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Popovers are pure kitchen magic, with a handful of pantry staples puffing up into tall, hollow, golden rolls that shatter into buttery, custardy layers. I bake them on cozy Sunday mornings and my girls race to see who gets the biggest one straight out of the pan. They are even easier than our buttermilk biscuits and feel just as special.
With only eggs, milk, flour, and salt, this easy popover recipe bakes up dramatically tall with crisp shells and tender, airy centers.
Popovers Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 182kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Crisp, buttery, custardy rolls with a hollow airy center
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a foolproof bake like our buttermilk biscuits
Quick Answer
Preheat a popover pan in a very hot 450 degrees F oven. Whisk eggs and milk until frothy, then whisk in flour and salt until smooth. Remove the hot pan, spray it, and divide the batter among the wells. Bake at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes, then lower to 350 degrees F and bake 20 minutes more without opening the oven. The steam puffs them up tall and hollow, then they crisp as they finish.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- A blazing hot pan. Preheating the popover pan gives the batter an instant blast of heat that creates dramatic, tall rise.
- Room temperature ingredients. Eggs and milk at room temperature climb higher than cold ones straight from the fridge.
- Lots of steam. The thin, egg-rich batter turns to steam in the oven, which inflates the popovers and leaves them hollow.
- Two-temperature bake. A hot start sets the rise, then a lower finish dries them out so they stay crisp instead of collapsing.
- Do not open the oven. Keeping the door shut traps the steam so the popovers do not deflate before they set.
- Only four ingredients. Eggs, milk, flour, and salt are all it takes for these impressive, bakery-worthy rolls.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They look impressive and taste bakery-worthy but use just four simple pantry ingredients.
- The batter comes together in one bowl in about 5 minutes, even faster than our cinnamon rolls.
- They are endlessly versatile, perfect with butter and jam for breakfast or alongside a holiday roast.
Key Ingredients
Here is what you need for homemade popovers. See the recipe card below for exact amounts.
- Eggs: The backbone of the batter. They create the steam and structure for that signature tall, hollow rise.
- Milk: Adds richness and more moisture to turn into steam. Use it at room temperature.
- All-purpose flour: Gives just enough structure to hold the airy shell together.
- Fine sea salt: Seasons the batter so the popovers taste savory and balanced.
- Cooking spray: Coats the hot wells so the popovers release cleanly after baking.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These popovers are a blank canvas. Here are a few ways to change them up.
- Add herbs: Whisk in chopped chives, thyme, or rosemary for savory dinner popovers.
- Make them cheesy: Stir grated gruyere or parmesan into the batter.
- Go sweet: Add a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon, then dust with powdered sugar.
- Use a muffin tin: No popover pan? A standard muffin tin works, though the rise will be a little shorter.
- Serve with jam: Slather them with our fig jam or strawberry freezer jam.
How to Make Popovers
- Place the oven rack on the lowest setting, set the popover pan on it, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Crack the eggs into a large bowl.
- Whisk the eggs and milk together for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined and frothy.
- Add the flour and salt to the bowl.
- Whisk until smooth and combined with no dry patches of flour remaining.
- Carefully remove the hot pan, spray the wells with cooking spray, and divide the batter evenly among them.
- Bake 20 minutes at 450 degrees F, then lower to 350 degrees F and bake 20 minutes more without opening the oven. Cool slightly and serve warm.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Preheat the pan. A screaming-hot pan is the single biggest secret to tall, dramatic popovers.
- Use room temperature eggs and milk. They rise higher than cold ingredients, so set them out ahead.
- Whisk in plenty of air. Beating the eggs and milk until frothy builds the structure for a good rise.
- Do not open the oven door. Peeking lets the steam escape and the popovers will deflate.
- Fill the wells about halfway. Too much batter weighs them down and they will not climb as tall.
- Serve them warm. Popovers are at their crisp, airy best straight from the oven.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Popovers are at their best warm from the oven, split open and slathered with butter and a spoonful of our fig jam. They make any breakfast or brunch feel special.
On the dinner table they are the classic partner to prime rib or roast beef, soaking up every drop of gravy and pan juices.
Round out a cozy breakfast spread with our cinnamon rolls and coffee cake for a crowd.
Popovers FAQs
Popovers are light, hollow rolls made from a thin, egg-rich batter of eggs, milk, flour, and salt. As they bake in a very hot oven, the batter turns to steam and puffs up into tall, dramatic shells with crisp outsides and tender, custardy centers. They are similar to British Yorkshire pudding.
A popover pan helps the most because its tall, narrow, well-spaced wells encourage maximum rise. That said, you can absolutely make popovers in a standard muffin tin. They will be a little shorter but still delicious.
The most common culprits are a pan that was not hot enough, cold ingredients, or opening the oven during baking. Make sure the pan is preheated, use room temperature eggs and milk, and keep the door closed until they are done.
Yes. You can whisk the batter up to a day ahead and refrigerate it. Let it come to room temperature and give it a quick re-whisk before pouring it into the hot pan for the best rise.
Some settling is normal, but big collapses usually mean they came out underbaked. Bake them fully through the second, lower-temperature stage so the shells dry out and set. A small slit to release steam right after baking also helps them stay crisp.
Popovers are best fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day. Re-crisp them in a 350 degrees F oven for about 5 minutes before serving. Avoid the microwave, which makes them rubbery.
Love an easy bake? Try our buttermilk biscuits next.
Popovers
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs room temp
- 1½ cups milk room temp
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
- Place the oven rack on the lowest setting in your oven. Place the popover pan onto the rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk for 2-3 minutes until well combined and frothy.
- Add flour and salt to the bowl and whisk until combined with no dry patches.
- Remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with cooking spray.
- Divide the batter among the wells of the pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 450°F. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue to bake for 20 more minutes.
- Take the pan out of the oven and let them cool slightly. Serve warm.
Notes
- Make sure you do not open the oven while these are baking, otherwise they can deflate.
- Place these on the lowest rack in the oven so they do not burn but still will get a nice golden color.
- You can use a muffin/cupcake pan in place of a popover pan.
- We do not recommend freezing.
- Serve with any of your favorite spread, see above for some ideas.
Nutrition
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