The Delicious Pancake Mix That I Can’t Stop Eating for Breakfast (The Package Is So Cute!)

I have lots of friends who follow a gluten-free diet, and I’m a big fan of foods with chewy textures, so I’ve been delighted to see rice-based groceries become more widespread throughout the country.

I’ve spent lots of time in Japan as a travel writer, and always appreciated just how ubiquitous mochiko (mochi flour) is in dishes like chewy red bean-filled daifuku and crispy tempura. Beyond Japan, the world finally seems to be catching on to the magic of mochi-based baked goods. 

Glutinous rice flour lends itself particularly well to things like waffles, because it can get crispy too. And rice flour is the star ingredient in the new A-Sha x Hello Kitty Mochi Ube Pancake Mix — it’s my latest and greatest grocery find. 

The pancake mix is entirely gluten-free, and comes in 16-ounce lavender-colored packages with a cute Hello Kitty-themed illustration. Each package makes 10 waffles or pancakes, and requires just a few grocery staples — milk, eggs, and oil or butter — to prepare. You’ll find recipe instructions for making both 5 and 10 (4-inch) pancakes on the back. 

The pancake mix launched earlier this summer, and comes in Ube and original. It is limited-edition (although we don’t exactly know for how much longer) and available nationwide (but it’s currently on sale at Target right now).

The mix comes together really easily, and the first time I tried it I had it for breakfast three days in a row. The texture is everything I’d want in a waffle: It’s beautifully crisp and golden, with that soft, chewy, bouncy center that I adore. 

Meanwhile, the purple color is extremely cute (big cutesy Hello Kitty vibes), and the sweet, slightly earthy ube flavor comes through nicely. It’s prominent enough to enjoy plain, and was even better with a drizzle of honey and some whipped cream. 

I prefer the ube to the original, which tastes quite similar to your standard waffle mix (although it’s a great blank canvas for toppings). I made a bunch of extras, and both held up very well in the fridge; they became more dense and chewy (in a way that I love). 

Buy: Sha x Hello Kitty Mochi Pancake Mix Ube, $7.30 (on sale) for 16 ounces at Target

This post was a collaboration between Dorm Therapy and The Kitchn. It originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: This “Perfect” $6 Breakfast Find Is So Good, I’ve Eaten It 3 Days in a Row