Sheet Pan Pancakes

Sheet pan pancakes are honestly one of my favorite lazy Sunday discoveries. Instead of standing over the stove flipping batch after batch, you just pour everything into a pan and let the oven do the work.

I started making these on busy weekend mornings when my family wanted pancakes but nobody had the patience to wait. Now it’s basically a staple.

Ingredients

For the sheet pan:

• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted (for greasing the pan)

For the batter:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract

How To Make Sheet Pan Pancakes

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Place your sheet pan (a rimmed 18×13-inch half sheet pan works best) in the oven while it preheats so it gets nice and hot.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder. Make sure everything is evenly combined before adding anything wet.
3. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk together the buttermilk, melted and cooled butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully blended.
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. A few lumps are totally fine, don’t overmix or your pancakes will be tough.
5. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and brush it generously with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. You’ll hear a satisfying sizzle.
6. Pour the batter onto the prepared sheet pan and spread it evenly with your spatula into all the corners.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the top is set and lightly golden at the edges. The center should spring back when you gently press it.
8. Slice and serve immediately straight from the pan. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve with your favorite toppings.

Topping Ideas and Serving Suggestions

The best thing about sheet pan pancakes is how easy it is to customize them for a crowd. Before baking, you can scatter toppings directly onto the batter, sliced strawberries, blueberries, banana slices, chocolate chips, or a dusting of cinnamon sugar all work beautifully. You can even divide the pan into sections and do a different topping on each quadrant so everyone gets what they want.

For serving, classic maple syrup and a pat of butter never fails. But don’t sleep on whipped cream with fresh berries, or a simple powdered sugar dusting if you want to keep things light. If you’re serving these for a brunch crowd, set up a little topping bar and let people go wild.

Pair these with something savory on the side to balance things out. A savory breakfast bowl or high protein egg hashbrown breakfast bowls alongside makes a seriously satisfying spread.

The Secret to Fluffy Sheet Pan Pancakes

The biggest factor in getting a light, fluffy result is not overmixing the batter. Once you combine your wet and dry ingredients, stir just until the flour disappears. Lumpy batter is your friend here, those lumps smooth out in the oven and give you a tender crumb.

Using buttermilk also makes a real difference. The acidity reacts with the baking powder to give you extra lift, so don’t swap it out for regular milk without adjusting. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make a quick substitute by adding 2 tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to 2 cups of regular milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes.

Another tip: let your butter cool slightly before mixing it into the eggs. Too-hot butter can scramble the eggs and throw off the texture of the whole batter.

Make It a Crowd Breakfast

Sheet pan pancakes are genuinely one of the best things to make when you have people over. The recipe scales up easily and everything finishes at the same time, so nobody’s eating cold pancakes while someone else’s are still cooking on the stove. Just double the recipe and use two sheet pans side by side.

You can prep the batter the night before and store it covered in the fridge. Just give it a gentle stir in the morning before pouring. Keep in mind the baking powder is already in there, so don’t let it sit longer than overnight.

These also reheat beautifully. Pop leftovers in the toaster for a minute or two and they come right back to life, almost as good as fresh.

How to Store and Reheat

Leftover sheet pan pancakes keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let them cool completely, then stack them with a piece of parchment between each layer and seal in an airtight container.

For longer storage, these freeze really well. Lay cooled pieces on a baking sheet to freeze individually first, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in the toaster or a 350°F oven for about 8 minutes.

Notes

• Don’t skip preheating the pan, that hot surface is what gives you the slightly crisp bottom that makes these so good.
• Use a rimmed half sheet pan (18×13 inches). A smaller pan will make the batter too thick and it won’t bake evenly.
• Room temperature eggs and buttermilk mix in more smoothly and help the batter come together without overworking.
• Add mix-ins right after pouring the batter, not stirred in, for cleaner results.
• For extra richness, you can brush the top lightly with melted butter right when it comes out of the oven.
• This recipe makes about 12 generous servings. To scale it down for a smaller pan, halve all ingredients and reduce baking time by about 3 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?

You can, but the texture won’t be quite as fluffy. For a quick buttermilk substitute, stir 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar into 2 cups of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before using. It’s not exactly the same, but it gets you close.

Why did my sheet pan pancake turn out dense?

Almost always, it’s from overmixing. Once the wet and dry ingredients come together, stop stirring. Also check that your baking powder is fresh, if it’s been sitting open for more than 6 months, it may have lost its punch.

Can I add fruit directly into the batter?

Absolutely. Scatter berries, banana slices, or even diced peaches on top of the batter right before baking rather than mixing them in. This keeps the fruit from sinking and breaking up during stirring.

How far ahead can I prep this?

The batter can be mixed the night before and refrigerated overnight. The baked pancake can also be made a day ahead, cooled, wrapped, and refrigerated. Reheat slices in the toaster or oven before serving.

Can I freeze leftovers?

Yes, and they freeze really well. Freeze individual portions on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a zip-lock bag for up to 2 months. Toast straight from frozen, no thawing needed.

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