and soy milk are all great alternatives. Egg substitutes, however, are a lot harder to find.

Some organic stores do carry vegan eggs which are made from plants. You can also make a flax egg by combining the following ingredients:

1 tbsp of flaxseed meal
3 tbsp of water

Mix these ingredients together and place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. The consistency should be runny like an egg. You can use this recipe in any baking or cooking recipe to make a vegan egg substitute.

Lastly, one serving makes one egg; plan accordingly if you need multiple eggs.

Can I Add Chocolate Chips to My Batter?

Yes! You can add chocolate or cacao chunks to your vegan batter, but ensure these ingredients are vegan first. Typically, most dark chocolates are vegan, though you usually can find some coconut milk chocolate if you don't like dark chocolate.

What Are Some Vegan Butter Options for My Pancakes?

Luckily, there are multiple vegan kinds of butter on the market (for example, Earth Balance). You can also use avocado or nut butter.

Some people like using a vegetable oil spread, though this butter is very high in fat.

Is Syrup Vegan?

Did you know that some syrups have butter in them? This clearly would make it a non-vegan product, though not every syrup is this way. When you’re shopping, double-check the ingredients to make sure every ingredient listed is vegan.

One rule of thumb is to use agave or maple syrups since these options are sourced from plants.

If you’re on a diet, you may want to use plant-based honey instead since syrups contain sugar and other unhealthy ingredients.

Are Vegan Pancakes Healthy?

For the most part, vegan pancakes are healthy. In fact, some mixes contain natural fibers and even energy boosters. If, however, you add other ingredients like syrups, butter, or chocolates, they won’t be as healthy.

Can I Use A Vegan Pancake Mix for Baking?

Yes, you can use vegan pancake mixes for baking! Did you know many people use these mixes for baking cupcakes, muffins, cookies, and even cakes? This means you can have a fully-vegan baking process by using the substitutes we talked about above.