And WTF is riboflavin?
By Rebecca Firkser Updated February 13, 2018
EC: What’s Actually in Bisquick?
Credit: Image by @bisquick via Instagram
Boxed batter mixes like Bisquick can be a godsend. You just rehydrate the Bisquick with milk and eggs, and you’re (literally) cooking. While any pancake or waffle recipe will tell you the minimum ingredients needed for a batter—flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, an egg—Bisquick’s ingredient list contains a few more unpronounceables. So what’s really in Bisquick? Turns out, there’s nothing too sinister lurking in that yellow box, but there are a few things you should know about Bisquick before you make those pancakes.
The ingredients list on a box Bisquick Original Pancake & Baking Mix currently reads “enriched flour bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), dextrose, salt.” While some of these ingredients may raise a red flag in your brain—seriously, what is riboflavin?—they’re all mostly emulsifiers and nutrients added back into the flour after processing. But let me break it down for you: Niacin and thiamin mononitrate are both forms of Vitamin B, typically found in yeast or cereal grains. Riboflavin is another form of Vitamin B found in dairy, lean meats, legumes, and leafy greens. Because they add these ingredients to standard wheat flour, Bisquick has to call it “enriched.”
Sodium aluminum phosphate and monocalcium phosphate are both chemical leavening acids typically found in baking powder, and dextrose is a simple sugar synonymous with glucose.
The only truly questionable ingredient in Bisquick is the partially hydrogenated oil. An extremely common ingredient in processed foods, partially hydrogenated oils are a source of trans fat, which contribute greatly to heart disease. Though for years the FDA maintained that partially hydrogenated oils were safe to consume, in 2013 the organization determined partially hydrogenated oils were no longer "generally recognized as safe." It’s clear that Bisquick caught on to this fact, as their Bisquick Heart Smart baking mix contains canola oil as opposed to partially hydrogenated oil. Interestingly enough, Bisquick Heart Smart ingredients list sugar (3 grams per serving) while Bisquick original does not.
So there you have it: Bisquick isn’t full of scary chemicals, but if the American Heart Association recommends avoiding trans fats, I’m inclined to do so. I won’t suggest tossing your Bisquick in the trash—I know cooking from scratch isn’t always an option. However I might offer a compromise in the form of homemade Bisquick.
FAQs
Ingredients. Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Vegetable Oil (palm, canola and/or soybean oil), Corn Starch, Dextrose, Leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), Salt, Sugar, DATEM, Monoglycerides. Contains Wheat Ingredients ...
What exactly is in Bisquick? ›
Ingredients. Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil (palm, sunflower, canola, and/or high oleic soybean oil), Leavening (baking soda, monocalcium phosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate), Dextrose, Sugar, Salt, Monoglycerides.
What are the ingredients in original Bisquick? ›
The ingredients in Bisquick Original consist of bleached wheat flour (enriched with niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin and folic acid), corn starch, dextrose, palm oil, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), canola oil, salt, sugar, DATEM, and distilled monoglycerides.
How is Bisquick different from flour? ›
Bisquick is a premixed baking product. It contains leavening (baking powder) and salt as same self rising flour does but also contains shortening.
How is Bisquick different from pancake mix? ›
While pancake mix and Bisquick share many ingredients, the two are not the same. The main difference is that the pancake mix is sweeter. Most pancake mixes can be used in place of Bisquick and vice versa in sweet recipes. Compare your pancake mix with Bisquick's ingredient list before swapping.
What are the bioengineered ingredients in Bisquick? ›
- This product contains the following ingredient(s) that may be genetically engineered or derived from GE crops: Sugars, Dextrose, and Soy Flour [read more]
- Environmental Impact: Contains eggs, which have a lower carbon footprint than meat.
Pancake Mix – Pancake mix is a lot like Bisquick, but it may yield a slightly sweeter result due to its sugar content. Jiffy Baking Mix – Use Jiffy baking mix in place of Bisquick and get delicious results! Krusteaz Baking Mix – Just like Jiffy, Krusteaz baking mix can be swapped in place of Bisquick with no issues.
What is better than Bisquick? ›
THE VERDICT. Aunt Jemima's Buttermilk Complete was definitely our favorite brand of the bunch. Aunt Jemima's Buttermilk Complete had it all — the best texture, shape, cooking experience, and, of course, taste. The buttermilk added a nice tang while keeping the texture light and fluffy.
Is Bisquick just flour and baking soda? ›
If you've never had it, Bisquick is simply a premade baking mix made of flour, fat, leavening, and salt.
Why did they change Bisquick? ›
The Bisquick available today is not the same one sold early on. In the late 1960s, General Mills decided to change the recipe. They wanted to make biscuits lighter and fluffier in texture. To do this, they added buttermilk and more shortening, and then began selling the product as New Bisquick.
Q: How should I store Bisquick mix? A: To keep Bisquick mix fresh, store it in an airtight container or plastic bag in a cool, dry place, like on your pantry shelf. For long-term storage, keep it in the refrigerator or freezer. If frozen, bring it to room temperature before using.
Is Bisquick healthy? ›
The only truly questionable ingredient in Bisquick is the partially hydrogenated oil. An extremely common ingredient in processed foods, partially hydrogenated oils are a source of trans fat, which contribute greatly to heart disease.
Is biscuit mix just flour? ›
A multi-purpose mix made up of flour, sugar, salt, vegetable shortening and baking soda.
What is the point of Bisquick? ›
Essentially, Bisquick has utilitarian appeal, he says, in that it reduces the number of ingredients you have to have around. “I think it is good when you consider it helps people still cook at home,” he says, agreeing with Foose.
What is Bisquick mix made of? ›
Bisquick is not flour, it's a baking mix. It is made with bleached enriched flour, palm oil, dextrose, corn starch, leavening, canola oil, salt, and sugar.
What is the difference between original Bisquick and Heart Healthy Bisquick? ›
Bonnie: There's a new Bisquick all-purpose mix available for those concerned about heart health. It contains 2.5 grams of fat, with no saturated fat nor trans fats. Regular Bisquick has 6 total grams of fat, including 1.5 grams of both saturated fat and trans fats.
Does Bisquick have lard in it? ›
Technically, Bisquick has replaced hydrogenated lard and partially hydrogenated beef fat with partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils. Each 2-ounce serving still contains 230 calories with 4 grams of protein, 37 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of fat (about 63 calories, or 27.3 percent fat).
