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Parmesan Popovers with Crispy Sage Garlic Butter…better known as the simple, 7 ingredient, melt in your mouth popovers that are roll your eyes back GOOD. These perfect parmesan popovers are light, airy, hinted with browned butter and parmesan cheese, and are SO delicious. Serve these cheesy popovers warm right out of the oven with homemade crispy sage and roasted garlic butter. Great for any night of the week from Sunday night dinner to an upcoming fall dinner party. You can’t go wrong with these popovers.
I made these on a Sunday with Sunday night dinner in mind. And while I wasn’t planning to share the recipe, I knew from the minute I pulled these cute little cheesy popovers out of the oven, that I indeed NEEDED to share this recipe.
Let me explain a little. Popovers have always been a food that both my mom and I have loved. I first made them way back when I had just started cooking. So around the age of 12 or 13? It was for our family’s Thanksgiving and I was in charge of the popovers and spaghetti squash. I remember the Williams-Sonoma recipe so clearly. I also remember the popovers being perfect, like so delicious.
But clearly I knew nothing back then, because those popovers score maybe a 2 in comparison to today’s parmesan popovers.
Oh. So. Good.
So why the need to make popovers in early October when I normally reserve them for Thanksgiving? Well, as I said, it was a Sunday. I’d been working non-stop since 9 am on some very fun Halloween recipes (more to come this Friday). I needed a break from all the sugar and something inspired me to make popovers. I’m not sure exactly what brought this on, but the idea of parmesan popovers with hints of browned butter, crispy sage, and garlic sound just delightful (not a word I really use, but it seems to describe these popovers perfectly).
About 5 minutes after dreaming up this recipe in my head, I was already browning butter and heating the oven in prep for popovers.
And about an hour later I had these popovers in front of me. Complete with crispy sage and “roasted” garlic butter for serving. I called my mom, because that’s what I do when I make popovers. She practically ran down to try these…delivering the final “oh my God, these are sooo good”, seal of approval.
And just like that the bestest (savory) popover was created. All in under an hour with almost no thought at all. I swear some of the best recipes are the ones I create on the fly. No overthinking, just take the initial idea and I run with it…I need to do this more often.
Here is how to make perfect parmesan popovers
The first step is key to this recipe. Brown some butter with garlic and fresh sage. As the butter browns, the garlic quickly caramelizes and the sage gets crispy. Reserve the garlic and sage for making the sage garlic butter, but use the browned butter within the actual popover batter.
Second step, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Popovers rise a lot so it’s important to give them room! Now, add a pat of butter to each popover cup and then place the pan in the oven to preheat. Heating the popover pan ensures the popovers will pop in the oven. This is the 6 cup popover pan that I have and love. Here is the 12 cup popover pan if you want to double the recipe.
Tip: If you don’t have a popover pan, you can use a standard size muffin pan, but the popovers will be mini popovers. Still delicious, just smaller.
OK, next mix the batter, which is a basic mix of milk, flour, and eggs. BUT it’s made special with that browned butter, a little parmesan, and if you’d like, fresh black pepper. I prefer these minus the pepper so that the flavor of the browned butter and parmesan really shines through, but you do what you feel you will love most.
Add the batter to the hot popover pan and bake. About 40 minutes later you’ll have these popovers, and yes, your kitchen will smell amazing.
Ok, BUT. Let’s talk about that sage garlic butter…
Because it is very delicious and very much needed to complete these popovers.
Take the “roasted” garlic and crispy sage from the already browned butter and mix it into the softened, salted butter.
And now you have crispy sage garlic butter.
Tip: you will want to smear this on everything, so double it.
Simple, right?
By now I’ve made your mouth water, right? Or if not my words, you can’t deny those mouth-watering photos.
I hope so because I really cannot stress enough just how “roll your eyes back” good these popovers are. This is one of those recipes that you’ll look forward to making every fall. These popovers are warming, cozy, and so easy to make.
Plus, they go with pretty much any dinner you make. Slow cooker french chicken? Yes, for sure. Instant pot coq au vin? 100%. Creamy butternut and broccoli soup? Yep, great for dipping. Thanksgiving dinner? ABSOLUTELY.
You can’t go wrong.
Please do make these, and soon, I know you guys will love them.
Oh, and lastly, my mom suggests that you simply make and eat these…all on their own. They don’t need to be paired together with a meal…they can BE the meal!
If you make these parmesan popovers with crispy sage garlic butter, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Parmesan Popovers with Crispy Sage Garlic Butter
Servings: 6 (or 10 mini popovers)
Calories Per Serving: 325 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons, +6 tsp salted butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Heat 2 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and sage in a small skillet over medium heat and cook the butter until it begins to brown and the sage is crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the garlic and sage from the skillet and reserve for making the sage garlic butter. 2. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 3. Place 1 teaspoon of butter in each cup of a 6 cup standard popover pan. Alternately, you can use a 12-cup muffin pans and make 10 mini popovers. Transfer the popover pan to the oven.4. In medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the milk and eggs until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the browned butter, flour, parmesan, salt, and pepper - if using, and whisk to combine. It's OK if there are small lumps. 5. Carefully remove the popover pan from the oven and carefully swirl the butter around the cups to grease the pan. Evenly divide the batter between the popover cups, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake another 15-20 minutes, until puffed, golden and crisp. 6. Meanwhile, make the sage butter. Mash the reserved garlic with a fork. Chop the crispy sage. Stir both the mashed garlic and sage together with 4 tablespoons butter.7. Serve the warm popovers immediately, with sage butter.
Notes
Makes 6 popovers or 10 mini popovers.
To Bring Eggs to Room Temperature:Â place the eggs in a bowl and fill with warm water. Let sit 5 minutes.
Popover Pans: this is the exact 6 cup popover pan that I have and love. Here is the 12 cup popover pan if you want to double the recipe.Â
I know what MY problem is…my minis didn’t rise (pop) either. The use of butter in this recipe is vague. How much butter is used for each step? And, is it all browned? Steps being: oiling pans, in batter, and saved for tops later. Measurements for each step is crucial, especially for those of us who haven’t been making popovers for years (or ever) ? taste is good, but dense with no cavities whatsoever.
Hey Patty,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Step 1 calls for 2 tablespoons of butter. Step 3 calls for 1 teaspoon of butter in each cup of the popover pan. Step 6 calls for 4 tablespoons of butter. I guess I am confused as to why you are questioning how much butter is used in each step, it is very clearly written out. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Made these this evening and absolutely loved them. I did add a bit of pepper and may add more next time but was very pleased with how they turned out. Hadn’t made popovers in years! That butter really is amazing!
Hey Chelsea,
Thanks a lot for trying out this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed and hope you have the best week! xTieghan
I was confused too. After browning the butter with garlic, sage do you pour it into the batter? That is where I was a little confused. Thanks!
I just made these, but they didn’t rise like your ones, did I do anything wrong? I thought maybe I may had missed putting in baking soda, but the recipe doesn’t have it in there. Any thoughts?
Hey Jenny,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try. Was there anything you adjusted? Did you pre-heat the pan? What kind of pan did you use? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
How long do you preheat the pan? This is not clear. Mine did not rise enough.
Hey Jeanne,
About 10ish minutes. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? What kind of pan did you use? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I preheated it for just a few minutes. Long enough for the butter to sizzle, but not burn. Used an aluminum large muffin tin. Thinking of putting that in cold, turning oven on and melting butter closer to when the batter goes in? Confused, gotta admit. My first batch didn’t rise at all.
So the pan should be hot once you add the batter. Also, muffin tins won’t give the exact same rise as a popover pan:)
Can you use full fat coconut milk instead of whole milk for this?
Yes! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
These were very tasty but they did not get very big like popovers usually do. They looked more like muffins. Any suggestions for the next time? Thanks!
Hey Julie,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Was there anything you adjusted? What kind of pan did you use? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
They look delicious! Is it possible to make ahead and then reheat before serving?
Hey Ann,
Thanks so much! I think these are best served from the oven:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give them a try! xTieghan
I made this recipe, and used the mini popover pan. My popovers burnt, i think either too high, for minis, or too long… I wish the recipe would note the difference between the two types of pans for heat level. The popover didnt have much flavor despite 2 large garlic cloves and 8 pieces of sage. I didnt double the butter recipe or the popover recipe. Its a good basic popover recipe.
Hey Jill,
So sorry to hear this! This recipe is not for a mini popover pan, so yes you would need to adjust your baking time here. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
I have made around 8 dishes from Half Baked Harvest, and every single one of them have been fantastic! These popovers are no exception. I am continually impressed by the inventiveness of the recipes and am very grateful for the inspriation!
Hey Nancy,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a fantastic week! xTieghan
Tieghan, I am planning the 12 cup popover pan you listed at the bottom of the recipe. Just to be clear, when I use the 12 cup pan, I need to double the recipe? So use 3 cups milk, 6 eggs, etc. Thanks for your response!
Hey Corrine,
Yes, that is correct, you will want to double the entire recipe. I hope you love the popovers, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Do you think I could make the batter a couple hours in advance before baking? Dang only having one oven in the Midwest winters!!!
Hey Nicole,
Yes, I think that would be okay to do. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you use a muffin tin? Or is it worth getting a popover pan?
Hey Mar,
You can definitely use a muffin tin:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Well mine definitely didn’t turn out light & fluffy ?They were delicious nonetheless.
Hey Suzie,
Sorry yours were not fluffy, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Made this recipe with gluten free flour and it still came out so great!! Will definitely be making again! Made it in a muffin tin and again a week later in an actual pop over mold, they both tasted delicious!
Hey Michele,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed! xTieghan
These were a complete disaster. I followed the recipe exactly. They rose a little bit but once they got out of the oven they deflated. They were dense and had a very strong egg taste. Both the texture and flavor were inedible. However, the garlic sage butter was delicious, so I used that on some sourdough bread I already had and threw out the popovers.
Hey Mallory,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy New Year! xTieghan
When I made these on my first attempt they turned out like dense muffins. On the second attempt I weighed the flour and they turned out much better. The garlic, sage butter is delicious. I would advise people to weigh the flour because it makes a big difference.
Hey Joanne,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am glad you enjoyed the flavor. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I’ve made these twice. Love them so much!
Just a note to fellow bakers: use caution when putting the buttered pan in the oven while you make the popovers. I’m pretty fast at making the batter but both times my butter totally burned. At least in my oven, it only needs about a minute or two at 450. Hopefully I will remember this next time – cuz there will definitely be a next time! So yummy and easy!
Hey Becca,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan