Who doesn’t like a stack of fluffy pancakes, whether it’s a sunny morning or a rainy one? I certainly do!
Picture this: replacing regular refined flour with a more nutritious blend featuring whole grains, millets, lentils, and more. In my search for the finest pancake mix, I delved into pancake mixes from six Indian start-up brands – Mille, Slurrp Farm, Food Strong, Tots and Moms, True Elements, and Better Flour.
Mille Pancake Mix:
This stands out as my Top Pick, mainly due to its impressive nutritional content.
These pancakes rose fairly well, considering they were made primarily from millet and whole grains. In terms of texture, they had a slightly coarse feel with a bit of grittiness. Cooking them took a little longer than expected. Regarding flavor, the cocoa taste was subtle. Despite being sweetened with both jaggery and raw sugar, these pancakes weren’t particularly sweet. However, the low sugar content allowed toppings to take the spotlight, which I found to be a positive aspect.
Slurrp Farm Millet Pancake Mix:
The taste and texture of the Slurrp Farm Millet Pancake Mix pleasantly surprised me, especially considering these are ragi pancakes. While it excelled more in taste than in nutritional aspects, I found it quite enjoyable. The pancakes had a noticeable grainy and coarse texture, which is typical for a millet-based flour mix. However, I didn’t mind this aspect at all. When warm, they offered a soft and airy bite, and the sweetness was delicately balanced. You can even experiment with various toppings like spreads, fruits, or yogurt.
Notably, millets weren’t overpowering, so kids can also enjoy it. I don’t like the fact that it contains both sugar and jaggery.
Foodstrong Oats & Millets Pancake Mix:
Out of all the pancake mixes I tried, the texture was the best. While cooking, these pancakes rose beautifully, and when sampled warm, they had an incredibly soft and airy texture. However, the flavors were a letdown. The strong chocolate taste didn’t appeal to my palate. On their own, the distinct flavors such as of millet, the caramel-like sweetness of jaggery, and the fruity notes of banana were individually fresh and enjoyable. Unfortunately, when combined in a single bite, they didn’t complement each other well.
The Better Flour Pancake Mix:
Experimenting with chickpeas in sweet and savory spreads is innovative, but what about incorporating them into pancakes? I was intrigued to try how the texture would turn out. What I appreciated: the texture and nutritional value stood out positively. What didn’t quite hit the mark: the taste. Why? Upon allowing the batter to rest for around 30 minutes, I noticed it took on a consistency like bhatura dough. Once cooked, the pancakes had a pleasantly soft bite.
Unfortunately, the taste was quite off-putting. Although the sweetness was mild, there was an odd metallic flavor contributed by stevia, which significantly ruined the overall taste. The chocolate flavor was hardly discernible, and an evident bitterness lingered in the aftertaste.
Tots & Moms Organic Pancake Mix:
This pancake mix fell somewhere in between – not the top choice, but not the worst either at least for me. It managed to meet decently across nutrition, taste, and texture. The pancakes created with Tots & Moms Pancake mix didn’t quite puff up like standard pancakes, but they did have a very soft texture. I strictly followed the instructions, but it resulted in a batter that flowed like a crepe batter, requiring some adjustments along the way.
The expected nuttiness from almonds was notably absent in the flavor profile, while the chocolate taste was rather delicate, almost undetectable. On the contrary, I really didn’t like the sweetness. Jaggery was quite overpowering.
Regarding nutrition, this mix stood out as the cleanest option. It is an ideal choice for young children.
True Elements Pancake Mix:
This pancake mix produced pancakes that offered a delightful balance between sweet and chocolate flavors, both of which were quite mild. There were no unpleasant aftertastes to note. However, I found the texture to be a letdown. The pancakes lacked the expected softness and lightness, instead offering a dense, cake-like bite. Additionally, they didn’t rise or fluff up while cooking.
Final thoughts:
In my search for the healthiest pancake premix, I tried out six different brands. Fortunately, I came across one that stood out on all fronts: the Mille Pancake Mix. It’s not that the other contenders were bad, but the Mille Pancake Mix really excelled in meeting my three main criteria.
Have you had the chance to try any of these pancake mixes before? If so, how was your experience with them?
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Though pancakes are meant to be delicious and sinful indulgence, it is good to see some brands offering healthier alternatives. I have never tried the premises and make pancakes from scratch at home. But it is interesting to see how premixes simplify the job and save a lot of time. The next time I order my groceries, I am definitely trying Mille Pancake Mix.
Well, I used to think that too, but it is about sweeteners and how much sweetener we are going for. People wallop their pancakes into honey or maple syrup, which aren’t too good in excessive quantity for health either.
Thanks for writing about this. I was wondering if pancake mix is all about Maida. Now I know it is not. Can give a try next time.
However we trust the good old batter (urad and rice) for traditional pancakes which is similar to dosa. The pancake mix we tried once was pure Maida. It was edible but we did not want to feed just maida to small kid. Had got it from Flipkart grocery.
Hey, I can understand the pain of maida in pancake mix. Even though I don’t eat pancakes too much now, my sister loves it. So it is very important for me that she gets the right one with not excessively unhealthy materials in them. And yes, the good old urad and rice batter is definitely the best one. My mom cooks with the same.