Bisquick is a box of pre-mixed baking mix commonly used for making pancakes and biscuits. Due to its no-fuss nature, it’s become a staple to many household pantries. That doesn’t mean that only non-vegans get to experience hassle-free cooking!
So, is Bisquick vegan and dairy-free? Let’s see!
Bisquick: Vegan Or Not?
The Bisquick recipe dates back to 1930 when a General Mills sales executive had the freshest biscuits he ever had on a train ride. He complimented the dining car chef, who revealed his secret on perpetually fresh bread: pre-mixed batter kept cool on ice. The sales executive was so impressed by this ingenious idea that he started working on the Bisquick formula as soon as he got home. He added hydrogenated oil to eliminate the need for cooling.
By the following year, Bisquick products graced the shelves of groceries and became an instant hit. The “90 seconds from package to oven” slogan promised simple cooking, and the product did not disappoint.
So, is Bisquick vegan? Our final verdict is: it’s not easily answerable with a simple yes or no, and we’ll explain why.
Vegan Bisquick Products
Bisquick Original Pancake & Baking Mix
The Original Pancake Baking Mix has all vegan ingredients, made with enriched flour bleached (whole wheat flour, folic acid, iron, niacin, thiamin), vegetable oil (canola oil, palm oil, sunflower oil), corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and monoglycerides.
Bisquick Gluten Free Pancake & Baking Mix
Some of our vegan friends eat gluten-free as well, so it’s great that a gluten-free Bisquick mix is available for them. This contains vegan products like sodium aluminum phosphate, defatted soy flour, rice flour (not the regular wheat flour), modified potato starch, and corn starch.
Bisquick Complete Cheese Garlic Biscuit Mix
The Bisquick Complete Cheese Garlic Biscuit Mix is not a great fit for the vegan diet. Plenty of dairy ingredients are present in this product, including dried cheddar cheese, dried parmesan cheese, lactose, and buttermilk, aside from enriched flour bleached, soy lecithin, and folic acid.
Bisquick Heart Smart Pancake & Baking Mix
DATEM, which is found in the Bisquick Heart Smart variant, uses glycerin. Some glycerin comes from animal-based oils, so this might not be vegan. This pancake mix also has baking soda, enriched flour, and sodium aluminum phosphate.
Bisquick Simply Buttermilk With Whole Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix
Simply Buttermilk with Whole Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix Bisquick Shake is not vegan as it contains both milk and eggs, non-vegan ingredients.
Bisquick Complete Buttermilk Biscuit Mix
The Bisquick Complete Buttermilk Biscuit Mix has non-vegan products, like reduced lactose whey and buttermilk powder content.
Bisquick Shake & Pour Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Unfortunately, vegans wouldn’t be able to experience the novel “shake and pour” characteristic of Pour Buttermilk Pancake Mix. The ingredient list shows that aside from baking soda and wheat flour, it has buttermilk and eggs.
Bisquick Complete Honey Butter Biscuit Mix
The “just add water” blue label on a box of Bisquick Complete Honey Butter Biscuit Mix honestly tempted us. Sadly, this variant has non-vegan products like honey, butter, and nonfat milk.
Also Read:
Controversial Ingredients To Look Out For
Remember when we said that it’s not that simple to answer whether or not Bisquick products are vegan? That’s because it contains controversial ingredients. We’ll list them down for you so you can make informed choices.
Palm Oil & Palm Fat
Palm oil is obviously vegetable oil, so what’s the big deal? Technically, yes, however, its production is not vegan. Palm plantations are notorious for releasing high volumes of peat into the soil, which converts to methane. Methane is the greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.
Sugar
Some sugars are refined in bone char (charred cattle bones) to achieve their white color. While these bones don’t necessarily make it into the final product, vegans don’t support this process and would rather choose vegan sugar.
Artificial Colors
Again, there is technically nothing wrong with artificial colors. However, before artificial colors are incorporated into food, they go through a round of animal testing.
Natural & Artificial Flavorings
Some brands, including Bisquick, are not transparent on where they obtain their Natural and Artificial Flavorings, so there is no way to verify whether or not the flavors are all plant-based.
Bisquick Vegan Recipes
Dairy-Free Vegan Bisquick Biscuits
Pro-tip for Bisquick biscuits: make sure all of the ingredients are cold upon assembly.
Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups Bisquick Original Pancake Baking Mix
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅔ cup soy milk or almond milk
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F, then whisk the juice and milk together in a large bowl. Set it aside until the milk slightly thickens.
- Put the Bisquick mix into a bowl, making a well in the center. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the well and combine until it forms a soft dough.
- Transfer the dough to a flat surface sprinkled generously with flour or Bisquick mix and flatten it to about an inch thick.
- Cut into squares and transfer into an ungreased baking tray, leaving about a two-inch gap in between.
- Bake for at least 10 minutes until the Bisquick biscuits are golden brown. Serve warm.
Bisquick Vegan Pancakes
These vegan Bisquick pancakes are easy to customize: add peanut butter syrup for sweet pancakes or green onions for savory Bisquick pancakes.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Bisquick Original Pancake and Baking Mix
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups non-dairy milk
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until there are no visible lumps.
- Brush oil or cooking spray on the surface of a non-stick pan and ladle on your batter. Cook both sides until golden brown.
- Finish off the rest of the batter and serve warm. You may also want to try our special Kimchi pancake recipe.
FAQs
No, Bisquick isn’t necessarily unhealthy. At least, it’s not any less healthy than if you were to make your baking mixes from scratch. The hydrogenated oil in Bisquick can contribute to trans fat, which poses the risk of heart problems.
Yes, Bisquick will work even without eggs! Substitute eggs with a flax egg, oil, or water instead, which are more vegan-friendly options.
Plenty of other ingredients can replace eggs and milk when you’re building your Bisquick meal. Applesauce or flax egg are vegan alternatives to egg yolk. [1] As for milk, you can choose non-dairy milk, such as soy, almond, or coconut milk.
So, Is Bisquick Vegan?
Personally, we don’t think there’s any harm in trying vegan-approved Bisquick boxes. Bisquick is a great way to simplify cooking, and something else we advocate for (aside from veganism) is how to live simply!
Reference:
- https://www.delish.com/kitchen-tools/advice/g4834/vegan-egg-substitutes/
About Author
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Did you make this recipe? Leave a reply below!