Easy Popover Recipe (It's Foolproof, Promise)

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Make perfect, foolproof popovers every time with our easy popover recipe. Learn a few simple tricks for mastering this favorite holiday tradition or anytime treat.

popovers from our easy popover recipe in a pan with a green napkin

Why we love this recipe

Popovers are a favorite holiday tradition around here. They're crisp and buttery on the outside, and — owing to the copious amounts of steam they trap and ultimately release — positively ethereal on the inside.

Our recipe is:

Made from just a few common ingredients
A perfect accompaniment to the holidays, a dinner party, or even brunch
Adaptable — feel free to add a few seasonings of your choice right to the batter

I first published this recipe here way back in 2010. I've updated the post for clarity, but the recipe remains the same.

What you'll need

Here's a glance at the ingredients you'll need to make our easy popover recipe. This is one of those recipes where a handful of fridge and pantry staples transforms into something truly magical.

With just a few ingredients, quality matters more than ever.
Use all-purpose flour.
Look at the golden yolks on those eggs. You can use any eggs, but...the better the better.
Same goes for butter and milk. I use a cultured butter from grass-fed cows here and everywhere. It sounds fancy but isn't. Kerrygold, for example, is widely available and not too expensive.

How to make them

Here's what you'll do to make a great batch of foolproof popovers. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and water.
Drizzle in the melted butter while whisking.
Add the four and salt and mix until well combined but still slightly lumpy.
Grease popover pans or muffin tins and divide the batter among them, filling less than halfway. Bake for 55 minutes at 375°F, opening the oven only once at the 45 minute mark to make a slit in each popover. Serve right away.

the inside of a popover — The dreamy inside of a popover

Expert tips and FAQs

Do I need to buy popover pans?

Popover pans aren't necessary, but their tall shape and well-spaced cups help batter climb high as heat circulates around each one. You can make our easy popover recipe in standard muffin tins if that's what you've got.

What if the batter is lumpy?

When mixing the batter, quit while you're ahead. You won't remove all the lumps by mixing, and you don't have to. Just make sure there aren't any big pockets of dry flour.

Really? Don't open the oven?

Popovers rise when the oven's heat turns the batter's liquid into steam, and the steam gets trapped inside the strong structure formed by the eggy, floury crust. Leaving the oven closed for the first 45 minutes ensures that this will happen uninterrupted.

After 45 minutes, when the structure is set, you'll pierce each popover with a single slit of a paring knife and return to the oven. This allows the steam to escape after it's done its job and prevents the insides from being soggy.

The only tricky part of making on a holiday is that they really hog the oven. They need a lot of space, and you need to leave the oven closed for 45 minutes. Be sure to think through the timing beforehand.

Can I make these in advance?

They're best made shortly before serving to maximize the crisp outside, warm and tender inside vibe. That said, we love leftovers. Once completely cool, store loosely wrapped in foil or in paper lunch bags for up to about 24 hours. They're great with eggs the morning after.

Suggested additions

We love these savory treats as-is. If you feel like jazzing things up a bit from time to time, you can whisk any of the following into the batter after incorporating the flour:

¼ cup of grated parmesan, pecorino, or any other hard cheese
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, tarragon, rosemary, or other minced herbs
Swap in an herb, truffle, or other seasoned salt for the sea salt

More favorite savory muffins & quick breads

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