Healthy Pancake Mix Comparison

A review on two popular pancake mixes with in the fitness community. Comparing Birch Benders Organic mirco-pancakery to  Kodiak Cakes mix.

Both mixes are  “just add water” and one serving size is two 4″ pancakes

Birch Benders (vegan) uses the cassava plant as a starch- Benefits of  cassava (otherwise known as Yucca or tapioca) is that it’s lower in calories compared to other starchy carbs. It is high in fiber and a good source of minerals. This mix also has evaporated cane sugar, in combination with the cassava, gives these pancakes a slightly sweet taste.  Calories 140 P: 3 F: 0 C: 26g (1 fiber, 6 sugar)

Kodiak Cakes uses whole grain oats and honey as their starch and sweetener. They also have egg whites in the mix, which leads to the extra protein per serving. This mix has dairy. Calories :130 P: 7g F: 1 C: 27g (4 fiber, 2 sugar)

Now the fun stuff….how did they cook up?

Kodiak Cakes came out much thicker, more evenly cook and had an overall better taste. The mix dissolved well and I put them in a nonstick pan coated with non stick spray over medium heat. They have a slightly darker color, assuming form the whole grains. They fluffed up well and cooked evenly.

Birch Blenders had a sweet taste to them, most likely due to the cane sugar and cassava added to the mix. They are also “gooier” for lack of a better word. These pancakes were a little thinner and completely white.

Cooking Method: 

I used one serving of each following the instructions on the box, both I added equal parts mix and water. I did not add anything to the mix such as fruit or chocolate (although, I suggest adding bananas, chocolate chips, or berries for some added flavor!)

Conclusion: 

I suggest the Kodiak Mix. They cook up well and the macronutrient profile is more attractive then Birch Blenders. They do have dairy and are not gluten free or paleo but we are talking about delicious pancakes not a super healthy food.  I prefer using Kodiak mix over trying some alchemy, crossing my fingers and hoping a homemade “protein” pancake comes out edible. Next time I will add some protein to the mix and see if they cook up as well. I will update this blog post when I try the additional protein.