Product Review: Kodiak Cakes–High Protein Pancake Mix

I am a member of Kodiak Cakes’ Registered Dietitian Ambassador program. This means they send me occasional products for free. This post is in no way sponsored by Kodiak Cakes. I purchased the pictured product with my own money. All opinions stated here are my own and do not reflect the opinions of the company. To sign up for Kodiak Cakes’ RD Ambassadorship, click here.

Pancakes and waffles are a breakfast favorite. Often times, however, they are not a balanced breakfast option due to the lack of protein and fiber. Kodiak Cakes’ products aim to change that with their products which are high in protein and fiber, low in sugar, and full of whole grains.

Cost of Kodiak Cakes

For the purpose of this review, we will be discussing only Kodiak Cakes’ Buttermilk flapjack and waffle mix!

At Target, the cost is $5 for a 20 oz box.

At Costco, a 72 oz box is $13.

On Amazon, a 3-pack of 20 oz boxes is $16.50.

On Kodiak Cake’s website, a 20 oz box is $5.50.

I think this price is reasonable. Aunt Jemima’s Pancake Mix costs about $2.50 per 32-oz box, so Kodiak Cakes is more expensive. However, many products with added protein are more expensive so that’s not surprising!

How Do Kodiak Cakes Taste?

Okay, on to what is probably my favorite part of these reviews…talking about flavor. Health benefits are great, a cost analysis is helpful, but if it doesn’t taste good it’s just not worth eating, right?

I have tried many flavors of Kodiak Cakes, but by far my favorite is the original Buttermilk flavor. You can taste the protein powder, which I am never a fan of in any product. If you aren’t sure what flavor I’m describing there, it’s kind of hard to explain but think…plain and a bit chalky.

However, overall I think they taste great. They aren’t sweet at all to me, but they have a great texture and I love that I am getting an easy to prepare, filling, nutritious breakfast!

Nutrition Breakdown

Below you’ll find the nutrition label for Buttermilk Kodiak Cakes. I’d like to highlight the fat, fiber, sugars, protein, and ingredients list!

There are 0g of fat, specifically saturated fat is one that is important to look out for. While there is some data that shows saturated fat may not be as detrimental to our health as once thought, the USDA currently recommends limiting it and enjoying high-fat foods in moderation!

I must add, though: most of the time the fat is not in the pancake, it’s in what you put ON the pancake. So keep that in mind here and make choices that support your health and that you will enjoy eating! I personally love to top my pancakes with a little bit of honey and some fresh fruit. Maple syrup is a great option as well, but as always portions are important (same with honey too, btw)! You can add nut butter, sliced or mashed bananas, chocolate chips, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds, or greek yogurt!

There are 5g of fiber per serving. That’s a great amount of fiber for a meal, especially breakfast. That plus the protein will help keep you full, and adding some of the toppings listed above will only increase the fiber and/or protein for even longer-lasting energy!

There are only 3g of sugar. I like this because many breakfast options are high in sugar and are very processed, such as many breakfast cereals. Other brands of pancake mix are also a bit higher in added sugars than Kodiak Cakes, so that’s something to keep in mind. Like fat, sugars are often added on top of pancakes rather than in the pancake itself.

I think the goal with any meal should be balance; balance in the sense of nutrient density–a good mixture of carbs, fats, protein, and fiber–but also balance in the sense that you look forward to eating your meal, and don’t have to coerce yourself into eating it just because “it’s healthy and you have to be good” or “eat enough good food to earn the right to eat the bad food.”

That’s easier said than done, I know. It must be so easy for me because I’m almost a dietitian, right? Noooope! I have my days, too. But an easy way to motivate yourself to eat healthy without it turning into a form of punishment is to think about what food is going to help you feel your best! I challenge you to try thinking about healthy eating this way and see if you don’t notice a weight lifted around your mealtimes.

There is 14g of protein per serving, which is awesome! It’s great to start your day with a good amount of protein so you stay satisfied for a long time, and you don’t start to feel hungry way before lunch! The two forms of protein in this product are wheat protein isolate and whey protein isolate. You may be familiar with whey protein, as it is often used in protein shakes and bars. It comes from cows and is a popular muscle building supplement. Wheat protein isolate was something I had never heard of, so I did a little digging and it’s pretty much what it sounds like: a plant-derived protein made from wheat. It serves to improve texture and flavor without adding more fat or sugar, which protein derived from cows can have.

Lastly, the ingredients! I think the ingredients are great in this product. The first ingredient is 100% whole grain wheat flour, which is a great source of whole grains. This is likely where the fiber comes from. This ingredient gives these pancakes an advantage over conventional pancake mixes, which typically use white flour. White flour does not have as much fiber as whole grain wheat flour, so yay for Kodiak Cakes on this one. Besides the wheat flour, we’ve got oat flour which may contribute to the protein as well (I can’t say for sure since I don’t know their formula–but oats do have a decent amount of protein!), brown sugar, some powdered buttermilk, a leavening agent to help the pancakes get nice and puffy, and a little bit of salt to balance out the flavor!

What Kodiak Cakes Are Good For…

These pancakes (or waffles!) are good for those who want to increase their protein intake. This could be women during pregnancy (newer research is saying protein needs are higher for us during this time), athletes or anyone who wants a more filling breakfast than typical pancakes tend to provide.

What Kodiak Cakes Aren’t Good For…

If you don’t like the taste of protein powders, you might stick to eating regular pancakes in moderation rather than these. To me, the flavor comes through a lot!

If you are eating these to be “good” or because you think you have to replace all the food you enjoy eating with a “healthier” version in order to be healthy (you don’t :-))

That is all for this week’s product review! Have you tried Kodiak Cakes? If so, did you like them? What product should I review next? Let me know in the comments below!