We Tested KuiKui Pancake Mix: Here’s Why It’s Worth Your Money

Pancake mix really shouldn’t be a best seller in plant and gift shop, but KuiKui has earned itself a loyal following with its crave-worthy flavors and colorful gluten-free mixes. And they only take 5 minutes to make which is a real win in our busy book. Keep them vegan and gluten free or go wild and unleash your imagination. The batter can take it.

With flavors like ube, pandan and black sesame, these pancakes and waffles are joy on a plate. The rice flour base and mild sweetness makes these pancakes and waffles delicious with savory or sweet toppings. Try spicy combos like ube with cream cheese, shredded chicken and spicy chili crisps. Or hit the dessert button with pandan layered with ripe mango and sweetened condensed milk. Go old school with earthy black sesame drizzled with maple syrup and fruit. A quick google search and you’ll see just how versatile these wildly loved flavors are.

But it’s not just the delicious flavor that makes KuiKui a winner. It’s the fluffy, chewy, bouncy texture like you get from mochi, boba pearls and rice cakes. It’s a crave-worthy chew. The bounciness is so loved that across Southeast Asia it has its own name Q—or QQ if something has a really spectacular chew. It’s like al dente but it’s for so much more than noodles. Drinks. Main dishes. Sweet or savory. Hot or cold. Q is a way of life.

By now you might have figured out that KuiKui gets its name from the expression QQ. And you’d be right. KuiKui is a culinary love letter to the founder’s childhood memories growing up in Taiwan eating QQ foods. He introduces himself as “I'm John. I was born in Taiwan, and for as long as I can remember, I have lived to eat.” Our kinda guy and totally someone we’d trust to make pancake mixes from an aspirational assortment of ingredients.

The ingredient list reads like grandma made them. For starters, KuiKui is made with rice from a fourth-generation family farm in Northern California, making KuiKui naturally gluten-free and non-GMO. The mixes are vegan, too.

But it’s the flavor superstars, pandan, ube and black sesame, that make KuiKui so special. You can taste the goodness that comes from intentional sourcing. The pandan leaves come from a family farm in Thailand known for growing fragrant, green plants. (If you haven’t tried pandan, it’s sweet, nutty, verging on vanilla.) The ube is organically grown in the Philippines and these deep purple yams are packed with antioxidants and vitamins. The slightly bitter black sesame is roasted and ground in Taiwan, unlocking an earthy, nutty aroma. Added bonus: these ingredients mean KuiKui makes wildly colorful pancakes and waffles.

Made in San Diego. All natural. Delicious. Simple. That’s how KuiKui, a pancake and waffle mix, became a top seller at our plant and gift shop.