WFPB Protein Pancake Mix (Orgain Copycat, Oil-free, Frugal)

Hey babes!

Here’s a fun little tidbit from eons past. I used to experiment constantly with pancakes, specifically with protein pancakes. Skinny Miss protein powder, egg whites, cottage cheese, I tried it all. But after I moved over to WFPB, my breakfasts transitioned to a mix of tofu bowls, burritos, and oatmeal, and I saved old-fashioned vegan pancakes and waffles for the weekends for my kiddos.

But, as all parents know, tastes change. My oldest is a girl of simple pleasures. Her favorite breakfasts include cracker sandwiches, muffins, fruit, Smartlife bacon, and leftover pizza (when available). But the youngest is a girl of more varied tastes. Sure, we can have mornings of cereal, or “give me my vitamins and let me get an extra half-hour of sleep on the couch.” But other days, it’s more elaborate. Tofu scrambles. Grilled peanut butter quesadillas. Oatmeal with peanut butter and bananas, or berries and almond butter if we’re fancy. Lately though, our weekend treats have slipped into the day-to-day: pancakes and waffles.

As you can imagine, the concern is time. To keep it totally real, here’s how my schedule looks: I am a single mom with a full-time job, a full-time college schedule (again!! Here I come, bachelor’s 2.0), a workout routine I like to maintain, this wonderful website, bills, a meager social life, and my own family. Plus books and painting in my waning free-time. My feet hit the ground at 0430 and stay there until at least 2200. This is a busy babe.

At the same time, I’m a softy with my children. If their requests are reasonable, I do my best to accommodate. Life is long and hard. If pancakes on a Tuesday make the difference for my kids, I can work a little faster in the morning. So I put on my thinking cap. In the old, pre-WFPB days, my first thought would’ve been Bisquick. Luckily, quick these days doesn’t have to mean unhealthy. And then, by luck, I found the beautiful brand Orgain.

Listen, I am not here to drag conventionally vegan brands. I am beyond thrilled that plant-based is taking over the mainstream. Just Egg, Beyond Meat, MorningStar Farms, and all of the others are huge ground-breakers and I love every second of it. Even Wal-mart has generic veggie burgers now. The future is bright and green.

BUT. I also understand the gap. The desire to support these brands and the stagnant wages that say “hahaha, not today, sis.” So when I looked at this delicious whole-wheat and oat blend from Orgain, I was excited to step away from the easy Bisquick/long and complicated homemade dichotomy. Until I saw the price.

Hold. The. Phone. $7.00 USD for 15 oz????

No. No. No. No way. No how. Nuh-uh. Even if I was pro-meat, I sure as hell wouldn’t spend $3.50/lb on anything that doesn’t stretch. Pancake mix is surely not going to meet that bar. So naturally, I looked at the label. What could be in this mystical, $7 mix? Organic wheat flour, oat flour, pea protein, sugar, baking powder, natural flavor, and sea salt. Well, for those of us that aren’t as picky about the organic label, all of those ingredients are things I regularly keep in my kitchen (with the exception of the natural flavor, but I’m willing to take chances).

So, I put on my scientist cap and got to experimenting. And once I found success, I whipped out my mathematician beret and calculated. Here’s what I found out. First of all, this recipe makes roughly 34 oz of mix, over double the brand-name. And the cost?

$1.91.

Yep, that’s right, 27% of the cost at over double the volume. So ounce for ounce, we’re talking less than 13% of the cost.

But if it’s completely subpar in the nutrients, what’s the point in saving money? Well, still that beating heart, reader. Quell your anxiety and take a look at this:

	Orgain Protein Pancake Mix (per 1/3 cup)	Homemade WFPB Pancake Mix (per 1/3 cup)
Calories	170 calories	166 calories
Fiber	1 gram	3.2 grams
Protein	10 grams	18.8 grams

Not bad, eh? Triple the fiber, almost double the protein, and roughly the same calories. And all packed into a tidy jar for your convenience. And luckily, all you have to add for a basic pancake is some plant-based milk and a little vanilla. Done.

Sure, you can fancy it up with some peanut butter, bananas, blueberries, cocoa powder, etc. But if you want something quick, easy, and so filling, check this one out. Kids love it and so do babes. Give it a try, and let me know what you think. What are your favorite pancake add-ins?