If you love the warm gooey goodness of a fresh cinnamon roll with all those layers of flakey dough and cinnamon and sugar and sweet dripping glaze, you will love our Cinnamon Sugar Popovers recipe. The best thing about this recipe is that it tastes like cinnamon rolls without the yeast and the hours waiting for the dough to rise and all the work!
There’s something about popovers that makes them seem like they would be difficult to make. That’s not true. This recipe is so incredibly easy. The popovers bake for 20-25 minutes and the aroma alone will have the family gathering around your table. I’ll walk you through this recipe step-by-step so you and your family can enjoy warm delicious cinnamon roll popovers on your table in no time.
I made my first Popovers for Passover and they turned out so beautifully, I couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you.
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Ingredients you’ll need Cinnamon Roll Popovers
The ingredients for this recipe are basic, but there are a few tips and substitutions that you may find helpful.
Butter – You can use either regular butter or a butter substitute for this recipe. The regular butter will have more flavor but you don’t have to make a special trip to the store for it. You can also use salted or unsalted without adjusting the salt in this recipe.
Cinnamon – The foundation of a good spice cake is the cinnamon. We’ve found that Saigon Cinnamon is a good variety for our baking. If you’re sensitive to cinnamon, this article explains the difference.
Cream Cheese – Use the full-fat regular version of cream cheese for the best results. Since you are making frosting for a sweet treat, there really is no point in cutting fat. The flavor is just sorely lacking in the low-fat versions and can have an effect on the texture.
Eggs – Using fresh grade A large eggs creates structure and stability within the batter. They’re such a key ingredient when making popovers, use the freshest you can find. Eggs are the leavening agent in this recipe (what makes them rise). The liquids (milk) create steam and the protein in the eggs provides structure and traps the steam.
Milk – We use whole milk. It adds richness to the recipe and the additional fat makes baked goods soft and tender. Milk provides the liquid that we need in this recipe and it works with our leaveners (eggs) that help our baked goods rise and become light and tender. You can use any variety of milk for this recipe but your results could vary.
How To Make Cinnamon Sugar Popovers
Please note, that the printable recipe card has ingredient quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.
Make sure your popover pan is generously greased with butter. You can also use a muffin tin if needed. It is very important for this popover recipe that you preheat the pan itself (after buttering it), and not just the oven.
Fill batter
Add filling
Mix all of the batter ingredients at once for a very runny batter and divide it evenly in the warmed pan. Next, make the cinnamon/sugar paste and add that to the top of each popover. We used a piping bag but you could also use a small spoon.
Bake the popovers for 7 minutes, then reduce the heat as prescribed and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes without opening the oven.
When they are tall and brown on the outside (use your oven light) remove the popovers from the oven and immediately pierce them to allow the steam to escape.
Mix the frosting and drizzle it on the popovers while they are still warm.
Hostess Tips
- If using a muffin tin, you may require a little more butter for the pan.
- Only fill a muffin tin halfway full with batter. Any more than that, and the popovers will pop up so much that they will stick together in the oven.
- Allowing the steam to escape must be done immediately to avoid deflation of the rolls.
- Do NOT open the door while baking. Popovers are similar to a soufflé in that sense, they will deflate with a sudden drop in temperature.
- Ideally, cold ingredients should be brought to room temperature before making popovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a popover pan to make popovers?
No. You can make a muffin pan instead, and we tell you exactly how to do that on the recipe card!
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes! While they are delicious warm, they can easily be reheated in the future. Just save the frosting for the day of consumption.
How To Reheat and Store
Best way to store Cinnamon Roll Popovers
Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in a 350ºF oven for 5 minutes or until warm and slightly crispy. Refrigerate any leftover frosting to drizzle over reheated popovers since the glaze will melt and run off in the oven. The popovers and frosting will keep in the fridge for a week or so.
Can I freeze Popovers?
You can freeze these popovers in an airtight bag or container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven. Freeze any leftover frosting to drizzle over reheated popovers since the glaze will melt and run off in the oven.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Cinnamon Sugar Popovers Recipe
Equipment
- Popover Pan or Muffin Tin
Ingredients
Popover
Filling
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Glaze
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese (half a brick)
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Use the 3 tablespoons of butter to generously grease the popover pan. Move the oven rack to the lowest possible position. Place the pan in the oven to warm up while you preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. The batter is very runny.
- Pour the batter into each cup of the warmed pan, filling about 3/4 of the way full.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the softened butter with the brown sugar and cinnamon until it forms a paste. Transfer to a piping bag and squeeze the paste over the top of the batter in a circular fashion.
- Bake for 7 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 °F and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Do not open the oven door! The popovers will be very tall and browned on the outside.
- Remove from the oven and using a sharp knife, immediately pierce the top of the popover to allow steam to escape.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese on high until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of milk. Continue beating on high until smooth. If it is too thick, simply add an additional tablespoon of milk.
- Immediately drizzle or pipe the frosting over the warm popovers and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Related Recipes We Love
We are on a mission to have cinnamon roll everything on this site, but it all starts with the gooey goodness of our classic soft cinnamon roll recipe. As if the classic wasn’t good enough, we also have a brioche cinnamon roll for good measure. If you are still looking for more (and I am), be sure to try these cinnamon roll muffins! One more for good measure: this Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread.
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