How to Eat Popovers

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: January 15, 2021 References Tested

If you've never had a popover fresh from the oven, you're missing out! The eggy batter puffs up as it bakes in the hot oven, so you get towering, fluffy popovers. It's best to eat them right away and while they're great on their own or with a little butter, you have lots of serving options. Decide if you'd like sweet popovers for breakfast or a fun dessert, or enjoy them with rich fillings and savory toppings.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Savory Suggestions

1
Add a few spoonfuls of cooked vegetables to popover batter for extra flavor. Cooked vegetables add color, flavor, and texture, but you have to cook them first to remove excess moisture. This way, you'll concentrate the flavor without weighing down the popovers. Mix any of these into the batter before you cook the popovers:^{[1]
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- Caramelized onions or shallots
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Wilted spinach or kale
- Diced roasted red pepper
2
Stir crispy bacon pieces into the popover batter for a savory, crunchy taste. Mix 1 cup (145 g) of cooked and chopped bacon pieces into your popover batter. They'll give a meaty, smoky flavor to the popovers without becoming soggy.^{[2]
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- Want to make the popovers even heartier? Scramble eggs and fill the popovers with them or top each one with an over-easy egg.
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3
Scatter cheese over the popovers before you bake them for a deep, salty flavor. Cheesy popovers are especially great if you serve them with soup or stew. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of shredded or crumbled cheese over each popover before you bake them. The cheese will bubble up and become golden as the popovers cook. Try any of these cheeses for amazing flavor:^{[3]
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- Blue cheese
- Feta cheese
- Cheddar
- Smoked mozzarella or gouda
4
Top cooked popovers with avocado, salsa, and an egg for a filling brunch. Turn popovers into a light meal by filling them with sliced avocado. Add a spoonful of warm salsa and a fried or poached egg. If you have room, spoon a dollop of sour cream on top, too!^{[4]
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- Set out hot sauce to squeeze over the popovers if you want a little extra heat.
5
Serve popovers with horseradish and smoked salmon for a light lunch. This is also great for party appetizers since guests can help themselves. Set out freshly cooked popovers with a creamy horseradish sauce along with thin slices of smoked salmon. For an even fancier presentation, scatter sprigs of fresh dill over top.^{[5]
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- Don't like horseradish sauce? Offer a creamy dill sauce or sour-cream caper sauce instead.
6
Fill your cooked popovers with ham and cheese for an appetizer or lunch. For Spanish-inspired popovers, top the popovers with Serrano ham, slices of Manchego cheese, and a few chopped Marcona almonds. If you'd like French flavors, use any thinly sliced ham and use blue cheese crumbles instead.^{[6]
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- Mimic the flavor of French crepes by replacing 1/4 cup (30 g) of the flour in your popover batter with buckwheat flour.
7
Serve hot popovers with a roast dinner for a traditional meal. If you use drippings from the beef to make the popovers they're technically Yorkshire puddings, but it's totally fine to use butter instead. Either way, popovers with roast and gravy is a classic for a reason—it's delicious!^{[7]
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- Use the popovers to soak up the gravy.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Sweet Flavorings

1
Make cinnamon popovers and sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Stir 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground cinnamon into your popover batter to give it a warm, spiced flavor. Then, when the popovers come out of the oven, dust them with powdered sugar. To give them a churro-flavor, brush the popovers with melted butter and roll them in cinnamon-sugar.^{[8]
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- Play around with using your favorite spices instead of cinnamon. Try ground ginger, nutmeg, or allspice, for instance.
2
Create tangy, fruity popovers with freeze-dried raspberries and lemon zest. If you can't get your hands on fresh fruit but want your popovers to have a bright flavor, grind freeze-dried fruit like raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries. Then, whisk 2 tablespoons (40 g) of the ground fruit powder into your batter along with the zest of half a lemon.^{[9]
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- Freeze-dried fruit is perfect for popovers. Unlike fresh fruit, the dried powder won't weigh down the batter, but it will pack a ton of flavor.
3
Add cocoa powder to make decadent chocolate popovers for dessert. Take your popovers to the next level by whisking 2 tablespoons (15 g) of cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon (12 g) of sugar into your popover batter. Serve your chocolate popovers with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, or whipped cream!^{[10]
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- Want even more chocolate? Stir 1/4 cup (44 g) of chocolate chips into the batter before you fill the tins.
4
Spread butter and jam on the popovers for a traditional breakfast. Skip the toast or biscuits and reach for light, fluffy popovers fresh from the oven. Pull a popover open and spread creamy butter and your favorite jam on it. Try a mixed berry or apricot jam, for instance.^{[11]
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- This is also a great chance to use flavored butter like cinnamon or sweet cherry butter.
5
Top the popovers with berries and maple syrup for a sweet breakfast treat. Make breakfast extra-special—scatter fresh blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries over the popovers and drizzle them with maple syrup or honey.^{[12]
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- Give your fruity popovers a dusting of powdered sugar for a little extra sweetness!
- For fall-flavored popovers, cook apple slices with cinnamon and brown sugar. Then fill the popovers with the warm fruit and enjoy.