Upgrade Basic Pancake Mix With Giada De Laurentiis' Tasty Twist

Pancakes have a special place in many of our hearts, but even the fluffiest of buttermilk flapjacks can feel plain and boring after a while. Throwing in a handful of chocolate chips or blueberries into the batter can help break up the monotony, as can sprucing things up with flavored pancake syrup. However, that's just the beginning.

For fans of Giada de Laurentiis, finding a way to shake up your usual A.M. meal routine is as easy as taking a quick peek through her massive recipe catalog. The Food Network-turned-Amazon Studios star has developed a plethora of yummy pancake recipes, including one that starts with the base of a basic boxed mix. When making De Laurentiis' almond pancakes, you won't even have to break out the flour or eggs – though you do need to make sure you have mascarpone cheese, almond extract, vanilla, and almond paste on hand.

These ingredients, as well as a few other common pantry staples and the aforementioned boxed pancake mix, are slowly added to a food processor a few at a time to create this fragrant batter. Once combined, simply spoon the mixture onto your griddle or pan, cook until golden brown, and, per De Laurentiis' suggestion, top with maple syrup and fresh raspberries. Yum!

There's no doubt that Giada De Laurentiis' 15-minute almond pancake recipe will give basic pancake mix a tasty twist. As the cookbook author explained while demonstrating the recipe on an episode of her Food Network program "Giada At Home," the mascarpone cheese makes these flapjacks "light, creamy, and delicious," while the combination of almond and vanilla extracts will give them a sweet and nutty flavor – not to mention make your whole house smell delicious. Additionally, De Laurentiis also chooses to cut her almond paste into nice big chunks so she can "really taste" it in her meal.

Fans of the television host have had great things to say about her recipe, too. "I loved the almond paste here. It added a flavor and texture I don't think you can get from anything else," says one review on Food Network's website, where the dish has earned an impressive rating of 4.5 stars.

"You have got to try this...just as written...with the raspberries and maple syrup...super yummy!" another exclaimed. Though there is one possible change that could help folks with certain dietary needs. According to a third reviewer, a simple swap from De Laurentiis' preferred buttermilk pancake mix to a gluten-free version will give you a breakfast that is just as much of a treat.