December 20, 2017

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This week’s taste test features three pumpkin pancake mixes: Krusteaz, Foodstirs and Trader Joe’s. Frankly, I liked them all, but for different reasons. That said, I do recognize that each mix will appeal to a different palette. Therefore, this post will compare and contrast each mix by quality, so you can select the pumpkin pancake mix that best meets your needs and taste buds.

Pumpkin Season 2017 Taste Test #5 Pumpkin Pancake Smackdown

Extra Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix, Pumpkin Spice
    If you’re going camping, this is the mix to take. All you need to add is water.
  • Foostirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix
    You’ll need an egg, melted butter and mil (or mil alternative) for this mix.
  • Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix
    Like Foodstirs’ mix, you’ll need an egg, melted butter and mil (or mil alternative) for this mix.

compare three pumpkin pancake mixes - Krusteaz, Foodstirs, Trader Joes

Batter Consistency

  • Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix, Pumpkin Spice
    Because you are only adding water, the batter can be a bit thin. Just add a bit more mix to get it to the consistency you desire.
  • Foostirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix
    The batter is thinner than Trader Joe’s but thicker than Krusteaz, and almost creamy smooth.
  • Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix
    The batter is thick and bubbly, especially after sitting a bit to wait for its turn at the skillet.

comparing three pumpkin pancake batters - Krusteaz, Foodstirs, Trader Joes

Fluffiness Factor

  • Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix, Pumpkin Spice
    These pancakes were by far the lightest and fluffiest.
  • Foostirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix
    These pancakes were slightly denser than the other two but still fluffy.
  • Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix
    Not as fluffy as Krusteaz but not as dense as Foodstirs.

Flavor Profile

  • Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix, Pumpkin Spice
    This mix had the strongest pumpkin flavor, with a nice balance of spice.
  • Foostirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix
    This mix resulted in pancakes with a nice balance of flavors. They were slightly sweet and the vanilla was notable. I think I liked the flavor of these the best.
  • Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix
    If you like a spicier pumpkin pancake, this is the mix for you. The notes of cinnamon, ginger, and allspice were notable.

Overall Thoughts on Pumpkin Pancake Mixes Tested

I liked them all to some degree, but it really comes down to Foodstirs and Trader Joe’s for my money. For a more vanilla-tinted pumpkin pancake, go for Foodstirs. For a more robustly spice pumpkin pancake, go for Trader Joe’s. And for portability, go for Krusteaz.

[one_third] Krusteaz pumpkin pancake [/one_third]

[one_third] Foodstirs pumpkin pancake [/one_third]

[one_third_last] Trader Joes pumpkin pancake [/one_third_last]

Ratings

Rating these pancake mixes was hard. They were so close, each one offering something worthy of note. The ratings below are purely based on my favorite flavor profile. Your personal taste may differ.

Krusteaz Complete Pancake Mix, Pumpkin Spice
[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Foostirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix
[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix
[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth] thumbs up pumpkin [/one_fifth]

[one_fifth_last] thumbs down pumpkin [/one_fifth_last]


Previous Pumpkin Tastings

Forthcoming Pumpkin Tastings

  • Pumpkin bar mixes: Betty Crocker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bar Mix vs. Krusteaz Supreme Bar Mix Pumpkin Spice
  • Pumpkin cookie mixes: Betty Crocker Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix vs. Krusteaz Bakery Style Cookie Mix Pumpkin Spice
About the Author

Carma Spence has been experimenting in the kitchen since she was four years old and loves trying out new recipe ideas. She is the author of Bonkers for Bundt Cakes and Your Perfect Pie, as well as author and contributor to several more non-food-related books. With Carma's Cookery, she is taking her passion for empowering people and blending it with her passion for cooking, gift-giving and entertaining.

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