Five minutes and four ingredients are all you need to make these delicious and crazy easy popovers! They’re a great bread roll-like option to complement any dish.
Hot tip: This recipe makes 12 popovers — perfect for this popover tin Or, make them in a regular muffin pan. They may not be as tall, but they’ll still be delicious.
What Are Popovers/Yorkshire Pudding?
Popovers, or Yorkshire pudding, are light and buttery bread rolls. Instead of using yeast, baking soda, or baking powder to rise, these rolls rely on the quick heat of the oven. Unlike rolls that are usually baked in a baking dish, popovers are baked in muffin tins or popover pans.
These rolls were originally called “Yorkshire pudding” in Northern England. In England, “pudding” refers to a pastry or a dessert, which is different than the American “pudding”, which refers to a thick, creamy custard. As a result, the American version of Yorkshire pudding was renamed to “popover” because of how the batter rises and “pops over” while baking.
Popovers Video
How To Make Popovers
Can you believe this popover recipe takes only five minutes to prep? Follow these instructions, bake the popovers, and done. Let’s go!
- Prepare the oven: Position the wire rack to the third lowest level in the oven, then preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Make the batter: In a medium or large bowl, whisk the eggs. Then, stir in the milk, all purpose flour, and salt. Continue to whisk until the mixture is frothy and runny.
- Oil the popover pan: Grease the insides and the top of the popover pan with oil or butter.
- Pour in the batter: Pour the popover batter into the wells, leaving a bit of room at the top of each well.
- Bake: Bake for 20 minutes at 450°F. Then, while keeping the oven closed, decrease the temperature to 350°F, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- Cut and serve: Remove the popovers from the oven when they become golden brown and crispy. Cut a small opening on the side of each popover to allow the steam to escape. Serve!
Hot tip: Whisk the batter up in either a bowl, stand mixer, or a blender. The blender and mixer will be faster, whereas the bowl results in less dishes to wash.
Troubleshooting Common Popover Issues
A few of the most common issues with popovers has to do with their rise and texture. Here are some tips to keep these issues from happening to you.
- Deflated popovers: Deflated popovers may result from underbaking. Make sure to fully bake the popovers.
- Popovers that never rose: Popovers that don’t rise while baking may have been made with ingredients that were either too cold or too hot. Also, not mixing the batter enough to make air bubbles may result in flat popovers. Make sure the ingredients and batter stay at a consistent room temperature and ensure the batter has air bubbles (froth) when it is poured into the baking tin.
- Dense popovers: If your popovers are dense instead of light and airy, check that the proportion of ingredients was correct. A thick batter results in dense rolls.
Tips For Great Popovers
If you’re looking for foolproof popovers, “pop-on-over” here and follow these helpful tips and tricks.
- Use warm milk and eggs: Use room temperature eggs and milk (110°F-120°F) to help the popovers rise better. To warm the eggs, place them in warm water for about ten minutes.
- Blend until the mixture is frothy: Keep whisking, blending, or mixing the batter until it is frothy and runny. The froth is little air bubbles that turn to steam and help the batter rise.
- Oil the baking dish: Minimize the chance of sticking by oiling the popover or muffin pan well with cooking spray or butter. Popovers do tend to rise and “pop-over”, so spray around the wells, too!
- Bake on a lower oven rack: The optimal rack to bake popovers is the third level from the bottom of the oven. This gives the popovers room to rise and not burn.
- Keep the oven closed: Avoid opening the oven door while baking. The heat needs to stay consistent in the oven, or the popovers may deflate.
- Slice to let the steam escape: Remember to gently slice the popovers on the side after baking with a small paring knife to allow the steam to escape. This helps the rolls stay crispy.
- Brush with butter (optional): If you’re a fan of brushing the tops of rolls with melted butter, feel free to do so here as well. Once the rolls have cooled slightly, brush the tops with melted butter, then add a sprinkling of salt.
Ways To Serve
Serve popovers in any way that you’d typically serve bread rolls. Cut them in half and smear on a bit of garlic herb butter and serve with a bowl of protein-rich shurpa soup or lamb stew. Or, use the popovers to clean off every bit of the saucy Swedish meatballs from on your plate. If you want to serve popovers for breakfast, pair them with strawberry or blackberry jam.
Storing & Reheating
Popovers are best when eaten warm and fresh out of the hot oven, but it’s totally acceptable to store them to enjoy for later, too!
- Room temperature: Store the popovers on the counter for up to three days in an airtight container.
- Refrigerator: To store for up to five days, place the cooled popovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freezer: Freeze extra cooled popovers for up to two months in a freezer safe ziploc bag.
- Reheating: No matter if you refrigerated or froze the extra popovers, make sure to reheat them prior to serving. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 5-8 minutes or until they are deliciously warm and crispy again.
More Roll-Like Recipes
- Easy No-Knead Dinner Rolls — Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Easy Garlic Knots — A great way to use up pizza dough scraps
- Ukrainian Garlic Bread — Yeast dough rounds covered in herby oil
- Sourdough Biscuits — Tender, melt-in-your-mouth Southern biscuits
Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups milk warm, at around 110F
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt adjust to preference
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Position the rack to the third lowest level in the oven.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the warm milk, flour, and salt. Whisk together until the mixture is well combined and frothy. The batter should be runny.
- Oil the popover pan with cooking spray or butter. Be sure to coat the tops of the pan as well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling each well almost to the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 450°F. Then, lower the temperature to 350°F, and bake an additional 20 minutes. Do not open the oven door.
- Once the popovers are golden brown and crispy on the outside, remove them from the oven. Slice an opening with a small knife on the side of each popover to let any steam escape. Serve warm and enjoy!
Hi Natalya, I have been making these for years without much problem. A new oven has totally changed the game. I was wondering what brand of flour you use and if you sift it before measuring? Do you let the batter rest and a quick stir before pouring? All things posted that could be the issue. I have adjusted the oven temps with an oven thermometer. Thank you and btw Yorkshire pudding is made differently as meat drippings are used, they are heavier and don’t rise much, hence the pudding texture.
Hi Mallary,
I’ve found that making them is so easy and forgiving, which is why I love them. I use Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose flour and measure it straight from the bag without sifting. I don’t let the batter rest before baking, and I don’t stir it again before pouring. I know ovens can definitely make a big difference, so it’s smart that you’re checking with a thermometer. And yes, you’re absolutely right about Yorkshire pudding — it’s a bit heavier with the meat drippings, which changes the rise and texture.
Why on earth would you rename a famous dish called the Yorkshire pudding. It comes from Yorkshire but is eaten all over UK and the world.
Totally get where you're coming from! We added both names to the title because folks know them differently depending on where they’re from—some call them Yorkshire puddings, others know them as popovers. They’re closely related and made from a similar batter, but they’re served a bit differently and have slight variations. Using both names just helps more people find the recipe.
What to do if you want to make ahead?
You can make popovers ahead by baking them, then letting them cool completely. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day. When you're ready to serve, just pop them in a 350°F oven for about 5-10 minutes to refresh them and get that crispy texture back!
My popovers are coming out too thick. I’ve used less flour, I’ve tried to raise the initial temp to 460 degrees and I just can’t get them to be light and crispy. Would you happen to have any advice? Thank you!
Hey Matt, What type of flour are you using? That might be a factor. Is your batter runny or thick before pouring it into the pan? Some other tips that come to mind -avoid over-mixing the batter, as this can activate too much gluten and make them tough. Also, make sure your oven is actually hitting 450°F—using an oven thermometer can help ensure the temperature is spot on.
What type of pan would you suggest if I don’t have a pan like the one shown here?
Hey Nel, You can use a regular muffin pan if you have that. Please report back how they turned out.