11 Ways To Make Boxed Waffle Mix Better
Although boxed waffle mixes such as Aunt Jemima, Hungry Jack, Krusteaz, etc., call for nothing more than water, there’s always a way to make your waffles even tastier. The waffle mixes contain everything you need for your waffles, but sometimes they feel a bit bland. So how to make boxed waffle mix better?
Adding lemon zest, buttermilk, vanilla extract, eggs, melted butter, yeast, spices, a pinch of salt, or mashed fruit into the boxed waffle mix will significantly improve the taste of your waffles. Also, sifting the mix and mixing it carefully will make the waffles airy and soft.
Ready-made waffle mixes are excellent, especially since they are very time-saving and don’t require any particular skills other than basic culinary knowledge. Even better about them is that you can experiment and add your favorite ingredients to your waffles.
In the following paragraphs, I will share some knowledge I have acquired through experimenting with boxed waffle mixes and explain how to improve them and what substitutes you can use.
Here’s how to improve a boxed waffle mix: works with Hungry Jack, Krusteaz, Bisquick and others
Improving a boxed waffle mix is pretty straightforward, but first, you need to know what’s missing to know what to add. I’d recommend trying the mix, as it is the first to have a clear idea of what you can do to improve it. The following ideas work great, but avoid mixing everything.
1. Lemon zest
Lemon zest is a well-known addition to many baking mixes. The lemon zest will amplify the other flavor, but it will also add its magic to the batter. Moreover, the chemical reaction triggered by the lemon zest will cause air bubbles to form inside the batter, which will give you airier and fluffier waffles.
2. Buttermilk
Since waffles need to be fattier, adding buttermilk is an excellent idea to enrich them. The buttermilk will significantly increase the fat content of the waffles and contribute to making them creamy and juicy on the inside. It will also protect their surface from burning.
3. Vanilla extract
Vanilla extract can make even the blandest of desserts sparkle. If you want to add more flavor to your waffles, add some vanilla extract and enjoy the results. It won’t overwhelm the waffles, nor will it dominate.
What vanilla extract does is create a base for other flavors to mash up. Therefore your vanilla-flavored waffles will go amazingly with whatever you top them with.
4. Eggs
Eggs are another universal component commonly used in desserts. They are an excellent bonding agent and will help your batter homogenize, giving you fluffy waffles. Another great thing about eggs is that they increase the fat and protein amount, so your waffles will be tasty and nutritious.
5. Melted butter
You can never go wrong with melted butter. It will add elasticity and creaminess to your waffles. Moreover, it will protect them from burning and keep them evenly cooked on the inside. Moreover, butter adds neutral richness and milkiness to the waffles meaning you can combine them with whatever you want.
6. Yeast
A teaspoon of dry yeast can go a long way with your boxed waffle mix. Dry yeast will let your batter rise and become fluffy, airy, and light as a leavening agent. In addition, your batter will become more elastic and easier to work with.
7. A pinch of salt
Adding a little salt to your boxed waffle mix won’t make your waffles salty but will bring out all the other flavors contained in the mix. It also adds elasticity to the waffle mixture and significantly reduces the chances of your waffles sticking.
8. Spices
Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, fennel, or mixed sweet spices will add flavor to your waffles and bring out the existing flavors in the mix. The downside of using spices in your batter is that they will restrict you when topping your waffles, as they tend to be quite strong.
9. Mashed fruit
Another great idea to enrich your boxed pancake mix is to add mashed fruit to it. The waffles will turn out fresh and fruity, and you won’t even need to top them. However, you should be careful to mash the fruit to cream-like consistency and maybe add some butter or milk to the mash.
If your fruit mash is lumpy, it will burn while cooking.
10. Change your technique
No matter what you add to your boxed waffle mix, it will all be in vain if you don’t apply the proper techniques.
Sifting the mix will significantly improve the waffles’ texture. It will help you break the lumps and largely contribute to fluffy and light waffles.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients separately. When you merge them, always pour the dry ingredients into the wet ones while mixing.
Separate the egg whites and yolks. Whisk them separately and after they have formed a foam, merge them and add them to the mix.
Mix the batter gently, and don’t overdo it. You will get a runny and sticky batter if you mix too much. If you don’t mix enough, your batter will be lumpy and likely burn.
Be careful about the quantity. Each mix has the quantities of the ingredients you want to add indicated on the back of the box. See the indicated quantities and add one or a half more.
Check the consistency of the batter and taste it frequently. Start adding smaller amounts of the ingredients and slowly adjust the taste and consistency. You can always add more of something but can’t take it out once it’s in.
11. Try different combinations
You shouldn’t put all of the ingredients mentioned above together in a single mix. Decide which aspect you want to improve and add the ingredients accordingly.
Add lemon zest, spices, mashed fruit, or salt if you want more flavor. For elasticity, add eggs, yeast, butter, or buttermilk. Add buttermilk, yeast, and eggs to make your waffles fattier.
If you want to work on several aspects, add one of each category. For example, if you add buttermilk, don’t add butter, and if you add salt, go easy on the spices.
Not all boxed mixes will taste the same and require the same things. You can have two of the same mix, and still, they won’t be identical. In essence, be careful how much you add to each ingredient we discussed and why you do it.
Consider how long the boxed mix has been in your pantry. Has it been sitting open? Therefore, I’d recommend making a trial waffle with the mix as it is so that you know what’s missing.
How to make waffles with pancake mix without egg?
Making waffles with pancake mix without eggs is doable but somewhat a procedure. Luckily there are several egg substitutes you can try if you want eggless waffles.
You can substitute eggs for banana or avocado mash. Mash the banana/avocado and add some vegetable oil to the mixture; mix everything well and add it to your batter. The mash will act as a bonding agent, and your waffles will do nicely with it.
Moreover, the banana/avocado mash will enrich the waffles’ flavor.
Use chia seeds or flaxseed. Chia seeds release a gel-like substance that acts as a great bonding agent. Put a teaspoon of chia seeds in water and let them soak; once they enlarge, they are ready to use.
If you go with flaxseed, you can either boil them or blend and boil them. They will release a gel-like substance which does great doubling for eggs. If you boil them whole, you need to strain them to separate the seeds from the gel; if you boil blended flaxseed, there’s no need to strain them.
Baking soda and white vinegar mixture is a great egg substitute. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda and one tablespoon of white vinegar and add it to the pancake batter.
Another great solution is cornstarch and water mixture. Be careful with this, as cornstarch can not only bond the mix but will make it very thick. So start with half a teaspoon of cornstarch in half a cup of water and adjust the quantity if you need to.
The water and oil mixture also doubles excellent for eggs. Mix the water and oil well before adding them to your pancake mix, and keep mixing until they homogenize with the rest of the ingredients.
You can use milk instead of water in a waffle mix
Not only is it ok to use milk instead of water in your waffle mix, but it is recommended. As we already mentioned, the waffle mix needs to be a bit fattier, so sing milk will increase its fat content nicely.
Milk also adds creaminess to the batter and enriches the flavor of the waffles. You can later combine your waffles with whatever you want as it isn’t restrictive.
There are many vegan-friendly types of milk, which may not contribute to the fat content on a large scale, but will add creaminess and flavor to your waffles.
