The 12 Best Freezer Pancake Brands, Ranked
Oh, the things we have done with the scrumptious breakfast food known as the pancake. Breakfast enthusiasts in Manchester, England once made a flapjack that weighed in at an impressive 3 tons, and cafes across the globe have turned cooking them into an art form. But, in our humble opinion, the best thing the human race has ever done with pancakes is make them into an easily-accessible, freezable form. With freezer pancakes, a tasty breakfast is minutes away — if you bought the right brand, that is.
When purchasing ready-made flapjacks, you run the risk of bringing home a chewy and dense breakfast that no amount of cooking tips and tricks can make better. So, to spare you the pain, we looked at 12 of the most beloved frozen pancake brands available at the grocery store and ranked them from worst to best based on their flavor, nutritional value, and cost.
12. Van's Foods
Van's Foods is a company that has one mission in life: Make the most whole-ingredient-based frozen waffles and pancakes in the freezer aisle. In that vain, this brand offers protein, gluten-free, and "simply-wholesome" flapjacks that it claims are "nutritious" and "seriously delicious." But after trying Van's Original Gluten-Free Pancakes, we're here to call this company out on its bluff.
For one thing, Van's gluten-free take on everyone's favorite classic pancake recipe doesn't just lack dairy, eggs, artificial flavor, and corn; it is also lacking in vitamins. For every 200-calorie two-pancake serving, flapjack enthusiasts will be consuming 1 milligram of iron, 25 milligrams of calcium, 120 milligrams of potassium, and 3 grams of protein. Which, while not terrible stats, are much lower than many other freezer pancake brands.
But what really puts Van's Foods' gluten-free freezer pancakes on our hit list is their flavor. There is no way around it. These freezer flapjacks taste like cardboard — slightly fluffy cardboard. With minimal nutrients, a lackluster flavor, and a price of $4.78 for four servings, Van's Foods lies at the bottom of our pancake list.
11. Earth's Best
Earth's Best specializes in creating organic and healthy products for babies and toddlers. While the packaging for the brand's frozen organic homestyle mini pancakes features Elmo, we wouldn't recommend this breakfast product for kids — or adults.
Flat, grainy, and strangely chewy, the experience of eating Earth's Best mini flapjacks is best described as eating tiny hockey pucks.
Aside from not having a very good flavor, Earth's Best mini pancakes don't have a lot of nutritional benefits either. A two-pancake serving has 40 calories and only 1 gram of protein, 20 milligrams of calcium, and 60 milligrams of potassium — making this breakfast less nutrient-dense than other tastier pancakes on this list. They also have a higher price point, coming in at around $5.75 for a box of 12 servings (or 6 mini pancakes). All of these factors leave Earth's Best's mini pancakes towards the bottom rung of the freezer pancake tier list.
10. Funfetti
A member of Pillsbury's delectable dessert kingdom, the Funfetti line of baking products is known to bring feral joy to everyone's inner child. But after selling us celebratory sprinkle-filled desserts, the brand decided it was high time we start partying at breakfast too. And when Pillsbury set out to create its own colorful freezer pancakes, it knew there was only one vamp up the already fun-sounding confetti-filled flapjacks' cool-kid appeal — make them fun size.
Small and allegedly candy-filled, Funfetti Buttermilk Mini Pancakes come in a box adorned with images of little flapjacks throwing their hands in the air like they just don't care. But we, quite frankly, don't know what they have to be excited about. They simply don't taste half as fun as they look. First of all, these tiny pancakes are completely flat and have a rubbery mouthfeel. However, most offensively, you can't taste the candy pieces in them that have made the Funfetti brand so beloved.
Offering 250 calories for an 11-pancake serving, these little partying pancakes provide 5 grams of protein, 141 milligrams of vitamin A, 80 milligrams of potassium, and 221 milligrams of calcium. At $3.79 for three sad, flat pancake breakfasts, you're paying for Funfetti's name without getting to enjoy Funfetti's classic taste. And so we are left with no choice but to call the cops on the Funfetti Buttermilk Mini Pancakes party.
9. Great Value
Perhaps the most recognized in-house grocery line out there, Great Value is known as an affordable store brand. And just like many of Walmart's other Great Value products, these freezer pancakes live up to their name — they are a reasonably tasty pre-made breakfast with an equally reasonable price.
That is to say, while Great Value Buttermilk Pancakes have a great flavor and a decent amount of fluff, they are a bit dense, and as a result, also very chewy. All and all, they reminded us of chowing down on a school cafeteria breakfast, which isn't necessarily the worst thing.
However, despite their suitable flavor, at $2.46 for a box of four servings, these freezer pancakes' price is unbeatable. And their nutrition also isn't half bad. After eating three pancakes, you'll have consumed 240 calories, 310 milligrams of calcium, 60 milligrams of potassium, and 5 grams of protein. But while Great Value's freezer pancakes have well, a Great Value (which is more than we can say for Funfetti), they don't shine enough to make it further up the list.
8. Hungry Jack
While it became a household name after it launched its brand of instant potatoes, in terms of popularity, Hungry Jack's pancake mix is on par with the likes of Bisquick and Pearl Milling Company. So needless to say, we dug into Hungry Jack Buttermilk Pancakes with high expectations. But did this brand meet them? Well, kind of.
Despite having a great flavor, Hungry Jack's pancakes are dense and not very light in your mouth. So essentially, the brand's freezer flapjacks are...fine. Not bad, not great, just, fine. And with 230 calories, 5 grams of protein, 188 milligrams of calcium, 3 milligrams of Iron, 82 milligrams of potassium, and 269 micrograms of vitamin A per a three-pancake serving, Hungry Jack's nutritional value is also pretty standard.
At $3.49 for a box of four breakfasts, its price also maintains this brand's dedication to being generally mid-tier. Beating out Great Value in terms of their nutrition, while Hungry Jack's ready-made flapjacks aren't going to be deemed the best pancake brand in America anytime soon, their okayness has put them in a state of not-great, not-horrible freezer pancake limbo.
7. Belgium Boys
Sourcing all of its baked goods from Europe, Belgian Boys frozen breakfast foods began appearing in grocery stores in the U.S. in 2022 and quickly became popular. And after trying the brand's bite-sized pancakes, we can officially say we get what all the commotion is about.
The Belgian Boys' mini freezer pancakes are ridiculously fluffy and incredibly moist. But while these pillowy balls of wonder remind us of devouring pancakes straight off the griddle, Belgian Boys' premium-ingredient flapjacks also ring in at a premium price. At $5.79 for a box of four servings, this brand is one of the highest-priced on the list and one of the most nutritionally lacking. With 220 calories for nine mini pancake servings, aside from diving out 5 grams of protein, these pancakes otherwise have no other vitamins or minerals to speak of. So while The Belgian Boy's pancakes are much more delectable than the other frozen pancakes on the list so far, the price-to-balanced breakfast ratio is just too off-base.
6. Eggo
Here she is, making her red-carpet appearance, the illustrious Ms. Eggo. Although Eggo didn't start out selling breakfast, it eventually went on to invent the entire frozen waffles (and by extension frozen pancakes) concept. However, Eggo proved it wasn't a one-trick pony by releasing its incredibly successful French toast sticks and lesser-talked-about freezer pancakes. And we assure you that they are just as delicious as the brand's more famed and syrup-dippable breakfast product.
Let's start off by saying this: Eggo's pancakes are the fluffiest on this list. They are just as soft and fluffy as those cooked up in a skillet, and they also taste like they were made fresh. Filled with butter flavor, Eggo's pancakes don't have a hint of a chewy texture.
However, while Eggo's frozen pancakes' deliciousness is undeniable, and its health benefits are better than Belgian Boy's, if you compare this brand's product to its contemporaries you'll quickly realize it's still lacking in the nutrition department. One 280-calorie, three-pancake serving only gets you 60 milligrams of potassium, 4 milligrams of iron, 80 milligrams of calcium, and a literally almost nonexistent amount of protein. While the value isn't terrible (one box of four Eggo breakfasts will put you back $3.49), there are just as tasty but more nutrient-dense pancake brands in the freezer aisle.
5. Signature Select
A generic brand found in Safeway, ACME, and Albertsons, you may be confused by the enigma that is the private label known as Signature Select. But, please, allow us to pull back the curtain on this hidden-in-plain-sight secret for you. See, Signature Select is actually Albertons' private brand and that company owns both of the aforementioned stores. Therefore, you can find Signature Select's Frozen Pancakes on the shelves of multiple grocers — and they are truly a delight.
This frozen breakfast is incredibly moist, has a fresh taste, and the fluffiness is heavenly. Not to mention at $2.89 for a four-serving box, Signature Select Pancakes is also one of the cheapest freezer pancake brands out there. However, that's where the pro list ends, because when it comes to nutrition, they fall short. With 7 grams of protein, 3.9 milligrams of iron, 240 milligrams of potassium, and 50 milligrams of calcium for every 270-calorie serving, Signature Select pancakes' cheap price also comes with fewer health benefits.
Still, due to its great price and great taste, Signature Select pulled out in front of the nutritionally failing and more costly but equally tasty Eggo. However, its nutrition facts are still holding it back from proper pancake triumph.
4. De Waffelbakkers
While De Wafelbakkers made its mark on the U.S. with its waffles, the brand now specializes in a horse of a similar color — frozen pancakes. And let us just say, De Wafelbakkers' frozen pancakes taste better than the ones whipped up by your momma on Sunday morning.
Pillowy and light in texture and taste, De Wafelbakker's frozen flapjacks go above and beyond the standard of a delicious pancake breakfast. Once they go around in the microwave, these pancakes have a downright creamy and fresh-batter consistency that is absolutely delightful. And De Wafelbakker's pancakes are also higher in nutrients than some of the other brands. For the chocolate chip variety, each serving of three pancakes comes in at 280 calories and contains 259 micrograms of vitamin A, 91 milligrams of calcium, 4 milligrams of iron, 85 milligrams of potassium, and 5 grams of protein.
Offering a generous eight servings per container for an excellent price point of $4.42 a box, we're glad that this brand made the move from waffles to pancakes. However, while its health benefits, price, and taste surpass Signature Select, there are still better-for-you and just-as-tasty freezer pancake brands out there.
3. Premiere Pro
Generally speaking, most eats stuffed with protein have a reputation for tasting like a chalkier, more processed version of the original. But don't worry, with Premiere Protein, you're in good hands. Premiere Protein is known for producing lower-calorie and actually delicious-tasting protein shakes, and its frozen pancakes are also a protein-filled hit.
Not at all chewy or chalky, Premier Protein Frozen Pancakes are fluffier than many of the regular freezer pancakes we've ranked here. Light and soft, these pancakes only have a semblance of an aftertaste, which is, quite frankly, miraculous for a protein product. In terms of nutrition, as they should, each serving of three pancakes has 210 calories and a whopping 15 grams of protein, along with 66 milligrams of calcium, 2 milligrams of iron, and 60 milligrams of potassium.
However, like many protein products, these freezer pancakes' major drawback is their price. At $6.99 for a box of four breakfast servings, Premier Protein's pancakes may be the perfect fit for someone who needs to up their protein but its value just won't allow it to move any further up this list.
2. Kodiak
Today, there are plenty of protein pancake mixes promising consumers formidable gains in the breakfast aisle, and Kodiak Cakes is the brand that started this craze. The top-selling pancake mix brand at Target in 2018, it was only a matter of time before the company went on to create protein-packed freezer pancakes. Kodiak didn't fumble the ball when it came up with its microwavable flapjack formula either. These frozen pancakes are just as delicious as those you'd make from the brand's regular mix.
Incredibly light in your mouth and full of flavor, these pancakes' pillowy-ness almost makes you forget you're eating a frozen breakfast. Each serving of three pancakes provides you with 190 calories, one of the lowest calorie counts on this list. But although Kodiak's freezer flapjacks provide 14 grams of protein, 2 milligrams of iron, 174 milligrams of potassium, and 200 milligrams of calcium per serving, they also come at a hefty price. One box of four servings costs $5.48. So while cheaper than Premiere's freezer protein pancakes, they still aren't a good value by any means. And our first place winner offers the same nutritional flapjack goodness at an even better cost.
1. Good & Gather
From its fruit snacks to its soups, Target's private-label eats are typically top-of-the-line in terms of quality and taste. And, in perhaps the rarest and best twist of fate, by putting a Good & Gather's product in your cart, you'll be buying delicious and nutritious food that won't put a major dent in your wallet. So it's no wonder that the line was Target's best-selling brand in 2020 or that Good & Gather Chocolate Chip Protein Pancake's deliciousness-to-nutritiousness ratio is as good as their price.
Each three-count serving of pancakes has 290 calories, 150 milligrams of calcium, 1.8 milligrams of Iron, and 340 milligrams of potassium. But the real stand-out fact about the pancakes' nutrition is their protein. Offering 14 grams of the nutrient, this product contains almost or just as much protein as name brands like Kodiak and Premiere for half the price. But where the aforementioned brands will set you back by at least $6, Good & Gather's protein pancakes offer four breakfast servings for $3.99. And, of course, Target's flapjacks are also just plain delicious.
Made with real chocolate chips, once microwaved this frozen breakfast option is fluffy and full-bodied and the chocolate is pleasantly gooey. And so, thanks to its nutrition, value, and taste, we proclaim Good & Gather our freezer pancake brand champion.