I make pancakes every Sunday morning. Sometimes, my toddler wants me to dance with her or my dog needs me to find his ball, making it difficult to stand by the stove to flip pancakes one by one. This sheet pan pancake recipe allows me to make a batter and let the oven do the rest. Serving piping hot pancakes has never been so easy!
Buttermilk provides a tender crumb and slight tang that is commonly associated with traditional pancakes made in a skillet. In addition, buttermilk produces carbon dioxide when combined with baking soda (a leavener) and maximizes the rise of the pancake.
If you don’t have any buttermilk, don’t fret. Instead, put 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in a measuring cup and add milk until it reaches the 2 cup mark. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. (Repeat this twice if you only have a smaller measuring cup).
- Once you are ready to add all your dry ingredients to a bowl, grab a sifter! Putting your dry ingredients through a sifter gets rid of any lumps and results in a more aerated flour. Sifted dry ingredients require less mixing, which will result in very tender pancake.
- How you mix your wet and dry ingredients together determines the fluffiness of the pancakes. The most important thing? LUMPS ARE OKAY! When you keep the moist lumps, you increase the batter’s viscosity. If you remove the lumps the batter will be too runny and lead to thinner, flatter pancakes.
- The more you mix the pancake batter, the more you will develop gluten molecules that result in tough, chewy pancakes. To prevent overmixing, , I set aside the whisk and fold the batter with a silicone spatula until there are no flour streaks in the batter or on the bottom of the mixing bowl.
In this recipe, I use raspberries and blueberries, because they are my favorite. However, you can add strawberries, bananas, peaches, or even grapes to your pancake! You can also add chocolate chips and omit the lemon zest.
To serve, cut the pancake into large squares and drizzle with warm maple syrup. Dust powdered sugar or dollop whipped cream on top to make it deluxe.
You can make the pancakes ahead of time and freeze them. Slice into squares and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap. Place the squares in a gallon Ziplock bag. Try to squeeze all the air out and seal. They’ll keep this way for up to 1 month.
When you’re ready to serve up the frozen pancakes, let them thaw in the fridge. Then place the pancakes on a baking sheet and cover them with foil to reheat in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes.
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, divided
- 2 1/2 cup (313g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 cup blueberries, divided
- 1 cup raspberries, divided
- Preheat oven to 425°F:
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Grease the baking sheet:
Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter on a 15×10.5-inch sheet pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the butter on the bottom of the baking sheet and up the sides.
You can also bake this in a 9×13-inch pan. The slices of pancake will be very thick, more like a breakfast snack cake, but equally delicious. An 11×17-inch pan, meanwhile, will give you thinner slices that bake faster.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm - Sift the dry ingredients:
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm - Combine the wet ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and sugar. Whisk vigorously until combined.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm - Fold the dry ingredients into the wet:
Pour 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold together using a silicone spatula. Repeat until all the dry ingredients are combined with the wet. Continue to fold until there are no streaks of flour. Mix until there is no dry flour on the bottom of the bowl. Fold in 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. Lumps are fine. Your batter should look like loose ricotta.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm - Fold in half of the fruit:
Fold in half of the blueberries and raspberries into the pancake batter.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm - Pour the batter into the pan:
Pour the batter into the buttered pan. Using a silicone spatula, spread the batter around so it covers the bottom of the baking sheet completely and is even on top.
- Sprinkle the remaining fruit on top:
Sprinkle the remaining blueberries and raspberries on top of the batter.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm - Bake the pancake:
Bake the pancake for 15 minutes. Insert toothpick in the middle of the pancake. If it is free from wet batter, it’s done. If not, bake for 5 minutes longer. The top of your pancake should be lightly toasted.
For a 9×13-inch pan, the baking time will be closer to 20 minutes. An 11×17-inch pan will take 12 to 15 minutes.
- Brush the remaining butter on the pancake:
Right after it comes out of the oven, brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter on the pancake.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm - Cut and serve:
Allow the pancake to cool slightly, approximately 3 minutes.
Cut into squares and serve with warm maple syrup.
- Storage:
Once cooked, you can leave sheet pan pancakes at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Put leftover slices in a zip-top bag or another airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
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Want to know the best way to reheat pancakes? It’s not what you think!
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
