Can I Make Popovers In A Muffin Pan? | Crisp Rise Without Special Pans

Yes, muffin cups work; heat the tin, use a thin batter, and start in a hot oven so steam can lift a tall, hollow shell.

You don’t need a popover pan to get that dramatic lift and crackly crust. A standard muffin tin can turn out popovers with the same basic traits: a browned shell, a roomy center, and edges that shatter when you tear one open. The trick is treating the muffin pan like a heat tool, not just a container.

This piece shows what changes when you swap pans, how to set up your oven, and how to fix the common fails that make popovers slump or turn cake-like. You’ll also get a repeatable method that works on weeknights, plus a table of quick tweaks when something goes sideways.

Why Popovers Rise Without Baking Powder

Popovers climb because steam pushes from inside the batter while the outer layer firms up fast. Eggs and flour make a stretchy structure that can hold that pressure long enough to create a big hollow pocket. High heat at the start matters because it turns the batter’s water into steam early, before the outside sets into a thick crust.

If you like the science angle, King Arthur Baking breaks down how flour and eggs trap steam and shape the rise. Their walkthrough is a solid read when you want the “why” behind the steps. The art and science of popovers maps the forces at work.

Making Popovers In A Muffin Pan With A Standard Tin

A popover pan has deep, narrow cups, which guide the batter upward. Muffin cups are wider and usually shorter, so the rise can spread a bit more. That’s fine. You’ll still get height if the tin is hot and the batter stays fluid when it hits the metal.

Expect muffin-tin popovers to be a touch broader, with slightly less “tower” height than a tall popover pan. The center still goes hollow if you bake long enough to drive off moisture. If you pull them early, they can feel eggy or damp inside.

What Changes When You Switch Pans

• Heat transfer: Muffin tins vary a lot. Dark, heavy tins brown faster than shiny thin ones.
• Shape: Wider cups let the batter expand sideways before it shoots up.
• Batch size: A 12-cup tin makes more popovers at once, which can cool the oven when you load it.

When A Muffin Tin Works Better Than A Popover Pan

If you’re feeding a crowd, the standard 12-cup tin is handy. It also lets you make mini popovers in a mini muffin tin for soups and salads. Serious Eats notes that the same batter style can work across different pan sizes, including muffin tins. The Best Yorkshire Pudding Recipe has a pan-size section that matches what home bakers see in real kitchens.

Pan, Batter, And Oven Setup

Popover batter is thin, closer to heavy cream than pancake batter. That runny texture lets steam inflate the center instead of getting trapped in a dense crumb. Muffin pans can still deliver that lift, but the setup has to be tidy.

Muffin Pan Prep That Makes A Difference

• Place the empty muffin tin in the oven while it preheats, so the cups are hot when the batter goes in.
• Grease each cup well with butter, ghee, or neutral oil. Get the rim too, since batter can climb there.
• Set a rack in the lower-middle area of the oven so heat can flow around the tin.

Batter Rules That Keep Popovers Light

• Use room-temp eggs and milk so the batter makes steam fast once it hits the hot metal.
• Whisk until smooth. Small lumps can stay, but streaks of dry flour can turn into dense spots.
• Let the batter rest for 10 to 20 minutes. This gives flour time to hydrate and helps the batter pour evenly.

Oven Rules That Prevent Collapse

Popovers hate drafts and temperature swings. Don’t open the oven door during the first stage. The sudden drop in heat can stop steam production and the shells can sink. Many classic methods start hot, then drop the temperature to finish drying the center.

King Arthur’s recipe uses that two-stage bake: a hot start, then a lower finish, with the door kept shut. Popovers Recipe lays out the timing clearly.

Step-By-Step: Muffin Pan Popovers That Stand Tall

This method fits a regular 12-cup muffin tin and makes 10 to 12 popovers, depending on how full you pour. If you want fewer, bake in a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin and fill those cups halfway.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk (whole milk gives a richer shell, but 2% works)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for greasing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Put the muffin tin on the rack while the oven heats.
2. Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and melted butter in a bowl until blended.
3. Add flour and whisk until the batter is smooth and glossy. Rest the batter 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Carefully pull the hot tin out. Grease the cups fast. Fill each cup about halfway with batter.
5. Bake 18 to 20 minutes at 450°F with the door shut.
6. Without opening the door, drop the oven to 350°F and bake 10 to 15 minutes more until deep golden.
7. Remove the tin. Use a paring knife to poke a small slit near the top of each popover to let steam out.
8. Serve within 5 to 10 minutes for the crispest shell.

Fill Level Shortcut

Half full is the sweet spot for most tins. Less batter can dry out before it rises; more batter can spill and glue itself to the rim.

Food safety note: If you’re using eggs that sat out on the counter, stick to basic safe-handling habits. The FDA’s guidance is clear on storage, handling, and cooking tips. What You Need to Know About Egg Safety is a clean single reference.

What You Gain And Lose Versus A Popover Pan

You gain convenience and batch size. You lose a bit of that tall, narrow “chimney” look. Taste and texture stay close when the bake time is long enough to dry the interior. The crust can be a touch thicker in muffin tins, since more metal touches the batter.

If you want a thinner shell, use a lighter-colored tin and pull the popovers right when they reach a deep golden shade. If you want a thicker crunch, a darker tin does the job.

Common Problems And Fast Fixes

Popovers can feel fussy, yet the causes are usually simple: cold batter, a cool pan, or an oven door that got opened at the wrong moment. Use the table below like a debugging sheet the next time something turns out flat.

What You See	Likely Cause	What To Try Next Time
Low rise, wide tops	Pan not hot, or batter went in cold	Preheat the tin; use room-temp eggs and milk; fill halfway
Collapsed after baking	Underbaked center stayed damp	Add 5 minutes at 350°F; poke a slit to vent steam
Cake-like, bread-like crumb	Batter too thick from extra flour	Weigh flour; whisk smooth; keep batter pourable
Stuck to the pan	Not enough fat on cup walls	Butter the cups and rims; use a thin spatula to loosen
Burnt tops, pale sides	Rack too high, top heat too strong	Move rack lower-middle; shield tops with a sheet pan on a higher rack
Hollow but chewy shell	Too much egg, or oven ran cool	Use large eggs; verify oven temp with a thermometer
Greasy bottom	Too much butter pooled in cups	Brush a thin layer; pour batter soon after greasing
Uneven rise across the pan	Hot spots, or tin warped	Rotate the tin near the end of the 350°F stage

Flavor Moves That Fit Popovers

Popover batter is plain on purpose. Once you’ve nailed the rise, the add-ins can be small and smart. Big chunks can weigh down the lift, so keep it light.

Simple Savory Options

• Finely grated Parmesan mixed into the batter
• Chopped chives sprinkled on top right after filling the cups
• Black pepper and a pinch of mustard powder

Simple Sweet Options

• 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar added to the batter
• Orange zest stirred in at the end
• Cinnamon sugar brushed on after baking with melted butter

Timing, Scaling, And Pan Size Cheatsheet

Different tins need the same idea: a hot start for lift, then a lower finish to dry the inside. The times shift with cup size and metal thickness. Use the chart as a starting point and adjust by color and firmness.

Pan Type	Fill Level	Bake Pattern
Standard 12-cup muffin tin	Half full	450°F 18–20 min, then 350°F 10–15 min
6-cup jumbo muffin tin	Half full	450°F 20–22 min, then 350°F 12–16 min
Mini muffin tin	Two-thirds full	450°F 10–12 min, then 350°F 6–8 min
Popover pan (6 wells)	Half full	450°F 20 min, then 350°F 10–15 min
Cast-iron skillet (large)	Thin layer	450°F 18–22 min, then 350°F 10–15 min

Serving And Storage Without Soggy Shells

Serve popovers right away. They’re at their best while the crust is still crisp and the center is warm. If you need a short hold, leave them on a rack, not a plate, so steam can escape.

For leftovers, cool fully, then store in a container with the lid ajar. Reheat on a rack in a 350°F oven until the shell feels dry and crisp again. Microwaves soften the crust.

Can I Make Popovers In A Muffin Pan? What To Expect

Yes. The muffin pan swap works when you lean into heat and steam: preheat the tin, keep batter thin, and don’t peek during the hot stage. Once you run one good batch, it stops feeling mysterious and starts feeling like a dependable trick for brunch, soup nights, and holiday tables.