Easy and quick pancakes!

I am sure you can relate when I tell you that after the year of 2020, my pantry will never be the same. 3 kids, virtual schooling, a husband who is working remotely, and, a new roommate (aka my mom), all making visits to the kitchen and pantry throughout the day. I definitely had to “give a little” when it came to having a perfectly organized pantry, but I think I gave too much - as it became a monstrosity of canned goods, open (and EMPTY) boxes, grocery bags and the occasional random popcorn kernel. (and by the way, if you pop your own popcorn, have you tried this? It’s our favorite!!! This links to the variety pack, but you can get single bags as well.)

Anyway, a messy pantry and kitchen really leaves me uninspired. I try to remember how much better I feel when things are organized (which is VERY HARD for this creative gal) and decided to spend some time getting things back to a place that made me happy to walk in the pantry and inspired to cook and create. I am trying to do weekly check-ins so that things don’t get too far out of hand, but….some weeks it doesn’t happen!

One recipe that we love to keep handy is this dry pancake mix. It’s so easy to make and doesn’t create a huge mess when used later on. It’s for a dry pancake mix and only requires water and vanilla later on to make pancakes. This recipe is inspired by the amazing Ree Drummond, otherwise known as "The Pioneer Woman" on The Food Network.  Her recipe for "Mason Jar Pancake Mix" is delicious and super simple!  I have altered it just a tad bit for our family’s needs - we use less sugar and have found that mixing it with milk makes thicker pancakes.

Shake and Pour Pancake Mix Ingredients:

8 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar (Ree uses 2 cups)

2 cups dry buttermilk

1/2 cup baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Extras:

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or extract of your choice

2 tablespoons of butter for frying, plus extra for your topping

Pancake syrup - or other toppings of your choice

Directions

1.  Whisk together the flour, sugar, dry buttermilk, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. We put all of the mix into one airtight container - or you can divide the mix into 8 quart-sized wide mason jars, about 1 1/2 cups of dry pancake mix per jar. Seal and store until ready to use. (see more below)

2. To make the pancakes, just mix 3/4 cup milk or water and 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix and shake or whisk until completely incorporated. We’ve found that when we want to stretch the recipe, we just add more liquid. (Milk makes thicker pancakes water makes them a bit thinner.)

3. Warm a griddle over medium heat and grease with the butter. Drop in the batter with a 1/4-cup measure or ladle and fry the pancakes until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter, syrup and/or your favorite toppings.

Our family puts this entire mix recipe into one container for use throughout the year.  The kids know to use 1 1/2 cups of the mix + 3/4 cups of milk or water...and then to be honest, I am pretty sure they dump in as much vanilla as they would like since we have it readily available. 

This recipe also make a great gift idea - just put the mix into mason jars and create a gift basket with other items like homemade vanilla, kitchen towels, or fresh fruits.

Labels for this project can be found here!