I simply love Bob's Red mill products, and love Amazon for selling them for quite a bit less than Whole Paycheck. I've been enjoying a lot of things from them recently, including Kamut Breakfast Cereal and a really delicious soup mix. Their Buckwheat Pancake mix is another example of a healthy, tasty, and reasonably priced item from Bob's Red Mill. I got a taste for Buckwheat pancakes as a kid (My mom used to make them on cold mornings in January), but stopped eating them as an adult. My wife LOVES pancakes, and while I enjoy them too, I find the regular kind not keep me filled up, nor are they particularly healthy. I remembered that I used to really like buckwheat pancakes, and decided to hunt some up. I found these, and have been enjoying them ever since.
The mix is easy to prepare, but this isn't a 'complete' mix and does require an egg and some oil in addition to cold water. As an alternative you can use milk, which gives the pancakes a slightly richer flavor. Milk or water, either way they're tasty! Buckwheat is a wholegrain, meaning these fill you up and keep you filled much longer than traditional pancakes which are full of sugar and cheap carbs. I can eat probably a dozen regular pancakes. I can only manage to put away 5-6 of these guys!
A few recommendations on preparation:
1) Mix the pancake batter and then let it sit 30 minutes or even an hour in your refrigerator. It makes the pancakes lighter and fluffier.
2) Go for thinner batter rather than thick. It makes the pancakes easier to cook, and gives you a tastier pancake as a result.
3) Cook on medium heat, not high. Because the batter is dark to begin with, it is harder to tell when your pancakes are done without overcooking them. Use less heat to help you get them cooked perfectly.
4) You can easily mix this batter with a regular pancake mix to make 'hybrid' cakes if you find these are a bit too thick for your taste. I've gone that route a few times for my wife since she likes her pancakes less dense than these.
5) Get yourself some real maple syrup! Nothing goes as well with Buckwheat pancakes than real maple syrup! That's how the American pioneers ate them, and I love feeling like I'm participating in an American tradition when I make these for my family.
6) Eat them for dinner! Pancakes and eggs for dinner is amazing.
You can't go wrong with these pancakes. Buy them. Cook them. Eat them. Repeat!
I remember Buckwheat Pancakes from years ago. The thought of these heavy, rich tasting pancakes brings a sigh to my lips. My Mom useed to cook these when I was a kid, and I always loved them...now, I fixed them for my Grandson, and he feels the same...3 pancakes, 2 eggs, and lots of butter and real Homemade Hot Sugar and vanalla suyrp...OMG...soooo good. layer a pancake, then egg, then pancake, then another egg, finished by another pancake to make the Family Stacker! I found this brand a few years back, and it is the real thing...easy to make, healthy, and Lord knows...eat 3 of these and you will NOT be hungry in a couple hours! They Stick with you. Is a common breakfast item from long ago...settlers and farmers...eat these and you could plow a field, and have more energy to make it till lunch! Be Well, and Blessings upon all...
Buy Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix, 26-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4) Now
These buckwheat pancakes come out great and you don't need to feel guilty about eating something with an ingredients list that is frighteningly long. Like someone else mentioned, these pancakes are best served with maple syrup, not aunt jemima high fructose corn syrup. Unfortunately, I haven't tried the mix in waffle form. Throw in Bananas or chocolate chips or walnuts etc for a twist!
Here's the recipe on the back of the package (I've bought three packages in the past couple months and just recently put one and a half into a container for better storage (threw out the package)and looked all over the internet for it!):
Pancake Mix:
1 cup mix
1 egg
1 tsp oil
3/4 cup cold milk
Waffle Mix:
1 cup mix
2 eggs
2 tsp oil
3/4 cup cold milk
Read Best Reviews of Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix, 26-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4) Here
My grandkids don't even know they are eating whole grain pancakes, the texture is like regular pancakes. I also like the fact that Bob's Red Mill mixes are all organic but the price is very reasonable. These pancakes are easy to make and my husband asks for them often, many times for dinner. I gave my daughter a package of this pancake mix and now her family is hooked on these pancakes. I highly recommend this mix, once you try it you will be glad you did.
Want Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix, 26-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4) Discount?
BOB'S VS. BISQUICK:
I went to Bob's Buckwheat Pancake Mix (have now gone through two 4-packs!) from using Bisquick, mainly to get away from the refined flour and get some better, whole grain nutrition. I'm happy I did, and wouldn't go back; it's my body I'm feeding. The negative is, and some others have noted it here, is that this mix doesn't produce particularly light, fluffy pancakes. They're good, but not super light like Bisquick did. Maybe if you beat and fold in egg whites (but I don't eat eggs). That's not to say they don't rise, or they aren't good, and great tasting.
BOB'S VS MADE FROM SCRATCH
No comparison. I bought organic bulk buckwheat flour (which you can get pretty inexpensive in a 25lb bag if you're a nut) from Amazon; search for "Great River Organic Milling." I then made my own egg-less, butter-less, milk-less version from something I found on the web:
3/4c Buckwheat flour
3/4c Whole wheat flour
1.5 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda (I think you could switch this to Baking Powder, but this came from the recepie)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp (that's tablespoon) Agave Nectar (you can totally skip this; it's a low glycemic index sweetener)
2 tbsp olive oil (you could use melted coconut oil if you're worried about the heat on the olive oil). I wouldn't skip the oil though; buckwheat can be a bit sticky on the pan, even a no-stick.
water to consistency (I'm assuming you've made pancakes before; I never measure my water)
*Cook IMMEDIATELY after adding the water. Do not let it sit around for 20 min.
*Cook on lightly oiled no-stick pan; I use cast iron and it's great, but you do need a little oil as Buckwheat is a bit sticky.
Good lord, they were ridiculously light and fluffy. Amazingly so. Blew Bob's out of the water. I haven't tried 100% buckwheat flour yet, but after doing some more reading, it appears that would work fine as well.
I'm not sure why Bob's mix produces pancakes that are so heavy in comparison, because it's basically the same ingredients. Perhaps it's something about a fresh mix. Maybe the baking powder/soda goes flat???? I have no idea, but I'm doing all mine from scratch from now on. No question about it.
SUMMARY:
If you really want to just open a bag and use it, I think Bob's is great stuff, and good for you. If you want super fluffy pancakes, make your own; they're much better, and that way you can also go all-Buckwheat.
This is great tasting, full bodied organic cereal. The thing is though it tastes very plain. I suggest mixing cinnamon spices with it, brown sugar (as mentioned), nuts, apples, and a little bit of milk..
