Sheet Pan Blueberry Lemon Pancake [1 pancake feeds everyone!]
Healthy pancakes from scratch?
You might think you don’t have time, but it’s surprisingly easy to make this Blueberry Lemon pancake sheet pan recipe for healthy pancakes from scratch.
Being the pancake maker generally means that by the time you get to eat, everyone else has already finished eating their pancakes.
A hot breakfast is a great kickstart to the day, and I like my hot food hot. This easy sheet pan recipe will have everyone eating hot pancakes at the same time. Even the cook!
Sheet pan pancakes are just that - cooking pancakes in the oven on a sheet pan. They're made from the same ingredients as regular pancakes, but instead of pouring the batter into individual rounds, it's poured into a rimmed baking pan and baked for about 15 minutes. The result is perfect for large families or when you need to feed a crowd quickly!
Best brunch recipe
Blueberry Lemon is a classic flavor profile and very easy to translate into pancake batter. Light, fluffy, and full of flavor!
You can seriously level up a brunch with this Blueberry Lemon pancake, yet a sheet pan pancake in the oven is quick enough for any morning.
Having guests stay with you? It’s easily doubled for a holiday buffet or cooking pancakes for a crowd.
Secret ingredients that make this Blueberry Lemon pancake POP!
Blueberry Lemon pancakes are delicious. The tartness of the greek yogurt brings out the tangy flavor of the lemon in the batter, and the blueberries add a fresh element that balances the acidity of the lemon. There are only two tablespoons of sugar in this recipe, keeping the flavor nice and bright.
Zesting Lemons
One of the secrets to a strong lemon flavor is to use zest. Zest is the outer, colored part of the lemon rind, scraped or grated off with none of the white pith underneath. (Though the pith is certainly edible and actually fairly nutritious, it’s quite bitter and not considered part of the zest.)
The richly colored zest portion of the skin has pockets of fragrant lemon oil that will zhuzh up any dish, and since it freezes well, I zest every lemon whether I need it right then or not.
Since lemons are generally waxed, dirt and agricultural residue is kind of glued to it. Buy organic lemons for zesting when possible, but give them a good scrub either way. I like to use a fruit and vegetable soap to prep my lemons (as with any produce that the surface is eaten).
Nutmeg Spice
Nutmeg can be overpowering if too much is included. When used sparingly, though, it has an understated way of enhancing other flavors. In this recipe, ground nutmeg brings a warm note and sweet flavor to balance the sharp lemon, building complexity by bridging the blueberry’s earthy undertones with its subtle floral qualities.
Besides being delicious, nutmeg is packed with nutrients and antioxidants, and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in culinary amounts.
Are blueberries a superfood?
I don’t know who needs to know this, but blueberries are a legit superfood. Low in calories and high in fiber, blueberries are one of the most nutrient dense foods available. Notable benefits include improved heart and bone health and boosting insulin sensitivity.
And did I mention healthy?
These are automatically higher in protein than regular pancakes since they are made with greek yogurt instead of milk or water, so you can count your plate of blueberry lemon pancake as half a palm-size serving.
That being said, here are two protein-boosting options you could try:
2 Options to make them high protein pancakes
Pour batters typically have a one-to-one liquid-to-flour ratio, so you could boost the protein even more if you wanted to consider swapping out some or all of the all-purpose flour:
- substitute up to 1/4 cup w/unflavored pea protein
- substitute up to 100% with buckwheat flour, (a high protein grain which also happens to be naturally gluten free)
Why you should add Sheet Pan Pancakes to your next Meal Plan
Pancakes are a quintessential breakfast food, but they can also be a great dinner option. Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? So easy at the end of a long day.
Sheet pan pancakes are great for food prep since you can make a whole batch. Then you have quick and convenient meals on hand instead of relying on drive through.
The big question: Wet into Dry or Dry into Wet?
Conventional cooking wisdom suggests that adding dry ingredients into the wet ingredients will avoid clumps of unincorporated dry ingredients.
That’s generally true, and you are welcome to follow that method.
However, when I was making the batch that I recorded for the video, I decided that wet into dry was fine in this instance since:
1) My bowl of wet was way too small to add the dry ingredients
2) When liquid hits the baking powder and baking soda, it’s activated, and the clock is on to get it in the oven. I personally find that folding the liquid into the dry bowl was quicker to mix, while avoiding a bunch of dust puffing out everywhere. (And I’m not about to make a big mess that I just have to clean up.)
3) The batter is not meant to be perfectly smooth; in fact, overmixing will work out a lot of the lovely bubbling of the baking powder and baking soda that make your pancakes fluffy and light, and there is one more mixing yet.
Can you use frozen blueberries
You can definitely use frozen blueberries for a convenient and cost-effective option to enjoy this treat any time of the year. Blueberries are harvested, washed, and frozen at the peak of freshness, locking in their nutrients.
While the American Frozen Food Institute assures that frozen fruit is ready to eat out of the package, it is fine to give it a rinse to get any ice crystals off. If you do, make sure to drain and pat dry before using.
If you’re using fresh blueberries, you should definitely give them a good rinse to knock off any debris and agricultural spray residue, drain well, and pat dry.
How to keep blueberries from bleeding into the batter
Have you ever had a blueberry muffin or pancake that was greenish-blue? I mean, it tastes fine, but we also eat with our eyes. It’s so much more enticing to see the sharp contrast of the golden crumb surrounding pockets of jammy blueberry.
While I love a pop of color as much as anyone, I didn’t want the blueberries to bleed color into the batter.
The trick to keep blueberries from bleeding is to dust them with some of the dry mix before incorporating. (If they’re frozen, do not thaw, and make sure they’re mostly dry.) If you want, set aside up to half of your berries uncoated to dot the top for an exploded jammy effect that makes you wonder if you need syrup at all.
An easy way to coat blueberries is to sprinkle a plate or bowl with a tablespoon or two of the dry mix, add the berries, and give the plate a little shake to roll them around until covered.
Set the coated berries aside and dump any remaining dry mix back into the bowl. Now the wet batter will stick to the dry flour and not begin mixing with the color on the surface of the berries.
Fold the berries gently into the already-mixed batter until just incorporated. If you overmix, the blueberry juice will still bleed.
Parchment paper and why I love it so much
After this point, all you need to do is pour the batter onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
I super doubleplus hate washing dishes, and parchment paper makes this a painless cleanup. It’s like a non-stick miracle, and the pan is practically still clean!
The entire sheetpan pancake can be easily lifted out to a cutting board (even turned out because the paper simply lifts away), or if you’re like me, simply cut into squares and served with a spatula straight from the pan.
Side benefit: I noticed that using parchment paper gave the bottom of the pancake a lovely crust rather than being soft like the inside.
How to Freeze and Reheat Pancakes
Cool completely before storing any leftovers (or planned overs!). Cut your used parchment paper into pancake divider sheets. Layer parchment and pancakes in an airtight container or bag. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Pro Tip: Label and date your bag or container. Ask me how I know 😂
Mealtime conversation starters
Explore something you don’t know about another person by asking this question:
What are you most excited about in the upcoming year?
Blueberry Lemon Pancake [sheet pan oven bake]
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Equipment
- small prep bowl microwave safe
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1½ cups plain greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Move the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Line an 11x17 rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until completely incorporated.
- In a medium bowl whisk together greek yogurt, lemon juice and zest, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Scoop a rounded tablespoon of the dry ingredient mix onto a plate or bowl. Add half of your berries and roll them around until they’re dusted with dry mix. Set those berries aside and return any remaining dry mix to the bowl.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Gently fold in the coated berries.
- Pour into parchment lined pan, spreading to corners. Evenly sprinkle the remaining berries on top.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 4-5 minutes in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.
Video
Notes
Hand Size Portions
Hand Portions
When you look at the nutritional values of a meal to log what you are eating, that is called tracking macros. A lot of people use this method to reach their health goals.
Looking at hand portion size and using this method to gauge how and what you eat is also a great method to help you reach your health goals. Many people who use this method often think this form of tracking meals is easier and more sustainable for a lifetime.
Want to learn more about hand portion size and how to use it to reach your goals? Check out the article How to Get Started with Hand Portion Sizes.
Heather Lynn Darby helps office and tech professionals disrupt the cycle of chronic stress that undermines their health, and to recover from the negative effects of sitting at a computer all day. Find other articles written by Heather on her coach profile.
If you are largely sedentary at work and rely on your intellectual acumen for success, her take on body-mind interventions will help you find a balance between being "in the zone" and getting the amount of movement that will optimize your mental productivity and prevent health problems.
