The Surprising $5 Boxed Mix I Use to Make Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, AND Dessert

If there’s one item you’re guaranteed to find in my pantry year-round, it’s Kodiak’s flapjack and waffle mix (previously Kodiak Cakes). It quickly became a staple mainly because it’s made with whole grains and is a good source of protein and fiber. It wasn’t until recently, though, that it occurred to me to get creative with my favorite mix. 

Those experiments have led to some delicious baked goods that hardly last a few days in my household. When friends and family members beg for the recipes and learn that I use pancake mix to make my goods, they’re usually pretty shocked.

The first thing worth noting about this mix is that it comes in a wide array of fun flavors, including chocolate chip, pumpkin, raspberry lemon, and, yes, birthday cake. There’s even a gluten-free version and plant-based version. So, you’re bound to find one that suits any and every pancake fan in your household — even the pickiest of eaters. 

I’m a traditionalist at heart, so my favorite pancake mix is the classic buttermilk. When I want to mix things up now and then I go for the cinnamon oat mix, which boasts a hearty texture thanks to the whole oats and a sweet-meets-spicy flavor from the brown sugar and spice. 

It’s also worth mentioning the impressive nutritional profile for this mix. For example, the buttermilk Power Cakes offer 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving. That’s more protein than two eggs, and almost 18% of the daily recommended amount for fiber. 

When I want to amp up the protein even further, I’ll add an egg to the mix and swap out water for an ultra-filtered milk like Fairlife. Or if I’m aiming for more fiber, I’ll toss in some blueberries and ground flax. Even when I just use the mix as is with water, I find that these pancakes and waffles really stick with me — I don’t feel any hunger pangs for at least a few hours after eating. 

These days, I tend to prioritize foods that are simple and contain fewer artificial flavors, fillers, preservatives, or other additives. So I love that even the more inventive mixes feature a short list of easy-to-recognize ingredients. The raspberry lemon mix is flavored with raspberries and lemon juice powder, and the pumpkin contains pumpkin, cinnamon, and allspice.

But the biggest perk? The versatility of the Kodiak Power Cakes is virtually unmatched: This mix can be used to make just about any breads, muffins, cookies, and crumbles you can imagine.

I can certainly vouch for the fact that the Kodiak Power Cakes mix produces perfectly fluffy flapjacks and waffles with a tender interior and crisp, golden-brown edges. My favorite way to make these before a busy work week is to bake a larger batch of pancakes in a sheet pan, which I can then cut into squares and store in the fridge or freezer. That way, I can just pop them in the air fryer or toaster in the morning for a quick, satisfying breakfast.

But truthfully, the possibilities are endless here — in fact, take a look at the PowerCakes recipe page and you’ll find well over 200 different ways to use this mix. I’ve turned the dark chocolate mix into rich and cakey brownies, the cinnamon oat mix into delightfully chewy oatmeal cookies as well as moist zucchini oat bread, and the pumpkin mix into dense oven-baked doughnuts. One weekend while hosting some family, I impulsively busted out the mix to make chocolate chip muffins — needless to say, they were a huge hit with our niece and nephew.