You won’t believe how easy it is to make these tasty little popovers. I think my 6-year-old could practically do it by herself (if I helped her measure and handle the oven). The only thing that is remotely difficult about this recipe is that the milk and eggs have to be at room temperate in order for the popovers to “pop” up properly (try to say that 3 times fast). So yes, it does 
require you to think ahead a little, which I for some reason struggle with on occasion. But other than that the recipe is super easy, and they are by far one of my daughters’ favorites!
Feel free to enjoy them with breakfast, lunch, or dinner (or as leftovers), and don’t be afraid to get creative too. For breakfast you can spread some butter and/or jelly on the popovers while they are warm out of the oven. Or before you even bake them you can sprinkle a generous helping of cinnamon on top of the batter in each muffin cup. For lunch or an elegant dinner side item, pop a piece of crumbly cheese (goat or blue) in the center of each batter cup. To accompany spaghetti, sprinkle them with some garlic powder before baking. The possibilities are endless so have fun and enjoy!
Mini Whole-Wheat Popovers
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup milk, at room temperature (I used 2%)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
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Generously (and I mean generously) grease a mini muffin pan. Use a non-stick pan if you have it. And if you don’t have a mini one by all means use the regular size and bake it for longer. But no matter what don’t attempt to use muffin liners…not that I know from experience. :)
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Whisk together the eggs, milk, and butter.
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Whisk the flour and salt into the egg mixture until it is well blended.
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Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups until they are at least three-quarters full.
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Bake for 14 – 16 minutes or until they puff up and are golden brown. Do not open the oven and let the heat out while baking. If you are using a regular size muffin pan (instead of mini) they will obviously need to bake for longer.
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Once they are done gently pierce them with a skewer, toothpick, or tip of a knife to let the steam out. Otherwise the steam could cause the inside to become soggy. You also don’t want to refrigerate the leftovers for the same reason…just leave them at room temperature.
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I am so excited that you posted this recipe! Growing up, one of my family’s favorite rolls were Yorkshire Pudding, or popovers. I love how they taste, but the recipe we followed used white flour and a very generous amount of butter. I have often thought about experimenting with the recipe to make them a little healthier…and now I don’t have to! Thank you! :)
I am so glad to hear that! Let me know how they turn out. I love to have recipe reviews. :)
I am wondering if anyone made these in large muffin pans. If so how long did you bake them for?
Arica – I made the large ones once and it didn’t take too much longer. Check them after 18 – 20 minutes and then keep on eye on them until they are golden brown.
I made them in a large muffin pan last week. They turned out awesome but I cooked them for 25 minutes.
I am making these for a Valentine’s Tea for ladies from church on Saturday. To say that I am nervous would be a vast understatement. I’m not sure why. I’m thinking of making a garlic/herb butter to accompany them. I saw Giada whatever-her-last-name -is on Food Network make some a few weeks ago and I thought they looked wonderful, but they were definitely not as wholesome sounding as these. I’ll give them a shot.
I think they will turn out wonderfully for you (especially with a garlic herb butter…yum!). As long as your ingredients are at room temperature you should have no trouble at all. And don’t forget to poke them at the end. Good luck!
Here is my recipe review: :)
I thought they were great! The original recipe I grew up with does make a lighter (fluffier) and more flavorful popover because of the white flour and high butter content. However, I thought these popovers were still delicious and certainly healthier. Next time I plan to use one of your creative add-ins. I think that will really do the trick. All in all, it’s a great recipe and I’m so glad you posted it! :)
Thank you so much for your honest review…and darn that white fluffy flour!! :)
These are fantastic…I’m surprised though that you suggest canola oil spray. Not really a “real food” in my opinion. I’ve been using coconut oil spray for everything these days and it’s great!
Oils is my weakness…I will have to tackle that issue soon enough!
I get a lot of sticking with coconut oil. It drives me nuts, but I have never used a spray version, I just wipe down my pans with it. I do spray olive oil instead of canola, but worry about it’s low smoke point.
Well, aren’t these TASTY! Made them for the first time to go with dinner tonight. They didn’t “POP” as well as they probably should have (perhaps my eggs and milk were not room temp enough?), but they are yummy.
As far as spraying my pan goes, (as per above post) I use a Misto olive oil mister and fill it will organic olive oil. Seem to work good for me, and there is nothing extra in there but the oil :)
So glad you enjoyed them and thanks for the tip about the oil!
has anyone tried using whole wheat pastry flour for a lighter texture?
I have not heard of anyone doing that…but give it a shot and let us know what happens! :)
About how many mini muffins does this make? Can you use Crisco shorting to grease the pan or should I just use butter? You have an amazing and extremely well organized blog!
Definitely don’t use Crisco! That is just an imitation food. Always use the real thing over the imitation. Here’s more info on that: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/16/are-you-being-fooled-by-the-imitation/
Also, I thought I recorded the yield…sorry about that! I am trying to remember how many it made. I think between a dozen and a dozen & a half. I hope that helps!
By the way I am only 12 and I am doing the real food challenge for Lent. I did the 10 day challenge earlier and wanted to do it more long term. Thanks for the inspiration and all the great recipes! : )
Wow…I am very impressed that you are taking the initiative to do all of this on your own at only 12-years-old!
The popovers were incredibly easy and tasted much like the Yorkshire Pudding we have with the Christmas Roast. Two grown sons gobbled them and up. Have also tried WWpancakes and WWmuffins with good results. Boys haven’t guessed they are healthy yet. Not totally up to Pledge yet but slowly making changes and first is to include more whole grains. These recipes make it easy and enjoyable.
So glad to hear that…thanks for leaving a review!
I never thought I’d see this again, but glad I have! Thanks for sharing it.
Will these “pop” at high altitudes?
Having trouble making mine pop. :( Will keep trying though.
could u put applesauce in these or anything else?
This recipe is sensitive so I don’t think it would do well with substitutions
Just starting this real food thing. Is there something I can substitute the milk and egg for. I need to have dairy/egg free recipes. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I don’t think substitutions will work as well in this recipe as they will with my other recipes…this one is a little more sensitive than the others.
I haven’t made these yet but I think the eggs are generally required to make popovers.
I’m curious too if you could add in the berry sauce to the recipe???
I am not sure if that would work because I’ve never tried it myself and this recipe is a little sensitive.
Hey there. Just wanted to say that I’m a college student on my own for the first time and this recipe is awesome for me and my roommate. We cheat a little with it (add some nutella on top every once and a while :) ) but they are so good with some peanut butter or jelly or honey. Absolutely perfect from the oven and with a nice cup of coffee or a glass of juice or milk. Such a great healthy little treat for anytime of the day! Thanks so much for sharing! (ps this works with soy milk too :) )
I made these last night and the only changes I made were to add a little vanilla and cinnamon to the batter and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top before baking. Some popped, but a lot did not. When I poked the top with the toothpick after pulling out of the oven, some of the popped ones proceeded to collapse. While this does make for a handy “bowl” to add jam or peanut butter or whatever, I would like them to look like popovers. Any ideas as to why some would pop and others sink in?
Were all your ingredients at room temperature? I’ve never tried it with vanilla, and I wonder if that could make a difference. This recipe is more sensitive to changes than the other recipes on the site.
Are these Yorkshire puddings, as the first person to comment said? If so I might be able to help you. I make them every week on Sunday with our traditional Sunday dinner (I’m from the UK …more specifically from Yorkshire!) and the way to ensure that they all rise is to have as big a difference in heat of the oil and batter as possible. Firstly, you need to leave the batter in the fridge for half an hour or so to get really cold. Then, turn the oven up as high as it will go and put an oiled muffin tray in until it is smoking. When you pour the mixture into the tin, do it quickly so as not to lose the heat of the oil. And then put it back in the oven and DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!
Thanks for sharing…can you please tell us your whole recipe? I am always curious about foods from other countries!
Hi there, I usually choose a jug/coffee cup/glass depending on the quantity I need to make and then fill it once with plain flour (you can use wholemeal or white) which I tip into a mixing bowl. Then I crack eggs into the same container until it’s full to the top, beat them and mix them into the flour along with the same quantity (using the same jug or cup or glass) of whole milk. Does that make any sense..? Add a pinch of salt too. Leave the mixture to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour or even overnight.
Traditionally Yorkshire puddings are made with beef dripping or lard but I usually use vegetable oil. You need an oil that can withstand some serious heat so EVOO is no good.
I make my Yorkshire puddings in a muffin tray so they puff up and have a closed, round top. Some people make them in flatter trays and they come out more like a cup shape. Traditionally, they’re served with roast beef and always with gravy in savoury dishes. Sometimes they are made to be dinner plate-sized and the meat and vegetables and potatoes are served inside the Yorkshire pudding with gravy poured over the top. Sometimes we save some for dessert and spread them with jam or honey.
The batter can also be used to make pancakes (British pancakes, that is – I think US pancakes are quite different. Ours are more like French crepes and we usually serve them with lemon juice and sugar or maple syrup)so if you make too much you know what to do with leftovers!
Hope that helps!
By the way, I love your ideas. I’ve set up a recipe-sharing group on Facebook recently and I am always linking your blog on there!
Just made these this evening to go with some chicken noodle soup! Good, but noticed they had an eggy taste and that you could see the egg had cooked a little inside them. Do you know how I might avoid that? Does the butter have to be cooled down some after melted? I added it right to the eggs and milk, so wasn’t sure.
Thanks for tips!
Maybe the batter could be mixed up a little more to prevent that from happening. I haven’t heard about that issue with anyone else so maybe just try again (and make sure all your ingredients are fresh…whole wheat flour will spoil if it’s not kept in the fridge or freezer).
can you freeze these? I haven’t made popovers before, but I think the family would like these. Just trying to stock up on quick breakfast items and snacks
I haven’t tried it with this exact recipe, but I think it should work!
How long should th eggs and milk be out at room temperate before using them?
Long enough to warm up to room temperature…I find it can take as long as 30 – 60 minutes depending on if it’s a hot day or not!
will these work in a popover pan? i bought a pan a while back – all inspired to make popovers, but the recipes i had never looked very healthy. i’d like to try this one, but am wondering if it will work if i use the actual popover pan. the openings are longer and more narrow than a muffin pan.
Hi Jamie. Our team hasn’t tried them in a popover pan, but, Lisa notes that she did do a large muffin pan and they only took a little longer to cook. You might just want to watch them closely in terms of baking time. Let us know how it goes.
I made these this morning using wholemeal spelt flour and they are tasty! The did deflate once I took them out of the oven though, but delicious with salted butter!
Question re: your comment about whole wheat flour spoiling unless kept in the refrigerator. How do you know if your whole wheat flour has spoiled? I have never kept it in the refrigerator, but have never noticed anything spoiling.
Hi Margie. You can actually take a little bit of flour on your finger and taste it – rancid flour will have a slight tang and almost sting your tongue a little. Hope that helps. Jill
Made these today in my popover pan – changing the recipe a little (used Olive Oil instead of butter)..Naturally they didn’t rise and pop quite like the white all purpose flour does – but they were still delicious! Kids devoured them so we have more in the oven to set us up for a few days! :)
Hi!
Do you think I would be able to substitute regular milk for almond milk?
Thanks!!
Hi Alissa. Yes, that should be fine. ~Amy
Just thought I would share that if I make popovers I simply warm the milk in the microwave and beat the eggs into the milk. This saves time from having to leave your milk and eggs out, and you can make them on the spur of the moment.
One last comment…it works better to heat your pan in oven and grease with butter… Some oils get too hot? Not sure if that’s why, but popovers puff better.
http://www.cheftalk.com/t/36655/secret-to-making-hollow-popovers
Could I sub gluten free flour?
Hi Shelly. I’ve not used gluten free flour for this recipe. Look for a whole grain variety/blend to keep it as real as possible. ~Amy
made these with my girls and we all loved them!!! thanks so much for this recipe.
A special treat I grew up with was to
Cut them in half and make strawberry shortcakes or a bit of vanilla ice cream with some chocolate drizzled onto
OMG I just made these. I’ve been trying for years to make WW popovers. Always got heavy lumps. I used whole wheat pastry flour. Let’s my ingredients reach room temp, use a popover pan and they popped beautifully. Delicious!
Is it possible to freeze these and if so, how would they be reheated?
Hi Melissa. Freeze them in an airtight container or bag. To reheat, I would thaw them overnight and heat them at 375 for up to 10 minutes. ~Amy
I’m having trouble finding whole-wheat ‘all purpose’ flour (in the UK). Will they work with whole-wheat self raising flour?
Hi Beth. The leavening would likely effect the pastry. Have you found whole wheat pastry flour?
Not sure what I did wrong, but they didn’t pop? any advice?
Hi Kim. I usually have a few that fall, too. Did you happen to open the oven while baking?
Sigh…yes, i did…the oven light blew just as I was putting them in. Perhaps that was it! I will give it another try this weekend! Once i fix the light :) thank you!
Just made these with my daughters and we all devoured them. So yummy! Delicious with strawberry freezer jam.
How many calories in one popover? Do you have nutritional info for your recipes?
Hi. No, we do not provide nutrition details. This post might add light to our perspective: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
My batter was quite funny and they came out flat as can be. It’s clearly an easy recipe…no idea what could have gone wrong.
Oops…meant *runny
anyone try adding chocolate chips or blueberries? my kids keep asking for entemanns ‘little bites’ and I wont buy those. Im looking for alternative to make at home.
Hi. Those additions should turn out just fine. :)
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