Make pancakes with plain wholemeal flour if choosing the flour yourself matters and you have time to cook. For a quicker snack, check the ingredients rather than the product name: Tesco Banana Pancakes contain both white and wholemeal wheat flour, while the listed Sainsbury's Scotch Pancakes do not identify wholemeal flour. NHS guidance also advises against offering only wholegrain starchy foods to children under 2.
If wholemeal flour needs to be a deliberate part of the pancake recipe, making a batch gives you control over that choice and the toppings. M&S publishes a 15-minute banana and blueberry pancake recipe using plain wholemeal flour.
A ready-made pack avoids making batter, but its ingredients still determine whether it meets a wholemeal preference. Tesco Banana Pancakes contain a white-and-wholemeal flour blend; the listed Sainsbury's Scotch Pancakes do not identify wholemeal flour.
Age matters when deciding how often to offer wholegrain foods. The NHS advises against giving only wholegrain starchy foods to children under 2 and says more can be introduced gradually after age 2.
Choose when: You want to select the flour used in the batter; M&S's recipe specifies plain wholemeal flour.
Bear in mind: This route needs ingredients, preparation and cooking rather than a ready-to-eat pack.
Choose when: A ready-made pancake containing some wholemeal flour meets your needs.
Bear in mind: Tesco Banana Pancakes also contain white wheat flour, so the blend is not an all-wholemeal option.
Choose when: A ready-to-eat pancake matters more than a wholemeal ingredient.
Bear in mind: The listed Sainsbury's Scotch Pancakes use wheat flour without identifying it as wholemeal.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Flour ingredients | Read the flour names and their order on a ready-made pack. For homemade pancakes, check that the recipe calls for the type of wholemeal flour you plan to use. | I want to know whether wholemeal is the flour I am cooking with or just one ingredient in a blend. |
| Nutrition label | Compare like-for-like figures, such as per pancake or per 100g. Tesco lists 1.5g fibre per Banana Pancake; Sainsbury's lists 0.5g fibre and 4.9g sugars per Scotch Pancake. | I'd like to see what a serving contains, rather than judging the snack by the word “wholemeal” alone. |
| Preparation | Check whether a pack can be eaten as sold or needs heating. If making batter with flour, cook it before serving; ASDA identifies flour as a raw ingredient. | On a busy half-term day, I need to decide whether there is time to mix and cook a batch. |
| Age and allergens | Check the current pack and every recipe ingredient for allergens. The listed Tesco and Sainsbury's pancakes contain wheat, egg and milk ingredients; NHS wholegrain advice differs for children under 2. | Before serving a child, I need the ingredients to suit them and the wholegrain choice to take their age into account. |
Tesco lists white wheat flour before wholemeal wheat flour in its Banana Pancakes. A blend may suit a quick snack without meeting a preference for wholemeal as the principal flour.
Read the flour ingredients in order. If selecting the flour yourself is important, use a recipe that specifies plain wholemeal flour.
The NHS says these foods may fill young children before they get enough calories and nutrients.
Offer a variety of starchy foods to children under 2; the NHS advises introducing more wholegrain foods gradually after age 2.
The listed Tesco and Sainsbury's ready-made pancakes contain wheat, egg and milk ingredients. Recipes and ingredient information can change.
For an allergy or intolerance, check the current pack and each ingredient used in a homemade batch, including toppings.
ASDA states that flour is a raw ingredient that must be cooked or baked before eating.
Cook the pancakes before serving them, and do not offer raw batter for tasting.
Tesco provides examples of both wholemeal flour for cooking and ready-made pancakes containing a flour blend.
ASDA provides a wholemeal flour example for a homemade route.
M&S provides a recipe example for making wholemeal pancakes.
Its listed Scotch Pancakes illustrate a ready-made choice when wholemeal flour is not a requirement.
These are flour options for making pancakes during half-term, not ready-made snacks. Check your recipe before substituting spelt, atta or bread flour for plain wholemeal flour.
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A flour option when making the pancakes yourself. This is wholemeal spelt flour in a 1kg pack; check that your recipe accepts spelt, and check the pack if wheat is an allergen concern. Cook flour-based batter before serving.
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A 5kg atta flour option for cooking from scratch rather than serving straight from a pack. If wholemeal flour is essential to your recipe, confirm the current pack description and check that the recipe accepts atta. Cook the batter before serving.
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A 1kg wholemeal flour option if you are preparing pancakes and your recipe accepts bread flour. Its “Very Strong” bread-flour designation is distinct from the plain wholemeal flour specified in the M&S pancake recipe, so check before substituting it. Cook the batter before serving.
Not necessarily: check the flour in the ingredient list. Tesco Banana Pancakes contain both white and wholemeal wheat flour, while the listed Sainsbury's Scotch Pancakes do not identify wholemeal flour. A recipe specifying plain wholemeal flour lets you choose that ingredient directly.
No. NHS guidance advises against giving only wholegrain starchy foods to children under 2 because they may fill a child before they get enough calories and nutrients. It advises introducing more wholegrain foods gradually after age 2.
Fruit and yoghurt are ingredients in M&S's banana and blueberry wholemeal pancake recipe. Check every addition against the needs of the person eating it, particularly where an allergy is involved.
Check the current pack or every ingredient in your recipe. The listed Tesco Banana Pancakes and Sainsbury's Scotch Pancakes contain wheat, egg and milk ingredients; wholemeal wheat flour also contains wheat. Cook flour-based batter before eating it.
Follow the instructions on the particular pack. Tesco Banana Pancakes specify an airtight container and say they are best within 2 days of opening; Sainsbury's Scotch Pancakes specify use within 1 day. Neither instruction applies to every ready-made pancake.