The Easiest Popover Recipe (Step By Step Photos)

Popovers are light, hollow, and absolutely delicious! Learn how to make them with my easy to follow recipe.

This is a recipe that my mom has been making since I was a kid.  When she would make them we would all get excited to watch them puff up in the oven.  

Popovers are a type of pastry that is made from a simple batter of eggs, milk, and flour.  They are often served with butter, jam, and other more sweet toppings like fruit.  They are similar to and sometimes known as Yorkshire Pudding which is a traditional English dish and is typically served as a side to roast beef.  

These popovers are a good source of protein, are when filled with fruit make a deliciously complete breakfast! 

What’s the difference between Yorkshire pudding and popovers?

• Yorkshire pudding is traditionally served as a savory dish, typically as a side dish to roast beef. It is made by pouring a batter made from eggs, flour, and milk into a hot pan with beef drippings, and then baking it in the oven. It is known for its crispy exterior and fluffy interior.
• Popovers are typically served as a sweet dish or a bread roll. They are also made with a batter of eggs, flour, and milk.  They are usually baked in special popover pans or muffin tins, which are designed to allow the batter to rise up high above the cups.

Ingredients Needed to Make Popovers

• Milk: Whole milk is generally considered the best for making popovers, because it provides the richest flavor and the most tender texture. However, you can also use low-fat or skim milk, which will result in a slightly less rich popover. It depends on your preference.
• Eggs: Eggs are one of the most important ingredients in popovers. They help the popover to rise and keep its shape and add richness and flavor.
• Flour: All-purpose flour works bests for popovers.
• Salt: Fine sea salt is best for popovers because it has a clean, crisp flavor that enhances the taste of the popovers without overpowering them. It also helps to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract is best.
• Coconut Oil: Coconut oil gives popovers a delicious slightly coconutty flavor. If you don’t like the flavor, you can use butter in the same amount. Make sure you melt your coconut oil to a liquid.  If you use butter, make sure it is melted butter.

How to Make Popovers

To whip these delicious popovers, all you will need is about 10 minutes, a blender and a few ingredients.  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until all ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth and there are no lumps.  I would recommend adding the eggs first and the coconut oil last. Pulse until well blended.
3. Pour the mixture into greased muffin tins, filling each cup 1/2 way full. If you have a popover pan, that is even better.  Fill those 2/3 of the way full.  
4. Bake for 13-16 minutes until golden brown and puffy.  Let them sit in the pan for a minutes so that they maintain their structure and then nove to a wire rack to cool.

What Are the Secrets to Amazing Popovers? 

• Use a popover pan or a muffin tin with deep wells. The deep wells help the popovers rise higher.
• Preheat the pan or tin in the oven before adding the batter. This will help the popovers to rise quickly and evenly.
• Don’t open the oven while the popovers are baking. Opening the oven can cause the popovers to deflate.
• Once done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan or tin. This will help them maintain their shape.
• For extra crispness and golden color, brush the surface of the popovers with butter before baking.

Can I use a Muffin Pan Instead of a Popover Pan?

Yes, you can use a muffin pan instead of a popover pan to make popovers. However, the popovers will likely have a different shape and may not rise as high as they would in a popover pan. The cups in a muffin pan are typically smaller and more shallow than those in a popover pan, which allows the popovers to rise higher and have a distinct shape.

Are Popovers Supposed to Deflate? 

Popovers are supposed to puff up and create a large hollow center during baking. However, as soon as they come out of the oven, they will begin to deflate and collapse. This is normal and expected when the popovers start to cool the steam will escape and the structure of the popover starts to deflate. 

Why didn’t my popovers puff up?

• The oven was not hot enough: Popovers need a very hot oven to puff up properly. Make sure your oven is fully preheated before putting the popovers in.
• The batter was too thick: Popover batter should be thin and pourable. If the batter is too thick, it will not be able to rise properly.
• The popover cups were not greased well: Make sure to grease the cups well with butter or oil. If the cups are not greased well, the popovers will stick and not puff up properly.
• The popover cups were overfilled: Popovers should only be filled about 2/3 of the way up the cup. If the cups are overfilled, the popovers will not have enough room to puff up.

Can popovers be made ahead of time?

Popovers can be made ahead of time, but they are best served fresh and warm out of the oven. If you make them ahead of time, the texture and appearance may not be as good as when they are freshly baked.

You can make the popover batter ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Be sure to give the batter a good stir before using it, because the ingredients may settle. 

Chilled batter will take longer to rise and may not be as light and airy as batter that has been allowed to come to room temperature before baking.

Can popovers be frozen?

Popovers can be frozen, but they are best served fresh from the oven. If you want to freeze them, you can freeze the baked popovers for up to 2 months.

To freeze popovers, first allow them to cool completely. Then either wrap each popover individually in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container or resealable bag.  

When ready to serve, remove the popovers from the freezer and place them in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for a few minutes to reheat. Keep in mind that re-heated popovers will not have the same crispy texture as freshly baked ones.

Another option is to make the batter, store it in the fridge for up to 24h and then bake them when you are ready.

• 1 cup milk
• 6 large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 450° F. Grease your muffin tin with coconut oil. To get a really high rise on your popovers, place your muffin tin in the oven for 5 minutes prior to filling.

• Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Add melted coconut oil last. Pulse until well blended and the batter is smooth with no lumps.

• Pour into greased muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 of the way full.

• Bake for 20 minutes, and the reduce the heat to 350°F. Make sure you don’t open the oven door! Make for another 10-15 minutes until they are a golden brown.

• Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan for a couple minutes so the structure of each popover is able to set up. Remove to a wire wrack and then top with berries and powdered sugar or your favorite toppings.

Tips:

• Don’t open the oven while the popovers are baking. Opening the oven can cause the popovers to deflate.

• Preheat the pan or tin in the oven before adding the batter. This will help the popovers to rise quickly and evenly.

Serving: 1popover | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg