Out of Bisquick, one case
Can you substitute pancake mix for Bisquick?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Pancake mix
1 cup for every cup of Bisquick
Yes: use 1 cup of pancake mix for each cup of Bisquick. Both are flour with leavening and salt, but pancake mix is usually sweeter and has less fat, so pancakes and waffles come out the same while biscuits, dumplings and savory bakes come out softer and a little sweet. For biscuits, add about 1 tablespoon of melted butter or shortening per cup. A just-add-water mix also contains dried milk and egg, so it needs more care.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Use the same volume. For biscuits, dumplings and shortcake, work in about 1 tbsp of melted butter or shortening per cup, and leave out any sugar the recipe adds.
- Best for —
- pancakes and waffles
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full Bisquick card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup Bisquick | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pancake mixpancakes and waffles | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Flour, baking powder, salt and shorteningbiscuits and dumplings | 1 cup flour + 1 ½ tsp baking powder + ¼ tsp salt + 1 tbsp shorteningWorks | Works |
| 3 | Self-rising flour + shorteningbiscuits | 1 cup self-rising flour + 1 tbsp shorteningWorks | Works |
| 4 | Complete pancake mix (just add water)pancakes and waffles | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Pancake mix
a little sweeter
A regular pancake and waffle mix, the kind you add milk, egg and oil to. It is close to Bisquick with more sugar and little or no fat.
- Best for
- pancakes and waffles, muffins and coffee cake, cobbler topping, impossible pies and quiche
- Prep
- Use the same volume. For biscuits, dumplings and shortcake, work in about 1 tbsp of melted butter or shortening per cup, and leave out any sugar the recipe adds.
- Where it fails
- Sausage balls, chicken and dumplings, pot pie crust and other savory recipes, where the sweetness shows. Rolled biscuits are softer and brown faster because of the sugar.
Use an original or buttermilk mix. Flavored mixes, such as chocolate chip or blueberry, do not suit savory recipes.
Flour, baking powder, salt and shortening
no change
What Bisquick is, made from scratch: all-purpose flour, leavening, salt and fat. It has no added sweetness, so it suits every Bisquick recipe.
- Best for
- biscuits and dumplings, sausage balls, savory pies and casseroles, any recipe on the Bisquick box
- Prep
- Whisk the dry ingredients, then cut or rub in the shortening or cold butter until the mix looks like coarse meal.
- Where it fails
- Nothing in particular. Made with butter it must be kept in the refrigerator if you mix a batch ahead.
Self-rising flour + shortening
no change
Self-rising flour already has the baking powder and salt, so only the fat is missing.
- Best for
- biscuits, dumplings, savory bakes
- Prep
- Cut in 1 tbsp shortening or cold butter per cup of self-rising flour.
- Where it fails
- Self-rising flour is often milled from softer wheat, so biscuits are more tender and a batter may need slightly less liquid.
Complete pancake mix (just add water)
sweeter and more cake-like
A mix with dried milk and egg already in it. It works, but the recipe's own milk and eggs are now doubled up.
- Best for
- pancakes and waffles, muffins, sweet bakes
- Prep
- Hold back some of the recipe's liquid and add it only until the batter looks as the recipe describes.
- Where it fails
- Biscuits, dumplings and sausage balls: the texture turns soft and spongy, and the sweetness is stronger than with a regular mix.
Tips for substituting Bisquick
5 tips- Pancakes and waffles: swap cup for cup and follow the Bisquick recipe as written. Leave out any sugar it adds.
- Biscuits and shortcake: add about 1 tbsp of melted butter or shortening per cup of pancake mix, and check them 2 to 3 minutes early, because the extra sugar browns the tops sooner.
- Impossible pie and quiche: the ½ cup of Bisquick in the usual recipe swaps directly for ½ cup of pancake mix. Choose a plain mix and expect a slightly sweeter crust layer.
- Sausage balls and dumplings: these taste better made with flour, baking powder, salt and shortening than with pancake mix.
- Read the box. A mix that asks only for water has milk and egg in it, and a recipe with eggs and milk of its own will come out richer and softer.
Questions
5 questionsIs pancake mix the same as Bisquick?
Close, but not the same. Both are flour, leavening and salt. Bisquick has fat blended in and very little sugar, which is why it makes biscuits and dumplings as well as pancakes. Pancake mix has more sugar and usually less fat, so it is built for pancakes first.
Can I use pancake mix in place of Bisquick in quiche or impossible pie?
Yes. Use the same amount, usually ½ cup, of a plain or buttermilk pancake mix. The mix sinks and forms the crust layer as Bisquick does. It tastes slightly sweeter, which most people do not notice against cheese, eggs and bacon.
Can I make biscuits with pancake mix?
Yes, with an adjustment. Add about 1 tablespoon of melted butter or shortening per cup of mix and use the milk the biscuit recipe calls for. The biscuits are softer, a little sweet and less flaky than Bisquick biscuits, and they brown faster.
Can I use pancake mix for sausage balls?
You can, at the same amount, but the sweetness is noticeable next to sausage and cheddar. A plain mix of 1 cup flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon shortening per cup of Bisquick tastes closer to the original.
Can I use Bisquick in place of pancake mix?
Yes. Bisquick makes pancakes with milk and eggs, following the recipe on its box. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar per 2 cups of mix if you want them as sweet as boxed pancake mix.