Product Review: Birch Benders Just-Add-Water Pancake & Waffle Mix (Caveman Approved)

I have never been much of a waffle lover. On occasion, my sister and I would gobble them up at our grandparent's house with a boatload of pure vanilla corn syrup (bleh!), or Mom would whip them up on a bright Saturday morning. But before Stranger Things, I'd never been a fan. Pancakes fit to burst with Ghirardelli chocolate chips and ripe bananas were more my thing. And yes, everyone - I know that I used to have a huge sugar problem. 😄

So, I didn't really like waffles. Then came the life changing day when I went to Netflix on my old Kindle Fire and started binge watching Stranger Things, per the recommendation of my friend Maddi. Everything changed. Now, there is only a before and an after in terms of my relationship with the waffle. Before Stranger Things, we were far from bosom friends. After Stranger Things, I couldn't get enough of them!

But there was a catch, my friends. I was eating like a Primal Cave Woman. And Primal Cave Women never ate the carbohydrate-loaded, sugar bomb that was Eleven's beloved waffle. Almond flour was invented for a reason, though. Soon, I was busy in the kitchen, wearing my coffee stained apron, and testing out Primal-approved recipes for waffles. The first few were a disaster - perhaps the recipes were delicious, but my skills with the waffle iron were lacking. I didn't really feel like trying the charcoal that came out of our Waring Pro Professional Double Waffle Maker. Never fear, dear reader! I did not give up; I must've tried nearly every recipe for low-carb waffles out there, using everything from cream cheese to whipped egg white to achieve a perfect breakfast.

Some of the waffles turned out pretty darn well. They were yummy enough, and had a decent texture, but they just weren't quite what I had been aiming for. Needless to say, I was losing a little bit of hope. Maybe it just wouldn't be possible for me to enjoy a platter of authentic-ish waffles while binge watching Stranger Things. It was a disheartening prospect.

Last weekend, my dad and I were strolling through our community Costco to pick up some toilet paper, salted almonds, and frozen wild salmon. Waffle mix was not scribbled on our list. And yet, as we walked down one of the packaged food aisles to pick up tomato paste, this fantastic aroma drifted toward us. It was the smell of... pancakes and waffles! Naturally, I assumed that they would be waffles made with flour and sugar, but I thought that I should at least check. The nice little woman at the sample stand was flipping pancakes alright, promoting a brand called Birch Benders Micro-Pancakery. But then she said something that caught my attention - "yes, they're sweetened naturally with a fruit, called monk fruit." I don't mind telling you that I froze, right there in the middle of a busy Costco aisle, at the mention of monk fruit. You all know how much I love monk fruit. I grabbed a package of the pancake and waffle mix and read about the product. Oh. My. Goodness!

It was a PRIMAL product!!! It was made with almonds, coconut, cassava, eggs, and, you guessed it, monk fruit! According to the label it was caveman approved! Birch Benders Micro-Pancakery Just-Add-Water Pancake and Waffle Mix seemed like the answer to all of my wishes. Hurrying forward, I accepted a sample from the Costco worker, eager to try a pancake. But then I saw that she had drenched it in regular maple syrup. Why would she ruin such a nutritional masterpiece with actual syrup? Oh well. I think I can forgive her. My dad ate the sample while I snatched up a bag of the mix and placed it in our cart.

This morning, on Saturday, August 18th, I tried the Birch Benders' mix for the first time. Holy cow, was it fantastic! I made a waffle in honor of Eleven and Stranger Things, smothered it in Golden Fiber Syrup, and topped it with a square of Kerrygold Butter. I took my first bite.

MMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!

The waffle was soft and chewy, very different from the crisp ones my grandpa used to make us. It was almost pillow-like, and absorbed every drop of the sweet Golden Fiber Syrup I had drizzled over it. The richness of the butter completed the dish. Honestly, it was so good that I may or may not have screamed when that first bite touched my tongue. With only 11 net carbs per serving, fabulous ingredients, and an astonishingly amazing taste, I would recommend Birch Benders Micro-Pancakery Just-Add-Water Pancake & Waffle Mix to anyone, anywhere. Even if you aren't Primal, Paleo, or Keto, it's always nice to enjoy the best things in life with a healthy twist. 

If you aren't convinced yet, Abby, my sister, said that this mix was "okay." From Abby, that equates to a standing ovation.

Always remember, everyone: waffles are pancakes with abs.

- Maya

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash, Photo by Maya,

Photo by Charles Deluvio 🇵🇭🇨🇦 on Unsplash, Photo by Maya