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    Home » Meal Planning

    20+ DIY Baking Mixes: Make It Easier to Bake at Home

    Published: Sep 16, 2020 · Modified: Jan 9, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

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    Save time and money in the kitchen with these 20+ DIY Baking Mixes for pancakes, waffles, brownies, and muffins using regular pantry staples.

    jar of basic pancake mix this …

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    Want homemade baked goods? Want it easy in the kitchen?

    Do you have to choose?

    Nope. You can have both when you make DIY Baking Mixes for pancakes, waffles, brownies, and even muffins! Using regular pantry staples, you can create your own homemade mixes to keep things delicious and customized to your preferences while still making it easy to pull it off.

    Why a mix in the first place?

    I think it’s probably a common American experience to grow up thinking that all baked goods come from a box, the freezer section, or the bakery aisle of the grocery store. 

    Someone else did the baking. We opened boxes and bags.

    We can thank the executives of Big Food in the 50s for convincing us that a mix was better than making it ourselves. 

    It wasn’t until I went to college that I realized that making baked goods from scratch was better and more importantly, cheaper than the commercial alternatives.

    But even though it was better to bake it myself, sometimes I just didn’t want to fuss with all the measuring spoons and cups and or to pull out all those ingredients again. So, yeah, I get why they invented Betty Crocker.

    To bake my cake and want to eat it, too, I started making my own mixes. At first I just mixed up the dry team of a recipe the night before, but eventually I realized I could mass produce them. Just like Betty.

    chocolate chip muffin cut in quarters on a white plate

    What are DIY baking mixes?

    A DIY Baking Mix is just that, a baking mix you do yourself. You can make your own mixes for almost any baked good in which the dry ingredients are added at the same time.

    You can make homemade mixes for any of the following types of baked goods:

    • quick breads
    • cakes
    • cupcakes
    • scones
    • waffles
    • pancakes
    • biscuits
    • cornbread
    • brownies
    • coffeecake
    • donuts

    Be sure to scroll down for more than 20+ favorite Good Cheap Eats baking mixes.

    How do you make a homemade baking mix?

    Baking mixes are very easy to make yourself. Here’s how the process goes:

    1. Label a bag or jar with the wet ingredients list and the baking instructions.
    2. Fill the container with the dry ingredients.
    3. Seal and store until you’re ready to use. You can store it at room temperature in a cool, dry place or for longer storage, stash it in the freezer.

    blueberry muffin batter in paper lined tins

    That was pretty easy, wasn’t it? Check out our favorite recipes to make into mixes here:

    20+ DIY Baking Mixes to Help You Eat Well

    Oatmeal Waffles

    Enjoy a batch of oatmeal waffles, full of whole grain goodness. This oatmeal waffle recipe is sure to please the whole family!

    Buttermilk Corn Waffles

    Celebrate a bright new day with these tangy buttermilk corn waffles. Gild the lily with a little honey butter.

    Homemade Buttermilk Waffles (21 cents each!)

    Start the morning on a high note with a lovely stack of homemade buttermilk waffles. This recipe allows for making it ahead as a mix or your own frozen waffles.

    Basic Pancake Recipe - An Easy Pantry Staple

    These easy pancakes are perfectly delicious and excellent for feeding a crowd. You can even make this basic pancake recipe as a mix or as a freezer meal!

    Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

    Want to enjoy pancakes without a lot of added sugar? This recipe for Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes is packed with flavor and nutrition.

    Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

    Good morning, Sunshine! Start the day right with a short stack of delicious, whole wheat blueberry pancakes. They’ll come together quickly and easily with a homemade mix.

    Homemade Muffin Mix - Mix and Match Muffins (92 cents/dozen)

    This easy, homemade muffin mix recipe allows you to make big, bakery-style muffins that can be flavored any way you like. Make several batches of mix and bake all kinds of muffins!

    Cocoa Brownies

    Ditch the boxed brownie mix! These Cocoa Brownies mix up quickly and taste amazing, full of chocolately flavor without the junk.

    Milk and Honey Cornbread

    Bake up a batch of this Milk and Honey Cornbread. It’s lightly sweetened and delicious for breakfast or the bread basket.

    Buttermilk Cornbread 

    This Buttermilk Cornbread is so easy to make, super delicious — and it even passes muster with my Southern friends — even if it’s sweet cornbread.

    Pumpkin Biscuits

    Fill the bread basket with a batch (or two) of these Pumpkin Biscuits. They’re a simple but delicious addition to your next soup or chili night. And you can make them gluten-free!

    Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

    Skip the can of refrigerated biscuits! You can make flaky layers all on your own with this easy recipe for flaky buttermilk biscuits.

    Lemon Drop Scones

    Bake someone happy with these lemon drop scones covered in lemon glaze. This lemon scone recipe is delicious, nutritious, and super easy to make.

    Christmas Tree Scones - A Fun Holiday Tradition

    Christmas Tree Scones are a festive addition to your holiday breakfast or brunch table. They are also delicious served with afternoon tea!

    Spiced Pumpkin Scones are Perfect for Fall

    These Spiced Pumpkin Scones are delicious for breakfast with your morning coffee as well as an afternoon snack with tea or milk.

    Maple-Oat Heart Scones - They Work for Me!

    Bake someone happy with these easy to mix up Maple Oat Heart Scones. Make it as a mix or toss the formed scones in the freezer to bake later.

    Triple Chocolate Baked Donuts You Can Make Yourself (17 cents/serving)

    Donut shop mornings can be blissful, but also expensive. Save some coin and bake your own triple chocolate donuts.

    Bake Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick's Day

    Irish Soda Bread is an easy quick bread to fill the bread basket with. It mixes up effortlessly and bakes up beautifully.

    Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze

    Looking for an easy cake recipe? This Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake with a luscious maple glaze comes together easily and quickly, perfect for dessert or snacking.

    Pumpkin Coffeecake with Pepitas

    This Pumpkin Coffeecake with Pepitas features a dense, moist cake, topped with a sugar crumb topping dotted with salty pepitas. It promises to be a winner at your house this fall.

    Cinnamon Streusel Coffeecake Recipe

    Cinnamon and brown sugar form a crunchy topping that sits and settles into a spiced cake, making a perfect accompaniment to your favorite hot beverages. Bake this Cinnamon Streusel Coffeecake for your next breakfast, brunch, or tea.

    This post was originally published on October 28, 2013. It has been updated for content and clarity.

    DIY Baking Mixes Pinnable image

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katha Pierce Horton

      March 15, 2015 at 9:47 am

      There are only 2 of us and we don’t like to cook and freeze (who knows when they would surface in the freezer again). Any suggestions for preparing 2-4 muffins from the mix?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 15, 2015 at 9:48 am

        The best I could suggest would be to half the batch. You’d get six large muffins that way. Maybe share with friends?

        Reply
    2. Sarah @ Economist at Home

      October 29, 2013 at 9:24 am

      I love this idea. Every time I make muffins I think about the effort I’m duplicating by not having a huge batch of dry ingredients pre-mixed and waiting for me.

      Have you ever tried making the muffin mix using whole wheat flour for half or more of the flour called for? If so, does it need extra wet ingredients to keep it moist? Just wondering if you’ve tried it. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        October 29, 2013 at 5:43 pm

        I’m pretty sure the muffin mix if half ww pastry flour…

        Reply
    3. Janet

      October 28, 2013 at 1:14 pm

      I vacillate between paying for convenience and doing it myself. I cannot remember the last time I purchased a spice mix. I save my empty spice jars and re-label and use them for my spice mixes. On the other hand, I often purchase muffin mixes when they are on sale and I have a coupon. I will not pay more than 25 cents. Likewise, I will not pay the extra cost for shredded carrots, but will purchase shredded cheese when it is on sale for a low price. I make my own salads. I do not like the taste and will not eat bagged salads. It really comes down to a combination of which cooking tasks I do and do not enjoy, the cost difference of doing it myself and differences in taste.

      Reply

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