Perfect Popover Recipe - With Tips! - That Skinny Chick Can Bake (2024)

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posted by Liz Berg

on August 20, 2012 (updated 12/10/22)

A perfect Popover Recipe makes a special dinner or brunch treat. With a few simple tips, this recipe never fails! They’re ideal for the holidays.

My mom loved making popovers and gifted me with a popover pan a couple of decades ago. Learn How to Make Popovers with the recipe for classic popovers compliments of Marion Cunningham.

Why You Must Make

• This fabulous popover recipe was developed by Marion Cunningham, a food writer and cookbook author. Her Fannie Farmer Cookbook (affiliate link) was in my childhood kitchen.
• You’ll never need to hunt down another recipe as these are as delicious as my mom’s version which was probably from the New York Times Cookbook.
• When Christmas rolls around you can make Yorkshire puddings, a version of popovers made with beef fat from your holiday roast!

Expert Tips

My mom was a huge fan of popovers. In fact, she gave me both of my cast iron popover pans. But Marion gives us alternatives for those who don’t own this specialized bakeware.

• If you don’t own a cast iron popover pan, muffin tins or custard cups will do in a pinch.
• These popovers are a cinch to whip up; just add milk, eggs, salt, flour, and a bit of melted butter to your blender, process till smooth, then divide the batter evenly between the buttered popover cups.
• For the most accurate flour measurement, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then sweep the excess from the top using an offset spatula or other kitchen utensil with a flat side.
• PRO-Tip: If your batter looks lumpy, pass it through a strainer.
• Let the batter rest as you preheat the oven. This will allow the gluten strands to relax and the moisture to disperse.
• Fill custard cups with 1/3 cup batter and muffin tins with 1/4 cup batter. Any excess can be divided among the cups.
• I veered from the recipe directions by preheating my popover pan in the oven, then brushing it with melted butter before pouring in the batter, just like I do with our holiday Yorkshire puddings.
• PRO-Tip: Preheating the pan before adding the batter jump-starts the baking and gives a better rise to the popovers. This is especially beneficial if you’re using a cast iron pan.
• Using warm milk in the batter (125° F) also encourages a good puff. A cold batter will take longer to produce the steam needed for leavening.
• PRO-Tip: Whip the batter right before baking. Otherwise, precious air bubbles needed for a good rise will be lost.
• PRO-Tip: Yorkshire puddings are basically popovers made with roast drippings. They’re the perfect accompaniment with your holiday prime rib.
• Bake on a rack in the lower third of the oven so the tops don’t get too brown.
• For the best results, start your popovers at 425º for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350º and bake for another 15 minutes. Do not open the oven door.
• Popovers are at their puffiest right out of the oven. You can hold them at room temperature for a few minutes, or wrap them airtight, freeze them for up to a month, and reheat them in a 350º F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, and they´ll taste good, but never as good as when freshly baked.
• PRO-Tip: If not eating immediately, pierce each popover with a knife to release the steam. This will prevent moisture from building up inside as they cool.

Frequently Asked Questions

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