DIY Baking Mix for Waffles, Muffins & Pancakes (+ Easy Gift Idea)
One jar of homemade baking mix standing between you and fresh waffles, muffins, or pancakes – in about the time it takes to find the takeout menus. Make it once, keep it in the fridge, and you are set for months. It also happens to make a lovely gift in a jar.
I genuinely love cooking and baking, but only since I started collecting shortcuts that make it fit real life. These days I will attempt the occasional ambitious project, but 99% of the time I want to get from craving to eating with as little fuss as possible.
A master baking mix is exactly my kind of trick. The dry work – measuring, mixing, cutting in butter – is done in one batch. When surprise guests show up on a Saturday afternoon, or a weekday breakfast needs rescuing, the hard part is already over.
How to make the DIY baking mix
In a food processor with the blade attachment, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like flour again but forms small clumps when you pinch it between two fingers. That is it – the mix is done.
You can do this by hand with a pastry cutter or two forks, but it takes noticeably longer and more arm strength. With a stand mixer, stop once or twice to scrape the unmixed flour from the sides of the bowl.
A few easy variations:
- Swap up to half the all-purpose flour for whole wheat – the mix still works beautifully.
- Skip the sugar entirely and sweeten per recipe, or keep it in and skip sweeteners later. Your call.
- Stir a teaspoon of cinnamon or vanilla powder straight into the mix if that is how you always flavor your waffles anyway.
Store the mix in an airtight container or a zip-top freezer bag. It keeps for months in the fridge or freezer, and the bag version shrinks as you use it up, so it fits into whatever corner is free.
DIY baking mix
This is the base recipe for the baking mix - use it in any recipes on this site that require it, for muffins, waffles, pancakes and more.
Ingredients
- 8 1/3 cups (1,000 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
- 4 tablespoons (60 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon fine salt
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (250 g) cold butter, cut into cubes
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Working in two batches, pulse half the flour mixture with half the butter in a food processor until the butter is fully worked in. The finished mix looks powdery and holds together when pinched.
- Transfer to an airtight container or a 1-gallon zip-top freezer bag. Store in the fridge or freezer.
Quick waffles from the baking mix
The classic use, and the one my kids ask for most: fast waffles. Serve them the German way with applesauce, or go for warm cherries and cream, maple syrup, yogurt and fresh fruit, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar. You can also fold raisins, chopped nuts, cinnamon, or grated apple straight into the batter.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300 g) DIY baking mix
- 3 tablespoons sugar (optional - see note)
- 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons oil
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron.
- Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until you have a smooth batter.
- Cook the waffles in the preheated iron until golden, following your manufacturer's amounts (or trial and error - we have all been there).
- Serve dusted with powdered sugar, or with any of the toppings above.
Notes
Note: The sugar is optional. For a low-sugar version, especially as finger food for small kids, just leave it out.
Prefer waffles from scratch? My German waffles recipe is the from-scratch classic – these are its speedy weeknight cousin.
Baking mix in a jar as a gift
Layer the finished mix into a 1-quart mason jar, tuck a handwritten tag with the waffle recipe under the lid, and you have a gift that looks like you tried much harder than you did. It pairs well with other mail-friendly and jar gifts – see my 100+ flat Christmas gifts that fit in an envelope and the classic 15 Minutes of Christmas in a jar for more ideas along those lines.
Do you keep any homemade pantry mixes on hand? I would love to hear which ones earn their shelf space in your kitchen.
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