October 14, 2015
Save Time : Make-Ahead Baking Mixes
I love baking but sometimes I like things to come together a little more quickly so I will pre-mix baking mixes that I can throw together in a hurry. I find that the key to making baking mixes WORK for me is to mix up a couple ahead of time so I have a handful of baking options ready to go. Make-ahead baking mixes are perfect for this time of the year – get a jump on your holiday ‘baking’ by pre-mixing some ingredients now.
Baked Goods that work well for Make-Ahead Mixes:
- muffins
- quick breads
- scones
- pancakes
- waffles
- biscuits
- cookies
- brownies
TURN ANY BAKED GOOD RECIPE INTO A MIX
Curious how you can turn just about any baked good recipe into a baking mix? It’s so easy!
- Simply choose your favorite recipe and read it over to make sure it can be broken down into dry and wet ingredients.
- LABEL a zip top bag with the recipe title, the date, the wet ingredients you’ll need to add later – put specifics on it so you don’t need to grab the cookbook to bake the mix. Add baking instructions like bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
- Gather the DRY ingredients and portion them into the zip top bag. As long as you are mixing up the mix, portion out 2-3 bags of the recipe so you can make the baked good more than once.
- Press out the air and seal the bag. Just about any dry baking mix will easily keep in your freezer for up to 6 months.
- Ready to bake? Let the mix come to room temperature on a kitchen counter.
- Use a whisk to blend/fluff up the dry ingredients.
- Mix in the wet ingredients and bake as the recipe directs.
ALL-PURPOSE BAKING MIX
You can take the baking mix to a different level and mix up a large batch of an all-purpose baking mix (think Bisquick) and keep that in your pantry or freezer to use for pancakes, biscuits, waffles, scones, etc.
I like this mix from King Arthur Flour – there are so many variations, you can really make this fit just about any diet or taste.
If you like this post, you’ll love the make-ahead cookie tip in this post!
Grimm Says
When I put together baking mixes I vacuum seal them in canning jars to keep in the pantry. They don’t stay on the shelf long so I don’t want to waste the zip bags or the freezer space. I have had a jar get “lost” on the pantry shelf to be found long after a year and they still taste fine when used. When we go camping I put the mixes in vacuum bags so they take up less room in the cooler before they are used.
deborah Says
You can also use canning jars to freeze the mixes in. I freeze in them all the time – soups, leftovers, staples, nuts. They work great!
Penny Says
I’m going to have to try this. Many years ago I had a book titled “Make a Mix Cookery.” I made cookie mixes, brownie mixes, bisquit mixes, mixes with chicken and beef. It was great, especially when my kids were little. I guess I should pass this idea on to them as they all have little ones now and could use “quick.”