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Make this simple, scrumptious Popovers with just 5 ingredients and your favorite popover pan or muffin pan. Popovers use steam instead of traditional leavening agents to rise and puff over the top over the pan.
Popovers are a lot like Yorkshire Pudding: a homemade bread that rises from steam rather than a leavening agent such as yeast, baking powder, or baking soda. The main difference between the two recipes is that Yorkshire pudding is made with beef drippings while popovers are made with butter.
Popovers need only 5 ingredients and a bowl with a whisk: no blender or stand mixer required. Once you mix up the simple batter, divide among your popover pan (or muffin tin) and place in a cold oven (not preheated). The initial burst of heat warming the oven fires up the steam engine inside each popover which makes them rise and puff.
Once out of the oven, cut a small slit in the side of each popover so the steam can escape. They will deflate and lose the puff, but what remains is a chewy, eggy bread that is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
And just in case you don’t have or want a popover pan, I have everything spelled out for making popovers in your muffin tin. And consider topping them with chicken salad or tuna salad – let me show you my vision!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Equipment and ingredient notes
- Popover pan: I own, use, and recommend the Chicago Metallic Professional Popover pan ($17 on Amazon). It works perfectly without being unnecessarily expensive.
- Butter: You may omit 1 tablespoon butter for brushing the pan and substitute nonstick cooking spray instead. I used salted butter, but unsalted butter is also fine. You don’t need to bring it to room temp since it gets melted.
- Milk: This recipe works with both 2% milk and whole milk. It has not been tested with skim milk.
Do you really need a popover pan for popovers?
No, you fundamentally do not need a popover pan to bake and enjoy popovers. Popovers made in a muffin tin share the same shape and texture but in a smaller, squatter package (compared to the traditional tall, narrow shape).
One of the best reasons to use a muffin tin for popovers is that you end up with 12 smaller popovers instead of 6 larger popovers which makes sharing them even easier. You could invest in a mini popover pan, but that feels unnecessary to me when a muffin tin does the job of a mini popover pan just fine. I personally still have a traditional popover tin for the times when I want to make 6 tall popovers.
To use a muffin pan for popovers, make the same batter but divide evenly about a buttered muffin tin. You can eyeball it, but if you’re a stickler, each of the 12 muffin cups gets 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon batter. The baking method, time, and temperature remains the same. Discover the Best Muffin Pans including my personal favorite (shown below).
Personally, I love making popovers in a muffin pan to use as a vessel for serving deli salads like Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad. In that size and shape, the popover will function like a Pâte à Choux dough (the same dough used for cream puffs, eclairs, and churros).
Step-by-step instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position (do not preheat oven). Brush the inside of a standard 6-cup popover pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter. In a deep bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter, eggs, and milk. Blend in the flour and salt until just combined.
- Divide the popover batter among the popover pan cups, filling each cup about ⅔ full (you can eyeball it, but if you’re a stickler, each cup gets about ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon batter).
- Place the popover pan in a cold oven and immediately preheat to 375 degrees. Bake until the popovers are tall, deep golden brown, and puffy, about 35 to 45 minutes. During the first 30 minutes, keep the oven door closed at all times. Do not peek.
- Remove them from the oven and immediately make a small slit in the side of each popover with a paring knife so steam may escape.
- Cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with butter, jam, or jelly.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 6 perfect popovers (or 12 muffin-pan-sized popovers).
- Storage: Store popovers at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cool popovers completely, then pack in a freezer-safe bag. Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or reheat in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you don’t need a popover pan to make popovers. You can make a shorter, squatter version of a popover in a muffin pan. Scroll up to learn how. The ingredients, times, and temps are the same as baking regular popovers.
Popovers are one of the easiest breads to make! You don’t have to worry about yeast, blooming, proofing, rising, resting, any of it. Just follow the recipe and don’t open the oven until the end.
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Popovers
Equipment
- Popover pan (see note 1)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter melted and divided (see note 1)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (see note 2)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position (do not preheat oven). Brush the inside of a standard 6-cup popover pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
- In a deep bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter, eggs, and milk. Stir in the flour and salt until just combined. Divide the batter among the popover pan cups, filling each cup about ⅔ full (you can eyeball it, but if you're a stickler, each cup gets about ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon batter).
- Place the popover pan in a cold oven and immediately preheat to 375 degrees. Bake until the popovers are tall, deep golden brown, and puffy, about 35 to 45 minutes. During the first 30 minutes, keep the oven door closed at all times. Do not peek.
- Remove them from the oven and immediately make a small slit in the side of each popover with a paring knife so steam may escape. Cool 5 minutes in pan.
Notes
- Popover pan: I own, use, and recommend the Chicago Metallic Professional Popover pan ($17 on Amazon).
- Butter: You may omit 1 tablespoon butter for brushing the pan and substitute nonstick cooking spray instead.
- Milk: This recipe works with both 2% milk and whole milk. It has not been tested with skim milk.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I use ramekins
Also add one more egg
The joy of baking is the fact we can all do something a little different and still get the same results – yummy food! Glad you tried them, Mary! – Meggan
Can I make them then add some thing sweat on?
Thanks for the tip about using muffin tins. I’ve always wanted to try making these but didn’t want to invest in yet another kitchen item that takes up space I don’t have. Nice, easy recipe. Thanks!!