These Mini Popovers are baked until puffed and golden then are filled with brie cheese and slices of fresh seckel pear. They are delicious appetizers that are great for holiday parties or appetizer to a special meal with the family.
There is nothing more pleasing to the taste buds than a warm mini popover with a creamy cheese filling. Brie is the perfect cheese to use in these appetizers and it pairs really well with the fresh pear.
Holiday Appetizer Ideas
I especially love to serve these Mini Popovers during the holidays. Christmas Eve and New Years Eve are two of my favorite times to make these. My entire family loves this Festive Cranberry Pecan Brie wrapped in crescent dough and topped with sugared cranberries.
Because I love bite sized appetizers that you can hold in your hand, I started making these mini popovers with brie cheese and seckel pears. Now it is an expected holiday appetizer from my family that is made every year.
What Are Popovers
Popovers are very similar to yorkshire pudding. I also compare them to cream puffs. They basically have the same type of ingredients but they are cooked in muffin pans or pans made specifically for popovers and the batter is mixed in a bowl rather than over the heat on the stove.
The flavor of popovers is typically savory and oftentimes cheese is added to them. These mini popovers have the cheese in the center after baking, making the cheese more discernible. The addition of seckel pear adds a contrast of sweetness to the popover.
🥘 Ingredients
The ingredients for these mini popovers are super basic and are most likely ingredients you already have on hand.
All-purpose flour
Salt
Whole milk
Butter
Canola oil
Cooking spray
🍽 Equipment
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate links.
Mixing Bowl (medium sized)
🔪 Instructions
Step 1:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil until combined.
- Add the flour and salt. Beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture until smooth.
- Fill the prepared cups half full with batter.
Step 2:
- Bake the mini popovers for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, slit the tops of the popover and place a small slice of brie cheese inside the slit.
- Place the popovers back in the oven and bake 5 minutes. Serve immediately with pears if desired.
👪 Serving size
This recipe makes 24 mini popovers; 2 popovers equals 1 serving.
💭 Top tip
- Mix the mini popovers ahead of time and when ready to bake, just scoop into the mini muffin pans and bake.
- Freeze baked popovers without the cheese up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw, add the cheese, and pop in the oven for 5 minutes.
📖 Variations
- Substitute any soft cheese for the brie. Camembert, goat cheese, or gorgonzola are good substitutes.
- Besides the pears, these mini popovers can be served with apples, grapes, or apricots.
More Appetizer Recipes
Grape Stuffed Goat Cheese Appetizers
Cranberry Pistachio Goat Cheese Bites
Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Spread
*If you made this mini popover recipe, please give it a star rating*
Mini Popovers with Brie and Pears
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, using a wire whisk, mix together the eggs, milk, and oil until combined.
- Add the flour and salt; beat until smooth.
- Fill the prepared muffin cups half full with the batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven, slit tops of popover and place a small chunk of brie cheese inside the opening.
- Place the popovers back in the oven and bake 5 minutes more. Serve with pears if desired.
Carmen
My best friend is the most inspirational. She shows me how to be a good mother and wife and seems to always have it together (although I know she doesn't)
annie
Congratulations on your blog's 4 year anniversary. I, also, had a close relationship with my maternal grandmother. She babysat us when my mother returned to work. She taught us to crochet (which none of the grandchildren are good at!) and taught us about good food. She passed away last year at the age of 99, six months short of celebrating her 100th birthday. She is dearly missed.
susies1955
Happy New Year Shelby and congratulations on your 4 years blogging.
My Mom is/was my inspiration. She was/is so crafty and I wasn't until she became like a vegetable due to Parkinson's. I remember her eyes getting big when I showed her my first quilt top. No words of course but she said a lot.
I still see in my minds eye the great things she made. She made holidays so cool.
Susie
susies@twcny.rr.com
Lori
Happy New Year Shelby!
I am not sure if I did everything okay. If I didn't let me know. We were out of town and I had every intention of getting it all done before I left. The best laid plans...
Congrats on your blogoversary! I love how much you love your Grandmother and what honor you have given her!
Nancy
This is such a touching post. My parents divorced when I was two and my maternal grandparents became my babysitters when my mom went back to work. They were such a wonderful influence on me. My grandma was extremely hard working with a tendency to get a little worked up over someone/something. Grandpa, an equally hard working but mellow man, would just calmly say, "Now mother," and immediately she would take a breath.
They were in their 70's when I started coming to their house daily and we would go visiting all of their friends. Grandma would pack a cheese sandwich, a jar of milk, a few homemade sliced pickles, and a sugar cookie for the long trip to see her sisters-in-law (an hour away lol).
Your grandma sounds so much like mine. My grandma would write in her journal everyday with the temperature and where they were going, who they gave garden items to and what they ended up getting in return.
Thanks for the post, Shelby. It was just what I needed.
Carolina Little
Love this post! My inspiration on a daily basis is my grandparents. From them, I leaned the important of hard work, kindness, and connecting with people. Happy New Year!
Pegasuslegend
Happy NEW YEAR!!!
grace
sweet post! my inspiration is my mom, who took care of me and my brothers on her own when my dad died early on. she's my rock!
Shanbanan
Congrats on the blogoversary!
My mother is my inspiration. She can do pretty much anything she sets her mind to...work, raise kids, keep house, cook, bake, whatev. I just wish I could do it half so well.
Russell at Chasing Delicious
What a beautiful, inspirational post. And these little bites look scrumptious! Happy blog anniversary!
Katy ~
Shelby, congratulations and best wishes for your blog and continuing success. You have do so much for those of us who blog and for those of us who love cooking, and for me personally. Thank you!!
Pear and cheese has to be one of my all time flavor combinations. These look FABULOUS!
katie
My inspiration is my mom. My mom taught me how to cook when I was little. When she passed a few years back I was inspired to change careers and become a chef in her honor.
Reeni
Happy 4 year Anniversary! I will always remember that you were one of the very first to read and comment on my blog and how much it meant to me at the time. Thank-you for sharing your story - your boys must be extremely proud. Have another great year!
MindyW
This is a fun idea for a virtual party!
My inspiration is my Dad. He is so kind, smart, hard-working, and just such a cool guy. I hope to become more and more like him.
Thanks