One of our favorite vacation spots is in Bar Harbor, Maine. It’s a gorgeous island and the only place on the east coast where the mountains meet the sea– making for some incredible vistas, as you can imagine. For me, vacation there isn’t complete without a trip to the Jordan Pond House. The restaurant is located in Acadia National Park and has been in operation since the late 1800s. Popovers are their specialty, and I have many memories eating them on the lawn overlooking the beautiful Jordan Pond and Bubbles (mountains that rise behind it). We did the high 5 dance once we got the popover recipe and technique *just right* and now we can channel our inner vacation zen every time we make them– even if it’s in our Philadelphia kitchen and not on the banks of Jordan Pond.
{here’s an Instagram of a photo hanging in my hallway; this is your view when you eat at the Jordan Pond House}
Nothing beats their sheer magnificence and tastiness. They are perfect for breakfast or brunch, and they are the crowning jewel on holidays when we have a few extra minutes to whip them up. Popovers have a reputation for being tricky, and they can be, but if you follow a few hints then they aren’t hard at all. In fact, dare I say they are easy???
Popover Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/6 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray popover pan with a non-stick spray with flour (like Baker's Joy).
- Break eggs into mixing bowl and whisk. Add milk and blend. Add remaining ingredients and mix together until nearly smooth. Do not over beat.
- Fill popover pan, muffin tin, or custard cups 3/4 full. Bake for 14 minutes. WITHOUT OPENING OVEN DOOR, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.
- Popovers should be crispy brown on the outside and moist inside. Remove from oven and pans. Makes 8-12 popovers (depending on pan size). Serve with butter and/or jam.
- Melt with happiness.
* Never, ever, ever open the oven while they are baking. They aren’t going anywhere.
* Always let your ingredients come to room temperature before mixing. If I want to speed things up, I warm the milk in the microwave to room temperature first. If you make the batter the night before, let the temperature rise first before baking. You can bake them right away, but this method gives you larger popovers. And you want large popovers, TRUST ME.
* A cooking spray with flour is the trick. We used regular Pam for years and always struggled in getting them out of the pan. Pam with Flour or Baker’s Joy works beautifully! At one point, we were putting a little bit of real butter at the bottom of each cup. This was AWESOME. But I’m trying to cut calories so the extra butter went bye-bye.
* Serve and eat immediately. NOTHING beats a fresh popover! At the Jordan Pond House, they throw them away after 10 minutes because they are no longer “good”. {actually, they usually walk around the dining room to see in anyone wants these extras. Yes, please!}
* A popover pan makes them really pop. I’ve never made them in muffin cups, although I hear you can but they won’t rise as well. If popovers sound like your cup of tea, then spring for a pan. It’s SO worth it!
Have I scared you yet? I hope not, because honestly they are so simple to make and the above hints become second nature if you make them enough. Which you WILL, because they are delicious. 😉
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Jenilee says
they look amazing! I’m afraid I would ruin them. 🙂 I’m not much for baking. But, they look so good I might have to try!
Annie says
Those look very tasty! And those photos are gorgeous! I want to visit there someday 🙂
Have a wonderful Monday 🙂
nicky says
I’ve sampled yours and they are DELICIOUS! I need to look into buying a pan to make these at home! That cinnamon honey butter would be scrumptious on these! YUM!
Its So Very Cheri says
Yummy we will have to try them
Cheri
Its So Very Cheri says
I clicked to follow and hope you will do the same.
Cheri
Luv2CUSmile says
These are amazing! It has been years since I have had a true popover and now with seeing this post I am going to have to bake some tomorrow before the kids get home! Thx so much for refreshing my memory of something that should never be forgotten!
Nike says
I’m book marking this page! These look so good–gotta try them this afternoon. Delish.
Ginger says
Yum! And I want to live inside that photo. Gorgeous!
Carrie says
It’s a totally stunning place to visit Ginger, you’d love it!
Cecile Hamel-Roy says
Hi There – I have a blog called My Yellow Farmhouse. I’m doing some research/baking on popovers and your recipe is the first I’ve seen that includes baking soda. I want to try this – but I can’t make out the amount of baking soda. Is its 1/6 tsp.? Thanks !
And I love “Baa-Ha-Ba” Maine !!! ; o )
Ursula says
Haven’t been to Jordan Pond in a couple of years – but I still tell everyone about their popovers – and their amazing tomato soup!! Don’t happen to have that recipe too would you???
Carrie Higgins says
Believe it or not, I have a Jordan Pond cookbook but it doesn’t have a tomato soup recipe. It does have a recipe for chilled Gazpacho, is that what you remember? If so, I can send it to you!
Ursula says
Thanks, but this was a hot tomato soup – and it was amazing!! I find a lot of the tomato soup recipe taste too much like a tomato sauce – this one did not. I normally made the trip in late September or early October so it was the perfect weather for a walk around the pond – with the reward of soup and popovers at the end. 🙂
Thanks again for the offer and for the popover recipe.
billie says
Just found your recipe for Jordan Pond House popovers. Love, love, love popovers especially in Maine. Also one of my favorite vacation destination. My daughter and I have made popovers many times and totally agree about the cooking spray with flour. We’ve also found that if we heat the pan at 450 with the cooking spray in it for about 5 minutes, the popovers come out like a breeze. Do you heat your popover pan first? Perhaps warming the ingredients has the same effect. I also work part time at Williams Sonoma and our popover pans are perfect. Originally, had a smaller pan that held 12 popovers instead of 6 and the results were good, but not spectacular as they are with the 6 cup pan. Thanks for the recipe. It’s similar to mine, but will definitely try yours because it is the authentic Jordan Pond House recipe 🙂
Carrie Higgins says
I hadn’t tried heating the popover pan first– that’s a GREAT idea! I’m going to try it this weekend. Aren’t popovers the best? Remind me so much of summer!
jan stueve says
i made these but as soon as i took them out of the oven, they started to shrink. is that normal or did i do something wrong?
Carrie Higgins says
Hi Jan! I’m guessing they were a little undercooked. Even a few minutes makes a huge difference. Next time keep them in a few minutes longer and they shouldn’t collapse.
Cecile@My Yellow Farmhouse says
I just came across a photo of these HUGE popovers and wanted to see the recipe. These are truly extraordinary. A while ago I did something I called ‘The Popover Experiment’ and I thought the various popovers I prepared came out pretty well. And now I see these – The King of All Popovers! Def. have to pin this recipe – and you have a wonderful blog!!
Brenda says
How do you get 1/6 tsp. baking soda?
Judy H says
I made these and loved them! My father-in-law loved them, too!
I’m curious if you’ve ever tried making them with buttermilk…. milk is scarce in my area with the current pandemic, but I have buttermilk on hand. If you’ve tried them with buttermilk, do you have any tips?