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Homemade Bisquick comes together in less than 5 minutes and can be used in any recipe that calls for Bisquick mix or all-purpose baking mix. It’s perfect for things like pancakes, biscuits, and diner-style muffins.
Most of the time I’m all about baking and cooking from scratch – until I’m not. Like those Sunday mornings when I don’t set an alarm and the whole family sleeps in until 10:00.
I know that sounds pretty blissful, but…
The problem is, I’m a creature of habit and sleeping in always throws me off my game in a big way.
I love waking up early and sipping coffee at my desk in complete silence. It’s when I make lists and online shop for things I don’t need – like lipgloss and mason jar cocktail shakers.
And when I don’t get that time? I feel flustered and out of sorts.
Eric and Elle love a late breakfast with all the fixins’, like pancakes drenched in maple syrup, bacon and fresh berries. This kind of Sunday morning feast is their jam and ranks almost as high as their love for chocolate glazed donuts.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a stack of Homemade Banana Pancakes or biscuits with jam and butter as much as the next guy. But sometimes, Mama needs a shortcut – especially when she wakes up 3 hours later than usual. And that shortcut is Homemade Bisquick.
WHAT IS BISQUICK?
Bisquick mix was a staple in our household growing up. If you’ve never had it, Bisquick is simply a premade baking mix made of flour, fat, leavening, and salt.
It’s traditionally used to make pancakes or waffles, biscuits, and muffins. But you’d be surprised at all of the ways you can use an all-purpose baking mix like this.
Now, I have no problem buying the original Bisquick now and then. But honestly, I often forget to add it to my shopping list.
Luckily, Homemade Bisquick comes together in a food processor in less than 5 minutes and requires 4 ingredients that I’m betting you already have in your pantry. And it keeps within the refrigerator for up to 3 months!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BISQUICK MIX
Homemade Bisquick is so easy to make. Go take a look in your pantry – you probably have everything you need already:
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable shortening
- Baking powder
- Salt
That’s it! All you have to do is add everything to your food processor and pulse until it’s combined and resembles cornmeal.
Pop it into an airtight container and it’ll keep in the fridge for 3 months.
CAN I MAKE HOMEMADE BISQUICK WITHOUT A FOOD PROCESSOR?
Technically, yes. You could whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and use a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until well combined.
But be warned that the large volume of flour and the need to get the shortening really well blended makes this really tiring work.
If you’re up for the arm workout, go for it, but I highly recommend using the food processor instead.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE BISQUICK
Don’t forget about keeping your homemade baking mix in the fridge.
Homemade Bisquick doesn’t have the added chemical stabilizers to make it safe for keeping in the pantry. It’ll go rancid quickly if left at room temperature – which won’t hurt you, but it won’t taste good either.
HOW TO USE HOMEMADE BISQUICK
Use Homemade Bisquick to whip up a stack of amazingly fluffy Bisquick pancakes or in any recipe that calls for Bisquick or all-purpose baking mix.
The uses don’t stop there, though!
From Potato Quiche and Banana Coffee Cake to those Cheddar Bay Biscuits that we all devour by the basketful – this homemade baking mix is going to become one of your favorite cooking shortcuts.
Homemade Bisquick
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable shortening cubed
Instructions
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse ingredients for about 15 seconds.
- Add in the vegetable shortening and pulse the processor until the mixture resembles cornmeal.
- Place homemade Bisquick into an airtight container and store within the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
After I’ve made the bisquick what is the recipe for making pancakes, waffles, etc
Judy-
You can use this as a substitute for any recipe that calls for Bisquick. Their website is loaded with simple recipes for you to browse. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Can you tell me what font you used for the label on the jar? I absolutely love the “handwritten” look of it.
Many thanks!
Karen-
The font is called Whatever It Takes and can be found on dafont. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Hi There
I’m in Australia and we don’t have vegetable shortening readily available. I can however get my hands on some Crisco. Is this what you can use?
Thank you
P.S. Need to make some of those thick pancakes ASAP!!!!
Virginia-
Hello. In the US, Crisco is vegetable shortening and is actually what I used in this recipe. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
I use a recipe like this and add Powdered milk or powdered buttermilk to the mix and it makes great Buttermilk Biscuits or Pancakes even Waffles, and all you have to do is add water when using the mix, great for taking camping or I’m going to make some for my Grand-daughter to use in her dorm at college.
LIving in Scotland, we don’t use shortening! I do get visitors from the US to bring me Crisco whenever I can (I am American living in Scotland). But what could I use as a substitute? I saw someone mention lard. I have never used that but am willing to try if you can’t think of any other substitution.
Thanks! Pat Graham
Patrice-
If you Google Homemade Bisquick with Butter, a variety of butter options are available. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Hi Patrice
How are you ?
I used to make Chocolate Crackles yrs ago the recipe was on the breakfast cereal box’s of Ricies or Kelloggs Rice Bubbles .
I’m sure you can buy vegetable shortening in Scotland as my family that live in the UK make these for Kids Parties
2/3 cups of Ricies or Rice Bubbles
1/2lb or 500gr of Ktemelta(Vegetable Shortening)
1cup Icing Sugar (powdered Sugar)
3Teaspoons Chocolate Cocoa Powder
Method
To a mixing bowl add Ricies or Rice Bubbles
Sift in Icing Sugar(Powdered Sugar)& Chocolate Cocoa Powder
Melt Kremelta (Vegetable Shortening )over low heat
Pour over Ricies mixture mix well until all coated
Drop tablespoon fulls onto a baking paoer lined tray until all mixture is used
Refridgerate until set
Ready for the Kiddies or the Adults to eat
I am sure you must have made something similar to this using some form of Kremelta(Vegetable Shortening)
Kremelta is just a brand name for the product in New Zealand
It is called something different here in Australia, as it would be in any other countries
You might have to ask at your local Food Store or Supermarket
Hope this helps
Regards
Lou Highfield
Thank you so much, Lou!
Trex white shortening
Hi! I have considered making homemade Bisquick for a while, but have never gotten around to it. Partly because most recipes say to refrigerate it and I have limited space in my fridge as it is. My question is… Why does it need to be refrigerated when all the ingredients are shelf stable and you don’t add liquid until you are ready to use? Thanks!
Hey Gina,
So, believe it or not, it actually says right on the box of Bisquick that it should be refrigerated after opening the sealed bag. It’s not something I ever really noticed either, until I started doing research for this post. I figure it has something to do with the same reason that flour makers suggest refrigerating or freezing flours made from whole wheat. The fat in the wheat germ – or in this case – shortening – can cause the mixture to go rancid quicker at room temperature. Will it hurt you? Probably not. But it won’t taste great either.
Thanks for stopping by! – Jamie
Has anyone tried substituting out regular flour with any combination of gluten free flours? my husband has celiac disease.. but I MISS using bisquick… just wondering if coconut flour or almond flour mixtures might work and still taste good… ??
Betty, King Arthur makes an all purpose gluten free flour; it is measure for measure. Any recipe which calls for all purpose flour can be subbed for this. It is a godsend.
I have been using Bisquick for years, and my Mom before me. We always bought the largest Box the store carried, as we did biscuits, pancakes, waffles, etc often. I never, ever refrigerated the bisquick, no matter how long I had it in the cupboard. Why do you say to refrigerate this mixture????
Hey Emily,
I bet you’d be shocked if you went and looked at a box of Bisquick right now. It actually says to refrigerate the contents after opening the sealed bag. Like I told Gina above, I think it probably has to do with the fact that you’re combining fat (shortening) and flour. The fat can cause the flour to go rancid more quickly. If you’re going to use this mix up pretty quickly, you’d probably be fine to store it at room temperature. Thanks for stopping by! – Jamie
I don’t refrigerate my Bisquik nor my shortening,
so why is it I would need to refrigerate this???
Hi Mary,
I’m getting this question a lot, and honestly, I say to refrigerate this because Bisquick actually does say to refrigerate theirs once the package is opened. It’s on the box, though not very obviously to anyone – including me. Like I’ve said to others here with the same question, I think it has to do with the combination of fat and flour. The fat can cause the flour to go rancid more quickly. If you’re going to use this relatively quickly, it’s probably fine to store at room temperature. Though I’ll still be keeping mine in the fridge or freezer. Thanks for stopping by. – Jamie
would it be possible to make this with shortening powder ? and if so, how much would I use ?
thank you
Judy-
I have never used shortening powder, so I have no idea how it would work in this recipe. Sorry I am not more of a help.
-Jamie