How to Make Sheet Pan Pancakes, the Breakfast You Haven’t Tried Yet

courtesy Capri Cafaro

This recipe for sheet pan pancakes comes from United We Eat, a cookbook that shares regional dishes from across America. You'll never guess what state it's from!

In parts of the United States, it’s totally normal to eat a loaf of cornmeal and pork (known as scrapple) for breakfast; elsewhere, this dish is completely unheard of, but heaps of Cool Whip, canned fruit and Jell-O are scooped onto dinner plates as Jell-O salad. The truth is that we crave the local food of our childhood, even if it’s considered bizarre or surprising in other regions of the country.

Capri Cafaro wanted to bring people together through specific regional foods in her cookbook United We Eat: 50 Great American Dishes to Bring Us All Together.

This Cookbook Feeds People from Sea to Shining Sea

The idea came to Capri while she served on the Ohio state senate. She saw that food was a way to build camaraderie with everyone, no matter their beliefs.

To build the cookbook, Capri decided to feature 50 dishes, one from each state, alongside a short story and a fun fact about why that state is unique.

When developing the book, she also wanted to find foods that were truly special because they were important to the culture or history of a place. “You won’t find a Philly cheesesteak or Chicago-style deep-dish pizza,” she says, “but rather dishes that help tell our nation’s story through food.”

Where Are Sheet Pan Pancakes From?

This recipe for a sheet pan pancake that Capri has shared is from the state of Missouri. To give this brunch specialty a Missouri-specific twist, it also features two of the state’s most important crops, apples and walnuts. (The walnut is also the Show Me State’s official nut.) You can customize the recipe to feature the fruit from your region of the United States, too.

Capri notes that cooks don’t have to stick to sweet with this recipe: “I would also suggest a savory version with something like maple sausage.”

The toppings are endless once this sheet pan pancake comes out of the oven hot and golden brown. Maybe try Vermont’s state flavor (maple) or a helping of Delaware’s state fruit (strawberries).

How to Make Sheet Pan Pancakes

You can find the story paired with this recipe in Capri’s book, United We Eat. It’s available on Amazon and at local booksellers, too.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Step 1: Prep

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Then, cover an 11×17-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly grease with the cooking spray.

Step 2: Combine the ingredients

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, milk, egg and butter. Pour buttermilk mixture into flour mixture and stir to combine.

Step 3: Bake

Spread batter onto covered baking sheet, and scatter apples and walnuts across batter evenly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until browned and set.

What Other Recipes Are in the Cookbook?

Many of the recipes feature a state’s official food. The muffin recipe from Oregon is made with pears, the state fruit. Not every state has an official fruit, food or nut, but Capri was “surprised to learn that Oklahoma doesn’t just have a state food, but a whole official state meal that captures the rich cultural heritage of the state.” The roasted okra and butternut squash side dish that represents Oklahoma in the book is part of that official meal.

Others recipes in United We Eat capture the essence of the state. In her research she discovered “that Nevada had a history of Basque settlers that came to the state for the silver mines.” She used a recipe from Basque community for beef to represent the state.

We found each state’s signature food—take a look!

A State-by-State Guide to American Comfort Food

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Alabama: Apple Pear CakeWhen my sister Catherine made her apple cake for me, I knew I needed the recipe. For my version, I added some pears from the trees on our acreage. The resulting apple-pear cake is so moist and tastes so good. Now every time I make it, people want my recipe. —Mary Ann Lees, Centreville, Alabama