Bisquick is an all-purpose baking mix that can be used to make a variety of baked goods like pancakes, waffles, biscuits, and more. Many home bakers wonder if they can use Bisquick in place of regular flour in recipes. The short answer is yes, Bisquick can generally be substituted for flour in most recipes.
What is Bisquick?
Bisquick is a pre-mixed baking mix created by General Mills that contains flour, shortening, salt, baking powder, and sometimes sugar and powdered milk. It was introduced in 1931 to provide home bakers with a convenient pre-mixed alternative to mixing all the dry ingredients themselves.
Bisquick contains the following components:
- All-purpose flour – usually bleached, enriched white flour
- Shortening – typically hydrogenated vegetable oil
- Baking powder – provides leavening
- Salt
- Sugar (in some recipes)
- Dried milk (in some recipes)
By containing the necessary dry ingredients for baked goods in one mix, Bisquick eliminates the needs for home bakers to measure out flour, leavening agents, salt, and other ingredients. It simplifies and speeds up the baking process.
Substituting Bisquick for Flour
In most recipes, Bisquick can directly replace flour at a 1:1 ratio. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, you can simply substitute 1 cup of Bisquick. The convenience products contains a similar protein content as all-purpose flour along with the necessary leavening agents and salt needed in recipes.
There are a few considerations when substituting Bisquick for flour:
- Since Bisquick contains some salt and baking powder, you may need to reduce or eliminate additional salt and leavening called for in the original recipe. Taste the batter and adjust seasonings as needed.
- The added shortening or fat in Bisquick will result in a richer end product. This can work well for things like biscuits but may not be desirable in lighter baked goods like cakes.
- The sugars and dairy components in some Bisquick products will sweeten and affect the flavor of the final recipe. Adjust any additional sugars in the recipe accordingly.
- Do not overmix or overwork biscuit or scone dough made with Bisquick or the item may become tough. Handle the dough gently.
When using Bisquick in place of flour in baking recipes, you may need to slightly adjust liquids, leavening, sweeteners, and seasoning until you achieve the desired consistency and flavor. But in most cases, it can be used as a simple 1 for 1 substitute with good results.
Types of Recipes Bisquick Works Well In
Here are some of the recipes where Bisquick can easily be used in place of regular all-purpose flour:
- Pancakes & waffles – Bisquick is designed to be the perfect base for fluffy pancakes and waffles.
- Biscuits – The shortening in Bisquick makes it an ideal substitute for flaky biscuits and scones.
- Dumplings – Bisquick’s all-in-one convenience works great for quick dumpling recipes.
- Shortcakes – The light texture is perfect for fruit shortcakes.
- Muffins – Substitute Bisquick for flour in muffin batters for an easy breakfast treat.
- Crisps & cobblers – Use Bisquick for the topping in fruit crisps and cobblers.
Bisquick also works well in batter for fried foods like fritters, hushpuppies, fish sticks, and chicken nuggets.
Some baked goods that require a more delicate texture or rise may not work as well with a Bisquick substitution, like cakes, cookies, yeast breads, and pastries. But for most quick breads and breakfast foods, it can be used interchangeably with flour.
Making Your Own Bisquick Substitute
Don’t have a box of Bisquick on hand? You can easily mix up your own version to use in place of flour. Here is a simple homemade Bisquick recipe:
Homemade Bisquick
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 cup shortening
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cut in the shortening using a pastry cutter or two forks until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Store in an airtight container up to 3 months.
Use this easy homemade Bisquick 1:1 in place of flour in your favorite recipes. Adjust liquids and other ingredients as needed.
Tips for Baking Success Using Bisquick
Follow these tips to ensure your baked goods come out perfectly when substituting with Bisquick:
- Check your pantry to see if you have the Original or Heart Smart Bisquick. The Heart Smart has less fat so you may need to adjust wet ingredients.
- Swap Bisquick for flour at a 1:1 ratio, but make adjustments to leavening, sugar, salt, and liquids as needed.
- For biscuits and scones, handle the dough gently and do not overmix for best texture.
- For pancakes and waffles, let batter rest for 5 minutes after mixing to improve texture.
- If batter seems too dry, add a little extra milk or water until desired consistency is reached.
- Let baked good properly cool before adding any icings, glazes or toppings.
Nutritional Profile
One of the downsides of using Bisquick instead of regular flour is that it does contain more fat, sugar, and sodium since it has added shortening, milk, and salt. For example, here is a nutritional comparison of 1/4 cup (30g) serving of Bisquick vs. all-purpose flour:
| Nutrient | Bisquick | All-purpose flour |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 110 | 100 |
| Fat | 3g | 0.5g |
| Carbs | 18g | 22g |
| Protein | 2g | 3g |
| Sodium | 260mg | 0mg |
As you can see, Bisquick contains significantly more fat and sodium compared to regular wheat flour. However, the convenience factor of Bisquick may outweigh the slightly higher calorie and sodium counts for many home bakers.
Cost Comparison
Bisquick typically costs a bit more than purchasing plain flour. Here is a simple cost comparison:
| Product | Typical Price |
|---|---|
| 40 oz box Bisquick | $3.99 |
| 5 lb bag all-purpose flour | $2.99 |
However, if you factor in the cost and time required to purchase and measure out separate ingredients like flour, baking powder, salt, shortening, and milk, Bisquick becomes much more cost-effective. For home bakers looking to save time and effort while still enjoying delicious homemade baked goods, the slightly higher price tag of Bisquick may be worth it.
Conclusion
Bisquick can be substituted for regular flour in most quick bread, pancake, biscuit, and scone recipes with fairly good results. Each cup of flour can be directly replaced with one cup of Bisquick. Minor adjustments may be needed to account for the salt, fat, sugar and leavening agents already in Bisquick. With a few simple tweaks, home bakers can use this convenient premixed product in place of flour for simple breakfast treats and snacks.