Bisquick Original Pancake & Baking Mix: Nutrition & Labelgrade C (64/100)
C 64 / 100 — Very low saturated fat, low sugar load, and high sodium per 100g.
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Bisquick Original Pancake & Baking Mix delivers 2g of protein and 150 calories per 1/3 cup mix (USDA FDC 2741812). Per 100g that’s 4.8g of protein; per oz, 1.3g. The Labelgrade is C (64 / 100): Very low saturated fat, low sugar load, and high sodium per 100g.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C- | 57 / 100 | 4.8g per 100g — below the high-protein bar; not the right product for protein hunting |
| Ingredient quality | C+ | 67 / 100 | 18 ingredients; flagged phosphate additives + maltodextrin or corn syrup |
| Saturated fat load | A | 94 / 100 | 0.5g per serving (1.2g per 100g) — very low |
| Sodium load | F | 20 / 100 | 380mg per serving (256mg per oz) — high; structural for cured/preserved foods |
| Sugar load | A- | 89 / 100 | 2g sugar (2.02g added) — low overall |
| Fiber | D | 47 / 100 | 1.01g per serving — modest fiber contribution |
| Overall | C | 64 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 23% · ingredients 21% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 15% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bisquick Original Pancake & Baking Mix (this product) | 2g | 4.8g | 1.3g | 150 |
| Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix | 2g | 4.7g | 1.3g | 160 |
| Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix | 2g | 5.3g | 1.5g | 160 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
What the grade is really measuring: the flour, not the recipe
Bisquick is unusual among the things we grade because it has almost nothing wrong with it on the dimensions people worry about. Sugar is a near-perfect A. Saturated fat is an A. There’s no long list of flavorings or colors — it’s flour, a little corn starch and oil, leavening, a pinch of dextrose and sugar, salt, and an emulsifier. Eight ingredient groups, no theatrics.
So what’s the C? It comes from the two things you can’t season your way out of. The base is bleached enriched flour, not whole grain, which is why fiber barely registers (1g) and ingredient quality caps at C+. And the self-rising leavening loads in sodium (380mg). That’s the honest read of this grade: Bisquick isn’t penalized for being bad, it’s penalized for being a refined-flour staple. The grade tracks the foundation, and the foundation is white flour.
Versus a cake mix: same skeleton, no sugar
Put Bisquick next to a boxed cake mix and you can see exactly what a baking-mix grade is tracking. Both are bleached-flour bases with phosphate leavening and the same 380mg of sodium per serving. The single biggest difference is sugar: Bisquick carries 2g, a chocolate cake mix carries 18g — and that one gap is most of the daylight between a C and a D.
That’s the through-line for this whole shelf. A baking mix is a refined-flour skeleton; its grade rises or falls on how much sugar and fat the manufacturer builds in before you ever open the box. Bisquick keeps the skeleton lean and lets you decide — savory biscuit or sweet pancake — which is why it sits in the respectable middle rather than down with the dessert mixes. It’s a tool, and the grade reflects a tool that hasn’t been pre-loaded with sugar.
Scope
This page covers Bisquick Original Pancake & Baking Mix (96 ONZ), UPC 00016000422001, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 2741812. Bisquick sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Corn Starch, Vegetable Oil (palm, sunflower, canola, and/or high oleic soybean oil), Leavening (baking soda, monocalcium phosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate), Dextrose, Sugar, Salt, Monoglycerides.
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1/3 cup mix
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1/3 cup mix) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 150 |
| Protein | 2g |
| Total Fat | 2g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 30g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.01g |
| Total Sugars | 2g |
| Added Sugars | 2.02g |
| Sodium | 380mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 79.8mg |
| Iron | 1.5mg |
| Potassium | 0mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Original Pancake & Baking Mix (96 ONZ) · UPC 00016000422001. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bisquick Original Baking Mix healthy?
It's neutral — neither a health food nor junk. As a pantry base it does the unglamorous things right: only 2g of sugar and very low saturated fat (0.5g) per 1/3 cup. What holds it to a C (64/100) is the foundation, not added junk: bleached refined flour with little fiber, plus 380mg of sodium per serving. Think of it as a blank canvas; what you make with it decides the meal.
Why does Bisquick get a Labelgrade C?
It's a study in offsetting marks. Sugar (A, 92/100) and saturated fat (A, 94/100) are genuinely good for a baking mix. But protein is low (2g, 4.8g per 100g) and ingredient quality only reaches C+ because the base is bleached enriched flour over whole grain. The real drag is sodium: 380mg per serving is an F (20/100). Strong-and-weak averages to a middle C.
Why is the sodium so high if there's barely any salt taste?
Because most of it isn't table salt — it's the leavening. Bisquick is self-rising, so it carries baking soda plus monocalcium phosphate and sodium aluminum phosphate built in, and those sodium-bearing salts are what make pancakes and biscuits rise without you adding anything. That convenience is exactly why a serving lands at 380mg, about 17% of a day's limit.
Are these numbers for the dry mix or the cooked pancakes?
The dry mix — USDA FDC 2741812 measures 1/3 cup of powder (42g) as packaged. Standard pancake or biscuit directions then add milk and sometimes eggs or butter, which raises the protein, fat, and calories of the finished food. The 2g sugar and 380mg sodium, though, come almost entirely from the mix itself.
Is there a higher-protein baking mix?
Yes. Bisquick is built for neutral all-purpose baking, not macros — at 2g protein it isn't a protein product. If protein in the batter is the goal, Birch Benders Protein Pancake & Waffle Mix grades B (76/100) on 16g per serving. Bisquick wins on versatility (pancakes, biscuits, dumplings, coatings); the protein mix wins only at breakfast.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-06, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2741812. We re-verify top pages monthly and update within 7 days of a reformulation.