Forget the single-use pan in favor of this fool-proof Muffin Pan Popovers recipe that comes together in minutes. Best of all, you only need five simple ingredients: eggs, milk, salt, flour and butter.
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I had my first introduction to popovers at a Neiman Marcus café eight great years ago. As you might’ve guessed, shopping and carbs go hand in hand when you eat for a living. But I’ll never forget that first fluffy, eggy, impossibly tall and tender popover I tore at, alternating bites with slathers of fresh strawberry butter.
Of course the recipe for said popovers (and strawberry butter!) made its way onto the site and features the ever-popular, but ever-one-dimensional popover pan. And I recently stumbled upon that pan, and about a half-dozen muffin pans, during a recent spring cleaning expedition. Long story short, I was craving popovers and contemplating if the best-ever bread substitute could be whipped up sans fancy pan?
Oh you better believe it! We’re talking popovers you can make in minutes without a single-use pan and with a batter comprised of five simple ingredients. Slather on some homemade butter and we are in business!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Made without a single-use, specialty pan.
- Perfectly fluffy, eggy and tall just like regular popovers.
- Made with five pantry staples.
- Eggs: At room temperature. An easy way to bring cold eggs to room temp is to place them into a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes. The warmer the eggs the warmer your batter will be going into the oven and the more quickly it’ll produce steam. And more steam means fluffier, taller popovers.
- Milk: Whole milk, 2% or fat-free milk all work. Heating the milk is key to the rise and stability of popovers, keeping them from dipping in the center as they bake. Either warm the milk on the stove until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan or in 30-second intervals in the microwave. It should feel hot to the touch, but not boiling.
- Salt: Just a pinch for flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level the flour – don’t scoop! How you measure flour can mean the difference between failure and success. If you have too much flour, the batter will be heavy and the popovers won’t rise quite as high.
- Butter: You’ll need three tablespoons of melted butter for the batter, plus more to generously grease your muffin tin. I use unsalted butter 99% of the time because it allows me to easily control the salt level of any recipe. If you prefer to use salted butter, just omit the ½ teaspoon salt from this recipe.
Before starting, ensure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Then, simply whisk together the ingredients and ladle the batter into a well-greased muffin pan. And when I say “well-greased,” I mean “grease every last quarter-inch … and then grease it all over again.” Because popovers can be a bit finicky and a bit sticky if you don’t prep the pan with a Paula Deen-inspired slathering of butter.
Kelly’s Note: Once the pan enters the oven, do not open said oven again until you’re ready to remove the golden brown puffs of deliciousness and start your countdown to chowing down. I repeat: Do not open the oven at any point during the baking process! The batter’s ability to puff, or I suppose more appropriately, pop, all comes down to a consistent oven temp (meaning no cool drafts from opening and closing the oven door).
- Generously grease your muffin pan, including the areas around the cups. This will prevent the popovers from sticking.
- Oven temperature is essential. When in doubt, use a separate (and very accurate!) thermometer to ensure your oven is exactly 450°F and then 350°F.
- Do not open the oven at any point during the baking process. The popovers will not rise properly if you do.
- Be mindful of your oven rack! If you place the rack too high, the tops of the popovers will burn as they rise.
- If the popovers are browning too quickly, place an oven rack at the top of the oven and place a baking sheet on top of the rack to shield the popovers from the direct heat.
Ready to put your skills to the test? Read on for the full recipe and don’t forget your choice of salted, unsalted, whipped, fruit-flavored or honey butter to cover every last pillowy canyon and crevice.
Recipe FAQs
Unlike popovers that are made with butter in a butter-greased pan, Yorkshire pudding is traditionally made with beef drippings. One other notable difference is the type of pan used. A Yorkshire pudding is traditionally made with a typical, angled muffin pan, whereas the popover is baked in a special popover pan.
The batter’s ability to puff all comes down to a consistent oven temp (meaning no cool drafts from opening and closing the oven door). And if possible, use a separate (and very accurate!) thermometer to ensure your oven is exactly 450°F and then 350°F.
Popovers really are best when fresh from the oven. However, if you need to make them ahead, simply place them on a baking sheet and re-warm them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes.
Allow the popovers to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag (if they are still warm when you store them, they’ll become soggy). You can leave them at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, lukewarm
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and position the oven rack on a lower shelf. (See Kelly’s Notes.)
- Place the eggs in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes.
- Generously grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan all over (including the areas around the cups) with unsalted butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and salt until the mixture is well combined. Add the flour and continue whisking until the mixture is frothy. (There shouldn’t be any large lumps.)
- Quickly whisk in the melted butter until combined then divide the the batter among the muffin cups, filling them 2/3 to ¾ full.
- Bake the popovers for 20 minutes without opening the oven door. Reduce the heat to 350°F (again without opening the door), and bake the popovers for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until they’re a deep, golden brown. (See Kelly’s Notes.)
- Remove the popovers from the oven, release them from the pan and serve immediately.
Kelly’s Notes:
- It’s important that the oven rack is positioned so that the fully baked popovers rise about halfway up the oven. If you place the rack too high, the tops of the popovers will burn as they rise.
- The oven temperature is also very important. So when in doubt, use a separate (and very accurate!) thermometer to ensure your oven is exactly 450°F and then 350°F.
- If the popovers are browning too quickly, place an oven rack at the top of the oven and place a baking sheet on top of the rack to shield the popovers from the direct heat.
- Popovers really are best when fresh from the oven. However, if you need to make them ahead, simply place them on a baking sheet and re-warm them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
Absolutely amazing!!!!! In shock so easy and unbelievably satisfying!
Woohoo! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jessica!
I noticed in the pictures that each popover was deflated. When sitting outside of the oven, steam will re-soften them and then they will collapse.
The secret to keeping your popovers from collapsing after you take them out of the oven is to take a sharp knife to poke and twist a small hole in each one. This releases the steam; allowing the popovers to remain crisp and firm on the outside.
Great recipe. They looked and tasted awesome on the first try.
Thanks for the tip, Steven! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the popovers!
Estos correos me los pueden enviar en ESPAÑOL Gracias.
Son muy buenas sus recetas. felicitaciones
I tried another popover recipe be for this and it was a disaster. Much better!
I’m so glad this recipe worked for you, CD!
I’ve just found your recipe and I’m planning on trying it after I make a run to the grocery store. Question: Would it mess it up if I added some cinnamon/sugar to the mix?
Hi! I’d recommend you roll/dust them with cinnamon-sugar after they come out of the oven.
Best popover recipe ever! Light, crispy shell, with soft, cavernous centers, perfect for filling with honey, butter and jams. The size of each popover is perfect. I got 19 popovers insteade of the 12 that was stated in the recipe…bonus!!
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Adriana!
I’d love to try this recipe. Can I add ham and cheese and how are they the next day?
Hi! Adding heavier ingredients will prevent the popovers from “popping” up!
Made these tonight and wow! So good! My husband loved them too. They are so light and fluffy. Followed the recipe exactly and they puffed up beautifully. They did stick to my pan even though I buttered it a lot, but I was able to wedge them out with a knife. Will be making again!
Yay! I’m so thrilled you and your husband enjoyed the popovers, Stephanie!
I have not tried this recipe yet but have a question: The recipe says to put the eggs in hot water for 10 minutes. I am assuming the eggs are still in their shells or you will have a mess of scrambled eggs and water. I am also assuming this is to bring the eggs to room temperature. Please confirm. Thanks!
Exactly right, Vivien! This is just to bring the eggs to room temp :)
The first time I made these, it was an epic failure. New house with new appliances and not enough butter to get them to pop out of the pan. 2nd time was way more successful. Have a thermometer in the oven so I know the exact temp, and enough butter to keep anything from sticking. I should have made another batch as the kids devoured them.
Woohoo! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Michelle!
Just made popovers for the first time with this recipe. They were beautiful and delicious!
Yay! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Jen!
Can you use silicone muffin pan?
I haven’t tried this so I don’t know if they’d rise as high without having the firm metal to support the sides.
Impossibly tall! Amazing recipe. Followed to a “T”. Thanks so much
Woohoo! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Ryan!
I’ve always well oiled muffin tin and put in oven as it preheats, quick stir of batter then pour into hot sizzling pan 450 for 15 then 350 for 15-20
Have never heard of baking in a cold pan.
Are these meant to be a muffin?
Hi Tanya! This recipe is for popovers and is correct as written – I have used it many times. :)