Food & Cooking Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes Popovers 4.0 (102) Our step-by-step guide to how to make popovers includes tips on baking in a muffin pan if you don't have a popover pan. Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 6 to 10 Yield: Makes 6 large popovers or 10 small popovers Jump to recipe How do you transform a basic egg batter into tall, tender, airy pockets surrounded by a burnished crust? It’s not magic, but kitchen physics, sparked by the combination of a preheated pan and a hot oven. Popovers, the American version of Yorkshire pudding, are quick and easy to make. Enjoy them with butter and jam, or serve with stew, as they lean sweet or savory. They add a sense of fun to any meal, from a holiday brunch to a simple supper. 6 Dutch Baby Pancake Recipes for an Extra-Special Breakfast or Brunch Credit: Ryan Liebe 4 Tips for Popover Success Preheat the oven: While you'll often see this instruction in baking recipes, there are a few recipes where a properly hot (preheated) oven is more vital than the popover. It's probably the most important thing you can do to ensure popover success. The hotter your oven, the higher your popovers will rise, though that doesn't mean we recommend you heat it higher than the 450 degrees Fahrenheit called for in our recipe. Why is the hot oven so vital? The faster the liquid in the batter turns into steam, the greater the chance your popover has to expand before its crust sets. Mix the batter by hand: We tested out a blender and an electric stand mixer when making the batter but concluded that whisking by hand produces the most tender, airy popovers. Use an oven thermometer: Another tip we often give, and another one that is important for these delicate bakes. Using an oven thermometer makes sure the oven has reached the temperature you set it to—and means you won't be putting the popovers into an oven that is not sufficiently hot. Serve popovers hot: While you need to wait for muffins and bread rolls to cool down before eating, popovers are more like pancakes—they should be eaten while hot. So gather your accompaniments while they are in the oven and make sure everyone is at the table ready for when they emerge from the oven. Using a Muffin Pan Instead of a Popover Pan Though a nonstick popover pan results in optimal height, a standard muffin tin will work fine, too—but the popovers will be smaller. (Don't worry, they'll still be delicious.) To make, only fill the outer cups of the standard muffin tin with popover batter; they will get better circulation in the oven. When baking, reduce cook time by 5 minutes. Directions Credit: Ryan Liebe Bring ingredients to room temperature: Preheat oven to 450°F with a nonstick popover pan on rack in lowest position. If eggs and milk are cold from the refrigerator, submerge whole eggs in warm water for 10 minutes and heat milk until just warm. If you don't have a popover pan, see our tips for using a muffin pan below. Whisk eggs and milk: Combine eggs and milk in a large bowl, whisk together until very frothy. (This should only take about 1 minute.) Credit: Ryan Liebe Add dry ingredients: Add flour and salt to egg mixture. Credit: Ryan Liebe Whisk again: Whisk flour and salt into egg mixture just until batter is the consistency of heavy cream with some small lumps remaining. Look for air bubbles in the batter. They are what will cause the popovers to rise. Credit: Ryan Liebe Remove empty pan from oven and fill with batter: Remove popover pan from oven and coat with cooking spray. Fill popover cups about three-quarters full with batter. Credit: Ryan Liebe Bake: Bake 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue to bake until golden brown and dry to the touch, about 20 minutes more. Remove from oven: Popovers lose their crunch if they linger in the pan, so turn them out on a wire rack immediately and poke a small opening in the side of each with a paring knife to let the steam escape. Serve right away. Credit: Ryan Liebe Credit: Ryan Liebe Frequently Asked Questions Can you make popovers ahead? You can make popovers ahead, but we don't recommend it. These light and airy treats are just not the same when cold; they deflate, and the texture changes. And while you can reheat them, it's just not the same as enjoying a warm popover fresh from the oven. What is the best flour to use for popovers? The best flour to use for popovers is all-purpose. It's also most likely the flour you already have on hand for making pancakes, pound cake, muffins, and more. Do not use bread, pastry, or whole wheat flour in our popover recipe, as the popovers will not rise properly. Should popover batter rest before baking? No, popover batter doesn't need to rest before baking. The batter does not need time to rest, but it does need to go into a preheated oven, as instructed in this popover recipe. 5 More Popover and Similar Recipes to Try Giant Cheese Popovers Cinnamon Sugar Popovers Yorkshire Pudding Holiday Yorkshire Pudding Martha's Dutch Baby Pancake Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the decorvow recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.