Perfect Popovers!

Turn a few simple baking ingredients that you already have on hand into a fluffy muffin magic!

by Farmers' Almanac Staff Updated: January 17, 2024

Popovers are one of the culinary world’s most delicious treats. With just a few simple ingredients that you already have on hand, you can easily create a batch of these light and fluffy masterpieces even if you don’t know your way around a kitchen very well. And they can be served both sweet — with butter, jam or honey—or savory (you may have heard of “Yorkshire Pudding”), accompanying a juicy prime rib and mashed potatoes dinner. Impressive!

The Trick To Perfect Popovers

One of the tricks to making perfect popovers is to start with a very hot oven and a preheated pan to get the maximum puff (they “popover” the pan, hence the name), then lower the heat halfway through the baking process to allow the popovers to dry out. Without this step, the steam collapses them when you take them out of the oven.

Also be sure to really beat the batter until it froths. This makes the popovers even puffier.

You can certainly use a muffin tin if you don’t have a popover pan!

Another trick, which is really a “rule” of popover baking, NO PEEKING. Popovers need that solitary confinement to allow the oven to work its magic.

Perfect Popovers

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Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 6 popovers

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk*
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
2 large eggs

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, beat ingredients together until just smooth (batter will be thin). Pop batter in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Place a well-greased 3 1/2-inch muffin tin or popover pan** in a 450-degree F oven for 3 minutes, or until a drop of water sizzles when it is a dropped in the pan. Remove pan from the oven and fill each cup half full with the batter.
Bake in a 450-degree F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350-degrees F and continue to bake 20 to 25 minutes longer. A few minutes before removing them from the oven, prick each popover with a fork to release steam. Serve immediately.