Effect of Millets and Fructo-Oligosaccharide on Development of Fiber-Enriched Pancake Premix

The study aimed to create a high-fiber pancake mix and assess its impact on physical, chemical, and textural properties. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the best combination of factors for a high-quality product comparable to the control to achieve an optimized functional pancake mix. Statistical analysis utilized a central composite design from a Design-Expert software, with finger millet flour and amaranth flour as variables and thickness, spread ratio, hardness, springiness, and overall acceptability as responses in the experimental design. The levels kept for finger millet flour are 20–70 gm, amaranth flour 15–50 gm, and refined wheat flour 20–40 gm. After numerical optimization, the recommended solution consists of using 9.72% refined wheat flour, 34.03% finger millet flour, and 16.24% amaranth flour, resulting in a desirability value of 0.797. Substituting sucrose with fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) was tested at levels of 20%, 40%, and 60%. The pancake premix's quality attributes were assessed based on physical, chemical, and sensorial characteristics. As a result, FOS proved to be a suitable partial substitute for sucrose, with the potential to replace up to 60%, leading to increased dietary fiber and reduced caloric content in the pancake premix.