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From Gayle: “These are absolutely delicious! Popovers are one of the things I have missed the most since going GF. I think they are just as good as a flour version. Thank you for sharing this awesome GF recipe! ★★★★★“
Why You’ll LOVE These Gluten-Free Popovers
Popovers are kind of like dinner rolls, but they’re extra light and custardy on the inside in such a unique way.
I was on a mission to capture the same delicate centers and crisp, golden outsides in these homemade popovers made with gluten-free flour.
- Easy to make. The batter comes together quickly in a blender or with a whisk, and you don’t need a special popover pan. I’ve also made them in a regular muffin pan!
- Simple ingredients. I love a recipe I can make on a whim. These buttery popovers only require a handful of basic ingredients, so I typically have what I need to make them without planning ahead.
- Great for any meal. Serve them with butter and jam for breakfast, alongside soup or salad for lunch, or with dinner in place of traditional dinner rolls.I especially like making them when we have guests for dinner. They seem fancy without the effort!
Of all of my gluten-free quick bread recipes, these gluten-free popovers are a clear favorite, along with my easy gluten-free drop biscuits made with milk. They’re two foolproof recipes I make whenever I want a simple homemade bread to round out any meal!
What You Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free popovers. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Gluten-free flour. I use a combination of gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (with xanthan gum!) and gluten-free oat flour to get the texture I want in a popover. The measure-for-measure flour provides structure, while the oat flour contributes moisture for a tender, delicate crumb.
- Milk. I use 2% milk specifically because the fat content helps keep the centers tender. Room-temperature milk is important here, too, so it combines smoothly with the melted butter and eggs.
How to Make Gluten-Free Popovers
Here’s an overview of how to make these popovers. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Combine the liquids. I prefer to use a blender, but a whisk and bowl work, too! Add the room-temperature eggs and milk, along with the melted butter, and pulse just until the mixture is smooth.
Add the dry ingredients. Throw the gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, gluten-free oat flour, and salt into the blender. Pulse just until everything is combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter!
Erin’s Tip
I can never remember to set the eggs out ahead of time to bring them to room temperature. To warm them up quickly, I place them (uncracked!) in a bowl and cover them with hot water. It usually only takes 10 minutes!
I typically use a shortcut for the milk, too. You can microwave it just until it’s warm, but you don’t want it too hot.
Bake and serve. Starting with a high oven temperature and then reducing it helps the popovers rise tall while still cooking all the way through. When they come out of the oven, immediately poke the sides with a sharp knife to release the steam and prevent them from deflating as they cool. I firmly believe these popovers are best served right away while they’re still warm!
Erin’s Tip
I know how tempting it can be to open the oven and check on the popovers, but it’s important to keep the door shut while they bake so they stay light and airy. I peek through the oven door instead and pull them when they turn a deep golden brown.
More Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes
Light and Airy Gluten-Free Popovers
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) 2% milk, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2/3 cup (100g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) gluten-free oat flour
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Before you begin: Make sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature. I usually set my eggs in a bowl of hot water to bring them to room temperature quickly. You can also microwave the milk until it’s warm, but not hot.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray a 12-count petite popover pan with cooking spray. (Note: This recipe makes 12 petite popovers or 6 grand popovers. I like the way the petite popovers turn out best. You can use a standard 12-count muffin pan if you don’t have a popover pan.)
- Add the eggs, milk and butter to a blender jar. Pulse briefly a few times until smooth and combined. Don’t overmix! Add the gluten-free flour, oat flour, and salt. Pulse very briefly until just combined. Again, do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
- Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the popovers are deep brown.
- Remove the popovers from the oven and immediately poke a small hole in the side of each popover with a sharp knife. (This allows the steam to escape so the popovers don’t deflate.) Serve immediately.
I’m allergic to oats. Can I use all GF flour in this recipe?
Hi Marie, we don’t recommend omitting the oat flour since the popovers are delicate. Using all gluten-free measure-for-measure flour may result in drier, denser popovers that struggle to rise properly. We’re sorry!
I can’t have oat flour so I replaced it with almond flour and they were still delicious. My family loved them.
So happy to find a tasty GF popover recipe.
Hi Jenny, thanks for sharing, that’s great to hear!
Have you ever made your own oat flour using GF oats?
Yes! Here is a post all about how to make oat flour. We hope you enjoy!
I made this recipe. Warmed the eggs and milk. Used Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 baking flour. Used PopOver pan. The recipe made 6. Baked 16 minutes at 450. Beautiful tall browned tops! However, the popovers fell and were dense and heavy but tasted good. Trying to figure out what I did wrong!
Hi Roy, we’re glad they tasted good! A few thoughts on why they fell and were dense: After the 16 minutes at 450°F did you reduce heat to 350°F and cook for another 10-15? If the recipe only made 6, not 12, your popover pan might have been larger which would call for different bake times. Or it could just be a matter of overmixing which is easy to do with popovers. We hope these ideas help!
I make these often and love them! My only problem is that they seem to stick to the bottom of the muffin tin for me. I’ve tried using both butter and oil and have had the same result. Is there something you could suggest to remedy this. I am using a darker muffin tin for these, don’t know if that would make a difference?
I have not tried this recipe yet but with other popovers I have put one half teaspoon of oil in bottom of each popover pan well and preheated the pan in the oven before pouring in the batter. I’ll be making these later and doing that! Could be worth a try if you make them again.
We hope you enjoy the popovers, Cheryl! Happy baking!
These are absolutely delicious! Popovers are one of the things I have missed the most since going GF. I think they are just as good as a flour version. Thank you for sharing this awesome GF recipe!
Hooray! I’m happy you found them to be as delicious as the regular version. Glad you enjoyed them!
Love your recipe ❣️❣️ I made these yesterday and forgot to take a photo before we ate them. I filled the sprayed popover cups to slightly less than half full and they turned out great. I put the room temp eggs and room temp milk into my blender, blended, and added the remaining ingredients, and blended for 2-3 seconds. I let the mix rest 10 and poured into the sprayed cups. Easy.
Hooray! I’m so glad they turned out for you. Thanks for the comment 🙂
This looks amazing, I think it’ll be a great item for Mother’s Day coming up ! I’m wondering if you -or anyone else – has had success with Bob Red Mill’s GF 1:1 baking flour? Thanks in advance!
Yes! These work great with Bob Red Mill’s GF 1:1 baking flour! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Hi Erin,
I loved the popovers, however, if you fill the cups with 2/3 cup of batter, it only fills a tin of 6, not 12.
I put 1/3 cup in each using the 12 cup tin and I ended up with only 9 tiny popovers. Should your recipe be doubled?
I made these this morning using gluten free oat flour. They are so good.
I’m so glad they turned out for you! 🙂
Hi. Can you make these without egg and use egg substitute?
Thanks
Unfortunately the eggs are very important for this recipe! Sorry about that!
I made these for breakfast this morning with Arrowhead Mills GF blend. They are very similar to the popovers I remember as a kid. These will be great with Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad they turned out for you!
Have you tried making these with almond/coconut flour? Because I'm tolerant of gluten, should I just use regular white or wheat flour?
Hi, if I don’t have the oat flour, can I use all gluten free flour instead? Will it make a difference to the texture and taste? Looks great!
Hi Pat, we don’t recommend omitting the oat flour since the popovers are delicate. Using all gluten-free measure-for-measure flour may result in drier, denser popovers that struggle to rise properly. We hope this helps!