Pumpkin Season 2017 Taste Test #6: Pumpkin Pancake Smackdown

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Foostirs Organic Pumpkin Spice Stacks Pancake Mix

Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix

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