Description

These golden, towering puffs have a crisp shell, a soft steamy interior, and are shockingly easy to make. No yeast, no kneading—just simple pantry staples and a little oven magic.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup all-purpose flour (or swap ¼ cup for cake flour for extra tenderness)
1 cup whole milk, room temperature (2% works in a pinch, skim not recommended)
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp melted butter (plus extra for greasing)

Optional Variations:

Herb & Cheese: Add ½ cup grated Gruyère or sharp cheddar + 1 tbsp fresh herbs
Everything Bagel: Brush with melted butter and sprinkle everything bagel seasoning
Sweet Cinnamon Sugar: Mix 2 tbsp sugar into dry ingredients; roll baked popovers in butter + cinnamon sugar
Dairy-Free: Use almond or oat milk + neutral oil instead of milk/butter

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat & Heat the Pan
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Place your popover pan or muffin tin on the middle rack while the oven heats—this ensures the cups are screaming hot.

Step 2: Whisk Wet Ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until frothy. A few bubbles are good!

Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients
Whisk in flour and salt until mostly smooth (tiny lumps are fine). Stir in melted butter. Batter should be thin, like heavy cream. Let rest 5–10 minutes.

Step 4: Sizzle & Pour
Remove hot pan carefully. Grease each cup with butter—it should sizzle. Pour batter into cups, filling ½ to 2/3 full.

Step 5: Bake
Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes without opening the door. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake 10–15 more minutes until deep golden and crisp.

Step 6: Cool Properly
Immediately loosen popovers with a knife and transfer to a wire rack. Poke a small slit in each to release steam and prevent sogginess.

Notes

Dense Popovers: Pan wasn’t hot enough, oven opened too early, or batter overmixed.
Collapsed After Cooling: Normal, but minimize by fully baking, slitting sides, and cooling on a wire rack.
Make Ahead: Batter can be refrigerated up to 24 hours; bring to room temp and whisk before baking.
Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 GF all-purpose flour with xanthan gum. Texture slightly more delicate but still puffs.