**Pancake Muffins: A Quick and Easy Breakfast Treat**
Pancakes always seem like a great breakfast idea—until you’re the one standing at the stove, measuring out individual hotcakes from a seemingly endless bowl of batter. Instead of cooking pancakes one at a time, try dividing the batter into smaller portions to make several pancake muffins all at once.
This recipe utilizes store-bought pancake mix for speedy prep, and the batter gets poured into paper-lined cups for easy cleanup. Maple syrup is mixed right into the batter, so the baked muffins have the classic flavor without the classic stickiness.
Serve these pancake muffins on the breakfast table alongside eggs and bacon or other 30-minute breakfast recipes. You can also enjoy them with one of these healthy smoothie recipes during your morning commute or mid-morning break.
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### Ingredients for Pancake Muffins
– **Pancake mix:** Pancake mix contains flour, baking powder, sugar, milk powder, and often spices, so there’s no need to measure individual ingredients. Use any of the best pancake mixes for this recipe.
– **Milk:** Pancake mix instructions often read “just add water,” but we recommend using whole milk instead to enhance the flavor. This is especially true in pancake mix muffins because the milk makes them softer and more tender.
– **Maple syrup:** Syrup adds sweetness and flavor, so don’t skimp when you’re choosing at the grocery store. Pure maple syrup and pancake syrup differ in their ingredients, so scrutinize the syrup bottle label. Maple syrup has a richer natural flavor and bakes better in these muffins.
– **Canola oil:** Neutral-tasting canola is one of the most popular cooking oils and is ideal for baking. It keeps these muffins moist and light, with a less crispy exterior.
– **Egg:** Always bake with room-temperature eggs, which blend more easily than fridge-cold ones. For less clumping, let the milk come to room temperature, too.
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### Directions
**Step 1: Prepare to bake**
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
**Step 2: Mix and pour the batter**
In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, milk, syrup, oil, and egg. Whisk the ingredients until smooth. Fill the prepared muffin cups three-fourths full.
**Step 3: Bake and cool the muffins**
Bake the pancake muffins for 11 to 13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. Serve with additional maple syrup, if desired.
**Editor’s Tip:** When muffins cool in their pans for a few minutes, they firm up slightly and are easier to lift free, even those encased in paper cups. When they finish cooling on racks, the paper dries out instead of trapping steam and making the muffin bottoms soggy.
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### Pancake Muffins Variations
– **Turn on the tang:** To replicate the full flavor of scratch-made buttermilk pancakes, replace the whole milk with cultured buttermilk. Even if you use a pancake mix that includes buttermilk powder, the real thing takes the muffins to another level.
– **Use applesauce:** Applesauce is a great alternative to butter and oil in muffins and other quick breads because it makes them soft and light while cutting their fat content. Replace just half of the canola oil with unsweetened applesauce. A full swap would drastically change the texture of the muffins.
– **Spice up the batter:** Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice add even more flavor. Sprinkle in homemade pumpkin pie spice or gingerbread spice mix for a festive touch.
– **Add berries:** Muffins made with pancake mix welcome fruit just as readily as stovetop pancakes and scratch-made muffins. Fold 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries, cranberries, or huckleberries into the batter after mixing in the dry ingredients. For a truly decadent treat, combine ½ cup berries with ½ cup dark chocolate chips. Add frozen fruit without thawing it to keep the juices from bleeding into the batter, and bake a few minutes longer if needed.
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### How to Store Pancake Muffins
Store pancake muffins at room temperature in an airtight container once they have cooled completely. Leave them on the counter as muffins dry out quickly in the refrigerator.
Pancake muffins last for three to five days when stored this way.
**Can you freeze pancake muffins?**
Yes! Pancake muffins freeze well. Let them cool completely, then line them up on a baking sheet and freeze until solid before sealing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. This keeps them from getting squished before they fully freeze. Muffins can be kept in the freezer for two to three months.
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### Pancake Muffins Tips
– **Can you make pancake muffins without paper liners?**
Baking with paper liners helps muffins rise more neatly and makes them easier to remove from the pan. However, you can bake pancake muffins without liners by greasing the muffin tin well with cooking spray or coconut oil. After cooling for a few minutes, use a butter knife to loosen the edges before carefully lifting the muffins from the pan and transferring them to a rack to finish cooling.
– **Can you make pancake muffins with homemade pancake batter?**
Yes! While this recipe is designed for store-bought pancake mix for convenience and consistency, you can also use homemade pancake batter. Keep in mind that the texture and baking time might vary slightly depending on your batter’s consistency.
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Enjoy these delicious and easy pancake muffins for a hassle-free breakfast that everyone will love!
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pancake-muffins/
