I fell in love with the ease of baking with Bisquick back in college, but with adulthood I have said goodbye to Bisquick, ramen noodles, and SpaghettiOs.
Now that I no longer sleep until noon I have time for a better Bisquick alternative… a homemade baking mix that can be whipped up in minutes and lasts months!
The great thing about this mix – I get to control the quality of ingredients used. I’m not sure I can trust Betty Crocker (makers of Bisquick) with this.
Sorry Betty. Can I call you Betty? It’s nothing personal. Your bright yellow box is very appealing, but I think my drop biscuits taste better.
Homemade Baking Mix
Use this baking mix in any recipe that calls for Bisquick.
Ingredients
- 6 cups flour – I use 3 cups organic whole wheat and 3 cups organic pastry flour (buy flours here)
- ¼ cup aluminum-free baking powder (find it here)
- 2 Tbsp organic cane sugar (find unrefined cane sugar here)
- 1 tsp sea salt (where to buy sea salt)
- 1 cup cold butter, preferably from pasture-raised cows
Process
- Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor).
- Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles fine crumbs. (If using a food processor, add butter and pulse until crumbly texture is achieved.)
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mixture will last several months. Makes about 7 cups.
Use your baking mix for simple homemade biscuits!
Biscuits
- 1 cup baking mix
- â…“Â cup milk or buttermilk
Combine ingredients and stir just until moistened. Drop onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes. If you want perfectly round biscuits, knead dough on a floured surface and cut with a juice glass before placing on cookie sheet. Optional: Spice up your plain biscuits by adding cheese, herbs, or spices to the baking mix before adding the liquid.
Try this pancake recipe for a fast homemade breakfast!
Pancakes
- 2 cups baking mix
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk
- 2 eggs, beaten
Combine ingredients and whisk until blended. Cook pancakes on a hot griddle. Don’t forget the add-ins…blueberries, chocolate chips, bananas, or just plain maple syrup!
Mix it Up
So feel free to bypass the big yellow box in the grocery store from now on. This one is easy enough for any DIYer. 🙂
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Gregory says
I tried these and they are amazing. I’ve made Italian herb & Parmesan and used whole wheat flour from Trader Joes. I added additional milk to give the inside a fluffier taste. Any tips for getting tops softer?
Betsy Jabs says
Glad you’re liking this Gregory! I just made a rosemary & garlic biscuit with this mix to go with dinner the other night….mmmmm. I always make them as a drop biscuit, but I wonder if you rolled & cut the biscuits out if it would make a difference in the tops. My thinking is that you wouldn’t end up with little peaks all over the biscuits that browned faster than the rest of the biscuit. Also, decrease baking temperature by about 25 degrees, then the insides will get cooked without baking the outsides so much. Let me know if any of these tips end up working for you!
Dawn says
Thanks for the great recipe, Betsy. We’ve been enjoying pancakes and biscuits more often now that I don’t have to start from scratch each time I bake them. I also found out that 1 cup of this mix plus 4-6 Tbsp. of hot water makes a great pie crust! I mix it until it will form a soft ball, and then roll it out in the pie pan. I didn’t prebake before filling it, and I’ve used it for cheeseburger pie and a hubbard squash (tastes like pumpkin) pie.
Thanks again for sharing all of your great ideas!
Betsy Jabs says
Don’t you love how much time this saves? 🙂 Thanks so much for returning and letting me know about the pie crust idea! I hate buying pre-made crusts, but I also can’t stand making my own from scratch…so I’ll definitely be trying this!!!
Doris says
I have celiac disease and need gluten free. Can you tell me if I can convert this by using a gluten free flour mix?
Betsy Jabs says
I haven’t tried it myself because we aren’t gluten free in my house, but give it a shot and let us know how it works out! My suggestion would be to try making a smaller test batch. 🙂
Mitchell says
If this is made with shortening instead of butter, is it shelf-stable for it’s full usable life?
Betsy Jabs says
Yes, it might actually have a longer shelf life if made with shortening.
Beryl says
I’m sorry…if I would just pay attention to what I read my questions were answered!
Thanks again for the website!!
Betsy Jabs says
Funny…our pleasure Beryl! 🙂
Beryl says
How do you store this… plastic jar or glass? Can it be stored on the counter or should it be in the dark of a cupboard? I am anxious to try it! Thanks…I am so glad I found this site. I have the ingredients for the dishwasher soap…that is next!
Betsy Jabs says
I always prefer glass over plastic, but either works. 🙂 This mix can actually be stored in a cool, dark cupboard…but I prefer the refrigerator or freezer since it extends the shelf life.
Ally McHugh says
This site is a fabulous discovery. I have signed up bought the book & really looking forward to its arrival. Would you by any chance have the equivilent of this recipe for Gluten Intolerants?
Ally from Oz.
Linda says
Could I use kamut flour in place of either the whole wheat or the pastry flour?
Betsy Jabs says
Yes, 7/8 cup of kamut flour can be used as a substitution for 1 cup of whole wheat flour.
Linda says
What kind of wheat would you grind to make pastry flour? I have a “Make a Mix” recipe for homemade Bisquick, but yours has fewer ingredients. Thanks for posting
Betsy Jabs says
Grind soft wheat for pastry flour.
Patricia says
Thanks for all the good ideas for saving money I’m getting ready to retire &
& these are great ways for me to save money. I love the laundry soap.
Lauren says
I just loooove all of your great ideas! I am able to get something from everything you post. You and Matt have really helped our New Years resolution in making more things for ourselves to help the environment and our family be healthier!!!
Betsy Jabs says
I’m so happy to hear that Lauren! Keep up the great work…your family will thank you later if they aren’t already thanking you now. 🙂
Jessica Ibarguen says
Thanks! This will be very useful! My fav part of this post was: ” can I call u betty?” that made me laugh!
Nana M. says
For those looking to take this to the next level…
Grains go rancid in a matter of days or hours. Fresh grinding (and freezing or using right away) is best. Also, grains should be pre-soaked to remove phytic acid and improve digestion. The Weston A. Price Foundation has a great article the matter (http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/living-with-phytic-acid). Here are a few great sites by WAPF chapter leaders with practical advice on how to prepare all foods (not just grains) in the traditional and healthy way: “The Healthy Home Economist” (http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-thursday-how-to-soak-flour-for/) and “Real Food Forager” (http://realfoodforager.com/healthy-whole-grains-soaking-sprouting-and-sourdough/). We have to get back to making our own foods from scratch and the farther we can get away from processed, industrial food the better. We need to take the time and find out how to get back to healthy food preparation that pre-dates modern diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. I’ve been doing just that for the past few years by following WAPF advice, and I can tell you that at first the time factor (i.e., supposed lack of convenience foods) seemed daunting, but now that I’m organized food prep is a breeze. I’m 35 lbs lighter and off medications, and my family is much healthier.
Sue Reynolds says
I’ve been looking & trying to do my own too. In My Betty Book they had a recipe but just didn’t seem to do right. Now I will try yours.
Betsy Jabs says
Hope it works out for you!
tameka says
Thanks for the recipes. Is there a difference between pastry and bread flour?
Thanks
Betsy Jabs says
Great question Tameka! Bread flour has a higher gluten content, helping yeast stretch and rise in recipes. Since pancakes, biscuits, and the like don’t need to rise much, a finer flour like pastry flour (with a lower gluten content) is better. It also helps to balance out the whole wheat flour in my recipe since I don’t want tough biscuits. 🙂
Danielle L. says
This is great, thanks Betsy!!!
Carrie says
Perfect, thank you! I love pre-mades, and it’s another excellent excuse to store something in a pretty glass jar. 🙂 And THANK YOU for only using 2T of sugar in it; sometimes even the diy recipes have so much. Spread out over several months, each serving would have so little. Grateful.