The Surprising Addition To Make Bisquick Taste Just Like A McDonald's Pancake

McDonald's doesn't usually miss when it comes to breakfast. The hash browns, Egg McMuffin, and pancakes are unlike any offerings from competitors. While the ingredient and nutrition information of fast food menu items are public, the ratio of those ingredients and the cooking process remains a mystery. Naturally, the internet has been scrambling for a McDonald's Hotcake copycat, and one trick many have tried is adding Sprite to "just-add-water" pancake mixes like Bisquick.

@raphaelgomesx

so easy you can download it to your brain instead of your camera roll 😉

♬ original sound – Raphael Gomes

TikTok creator @raphaelgomesx shared an example of this hack, combining 1 ⅓ cup Bisquick, ½ cup water, and ½ Sprite. The result seems to be a copycat McDonald's Hotcake, requiring only three ingredients. While the actual McDonald's Hotcakes don't contain Sprite, there are a couple of reasons why this soda works in the dupe recipe.

Adding Sprite to the pancake mix helps emulate the sweetness that McDonald's Hotcakes are known for. Soda creates fluffier baked goods because of its carbonation, pulling more air into the batter as it cooks. The "just-add-water" type of Bisquick, Hungry Jack, and Best Choice pancake mixes seem to have the most overlap of ingredients, though none are a perfect match. Overall, the Sprite hack is fantastic for making any kind of pancake. It gives more texture to boxed mixes and homemade buttermilk pancake recipes alike.

This TikTok hack may come very close to McDonald's Hotcakes, but it's not a total replica of the original. Aside from not knowing the exact ratio of ingredients and how they're combined, McDonald's Hotcakes aren't made fresh (in the U.S., at least). They're delivered frozen to the restaurant and reheated in an industrial microwave oven. This process allows the pancakes more time to soften from the moisture, making them soft enough to cut with a flimsy plastic fork.

The key to replicating a McDonald's Hotcake is largely in how you cook it on the skillet or griddle. Either add a very small amount of oil or butter to the skillet, or omit it entirely. Pouring the batter straight onto the hot surface is what creates that super smooth exterior, but adding butter or oil before the batter creates a more country-style pancake (similar to the ones at Cracker Barrel).

The McDonald's Hotcakes seem to be very lightly toasted, so avoid cooking your pancakes on high heat or leaving them for more than a minute per side. Otherwise, they'll take on a slightly smoky flavor from the pan, which is something the McDonald's Hotcakes lack. Regardless of how you cook them, Sprite is a delicious unexpected upgrade for pancakes that will let you enjoy them far after the McDonald's breakfast menu ends for the day.