Sourdough Discard Churro Popovers
Think popovers are tricky? Think again! These Sourdough Discard Churro Popovers are surprisingly easy to make with just a few basic ingredients and a touch of technique. They’re light, airy, and coated in sweet cinnamon sugar—bringing churro flavor to your breakfast table in a fun, unique way. Perfect for using up sourdough discard and impressing your whole family!
❤️ Why You’ll Love Churro Popovers
This is one of those recipes that you look at and think “wow, I could never do that”, but you can! Churro Popovers are incredibly simple and special to make and will boost your confidence in the kitchen. This is incredibly approachable and can be paired with so many things!
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Discard – unfed sourdough starter
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Milk – Whole milk works best.
Eggs – 3 eggs, preferably room temperature.
Vanilla – Vanilla extract.
Flour – Unbleached all purpose flour.
👩🍳 How to Make Sourdough Discard Churro Popovers
- Place a popover pan or muffin tin in the oven and preheat at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes (while the batter is resting).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sourdough discard, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Whisk until smooth (batter will be thin).
- Let sit at room temp for 30 minutes, this helps the popovers puff up!
- Once your batter has rested and pan has preheated, carefully remove the pan from the oven and grease with butter or a neutral oil.
- Quickly pour the batter into the hot pan, a little over halfway full.
- Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 20 minutes. Don’t open the oven door during baking!
- Once they are baked, remove while they are still hot. Brush them with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar coating!
- Enjoy warm!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- If you want to skip the step of letting the batter rest, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. This is what will help the popovers puff up during baking.
- I find the hardest part of this recipe is getting the popover pan. But if you want to avoid purchasing a niche baking item, you can use a muffin tin, and this recipe will make 6 – 8.
- Don’t open the oven door! Seriously. Not even a peek. Opening it can cause them to collapse mid-bake.
🗒 Variations
Popovers are pretty specific but can be paired with a lot of different things to make it sweet or savory. But here are a few recipes with a similar vibe that I think you’ll love!
- Mini Dutch Baby Pancakes – Acts Of Sourdough
- Giant Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll – Acts Of Sourdough
- Banana Bread Cinnamon Crunch Bagels – Acts Of Sourdough
- Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread – Acts Of Sourdough
- Cinnamon Roll Banana Muffins – Acts Of Sourdough
🗒 Substitutions
- Whole milk gives the best texture, but you can use: 2% milk, oat milk, almond milk—all will work, just slightly less rich.
- Replace granulated sugar with Coconut sugar for a deep caramel vibe
- Want a savory version? Skip the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle with shredded cheese + herbs instead.
🗒 Best served with
- Serve as part of a brunch spread with:
- Fruit, yogurt, and granola
- Jam and whipped honey butter
- Other pastries like mini loaves or muffins
- A pitcher of mimosas or coffee carafe 🙂
- Turn them into a treat-yourself dessert by filling them:
- Slice a small slit and pipe in vanilla pastry cream, cinnamon whipped cream, or Nutella
- Dust with powdered sugar for that bakery look
👝 How to Store Leftovers
- Let them cool completely before storing—warm popovers = soggy popovers.
- Place in an airtight container or wrap in foil.
- Store at room temperature, not in the fridge (refrigeration dries them out!).
- Tip: Add a paper towel to the container to absorb moisture and keep the outside from getting too soft.
🤔 Common Questions
What if I don’t have a popover pan?
You can use a muffin pan or a mini muffin pan!
Sourdough Discard Churro Popovers
I bet you didn't know how easy it was to make popovers, but now you do! These sourdough discard churro popovers take just a couple of ingredients and a bit of technique to make a delicious and unique homemade specialty that your whole family will love!
Equipment
- measuring cup
Ingredients
- ½ cup unfed sourdough discard
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbs butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
Churro Coating
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Place a popover pan or muffin tin in the oven and preheat at 450 degrees for 20- 30 minutes (while the batter is resting).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sourdough discard, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Whisk until smooth (batter will be thin).
- Let sit at room temp for 30 minutes, this helps the popovers puff up!
- Once your batter has rested and pan has preheated, carefully remove the pan from the oven and grease with butter or a neutral oil.
- Quickly pour the batter into the hot pan, a little over halfway full.
- Bake at 450°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 20 minutes. Don’t open the oven door during baking!
- Once they are baked, remove while they are still hot. Brush them with butter and roll in cinnamon sugar coating!
- Enjoy warm!
Notes
If you want to skip the step of letting the batter rest, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. This is what will help the popovers puff up during baking.
I find the hardest part of this recipe is getting the popover pan. But if you want to avoid purchasing a niche baking item, you can use a muffin tin, and this recipe will make 6 – 8.
Don’t open the oven door! Seriously. Not even a peek. Opening it can cause them to collapse mid-bake.
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 526mg | Potassium: 121mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 6
Calories: 320kcal
