Julia Child's Popovers A Classic Recipe Made Easy (2024)

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Popovers are a delightful treat, crispy on the outside and filled with air on the inside. Learn to make them at home. Julia Child recipe | classic cooking | popovers

Homemade Popovers based on Julia Child's classic recipe.

Julia Child's Popovers A Classic Recipe Made Easy (1)

I still remember the first time I had a popover at my mother's suggestion. The waiter brought me this giant muffin looking thing that was almost empty inside with a crust that was both crunchy and custard-y at the same time.

I was hooked.

I checked out a copy of Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America's Best Bakers (affiliate link) from the library and saw at least 10 recipes I wanted to make. But, I started with this one because the popover pan my mother had given me was buried in the back of the cabinet crying from neglect.

Yes, I have popover pan.

No, you do not need one.

Custard cups or muffin pans will work fine if you follow the directions below.

Tips for Making Julia Child's Popovers

There is no denying popovers can be tricky, I have failed more than once, especially when I haven't made them in awhile.

But, here are a few tips to help you achieve that beautiful pop with the empty middle:

  • have the eggs and milk at room temperature
  • do not overfill the cups
  • if using a muffin pan leave every other one empty
  • oven rack must be on the lowest possible position
  • slice with a sharp knife immediately after removing from the oven (Julia doesn't mention this, but....)

And remember, even if they aren't perfect, they are still delicious.

Julia Child's Popovers A Classic Recipe Made Easy (2)

Recipe

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole or 2% milk (room temperature)
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Notes

The right pan is critical for these. If you do not have apopover pan(affiliate link) you can use every other cup of a 12 muffin pan (you'll want two) or ¾ cup capacity custard cups on a rimmed baking sheet with plenty of room in between

Sound fabulous? Share it!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Suzy Godfrey

    I don't believe I've ever had a popover! Thanks for hosting and have a great week!

    Reply

    • Audrey

      They used to be pretty popular, hopefully they will make a comeback.

  2. Lisa/Syncopated Mama

    I actually don't really care for popovers, but I can remember being so excited to make my first one, years ago. Your explanation of them is really great!

    • Audrey

      It is exciting when they turn out the way they are supposed to.

  3. Treat and Trick

    Those popovers sound easy and yummy. I want to give this a try. Thanks for hosting too...

    Reply

  4. Ellen

    I make popovers every Christmas! Putting this recipe in my holiday folder.

    Reply

  5. Amy (Savory Moments)

    I've never made or eaten popovers! They've always intrigued me though and this is a great tutorial!

    Reply

  6. Erin Vasicek

    Even though I have a popover pan I have yet to make them!

    Reply

  7. Sydney Roussel

    The Neiman Marcus store is famous for their Popovers, their recipe
    has baking powder and says to let batter rest at room temperature
    for one hour. I am going to try this recipe," for the sake of argument".
    Julia Child is seldom wrong.

    Reply

  8. Elizabeth Brett

    Thank you! I lost my Julia Child books in a move and I've been desperate for this amazing recipe!

    Reply

    • Audrey

      oh no! THE HORROR! haha! I am glad I could fill the gap somewhat.

  9. Judy Wiest

    Help.....I love popovers but for the life of me they don't rise nice and high.
    Eggs and milk are room temperature, Have tried popover pan they just get too hard with no rise. I have baked them a little slower no luck there. I have used my muffin tins every other cup still no luck. Why o why are these soo hard to make?

    Reply

    • SuperBoy

      Hello Judy. They really are not difficult. It's so few ingredients you can almost NOT go wrong.
      It's important to grease the pan you use very well (can use a spray, too)
      Maybe you want to put your pan in the oven 10 minutes before puting batter in
      Be sure you start out with 450°oven & watch them rise -/+10-15, then DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN & cut the oven temp to 350-375° for another 10-15 minutes (usually it doesn't take very long, but you will see them Browning. YOU CAN DEFINITELY DO THESE🥳

    • Audrae

      All the recipes instructions are correct. To help myself even more, I’ve picked up the following tips—I preheat the greased pan and put a drop of cold butter right before I add the batter. I also let the batter sit out at room temp for at least 15 minutes, but no longer than 1 hour. They rise nice and high! Don’t forget to immediately put them on a cooling rack and cut them open with a sharp knife. This lets steam out so they stay crisp on the outside. Try again! It is so satisfying when you finally get them right!

  10. Thomas Gould

    How many popovers does this recipe make?

    Reply

    • Audrey

      It depends on what pan you use and how much batter you put in. There should be about 2 cups of batter overall, so that's 6 in a popover pan and about 8 in a muffin pan.

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Julia Child's Popovers A Classic Recipe Made Easy (2024)

FAQs

Why aren t my popovers airy? ›

Too cold and you won't get the popovers to steam internally quickly enough. But be aware that you shouldn't make it too hot. If your milk and/or butter is hot enough to cook the eggs while mixing, the batter won't rise. Best to use all warm ingredients in the 40-50 degrees celsius (100-120 fahrenheit) range.

Why do my popovers have a hole in the middle? ›

Now, some people like to slit a hole into the finished popovers to release steam, then return them to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to help prevent sogginess as the popovers cool.

What is the English version of popovers? ›

Yorkshire Pudding/ Popovers

Yorkshire Puddings are a staple in England with a Roast Dinner. Here in the US we know them as Popovers which are the same thing as the modern Yorkshire Pudding, except using a different pan.

What is the difference between Yorkshire and popovers? ›

Chef's Notes. The difference between popovers and Yorkshire puddings is that Yorkshires use the beef fat (the drippings from a beef roast). These popovers are a bit lighter in flavor and you can also prepare them before the roast is even done.

Should popover batter rest overnight? ›

There's just one thing that will make the popovers better, and that's time. The batter needs time to rest before baking so that it creates a more tender popover in the end. So, cover the batter and pop it into the refrigerator for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.

What is the secret to making popovers rise? ›

The keys to baking popovers are to use a high oven temperature (I prefer 425° F) and to not disturb them (by opening the oven) during the process. I know, I know—I like to peek in on my baked goods, too. But this is one time you really should try to resist.

Is it necessary to poke the popover when it comes out of the oven? ›

Popovers lose their crunch if they linger in the pan, so turn them out on a wire rack immediately and poke a small opening in the side of each with a paring knife to let the steam escape.

Should popover batter be refrigerated? ›

Tips for perfect popovers

-- For best results, refrigerate the batter one to 24 hours before baking - the longer the better. -- Fill cups two-thirds full, or almost to the top. -- To give the popovers greater stability, heat the empty pans in a preheated oven two to three minutes before filling.

What country invented popovers? ›

The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since the 17th century, The oldest known reference to popovers dates to 1850. The first cookbook to print a recipe for popovers was in 1876.

Why popovers don t pop? ›

There can be a few different things that can mess up the rise of popovers. Preheat the oven to 425 with the pan preheating in the oven. When baking don't open it again until they're done. If you open the oven door the temperature inside can drop too quickly and the popovers will not rise properly.

What do you eat with popovers? ›

Almost anything you like. You can make cheesy popovers and serve them with savory dishes, or plain popovers served with butter and jam. You can fill them with chicken salad, or serve them with a steaming bowl of soup, or alongside scrambled eggs or an omelette.

Is popover batter runny? ›

Popover batter is basically identical to crepe batter. Both batters are thin -- about the consistency of heavy cream -- and both are just mixed, not beaten, so as not to excite the gluten in the flour. But crepes are cooked in as thin a layer as possible so that no air pockets are allowed to develop.

Why is Yorkshire called a pudding? ›

It's worth stating that most foreigners outside the UK think of a sweet, soupy, dessert when they hear the term "pudding"; however, Yorkshire pudding gets the second part of its name because centuries ago in England, puddings were a sausage-like meal that was not water-based and was solid.

How do you keep popovers from deflating? ›

Popovers are best served immediately. They will, unfortunately, begin to collapse after a few minutes outside of the oven. One way to help prevent this is to puncture the top and/or side of the popover with the tip of a small, sharp knife to help release some of the steam trapped inside.

Should popover batter be cold or room temp? ›

How to make popovers. Before we get started: all of your ingredients should be at warm room temperature. To warm ice-cold eggs from the fridge, place them in a cup of hot tap water for about 10 minutes.

How do you know when popovers are done? ›

Finished popovers will be golden-brown, feel dry to the touch, and sound hollow when tapped. Prick with a Knife, Cool, and Eat!: Turn the popovers out onto a drying rack. Pierce the bottoms with a knife to allow steam to escape. Cool just enough so they can be handled and then eat immediately.

Are popovers supposed to be eggy? ›

Oh, the dilemma that so often stems from baking popovers — those hollowed rolls with a contrasting crunchy, flaky exterior and moist, eggy interior. They are the American relative to the British Yorkshire pudding, an evolution of the latter that disregards the use of beef drippings in the pan (and instead uses butter).

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