Homemade dry baking mix (DIY Bisquick) is easy to make and it’ll cost you a few pennies per batch to make, not dollars!
If you’re the type of person who likes to save money on groceries, but hates sacrificing taste, you are SO much like me.
In addition to the lack of flavor, I also despise the added chemicals that are a part of many convenience foods. That being said, there are days when I don’t feel well, I’ve got plans that require me to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible, and/or I’m just too danged lazy or tired to spend a lot of time preparing meals.
Those are the days when I love to reach for a convenience mix or ready-to-eat meal.
So in my effort to save a few dollars and some cooking time, but still have a grasp on what chemicals I’m putting into our bodies, I’ve started making some of my own pantry staples. Items like homemade self-rising flour and homemade dry baking mix have been huge kitchen time savers for me.
Aside of the time and money savings, I love that this homemade dry baking mix recipe only uses five ingredients! If you’re trying to watch your sugar intake, it’s made with only four. If that’s not something to shout about, I don’t know what is. Plus, it’s so stinkin’ easy to make a batch.
If you have a food processor, it can be ready to use in less than 3 minutes. It’s as simple as combining the dry ingredients and then pulsing in the shortening. If you’re using your hands or a pastry cutter, it’ll probably take you a minute or two longer. That’s still far less time than it would take me to wait in the check-out line at the grocery store.
If you have a go-to DIY recipe that you’d like to share or even one that you’d like to see me create a recipe for, I’d love to hear about it!
You can leave me a comment below this post and/or come share your thoughts with me on Facebook. Or both! 
Even if you don’t have a recipe or idea to share, please leave me a message. I really need the validation that I’m not just creating posts for an audience of one. It gets lonely around here by myself. 😉
Recipes you can make make with this homemade dry baking mix:
Buttermilk Cornmeal Biscuits with Honey Butter
I hope you love to use this homemade dry baking mix!
If you like the convenience and versatility of boxed baking mixes, but hate the added chemicals and expense of them, learn how to make your own!
Ingredients
- 8 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
- 1 cup all-vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of a food processor.
- If using a food processor, pulse to combine dry ingredients, then add shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Otherwise, use a pastry cutter or your fingers to incorporate the shortening into the dry ingredients.
- Store tightly covered in a pantry or the refrigerator. Can also be frozen.
Recipe Notes
What exactly is "coarse meal"? Crumbly, but clumpy. Does that make sense? You'll have little bits of butter that are the size of peas.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 5489kcal Calories from fat 1933 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 215g | 331% |
| Saturated Fat 53g | 265% |
| Transfat 27g | |
| Sodium 5755mg | 240% |
| Carbohydrate 781g | 260% |
| Dietary Fiber 27g | 108% |
| Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 103g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
Thank you so much for visiting me today!
If you make this recipe, I'd love it if you'd share a photo and/or give your feedback over on my Facebook page, Cooking with Chef Bec!
I just found this recipe!!!! I am wondering how much baking mix to use and what else to add for cakes, biscuits, pancakes, and waffles.
Hi Jaime!
You can use this DIY baking mix as a substitute in any recipes that call for all-purpose flour and baking powder, so use whatever recipe you’d like to make the pancakes, muffins, cakes, etc. If the recipe calls for baking soda, be sure to add that as well.
Might seem like a silly question, but is it safe to assume the calorie count listed is for the WHOLE batch???
Also, how long can this be stored for in a pantry (in an airtight container of course.
Hi Janet,
Yes, the nutritional information is for the entire batch. As long as it’s well covered and you’re using shelf stable shortening (not butter) to make it, I think it should be good for up to 2 or 3 weeks.
This is such a great idea Becca! I am saving this and pinning for sure 🙂
Time saver! Love the idea, pinned!
I love this! So glad to have these homemade mixes on hand when I’m in a hurry (and even when I’m not!)
I love the idea of making my own Baking Mix!
This is great!
Can you substitute the shortening with something else ????
Hi Debra,
You can use butter as a substitute for the shortening, but if you do, the baking mix will no longer be shelf stable…it will have to be refrigerated. Unfortunately, refrigerating it will reduce the effects of the baking soda, so you may not have consistent results.
I have been here before and, admittedly, it has taken me a very long time to finally try this mix. I did so this morning (Christmas morning), because we have a tradition of having Bisquick Fruit Swirl Coffee Cake with cherry pie filling. I was short of Bisquick, so I quickly put this together and used it for the remainder of what the recipe called for. It worked perfectly and now I have extra in my cupboard for future use-instead of a box of Bisquick with all of the chemicals! I do much prefer to make things from scratch for that very reason! I’m excited to try this for other things-and I again want to thank you, Chef Becca, for this recipe!
I’m so very happy to hear that the DIY Bisquick recipe worked well for you, Elaine, and thank you so much for coming back to let me know about it! I hope that you and your family had a very merry Christmas!
Hi Becca !
Thanks for sharing this and all the others !
Here in Europe (France), we’re not as much familiar with using baking mixes as you are overseas.
I had never heard of Bisquick before… is this a kind of “cake mix” (as required in many US fun cakes recipes), minus sugar and flavor ?
I’m trying to figure out on what circumstances this kind of mix would be useful in my kitchen ; I always weigh my ingredients according to the recipe (the many different textures in”pâtisserie” depend on the precision in ingredients weighing), and can’t figure out what to use and in what amount when a recipe calls for “cake mix”…
Have a bright sunday !
Hi Dnad!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and for your comment. The reason that Europeans aren’t familiar with baking mixes is because the majority of you are so wonderful at baking from scratch! You likely don’t need convenience mixes, but to answer your question, baking mix is simply all-purpose flour with a bit of shortening and leavening agent (such as baking soda or baking powder) already mixed in. Here in the United States, we use the baking mix to quickly make a batch of biscuits without the mess of cutting the fat into the flour. All we have to do is add a bit of milk or water, roll or flatten the dough, and cut the biscuits. It can also be used to quickly prepare pancakes, waffles, and muffins. Basically any baked goods that require a little bit of fat and some leavening can be made with a baking mix such as this.
I hope this answers your question. Have a beautiful day!
Just to add to that – remember that what an American calls “biscuits” is a European Scone.
Not a biscuit at all.
A European biscuit is a “cookie” to an American.
In other words Bisquicks makes great, simple scones for afternoon tea – just add liquid to the preprepared flour mix.
That’s great information to remember, Sandra. Thank you so much! I find the differences in our terminology fascinating!
I would like to find a good substitute for wheat flour. I have boys who are allergic to wheat, but not gluten, that I need to feed. Any good ideas? I’m always on the lookout for good substitutes.
Mary, if your boys are only allergic to wheat, I would recommend using a substitute that’s equally high in gluten, such as rye flour. It does have gluten in it, so for the safety of your boys, please be sure that there’s not a gluten allergy involved before you use it. Rye flour should substitute cup for cup with wheat, so if the recipe calls for 1 cup of wheat flour, you’ll use 1 cup of rye flour instead. I hope that helps. Good luck!
Does this recipe work with scaling? Such as, make with 1/4 of each ingredient,then for comparison make half of the batch immediately, then store the remainder for a couple of weeks.
Yes, Mike. You can absolutely scale the recipe up or down to your desired quantity.
Could you tell me the Uk replacement of veg shortening please
Hi Gloria,
In England (and possibly other parts of Europe) vegetable shortening is called white vegetable fat, and is usually sold under the brand names of ‘Trex’ and ‘White Flora’. I know certainly the flora doesn’t say on the packet what it actually is and it’s usually found with the cooking fats in the chilled section at the supermarket. If you can’t find either of those, you can substitute butter for the shortening, but then you’ll want to use the mix up right away, as for safety purposes, butter should be refrigerated, and unfortunately, baking powder doesn’t do very well when it’s refrigerated. I hope this helps!
What do you add to the mix for pancakes please? Eggs, milk, etc. Thanks!
Pam, to make pancakes with the homemade baking mix, just use an equal amount of this mix for the flour that’s called for in your favorite pancake recipe, and then omit any baking soda or baking powder that the recipe calls for. Happy eating!
this looks great-I love the convenience of bisquick but not the chemicals. Have you ever tried using whole wheat or “white wheat” for all or part of the flour? we’re trying hard to use mostly whole grains
Hi Sue. Thanks for writing! Whole wheat or whole wheat white flour can definitely be substituted, but bear in mind that everything made with them contains more gluten, so it comes out a lot heavier and tougher. Just keep in mind that your biscuits and pancakes won’t be as light and fluffy as you may be used to. 🙂
Hi, my husband uses Bisquick every weekend to make waffles (it’s the only thing he cooks), and it has become a weekly family tradition! That being said I have never been fond of the ingredients,so I really want to try your method! I also don’t like hydrogenated fat so do you think I could use coconut oil in place of the vegetable shortening??
Hi Crystal, I’m allergic to coconut, so I’ve never tried making this recipe with it. That being said, as long as coconut oil doesn’t require refrigeration, I can’t think of any reason that you’d have a problem using it. Good luck!
That is so good to know, since I like to use coconut oil as well. It does naturally harden at room temp, so it should be fine.
I’m glad to hear that you’ll be able to use coconut oil in place of the shortening in this recipe, Sha. Sadly, I’m allergic to all coconut products, so I can’t give you any advice on what differences, if any, there will be in the end result.
If you’d be willing to come back and let me know how well the coconut oil works as a substitute, I’d be very appreciative.
Thank you!
gonna have to try this
Love your recipes!! Would like it if I could them deliver to my email 🙂 Thank U! For posting them..
Thank you, Carol! If you’d like to subscribe to have them delivered to your email, please visit this link to sign up: http://bit.ly/1mVhOoQ
HA! Nevermind! I just looked at the photo recipe….didn’t scroll down far enough to read your typed instructions! I’ll be giving this a try soon!
I’m glad you found the solution, and I hope you find it as helpful to have around the house as I do, Christina!
Could this be made in a food processor to be “fast” and cut in the shortening? Or would that be too harsh?
I live in a small apt. and am always tight on space for things like Bisquick…but I always have these ingredients on hand!
Thanks!
One of my sons favorite foods is Cheese Biscuits made with Bisquick but I stopped buying the Bisquick because of the ingredients list. He will LOVE that I found a way to make it at home, thank you!
I’m SO happy to hear that, Megan! Nobody should have to go biscuit-less 😉
This looks easy….I don’t care for the “aftertaste” I get with Bisquick and it is darned expensive! Since I live alone, this will work well for me. I can use a lot of baking mix shortcuts! LOL! Thank you for sharing!
I agree with you about that nasty aftertaste with Bisquick, Penelope! Fresh is best 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Can you keep this in the refrigerator in a Ziploc bag or will it get moisture in it? How long will it last in the refrigerator? Thank you.
I wouldn’t recommend storing it in the fridge, Phyllis. If you get moisture in it, the baking powder will deactivate.
Can you substitute a certain amount of whole wheat flour for the 8 cups of all purpose? And would whole wheat pastry flour be okay? I never buy the real Bisquick but would love to make a batch of home-made!
Tina, if you’ve ever baked with whole wheat flour, you might already be aware of this, but because of its high gluten (wheat) content, whole wheat flour does better in things like bread than it does in soft baked goods like pancakes and biscuits. For that reason, I wouldn’t recommend substituting it 100% for the all-purpose flour, but you could definitely do a 50/50 blend and see pretty decent results.
Thank you so much, Chef Becca! I’m excited to try it-maybe for breakfast in the morning!
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Elaine! I’d love to know how your morning breakfast turns out 🙂
Hi, if I wanted to make a large batch would that be ok so I’d have some ready for next time? If so what would be the best way to store it and how long will it keep? Thank you for this recipe And FOR Your help
Thanks for your question, Kyndra! You want to keep the mixture cool and dry, and well covered. If you store it that way, it should stay good for a couple of months. I keep flour in the freezer indefinitely, but the baking powder will deactivate if it gets moisture in it, so I wouldn’t recommend freezing this baking mix.
I’m sorry… I forgot to address your first question. You can easily double or triple this recipe with no problems 🙂
Can this be used as a direct exchange in any/all Bisquick recipes? I ask because I rarely use Bisquick for muffins, pancakes, etc.; when I use it, it is usually a specific Bisquick recipe for a fruity coffee cake or an “impossible” recipe, things like that. Thank you for sharing this because I do try to make as much at home from the best quality ingredients I can buy rather than rely on the questionable mixes full of ingredients I cannot pronounce!
Thanks for stopping by, Elaine!
I’ve used this mix in everything from cakes to muffins to pancakes. If your recipe calls for flour and baking powder, you can use this mix for it. It’s pretty versatile!
Must try store bought is getting very expensive.
It sure is, Barbara! This way, you’ve got it on hand whenever you need/want it 🙂
I have celiac’s and trust me the gluten free box is a lot more expensive and smaller than the reg mix 🙁 so my question is can you tell me if you can use all purpose gluten free baking mix to make this? Or would a different gluten free flour be better?
Darcie,
I must confess that I’m not too familiar with the various gluten-free flours, but from a baking science standpoint, I would think that any gluten-free alternative should work. The key to the baking mix really lies in the leavening agent (baking powder) to cause it to rise slightly when making things like pancakes, etc.
I would think that whatever you would typically use to make muffins, pancakes, or cookies would be perfect to try this recipe with.
I’d love to hear back from you with the results! Good luck!
Is there a way to replace some of the baking soda with baking powder without the quality changing too much? I like the convenience of Bisquick but rarely buy it (like 3 times in about 10 years) because the high amount of baking soda really upsets my stomach.
~Susanne
thanks for your question, Susanne. I’m not sure if you know this, but baking powder is merely baking soda with cornstarch added to it. It’s not as powerful of a leavening agent, so to substitute baking powder for baking soda, you have to TRIPLE the amount the recipe calls for. That means you’d be using a full cup of baking powder in this recipe. I’m afraid it would upset your stomach even more. I’m sorry that I can’t help you.
Actually the info helps quite a lot. I never really knew what the conversion was between baking powder and baking soda, so it makes more sense now what percentage can replace the other. It took me meany years to find a recipe even just for pancakes that wouldn’t bother my stomach, and that seems like such a basic recipe for anyone to have on hand! 😀 With the easy 1:3 ratio I can play around with the balance and have the option of just leaving a small portion out all together because standard Bisquick often seems very ‘poofy’ compared to what I’m used to. Thank You! 😀
~Susanne
A bit confused with your reply….the recipe says the ingredient is baking powder….is it supposed to be baking soda or baking powder ….1/3 cup. I will definetly be making this, thanks.
I’m sorry for the confusion, Nancy. The recipe is made with baking POWDER
I am on my third batch of this mix and I love it! It bakes just like bisquick and I have used it for pancakes, waffles and even 7up biscuits. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m SO glad you like it as much as I do, Jen! Thanks for stopping by to comment 🙂
Thanks I’m going to make it with Rice Flour so my husband can have it..The one thing he misses is my old recipes . So this should help.
Thanks again.
I just found this recipe on facebook. I would like to know on the 3 options you gave to store this recipe, how long is it good for before it expires. Could you please let me know before I make this? Thank you!
Christina,
I apologize, but I don’t recall mentioning 3 options for storage. When I make it, I usually use it up within 2-3 weeks and I store it with my other dry goods in the pantry. Keep it in a dry area and in a sealed container. I wouldn’t recommend storage in the freezer because when the vegetable shortening thaws out, it may cause the flour to clump too much from the moisture. I hope that this helps you!
The other option you had mentioned was the refrigerator too. How long would it be good in there? Thank you for responding as quickly as you did. I appreciate it.
My guess would be about 2 weeks, Christina. After that, it will start to absorb flavors from the other foods in the fridge.
Thank you for sharing! I like the idea of eating and serving my family less chemicals. I believe the giant pesticide company known as Monsanto, makers of Round Up, sold everywhere, owns bisquick. Aka GMO’s. and this is one small way of fighting back!!! For our health !!!!
Also gives me a reason to buy a food processor :))). Please keep them coming!
I am gonna try and make a batch later, hope it comes out fine.
What a great idea – I will definitely be making a batch of this. Thanks 🙂
I hope you like it as much as I do sandy!
Thanks for this. I have been using Bisquick for years baking and cooking , muffins, bisquits, pancakes and coffee cake. Recently tried the chicken nugget batter for my daughter and she loves it. I run out alot and the store is 6 miles awy . I hate that the price went up and the box got much smaller. I dont like to use Jiffy, it’s just not the same, so Ill try this this weekend when I make pancakes.
Michele, I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed that box getting smaller! I hope this recipe saves you lots of time and money!
After hubby had heart attack, I got the “America Heart Association Cookbook” & one of it’s recipes was what they call “Master Mix”, and Hubby said it was better. They are basically alike, but here goes :
5 lb. Flour
3 cups Dry Milk
1/2 cup Baking Powder
3/4 cup Splenda or Sugar
3 tbls. Salt
3 tbls. Cream of Tartar
Put in that order and mix thoroughly and store in dark & cool place or refrigerator.
When using add 1/4 cup Canola oil or Olive oil to 2 cups of Mix
Biscuits also add milk to desired consistency & roll out & cut.
Pancakes or Waffles – add 1 or 2 eggs, oil & milk to desired consistency.
(can add Vanilla or nuts or fruit . . . use your imagination.
Whatever you use “Bisquick mix” you can use this recipe.
thanks for that hurt healthy version Shirley! I will definitely try it sometime!
Thanks so much for this recipe.I enjoy your post and all the yummy things you make.
thank you for coming by Rebecca! I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes.
Love this and can’t wait to try it. Bisquick is SO expensive and I feel like I’m always running out of it! Would you use the same amount as regular Bisquick when cooking with it? For instance, I use the waffle recipe on the back of the bisquick box that calls for 2 cups of the mix.
I hope you love the added savings this recipe will give you, Amy!
Yes, I use it exactly as I would if I were measuring it straight from the box. I’d love to hear back after you’ve tried it!
I am so happy to have found this recipe. We like biscuits and the store bought ones just arent the same. I am thinking about freezing batch size baggies of it so I can take a bag out and just add the milk for biscuits. I was wondering though … can I use butter instead of shortening? Thank you so much!! Kim
Hi Kim! You’re absolutely right about the difference home made makes 🙂
If you’re going to be freezing the mixture, you can absolutely substitute butter for the shortening. If you’re going to keep it in your pantry, I wouldn’t recommend it, as the butter will turn rancid without refrigeration.
So glad you posted this, I’m always running out of bisquick, just when I need it most! Pinned and I’ll be making up a batch today!
Linky follower-in all of a minute, I couldn’t recall that. I have had my two cups of coffee in honor of National Coffee Day, so this lapse in memory must be age related. Argh!
LOL!! THANKS Lisa!
Okay, here’s a mega dose of validation-Pinterest, FB, Twitter, and Google+, at least I think that is all the clicking I did. The homemade Bisquick is a great idea. I still like those impossible pies, and haven’t made one in a long time. Now I don’t have an excuse.
Lisa
akawest.com
Whats impossible pie?
Ok, this is silly, but it never occurred to me that I could use my food processor to cut in the shortening! That’s probably what that white plastic blade is for, yes?
Thanks for that idea-revolutionizes things for me. I make a strawberry sour cream brown sugar cake during strawberry season and hate buying a box of Bisquick just for that item. So I’ve bookmarked this post and will dust it off next May.
Oh-and I love how easy to read your site is!
Thanks!
Not silly at all, Kirsten! It took me a year to figure out what the slicer blade was capable of doing! Thanks for your sweet comment! Becca
No, you’re not typing this up for one! :))) I love this recipe and will be using it now instead of Bisquick. I too am trying to make most of my own food, getting rid of chemicals and anything processed or pre- packaged. I also follow f/b pages, which is where I got your link. and share a lot of recipes to my friends and family from them. I especially like that this recipe can be frozen.
YIPPEE!! I’m NOT alone! 🙂
Thanks so much for your comment, Sheryl. I’m delighted to hear that my recipes are enjoyed…and worthy of sharing!
love it! thanks.
You’re welcome, Jo-Anne! Thanks so much for being here 🙂