Aunt Jemima is a brand of pancake mixes, syrups, and other breakfast foods currently owned by The J.M. Smucker Company. The Aunt Jemima brand was first established in 1889 and has become one of the most recognizable brands for pancake mixes and syrups in the United States.
Over the years, the Aunt Jemima brand has expanded to include a variety of products including complete pancake mixes, buttermilk pancake mixes, cornmeal, syrups, frozen pancakes and waffles. With such a wide range of products on the market under the Aunt Jemima name, many consumers wonder whether Aunt Jemima pancake mixes and syrups contain dairy ingredients.
This article will examine the various Aunt Jemima products to determine which items contain dairy and which do not. Having this information can help consumers with food allergies or dietary restrictions identify Aunt Jemima products that align with their needs.
Do Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mixes Contain Dairy?
Aunt Jemima’s most popular and widely available pancake mix is the Original variety. The ingredients list for Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mix is as follows:
Enriched bleached wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), corn flour, sugar, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), dextrose, soybean oil with BHT for freshness, eggs, monocalcium phosphate, salt.
Upon inspection of the ingredients list, Aunt Jemima’s Original Pancake Mix does contain one dairy ingredient – eggs. Since the mix contains egg ingredients, it is not vegan or dairy-free. The egg ingredient provides binding, structure, and extra rise to the pancakes.
For consumers avoiding dairy due to allergies or diet, the egg ingredient in Aunt Jemima Original Pancake Mix means it should be avoided. There are dairy-free pancake mix options available from other brands made without eggs for a vegan pancake recipe.
Do Aunt Jemima Complete Pancake Mixes Have Dairy?
In addition to the Original variety, Aunt Jemima also manufactures Complete Pancake Mixes in Buttermilk and Homestyle flavors. The ingredient lists for these complete mixes are as follows:
Aunt Jemima Complete Buttermilk Pancake Mix:
Enriched bleached wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, buttermilk, contains 2% or less of: leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), soybean oil, salt, cornstarch, whey, mono and diglycerides, soy lecithin.
Aunt Jemima Complete Homestyle Pancake and Waffle Mix:
Enriched bleached wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, degerminated yellow corn flour, buttermilk, contains 2% or less of: soybean oil, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate),
salt, whey, cornstarch, egg whites, natural and artificial flavors, dried
yeast, soy lecithin.
An inspection of the ingredients lists for the Complete Pancake Mix varieties shows that both the Buttermilk and Homestyle flavors contain dairy ingredients.
The Buttermilk variety contains whey, which is a watery liquid that separates from the curds during cheese production. Whey contains lactose and dairy proteins.
Similarly, the Homestyle mix also contains whey as well as egg whites. Both the whey and egg whites confirm that Aunt Jemima’s Complete Pancake Mixes (Buttermilk and Homestyle varieties) are not vegan or dairy-free.
Do Aunt Jemima Pancake and Waffle Mixes Contain Milk Ingredients?
In addition to complete pancake mixes, Aunt Jemima also offers pancake and waffle mix blends. Popular mixes in this category include:
- Aunt Jemima Pancake and Waffle Mix
- Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix
- Aunt Jemima Whole Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix
The ingredient lists for these pancake and waffle mixes are as follows:
Aunt Jemima Pancake and Waffle Mix:
Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), dextrose, modified corn starch, salt, dried egg whites, nonfat milk.
Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix:
Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), salt, buttermilk solids, dried egg whites, corn starch.
Aunt Jemima Whole Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix:
Whole wheat flour, enriched bleached wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, buttermilk, contains 2% or less of: wheat bran, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), soybean oil, soy lecithin, salt, egg whites, natural flavor.
An examination of the ingredient lists confirms that all three of Aunt Jemima’s pancake and waffle mixes contain dairy ingredients.
The standard Pancake and Waffle Mix includes nonfat milk, the Buttermilk variety contains buttermilk solids, and the Whole Grain mix includes egg whites and buttermilk.
So consumers managing dairy allergies or avoiding milk for other reasons should avoid these Aunt Jemima pancake and waffle mixes.
Do Aunt Jemima Cornbread and Muffin Mixes Have Milk?
In the packaged baking mix aisle, you may also come across Aunt Jemima Cornbread and Muffin Mix varieties. The main mixes are:
- Aunt Jemima Original Cornbread Mix
- Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Cornbread Mix
- Aunt Jemima Corn Muffin Mix
Let’s look at the ingredient lists:
Aunt Jemima Original Cornbread Mix:
Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), cornmeal, sugar, vegetable oil (hydrogenated soybean, cottonseed and/or canola oil), leavening (sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), salt, dextrose, guar gum, natural flavor.
Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Cornbread Mix:
Enriched bleached wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), cornmeal, sugar, buttermilk, contains 2% or less of: vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil), baking soda, salt, soy flour, egg whites, artificial flavors, sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate).
Aunt Jemima Corn Muffin Mix:
Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), cornmeal, sugar, leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), dextrose, salt, guar gum, caramel color, natural flavor.
The ingredient lists show that the Original Cornbread Mix is dairy-free, as it does not contain any milk ingredients.
However, the Buttermilk Cornbread Mix does contain egg whites. And the Corn Muffin Mix appears to be dairy-free based on the ingredients shown.
So the Original Cornbread and Corn Muffin varieties would be suitable for vegans and those avoiding dairy, while the Buttermilk Cornbread Mix contains egg whites and is not dairy-free.
Do Aunt Jemima Pancake Syrups Contain Dairy?
In addition to pancake mixes, Aunt Jemima is also well known for their line of pancake syrups. Some of their popular syrups include:
- Aunt Jemima Original Syrup
- Aunt Jemima Lite Syrup
- Aunt Jemima Butter Rich Syrup
- Aunt Jemima Butter Lite Syrup
Here are the ingredients lists for these syrup varieties:
Aunt Jemima Original Syrup:
Corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water, cellulose gum, natural and artificial flavor, caramel color, sodium benzoate and sorbic acid (preservatives), sodium hexametaphosphate.
Aunt Jemima Lite Syrup:
Corn syrup, water, high fructose corn syrup, cellulose gum, natural and artificial maple flavor, caramel color, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (preservatives), sodium hexametaphosphate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose.
Aunt Jemima Butter Rich Syrup:
Corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, water, cellulose gum, natural and artificial flavor, salt, caramel color, sodium benzoate and sorbic acid (preservatives), sodium hexametaphosphate.
Aunt Jemima Butter Lite Syrup:
Corn syrup, water, high fructose corn syrup, cellulose gum, natural and artificial flavor, salt, caramel color, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (preservatives), sodium hexametaphosphate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose.
An inspection of the ingredients lists for the various Aunt Jemima syrups confirms that they are all dairy-free. None of the syrup varieties contain milk, cream, butter, or any other dairy ingredients.
The syrups are made from corn syrup, sugar, water, flavorings, and preservatives. So vegans and those avoiding dairy can safely consume Aunt Jemima Original, Lite, Butter Rich, and Butter Lite syrup without concern over milk ingredients.
Do Aunt Jemima Frozen Pancakes and Waffles Contain Dairy?
Aunt Jemima also offers some pre-made frozen pancake and waffle products, including:
- Aunt Jemima Frozen Pancakes (Buttermilk and Homestyle varieties)
- Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles (Regular, Buttermilk, Blueberry, and Chocolate Chip varieties)
Here are the ingredients lists for these frozen Aunt Jemima items:
Aunt Jemima Frozen Buttermilk Pancakes:
Water, enriched wheat flour, buttermilk, soybean oil, degermed yellow corn flour, sugar, contains 2% or less of: soy protein concentrate, eggs, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), nonfat milk, salt, wheat starch, natural and artificial flavor.
Aunt Jemima Frozen Homestyle Pancakes:
Enriched wheat flour (contains niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), buttermilk, water, soybean oil, sugar, whole eggs, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), nonfat milk, salt, artificial flavor.
Aunt Jemima Frozen Waffles (All Varieties):
Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, soybean oil, eggs, buttermilk, contains 2% or less of: water, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda), nonfat milk, corn syrup, salt, dough conditioners (distilled monoglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate), soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavors, modified cornstarch, rice flour.
The ingredient lists show that all of Aunt Jemima’s frozen pancakes and waffles contain dairy ingredients like milk and buttermilk. The frozen pancakes also contain eggs.
So Aunt Jemima’s full line of frozen breakfast foods are not vegan or dairy-free. The milk, buttermilk, and egg ingredients make these frozen items off-limits for people avoiding dairy.
Summary of Aunt Jemima Products That Contain Dairy
To summarize, here are the Aunt Jemima products that contain dairy-derived ingredients:
| Products With Dairy |
|---|
| Original Pancake Mix |
| Complete Buttermilk Pancake Mix |
| Complete Homestyle Pancake and Waffle Mix |
| Pancake and Waffle Mix |
| Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix |
| Whole Grain Pancake and Waffle Mix |
| Buttermilk Cornbread Mix |
| Frozen Buttermilk Pancakes |
| Frozen Homestyle Pancakes |
| Frozen Waffles (all varieties) |
These products contain milk-based ingredients like nonfat milk, buttermilk, whey, and eggs. So they are not dairy-free or vegan.
Aunt Jemima Products That Are Dairy-Free
In contrast, these Aunt Jemima products do NOT contain dairy ingredients:
| Dairy-Free Products |
|---|
| Original Syrup |
| Lite Syrup |
| Butter Rich Syrup |
| Butter Lite Syrup |
| Original Cornbread Mix |
| Corn Muffin Mix |
These pancake syrups and baked mixes do not contain any milk, cream, butter, whey, or egg ingredients based on the listed ingredients. So they would be suitable for vegan diets or those avoiding milk.
Conclusion
To wrap up, some Aunt Jemima products like their syrups and specific mixes are dairy-free, while others like their complete pancake mixes, frozen items, and several bake mixes contain milk and egg ingredients.
Checking the ingredient list on any Aunt Jemima product is the best way to determine if it aligns with your dietary needs and restrictions. While not all Aunt Jemima products are vegan or dairy-free, there are some that fit into restricted diets by avoiding milk-based ingredients.
So if you need to avoid dairy, look for the Original Syrup or Cornbread Mix, but steer clear of the Buttermilk Waffles and other items containing obvious dairy ingredients. This information helps consumers make informed choices about the Aunt Jemima foods they purchase and consume.