This post featuring Easy Popovers with Blueberry Basil Butter is proudly sponsored by Minerva Dairy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own.

These Easy Popovers are a delightful culinary creation – light, airy, and boasting a wonderfully crisp exterior. They achieve perfection when paired with our vibrant Blueberry Basil Butter, making for an unforgettable dinner roll experience or a versatile addition to any meal.

My earliest and most cherished memories of popovers trace back to my childhood, during family vacations to the picturesque state of Wisconsin. Those trips were a highlight of our year, and an essential part of the experience was the Holiday Inn restaurant, which served up what felt like legendary popovers.

These weren’t just any rolls; they were massive, crispy giants with a buttery, flaky texture that was simply irresistible. We’d eagerly devour them, their warm, steamy interiors melting in our mouths. Often, we’d ask for extras – four more, to be precise – so we could savor their deliciousness on the long car ride home, extending the joy of our vacation just a little longer. For me, popovers will forever hold a special place in my heart, evoking feelings of warmth, family, and pure happiness.

Beyond the nostalgia, these rolls truly are magnificent. The sheer magic of watching them dramatically rise in the oven, puffing up over the edges of the pan through the oven window, was a thrill my children absolutely loved to witness. It was like a science experiment unfolding before their eyes! And with just one taste, they were instantly hooked, just as I had been years ago. We often serve these with a hearty soup, and our Italian Gnocchi Soup is an absolute dream for dunking, complementing the light texture of the popovers beautifully.

The secret to truly irresistible popovers lies unequivocally in the butter. And when I say butter, I’m not referring to just any butter. I’m talking about Minerva Dairy butter. This exceptional butter is slow-churned and boasts an impressive 85% butterfat content. This higher butterfat translates to a creamier, richer, and significantly more flavorful butter that truly shines through in every bite of these popovers. It contributes not only to their decadent taste but also to their perfectly crisp crust and tender interior.

Minerva Dairy carries a legacy of over 125 years, operating as the oldest family-owned creamery in the United States. This long-standing tradition of quality and dedication is evident in every batch of their butter. It’s a testament to their commitment to crafting a superior product that elevates any dish it graces. As the saying goes, and as we all know to be true, everything is better with butter, especially when it’s Minerva Dairy butter. I already have my sights set on trying their Smoked Maple Wood butter next – yum!

Gimme all the butter! It’s the best delivery ever, bringing endless possibilities to the kitchen.

Contents

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Popovers

Crafting these delectable popovers and their accompanying blueberry basil butter requires just a few simple, high-quality ingredients. Here’s your straightforward grocery list:

For the Classic Popovers:

Minerva Butter: Crucial for flavor and texture, ensuring that rich, buttery taste.
Milk: Provides the necessary liquid for the batter and contributes to a tender crumb.
Eggs: Act as a leavening agent and create structure, giving popovers their signature airy rise.
All-Purpose Flour: Forms the body of the popover, with its gluten structure essential for trapping steam.
Salt: Enhances all the other flavors, balancing the richness of the butter and milk.

For the Refreshing Blueberry Basil Butter:

Blueberries: Offer a burst of sweet-tart flavor and a beautiful color.
Minerva Butter: The creamy base that binds all the flavors together.
Fresh Basil: Adds an unexpected, aromatic, and slightly peppery note that complements the blueberries.
Lemon Zest (optional): Brightens the overall flavor profile with a citrusy zing.

Step-by-Step Guide for Classic Popovers

Creating these impressive, airy popovers is simpler than you might imagine. The key is in the technique and the quality of your ingredients, particularly the butter. Follow these instructions carefully for perfect results:

Prepare Your Oven and Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to a high temperature of 425°F (220°C). Crucially, place your popover pan or muffin tin directly into the oven as it preheats. This step is vital, as a scorching hot pan is what creates the instant steam necessary for the dramatic rise and signature hollow interior of the popover.
Combine Wet Ingredients: In a blender, add your melted Minerva butter (ensure it’s slightly cooled), room-temperature eggs, and room-temperature milk. Blend these ingredients together for approximately 1 minute until well combined and smooth.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Next, add the all-purpose flour and salt to the blender. Blend for an additional minute, making sure there are absolutely no lumps remaining in the batter. The batter should be smooth and pourable.
Grease the Hot Pan: Carefully and quickly remove the very hot popover pan from the oven. Using a heat-resistant brush or paper towel, grease each cavity with 1 tablespoon of additional melted Minerva butter. Be swift to avoid the pan cooling down too much.
Fill the Cavities: Pour the prepared batter into each greased cavity, filling them approximately three-quarters full. Work efficiently to return the pan to the hot oven as quickly as possible.
Bake to Perfection: Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 350°F (175°C) and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the popovers are beautifully golden brown and fully puffed. This brings us to the golden rule of popovers: DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR! Opening the door during the baking process will cause the popovers to deflate, ruining their iconic airy structure. Patience is truly a virtue here.

Instructions for Fresh Blueberry Basil Butter

This compound butter is incredibly easy to make and adds a burst of fresh flavor that perfectly complements the rich popovers. It’s also versatile enough to use in many other dishes!

Combine Ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, place your softened Minerva butter, fresh blueberries, chopped fresh basil, and lemon zest (if you’re using it for that extra bright note).
Beat Until Combined: Beat the mixture on medium speed until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the blueberries are mashed into the butter, creating a beautiful purple hue and an aromatic blend. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is incorporated.
Store for Later Use: Transfer the finished blueberry basil butter into an airtight container or roll it into a log using plastic wrap (saran wrap). Place it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully.

Recipe Variations and Expert Tips for Popover Perfection

Once you’ve mastered the classic popover, the possibilities for customization are endless. Here are some ideas to inspire your culinary creativity and ensure your popovers are always a triumph:

Savory Popover Twists: Elevate your popovers by incorporating shredded cheese into the batter. Cheeses like sharp Parmesan, nutty Swiss, or creamy Gouda work wonderfully. If you’re adding cheese, gently fold it into the batter after you’ve blended in the flour and salt, ensuring it’s evenly distributed. These savory popovers are fantastic alongside soups or as a unique bread for dinner.
Explore Butter Flavors: Don’t limit yourself to just plain butter! Minerva Dairy offers a variety of exquisite flavored butters. Their Garlic Herb butter, for instance, is absolutely phenomenal with these popovers. Imagine it melting into the warm, airy pockets – pure bliss! It’s also incredible stirred into mashed potatoes or atop a sizzling steak, showcasing the versatility of Minerva Dairy’s premium butter range.
Homemade Compound Butters: Get creative and craft your own compound butters! Experiment with combinations like strawberry basil butter for a sweet and aromatic spread, blackberry thyme butter for a more earthy fruit profile, or even a decadent maple syrup and bacon butter for an incredible sweet and salty pairing – perfect for breakfast or brunch popovers.
Serve Immediately: For the ultimate popover experience, always serve them immediately after they come out of the oven. They are at their absolute best when hot, fresh, and still boasting that crispy exterior and delicate, steamy interior.
The Golden Rule: Do Not Open the Oven! This cannot be stressed enough. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR during the baking process, especially in the first 20-25 minutes. Opening the oven releases the trapped steam and causes the popovers to instantly deflate, resulting in dense, sad rolls instead of light, airy delights. Trust the process and resist the urge to peek!

Common Questions about Popovers

New to popover baking? No problem! Here are answers to some frequently asked questions to help you achieve popover perfection every time.

“I don’t have a popover pan? HELP!”
- No worries at all! While a dedicated popover pan provides the ideal deep wells for maximum rise, you can absolutely use a standard muffin tin. You won’t get the same massive, dramatic popovers, but you can make delightful mini versions. Just be sure to fill the muffin cups about three-quarters full. For those ready to invest, you can purchase an excellent popover pan on Amazon.
“Do I have to preheat the pan?”
- Yes, absolutely! Preheating the pan until it’s scorching hot is the absolute secret to those impressive, tall popovers. When the batter hits the hot metal, it instantly creates steam. This rapid steaming action causes the batter to puff up dramatically, creating those wonderfully buttery, airy layers inside the popover. If you were to pour the batter into a cold pan, you wouldn’t get the necessary instant steam or the proper, glorious rise.
“Can I substitute another flour?”
- For classic popovers, all-purpose flour is generally recommended because its gluten content provides the necessary structure to support the rise. You might be able to make these with a whole wheat white flour in place of the all-purpose flour, which has a similar protein structure. However, when it comes to alternative flours such as oat, almond, quinoa, or coconut flour, I cannot definitively say how they would turn out, as their gluten-free nature means they behave very differently in baking. If you do experiment, I’d certainly love to hear about your results!
“My popovers deflated after baking. What happened?”
- The most common culprit for deflated popovers is opening the oven door too early, as mentioned above. Another reason could be not baking them long enough. They need to be truly golden brown and set; otherwise, they might collapse once removed from the heat. Make sure your oven temperature is accurate and that the popovers have ample time to bake through.

Enjoy These Popovers with These Delicious Recipes

Popovers are incredibly versatile and pair beautifully with a wide range of dishes, from comforting soups to elegant main courses. Here are some of my favorite recipes that truly shine when served alongside these easy popovers:

Hearty Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

An Elegant Steakhouse Dinner for Two

Effortless Sheet Pan Meatloaves with Potatoes and Green Beans

Easy Popovers with Blueberry Basil Butter

Yield:
6 servings

Prep Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
30 minutes

Total Time:
35 minutes

These Easy Popovers are fluffy, airy and pair perfectly with Blueberry Basil Butter for a deliciously, light dinner roll.

Ingredients

Classic Popovers

4 tablespoons Minerva unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled and divided
1 1/3 cup Milk, room temperature
4 large Eggs, room temperature
1 1/3 cups All-purpose flour
½ teaspoon Salt

Blueberry Basil Butter

1/2 cup Blueberries
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) Minerva Unsalted Butter, softened
3 tablespoons Fresh Basil, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

Instructions for Easy Popover Recipe

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and place popover pan or muffin tin into oven.
Into a blender, add 3 tablespoons melted butter, eggs, and milk and blend for 1 minute. Add in flour and salt and blend for an additional minute, ensuring no lumps.
Carefully remove popover pan from oven and grease with the remaining tablespoon melted butter.
Pour batter into cavities, about 3/4 full, and place into oven.
Bake for 20 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN!

Instructions for Blueberry Basil Butter

Place softened butter, blueberries, basil, and lemon zest (if using) into a stand mixer bowl and beat until combined and blueberries are mashed.
Place into an airtight container or wrap into plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator until ready to use.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting my site.

Vitamix Explorian Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Black – 65542 (Renewed)
Chicago Metallic Professional 6-Cup Popover Pan, 16-Inch-by-9.25-Inch
Popover Passion! Cookbook

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 295Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 301mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 10g

All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on strawberryblondiekitchen.com should only be used as a general guideline.

These popovers are not just incredibly delicious; they’re also a fantastic activity to share with your children. Watching them magically rise in the oven is like a captivating science experiment, bringing joy and wonder to the kitchen. It’s an easy and fun way to introduce kids to the magic of baking.

So, why wait? Grab some premium Minerva Dairy butter today, step into your kitchen, and whip up some fun and flavor with these amazing Easy Popovers and their delightful Blueberry Basil Butter!