One of my favorite ways to make life in the kitchen easier is to do a little work ahead of time.
I don't necessarily need more complicated meal-prepping systems or expensive convenience foods. Sometimes something as simple as putting the dry ingredients for a favorite recipe into a jar can save time later.
Today I'm sharing three homemade pantry mixes that I've tested in my own kitchen: pancake mix for breakfast, my longtime cornbread recipe to serve alongside dinner, and an oatmeal cookie mix for dessert.
All three use simple ingredients I normally keep on hand.
And unlike many boxed mixes from the grocery store, I know exactly what's in mine.
Why I Make Homemade Pantry Mixes
The biggest reason is convenience.
When I want pancakes, I don't have to pull five different dry ingredients out of the pantry and measure everything. The dry portion is already mixed and waiting for me.
It's the same with the cornbread and cookies.
This is one of those small kitchen habits that doesn't take much time when I'm doing it, but saves me time later. And if I'm already getting the flour, baking powder and other ingredients out, it doesn't take much longer to make more than one mix.
Just be sure to label your jars with the name of the mix and what wet ingredients you'll need to add.
Homemade Pancake Mix
This gives me the convenience of a boxed pancake mix using ingredients I already have in my kitchen.
Dry Mix
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup sugar
Whisk everything together thoroughly and transfer to an airtight container.
To Make Pancakes
- 2 cups pancake mix
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla together. Add the pancake mix and stir just until combined.
Don't worry about a few lumps, and don't overmix.
Allow the batter to rest for 5-10 minutes before cooking. If it becomes thicker than you like, add a little more milk.
Cook on a lightly greased griddle over medium heat until bubbles appear and the edges begin to set. Flip and cook the other side until golden.
And yes, I did make pancakes when I tested this recipe.
Unfortunately, our Labrador decided they passed her taste test, too. 😂
My Homemade Cornbread Mix
This isn't a new recipe in my kitchen. I've been making this cornbread for years, which is exactly why I wanted to turn it into a ready-to-use jar mix.
Dry Mix
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Combine thoroughly and store in an airtight jar.
To Make Cornbread
Add to one jar of cornbread mix:
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup oil OR ¼ cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Combine the dry mix with the eggs, milk and oil or melted butter. Mix just until combined. Don't overbeat.
Pour into a greased 9 × 9-inch baking pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
This is wonderful alongside chili, soup, beans or any simple dinner that needs a little something extra.
Homemade Oatmeal Cookie Mix
This may be my favorite idea of the three because I purposely don't put the chocolate chips in the jar.
That way, one basic cookie mix can become several different kinds of cookies depending on what I have or what sounds good that day.
Dry Mix
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Mix thoroughly and transfer to an airtight container.
To Make the Cookies
- 1 jar oatmeal cookie mix
- ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Up to 1 cup of your favorite add-ins
For the add-ins, try chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, pecans, walnuts, white chocolate chips, or a combination.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream the softened butter briefly. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Add the dry cookie mix and stir until combined. Fold in your chosen add-ins.
Scoop approximately 1½ tablespoons of dough per cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten very slightly.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
I had four different people taste these cookies before filming this video, and they were a hit!
A Little Work Now Makes Life Easier Later
That's really what these homemade pantry mixes are about.
I have breakfast covered with pancakes, something to serve alongside dinner with the cornbread, and dessert covered with the oatmeal cookies.
Nothing complicated. Just ordinary ingredients prepared ahead of time so they're ready when I need them.
That's my kind of meal prep-progress over perfection and making tomorrow's kitchen a little easier today.
If you enjoy preparing ahead, be sure to get my FREE Family Favorites Meal Planning Bundle.
And I'd love to know: Which mix would you make first?
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