My Secret to the Best Copycat McDonald’s Breakfast Sandwich Is This $3 Trader Joe’s Freezer Find

I drive a lot — like, a few too many cross-country drives I haven’t disclosed to my car insurance a lot. I think it’s the ideal way to see the country, and I look forward to observing my favorite road trip rituals. One of those, of course, is a McDonald’s McGriddle to the face as soon as I hit the open road.

Have I ever felt more powerful than I do when I have a savory-sweet McGriddle at the ready? Probably not, although I’m getting pretty close after I discovered something that makes my road trip standby almost too easy to make at home: Trader Joe’s Dutch Griddle Cakes. 

Trader Joe’s frozen Dutch Griddle Cakes have single-handedly helped me realize the limitations of American-style pancakes. They may look small from a bird’s-eye view, but take a look at the griddle cakes from the side and you will see they more than make up for it in the density department — they yield a springier, heftier pancake experience. There’s also no flippy-flappiness (a technical term I just created) to these flapjacks. 

They can more than hold their own in a sandwich or piled high with your favorite sweet and savory toppings (I like mango labne, maple butter, and also peanut butter for a snack). Much like the “bread” portion of a McDonalds’ McGriddle, these griddle cakes have a pinch of maple-y sweetness that plays off the savory qualities of the sandwich (like the egg patty, sausage, and cheese) without veering too close to “dessert as breakfast” territory. For my breakfast sandwich artistry career, that is ideal. 

For a purist McGriddle experience, I keep things relatively simple — one toasted Dutch Griddle Cake, one egg scrambled into a “patty” shape, a breakfast sausage sizzled up in a skillet, and a Kraft single on top for maximum meltiness, followed by another Dutch Griddle Cake on top. 

From there, the sky’s the only limit. Depending on the time of year, I’ll add a bit of creamed maple butter to really play up the maple flavor in the griddle cake. In the mood for heat? Hot honey would be incredible on a sandwich of this stature. Out of Kraft singles? A schmear of a sharp, spreadable cheese (like Pub Cheese) would probably make anyone fall in love with you (I would). 

Want to add some texture? I like my homemade McGriddles to have a bit of crunch, so I’ll often toast the griddle cakes per the package directions before adding them to the same skillet my egg and sausage were cooked in (for about a minute per side) to form a bit of a crust and keep all those fillings safe and secure. 

So next time you’re going to pick up a box of Trader Joe’s (very popular for a reason) frozen croissants for breakfast, grab a few packages of Dutch Griddle Cakes while you’re at it. You’ll wonder why you’ve been sleeping on them all this time. 

Find it in stores: Dutch Griddle Cakes, $3.49 for 14.11 ounces at Trader Joe’s

What’s your favorite Trader Joe’s frozen breakfast find? Tell us about it in the comments below.