Trader Joe’s Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix – Superb Texture!
I was able to get Trader Joe’s ube ice cream and ube tea cookies shortly after those came out, but after over a year, I was finally able to get their ube mochi pancake mix!
Of Course, Beautiful Package
Trader Joe’s ube stuff seem to have extremely attractive packaging. The purple and bubbly lettering is eye-catching that I noticed the box right away. There was a sign that says limit 1, so I grabbed one and checked out. I came back a bit later and they were all gone, so I feel pretty lucky I was able to get a box of this to try this season.
What’s Included and What You’ll Need
The box just contains the powder mix contents. You’ll need the other stuff – eggs, water, butter or oil, etc. Seems similar to other box mixes, though it’s been way too many years since I prepared something using these types of box mixes. So glad that TJ’s ube mochi pancake mix seems promising though!
Instructions are on the Back of the Box
How funny… the quantity of eggs and such on the back of the box and the instructions are in smaller print than the rest of the stuff. They assume 4 inch pancakes (1/4 cup batter), and depending on how many pancakes or waffles you want to make, below are the amount of each ingredient you’ll need –
- 4 Pancakes or 2 Waffles – 3/4 cup of the mix, 1/3 cup water, 1 egg, and 1 tbsp melted butter or oil.
- 8 Pancakes or 4 Waffles – 1.5 cups of the mix, 1/2 cup water, 2 eggs, and 2 tbsp melted butter or oil.
- 12 Pancakes or 6 Waffles – the full package of mix, 3/4 cup water, 3 eggs, and 3 tbsp melted butter or oil.
Let’s Start to Make the Ube Mochi Pancakes!
I prefer waffles over pancakes, but I’m not bothering with a waffle maker, so I’ll make the pancakes. The ingredients have been gathered, and I followed the instructions for the most part. It says to preheat griddle or skillet to 350 degrees F. I don’t have that, so I just used my Allclad pan – same way that I make regular pancakes. Low/Medium heat to warm-up and then reduce to low before putting the batter. See below for the steps.
Beautiful Purple after Mixing
The purple doesn’t really come out until after you start to mix the powder with the wet ingredients. Instructions were simple – mix the add-on ingredients (eggs, water, melted butter or oil) until incorporated and the incorporate the dry (the mix). I used a spatula to ensure it’s all mixed well before putting the batter in the pan.
Non-stick Pan Did Well
I treated the batter the same as I do with regular pancakes. Butter is in the batter, so I did not grease/oil the pan. It worked the same with this ube mochi pancake batter. I used a 1/4 cup as my scoop and flipped the pancakes after I saw some bubbles. Instructions mentioned 2 minutes or so each side, but I wasn’t timing it since I was using different equipment than suggested.
The Look and Taste/Texture
Above shows pictures of the pancakes cooking and the inside of the pancakes. It’s recommended to eat these immediately. They felt so nice and warm, and the texture is extremely similar to those mochi donut texture. These are slightly sweet, slightly ube, but the texture stood out more than anything. So good!! These are still good when they aren’t warm since the texture is still there. Chewy, different than regular pancakes. The mochi texture is amazing; I’m a fan. The cooked product isn’t as purple, but it’s a bit purple on the inside. The batter is more purple, and it turns rather gray if you let it sit out.
The Nutrition – So Glad I had People to Share These!
Supposedly the wet ingredients add 90 Calories per serving compared to the dry mix itself. One serving is only 2 pancakes! Say what?? The texture is so fun that it’s difficult stopping at just 2. Two of these lil pancakes contains 310 Calories! That’s 310 Calories by itself, no syrup or sides or anything. There’s 9g fat, 53g carbs, and 7g protein per serving. Definitely not low-carb friendly! All 6 servings prepared will be 1860 Calories, and 318g of those (or 68% of those Calories) are carbs. Crazy, right?? It’s unbelievable, and am having a hard time believing those numbers, just as numbers from the Cheesecake Factory menu.
Worth It?
I would definitely buy again for the texture alone. TJ’s has a mochi mix once a while, but the their ube mochi pancake mix is so much better. Not too bad for around $4 a box, but these are so difficult to find in my area.
