Key Takeaways
- Pancake mix and Yorkshire pudding batter share the same three ingredients: flour, eggs, and milk.
- Yorkshire pudding batter uses more egg and less liquid, making it thicker so it puffs in a hot oven.
- Plain, unsweetened pancake mix works as a substitute if you add an extra egg and cut back on liquid.
- Fluffy American-style pancake mix relies on baking powder and sugar, so it won't give the classic Yorkshire pudding texture.
- Neither batter uses self-raising flour – both rely on egg and steam, not a chemical leavener, for lift.
What Are Yorkshire Puddings, Exactly?
If you’ve got a box of pancake mix in the pantry and a Sunday roast on the menu, I get why you’re eyeing it as a Yorkshire pudding shortcut.
The short answer is yes, you can use pancake mix for Yorkshire puddings – but the ratio of egg to liquid matters more than the brand on the box.
For readers who haven’t made them before, Yorkshire puddings are savory, oven-baked popovers.
They’re poured into a screaming-hot muffin tin or popover pan, then baked until they puff into golden, hollow cups.
Traditionally they ride alongside roast beef and gravy, but I’ve served them with all sorts of Sunday dinners over the years.
If you end up with extras, it’s worth knowing how to reheat yorkshire puddings so the second round comes out crisp instead of chewy.
Is Pancake Mix the Same as Yorkshire Pudding Mix?
This is the question I get asked most, and it shows up in a few different phrasings – is pancake mix the same as Yorkshire pudding mix, is a Yorkshire pudding mix and pancake mix the same in the UK, and what’s actually different between them.
Here’s the honest answer: the base ingredients are nearly identical.
Both start with all-purpose flour, eggs, and milk, whisked into a smooth batter.
No self-raising flour, no baking powder, no yeast – Yorkshire pudding batter and traditional thin British pancake batter both rely on egg and steam for lift, not a chemical leavener.
Where they part ways is proportion, not ingredients.
Yorkshire pudding batter is egg-heavy and thick, closer to heavy cream; pancake batter is thinner, closer to light cream, so it spreads easily in a hot pan.
So if you’re asking whether a boxed mix labeled simply ‘pancake and Yorkshire pudding mix,’ common on British supermarket shelves, is legitimate – yes, it is.
That’s exactly why one product can do both jobs: it’s formulated in between the two ratios.
An American boxed pancake mix is a different animal though, and I’ll get into why below.
Yorkshire Pudding Batter vs Pancake Batter: Key Differences
Once you see the two batters side by side, the difference in ratio makes total sense.
Yorkshire pudding batter needs enough egg protein to trap steam and hold a domed shape once it’s baked at a high temperature.
Pancake batter, by contrast, only needs to be thin enough to spread and set flat in a hot pan.
I always test consistency with a spoon: pancake batter should run off in a steady ribbon, while Yorkshire pudding batter should coat the back of the spoon and drip slowly.
If the batter pours like water, it’s too thin for Yorkshire puddings and will spread into a flat, crepe-like puddle instead of climbing the sides of the tin.
If you’re curious about swapping other flours into the batter, I’ve also tested using corn flour for Yorkshire puddings and using self-raising flour for Yorkshire puddings, since both questions come up almost as often as this pancake mix one.
The table below breaks down exactly where the two batters diverge.
| Feature | Pancake Batter | Yorkshire Pudding Batter |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (100g) all-purpose | 1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose |
| Eggs | 2 large | 2 large |
| Milk | 1 1/4 cups (300ml) | 1/3 cup (100ml) |
| Consistency | Thin, like light cream | Thick, like heavy cream |
| Cooking method | Fried flat in a skillet | Baked in very hot fat, in the oven |
| Texture | Soft, flexible, flat | Crisp exterior, hollow, puffed |
How to Make Yorkshire Puddings from Scratch
Here’s the version I make almost every Sunday, scaled for a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
Whisk 1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour with 2 large eggs until smooth, then slowly whisk in 1/3 cup (100ml) whole milk plus a pinch of salt.
Rest the batter in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, though I’ve found 2 hours gives a noticeably better rise.
Resting lets the flour fully hydrate and the gluten relax, which is part of why the batter holds its shape in the oven – gluten structure is doing real work here, not just the egg.
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and add about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil or beef drippings to each muffin cup.
Heat the tin in the oven until the fat is visibly smoking – this step is non-negotiable, since it’s what makes the batter puff the instant it hits the pan.
Carefully pour in the batter, filling each cup about halfway, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes without opening the oven door.
They’re done when they’re deeply golden, crisp on the outside, and hollow in the middle.
Because eggs are the backbone of this recipe, keep your batter refrigerated until you’re ready to bake, following standard guidance for handling egg-based mixtures.
How to Make Thin British-Style Pancakes
What Brits call a ‘pancake’ is thin and pliable, much closer to what Americans would call a crepe than a stack of fluffy diner pancakes.
Whisk 1 cup (100g) all-purpose flour with 2 large eggs, then gradually whisk in 1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk until completely smooth and lump-free.
Let the batter rest for 30 minutes – this cuts down on toughness and gives a more tender pancake once it hits the pan.
Heat a little oil or butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, pour in a thin layer of batter, and swirl to coat the pan evenly.
Cook for about a minute per side, until lightly golden, then stack them as you go and keep them warm under foil.
If you make a double batch, freezing pancake batter is an easy way to have breakfast ready without measuring everything out again.
Can You Use Boxed Pancake Mix for Yorkshire Puddings?
Plenty of British boxed mixes are marketed for both jobs, and if that’s what you’ve got, you’re fine to use it as is.
The trouble starts when the mix has added sugar or vanilla flavoring, which will bleed into a savory Yorkshire pudding and taste odd next to gravy.
Check the ingredient list before you commit a whole batch to the oven.
If the mix is unsweetened, I’ll often crack in one extra egg per cup of dry mix to push the batter closer to Yorkshire pudding thickness.
That extra egg gives the batter more structure, which helps it climb the sides of the tin instead of staying flat.
You may also want to use a bit less liquid than the package calls for, since most pancake mixes are formulated to be thin and pourable.
Whisk it a little longer than you would for pancakes too – you want it completely smooth with no dry pockets before it goes anywhere near the hot fat.
What About Fluffy American-Style Pancake Mix?
This is where I’d pump the brakes a little.
American pancake mixes made for stovetop stacks are built around baking powder and often sugar, not egg-driven steam.
That’s a completely different leavening system from the one Yorkshire pudding relies on.
You can technically bake this kind of batter in a hot muffin tin and it will puff, thanks to the baking powder, but the result is closer to a sweet popover or a mini Dutch baby than a true Yorkshire pudding.
The crumb will be cakier and softer, and it won’t have the crisp, eggy, custardy interior that makes a Yorkshire pudding what it is.
If this is genuinely all you have on hand, it’ll still taste fine with gravy, but go in expecting a different texture rather than a disappointing failure.
I’d also skip any mix that’s heavily sweetened or has cinnamon or vanilla already mixed in, since those flavors clash hard with a beef roast.
Other Uses for Leftover Pancake Mix or Batter
If you’ve mixed up more batter than you need, it doesn’t have to go to waste.
Prepared pancake batter keeps in the fridge for about 2 days in a sealed container.
It also freezes well for up to 3 months – just label the bag with the date so you’re not guessing later on.
Beyond breakfast, plain pancake batter makes a surprisingly good coating for pan-fried or deep-fried chicken and fish; a pinch of paprika or black pepper adds some savory depth.
It also works as a quick waffle batter in a pinch, though a splash of extra oil helps waffles crisp up properly.
And if you’ve got leftover Yorkshire puddings instead of leftover batter, microwaving yorkshire puddings is the fastest way to warm them, though the oven keeps them crisper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pancake mix the same as Yorkshire pudding mix?
They share the same three main ingredients – flour, eggs, and milk – but Yorkshire pudding batter uses more egg and less liquid, making it thicker and better suited to puffing in a hot oven.
Can I use pancake mix instead of Yorkshire pudding batter?
Yes, as long as it's a plain, unsweetened mix. Add an extra egg per cup of dry mix and use slightly less liquid to get closer to the right thickness.
What's the difference between pancake mix and Yorkshire pudding mix?
Mainly the ratio and the cooking method. Pancake batter is thin and fried flat on the stovetop, while Yorkshire pudding batter is thicker and baked in very hot fat in the oven.
Can you use American pancake mix, like Bisquick, for Yorkshire puddings?
You can bake it, but because it relies on baking powder and often sugar for lift rather than egg, you'll get something closer to a sweet popover than a classic Yorkshire pudding.
Do Yorkshire puddings really need more eggs than pancakes?
Yes. Egg does more of the structural work in Yorkshire puddings since there's no chemical leavener, so a higher egg-to-flour ratio helps them rise into a distinct dome.