Easy Bisquick Substitute (Homemade Baking Mix Recipe)
Ditch the store-bought baking mix and make your own easy Bisquick Substitute instead! Made with just four simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, it’s a quick and convenient alternative. Use it just like the boxed version in all your favorite recipes.
Easy Bisquick Substitute
Growing up, Bisquick was a staple in our home. We used it on Saturday mornings to make a batch of pancakes, drop biscuits for weeknight meals, and sausage balls for Sunday mornings. There are also a variety of other dishes that we made with Bisquick!
But living in the country, miles from a grocery store, meant that if we ran out, we had to either skip the planned recipe or come up with a good substitute for Bisquick mix.
And with this simple recipe, you’ll never have to buy another box of Bisquick again.
Tools Needed
You probably already have all the tools you need for this homemade Bisquick recipe in your kitchen.
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment (not paddle attachment) -OR- Pastry Blender
- Measuring Spoons and Cups
Ingredients
You only need a few common ingredients for this Homemade Bisquick Mix. If you don’t have them in your pantry, they’r easily found at any grocery store and you can make your own Bisquick mix with minimal effort.
- All-purpose flour (regular flour, not self-rising flour)
- Shortening
- Baking powder
- Salt
Find the complete recipe with the list of ingredients with measurements in the printable recipe card below.
Substitutions
Shortening – this is a great recipe as-is, but you unsalted butter can be used in place of shortening for added flavor OR if you prefer real butter over vegetable shortening. Refrigerate the baking mix if you make this substitution. I have a whole post explaining the differences between butter vs. shortening here.
How to Make Homemade Bisquick
You only need 5 minutes to make this bisquick substitute recipe!
- In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the shortening until well combined.
- Cut the shortening into small pieces and add it to the flour mixture.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix on medium to high speed until the shortening is fully incorporated—it should blend in so well, you’ll barely notice it’s there. Note: you could also use a pastry cutter or food processor for this step.
- Use right away or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerator. Store your homemade Bisquick in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. A pint-size mason jar is perfect for this.
While we usually use it much sooner, it does stay fresh that long. You can store it at room temperature in a cool dry place, but it’ll only last about a week—Crisco tends to go rancid faster outside the fridge.
Freezing. I don’t recommend freezing it, as the texture might not hold up well after thawing—freeze at your own risk!
Pro Tips
- When mixing, use a guard if possible. Since this homemade biscuit mix is mostly dry ingredients, it can create a flour cloud and make a mess.
- I use classic Crisco for the shortening and it works great. For added flavor, you can substitute unsalted butter. If you do, make sure it’s chilled – not room temperature, but not straight from the fridge, really cold butter either. Crisco straight from the fridge is ideal and ready to use right away—avoid letting it get too soft.
- You can use this homemade mix exactly like store-bought Bisquick, following the same measurements in your recipes.
Recipes from the Original Bisquick Box
You can use this homemade Bisquick substitute for any of the recipes on the original Bisquick box:
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Biscuits OR Cheesy Garlic Biscuits (I have a delicious recipe for these that doesn’t use Bisquick here)
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Dumplings
- Cheeseburger Pie
More from my Baking Basics Series
Easy Bisquick Substitute (Homemade Baking Mix Recipe)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 1/4 cups 1x
Description
Ditch the store-bought baking mix and make your own easy Bisquick Substitute instead! Made with just four simple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, it’s a quick and convenient alternative. Use it just like the boxed version in all your favorite recipes.
Ingredients
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons Shortening
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the shortening until well combined.
- Cut the shortening into small pieces and add it to the flour mixture.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix on medium to high speed until the shortening is fully incorporated—it should blend in so well, you’ll barely notice it’s there. Note: you could also use a pastry cutter or food processor for this step.
- Use right away or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Notes
- When mixing, use a guard if possible. Since this homemade biscuit mix is mostly dry ingredients, it can create a flour cloud and make a mess.
- I use classic Crisco for the shortening and it works great. For added flavor, you can substitute unsalted butter. If you do, make sure it’s chilled – not room temperature, but not straight from the fridge, really cold butter either. Crisco straight from the fridge is ideal and ready to use right away—avoid letting it get too soft.
- You can use this homemade mix exactly like store-bought Bisquick, following the same measurements in your recipes.
- Prep Time: 5
