Straightforward Breakfast Popovers

If you’re a fan of breakfast pastries, then you’ll love this rich and straightforward popovers recipe! Requiring only five ingredients and 30 minutes of cooking time, this is a seemingly fancy - yet simple - way to change up your breakfast or brunch routine without exuding too much effort. Served with a pad of butter and dollop of your favorite jam or jelly, these from-scratch popovers are sure to be a hit!

The Inspiration Behind Our Breakfast Popovers

Our grandma called us years ago asking if we had a recipe for popovers. She and our grandfather had just come back from visiting his brother in Arizona, and his wife made popovers that our grandma said were outstanding. She wanted to replicate them at home but didn’t have a recipe or a popover pan. Popovers had long been on our 100 list, so we thought it was the reliable time to tackle them myself.

We bought us both a popover pan and surprised her with the pan and a copy of the recipe. It couldn’t have been easier or more rich!

What Are Popovers, Exactly?

Traditionally, popovers are an American deviation of the famous British Yorkshire pudding. They’re a popular light, buttery pastry made with just flour, salt, eggs, milk, and butter. (Although we like to add a little powdered sugar to make them slightly sweet.)

The British versions are typically made with beef fat, while the American versions are made with full-fat whole milk and softened butter served on top once baked, along with jam or jelly. They’re crispy and flakey on the inside while remaining soft and custardy on the inside, almost like ribbons.

We'd actually never had a popover before our grandmother asked us to create our own recipe. We always thought that they would be more of a muffin consistency, but they tasted much more like a flaky croissant, baked pancake (similar to a Dutch baby pancake!), or even a hollow soufflé.

The recipe we modeled ours after suggested serving them fresh from the oven with butter and jam, which is exactly how we ate ours. They were memorable, and definitely better warm than when left to sit at room temperature. You could also serve them dusted with powdered sugar or with maple syrup. They’re a reliable addition to any breakfast or brunch menu, and only take minutes to mix together.

What’s your favorite way to eat a popover?

How To Make Popovers

We’re usually a pancakes-on-the-weekend type of house, but since perfecting this from-scratch popovers recipe, these delicate, flakey, buttery morsels definitely earned a soft spot in our heart. You can make them sweet or savory depending on what you serve with them.

For example, berries and maple syrup versus crumbled bacon and softened cream cheese. They’re ideal for weekend mornings or special occasions during the week made fresh or leftover. (we're thinking of a birthday breakfast!)

Once you have your ingredients measured, your oven preheated, and your popover pan prepped, then you’re ready to get baking!

1. Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs.
2. Make the Batter: Add the flour, salt, and powdered sugar to the wet ingredients, and whisk briefly to incorporate the dry ingredients. (Do not over-mix!)
3. Did we Mention To NOT Over-Mix: Seriously! This will cause your popovers to be too dense and not rise properly. There may still be small lumps throughout the batter, which is fine. Do not over-mix! It’s OK to still see slight streaks of flour.
4. Bake: Fill each cup of the popover tin with 5 tablespoons of the batter. Bake until the popovers are puffed and rise above the top of the tin by 3 inches, about 30 minutes. Immediately turn the popovers out of the pan, and serve warm with desired toppings.

The Key to Light, Flakey Popovers

• Do not over-mix your batter! Similar to pancakes, it’s fine to see some lumps in the popover batter before pouring them into the baking pan. If you over-mix, then your popovers won’t rise properly, or will fall.
• Generously butter your popover pan in an upward direction. This directs the batter to rise up while it cooks.
• Use high-quality ingredients. In recipes like this where there are so few, it’s important to use a standby you can get. We recommend organic, free-range milk and butter, as well as organic, cage-free eggs.
• If you're using a dark, non-stick pan, be sure to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

Serving Suggestions

Here are some of our favorite ways to serve these simple from-scratch popovers!

• With a pad of softened butter
• A schmear of fruit jam or jelly (from-scratch is even better!)
• Or a savory spread like our favorite from-scratch bacon jam
• With a drizzle of honey or maple syrup
• Some fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries
• A dusting of sifted powdered sugar
• Some chocolate hazelnut spread (Kids, especially, would love this Nutella twist!)

Make it a Meal

Wanting more for your breakfast spread than just popovers? Here are a few rich sides to serve with them:

• Scrambled eggs
• Breakfast sausage links or patties
• Oven-baked bacon
• Bourbon brown sugar bacon
• Greek Yogurt (from-scratch or store-bought)
• A variety of fresh fruit (or our favorite fruit tart!)

Keeping leftovers

Whether you have leftover popovers, want to eat them all week, or want to freeze a batch for A straightforward-to-grab morning meal during the week, here's how to keep these pastries fresh.

• Store any leftover popovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freeze cooled popovers in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. Don’t use a bag, as these delicate pastries are more likely to get crushed or damage that way.
• Reheat from frozen or refrigerated in a microwave or toaster oven until warmed through and crispy on the outside.

• Yield: 12 popovers
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ cups ( 360 ml ) whole milk
• 6 eggs
• 1½ cups ( 180 g ) all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 4½ teaspoons powdered sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and position the rack in the lower third of the oven.
2. Generously butter a 12-cup popover tin; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. Add the flour, salt and powdered sugar and whisk briefly to incorporate the dry ingredients. There may still be small lumps throughout the batter, which is fine; do not overmix.
4. Fill each cup of the popover tin with 5 tablespoons of the batter. Bake until the popovers are puffed and rise above the top of the tin by 3 inches, about 30 minutes. Immediately turn the popovers out of the pan and serve warm.

Notes

Equipment: Popover Pan

Pan Note: If you’re using a dark, non-stick pan, be sure to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

Serving Suggestions: Softened butter + fruit jam or jelly / bacon jam / honey or maple syrup / fresh berries / dust with powdered sugar / Nutella

Storage: Store any leftover popovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing Instructions: Freeze cooled popovers in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. Don’t use a bag, as these delicate pastries are more likely to get crushed or damage that way.

Reheat Instructions: Reheat from frozen or refrigerated in a microwave or toaster oven until warmed through and crispy on the outside.

Photography by Dee Frances.