Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes – $2.69
Oh…pancakes. I love pancakes. I’m a runner…I’m supposed to live on pancakes, right? I wish I did, honestly. Because I grew up eating pancakes for breakfast, sometimes for lunch, and my family was a big believer in pancakes for dinner. We love breakfast in my family and breakfast for dinner was sort of like a tradition with us. My mom had a great recipe for what was deemed “The Best Ever Pancakes.” I loved it when mom would cook up pancakes, getting the skillet all nice and warm before pouring that perfect, fluffy batter onto it in perfect circles, flipping it as the edges bubbled and revealing this perfect crusty outside with that soft, cakey, light and fluffy inside. Mmm…I’m drooling just thinking about it.
Except…I can’t eat those pancakes anymore. And, ironically, neither can she. With both of us dealing with Celiac diagnosis (mine three years ago, hers late last year), those pancakes will have to remain a fond memory. But, that’s not to say that pancakes are off the menu. In fact…so many different gluten-free pancake mixes and frozen pancakes are out on the market these days. Between that and pizza…you’d think that’s all Celiacs and the gluten intolerant eat. And…I would if I could get away with it. But I also like variety. So…maybe not.
Back as May (Celiac Awareness Month) kicked off, Aldi brought out it’s brand new line of gluten-free products for testing on the market. I heard about it from work and from my mom. So, on Mother’s Day…my roommate and I trekked to the store, found products we could afford, and walked out with one of practically everything…for less than $30. NO JOKE! Talk about a bargain. The kicker was going to be whether or not these products were any good.
As we start our journey through the Aldi liveGfree line that has invaded our pantry(s) and our freezer, I keep an open mind. Just because it’s inexpensive doesn’t mean it’s going to be crap. And, as of today, there is only one product so far that I wouldn’t bother with again (The Southwest Veggie Stuffed Sandwiches). Everything else has been decent or even delicious. So, that’s a win. Products that actually fit my budget and are good too? Sign me up. Or at least send me to Aldi every once and awhile (provided they keep this line in stores…and I pray they do!).
I happen to have a fantastic blueberry invasion in my fridge and freezer these days…compliments of my good friend Harry. LOVE blueberries and how good they are for you. And I’ve been eating the hell out of them. With a busy Monday morning at hand, I knew that I needed breakfast to be relatively simple. Aside from having a fruit, yogurt and granola parfait…to round it out…I figured I would try the other version of the frozen pancakes that I picked up at Aldi (I previously reviewed the blueberry variety…ironically). These are simply Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes. Also known as…the standard…the pancake to end all pancakes. If you can’t make a good buttermilk pancake, you’re not worthy of wielding batter and a spatula.
The best part about these, however, is that they are already prepared and frozen. They come in individual servings, already wrapped and ready for their date with some source of heat. The box gives three options…microwave, toaster, and oven. I went with the oven, because it would allow me some time to shower and change before they were done cooking. Perfect. Each wrapper contains three pancakes. I opened up the wrappers, placed the pancakes on a baking sheet, covered them with foil, and put them in a preheated oven at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. My oven is old…I went for 12 minutes.
Just as with their blueberry counterparts, when I removed them from the oven and pulled away the foil…this cloud of steam emerged and the pancakes were now soft…thawed…and looked absolutely perfect. I placed three on each plate and topped them of with a homemade blueberry compote. There is the irony of the other flavor being blueberry! Anyway…I served up a plate to the roomie and then began some clean-up work in the kitchen while I dug into mine.
I loved this. What I felt was the best part was that rich, buttermilk flavor that you get with each bite. Even with the blueberry compote, you can’t miss the flavor from the pancakes. It was rich and smooth and just pure pancake perfection (try saying that three times fast!). They were so light and fluffy…like they were homemade. Like they were the pancakes my mom used to make (just not as fluffy or epic or delicious!). I will point out these are a bit small…but what frozen pancakes aren’t. I loved the texture…not having anything gritty or gummy. Just soft and chewy and delicious bite after bite after bite. I was actually impressed. I asked Cathy her thoughts and she said, “They don’t have much flavor.” But she also is congested with a summer cold and really can’t taste much at the moment. So, that was a comment I am ignoring and a question I shouldn’t have asked the girl with the stuffed up sinuses. DUH!
Let’s discuss ingredients, shall we? The Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes from the Aldi liveGfree line contain water, rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, soy flour, potato flour, whole egg powder, canola oil, buttermilk, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and natural flavors. These are all ingredients that I recognize and box proudly declares that this product contains “No Artificial Anything.” Love that too!
As for nutrition, these are actually really good stats for pancakes. One serving (3 pancakes) of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes will provide you with 210 calories and 4 grams of fat. NICE! That’s awesome for pancakes. A serving will also give you 40 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, and 9 grams of sugar. The sugar is…higher than I like…but…it’s pancakes. Also, you will be taking in only 1 gram of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Love that protein stat, but the lack of fiber is probably why my stomach was rumbling by 9 a.m. I resisted the urge to snack though. Even though I really needed to do so.
For the price, I really can’t complain about the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes. I actually savored each bite this morning because they tasted so darn close to homemade. I really am hoping the trial run of this gluten-free line catches on at Aldi because sometimes convenience foods are necessary and they do make life easier. And when they are made right, like these pancakes, they can really add some smiles and sunshine and rainbows and unicorns…or at least something delicious to start (or perhaps end) your day with. On mornings when you are pressed for time or are just running late…something this easy to prepare and to enjoy sure does come in handy. Maybe if I beg and bat my eyelashes Aldi will keep this line around for awhile. I’m one happy customer so far!
The Celiathlete 
I don’t foresee giving up my Flapjacked pancakes (which may not be exactly like gluteny pancakey goodness of old, ala iHop and homemade), due to the high protein content that makes it a satisfying breakfast with fruit. But I want to try these for those days when I’m out of Flapjacked or am too lazy to make some. Thanks. (I didn’t see them at my local Aldi’s, just the box mix.)
I wish the pancakes were gluten-free. The FAQs on Flapjacked says they aren’t. You mentioned them and I had never heard of them, so I had to scope them out. I happen, however, to have one of their gluten-free Mighty Muffins in my pantry, so I’ll have to fix that up sometime this week. The freezer section is where I found these pancakes that I reviewed. I usually make my own up from Cup4Cup flour or pick up a mix from Bob’s Red Mill or Krusteaz.