Why Yorkshire puddings go wrong (and how to fix them)

For such a simple recipe, there's seemingly so many opportunities to get Yorkshire puddings wrong. As a result, many people turn to shop-bought puds.

With so much conflicting advice, we wanted to set the record straight and get your Yorkshire puddings rising sky high.

Let's get into batter basics. Classic Yorkshire pudding batter has just three ingredients – milk, eggs and flour. The fat content of the milk and eggs brings richness, but water can help them crisp up.

If you want them rich and chewy then stick with milk, but if a crisp, fluffy and light texture is your bag, sub half of the milk for water.

Always use plain flour – except, if you're making vegan Yorkies.

Once you've made the batter, you need to rest it – anything from 20 minutes to overnight. This will not only improve the texture of your puds but also the taste.

If you skip the rest, they'll still work, but won't have the same stretchiness or well-developed flavour.

There are a number of reasons why your Yorkshire puddings might not be reaching the heights you hope. Most commonly it's down to the oven or oil temperature not being hot enough when the batter goes in. The oven should be 220C/200C Fan/Gas 6.

Preheating your pan and oil (as well as your oven) ensures that steam will form as soon as the batter goes into it, causing it to puff up and get that glorious rise. It also means that the batter is far less likely to stick to the pan. If the batter sizzles as it's poured in, you're on the right track.

Choose an oil that has a high smoking point, such as sunflower oil or vegetable oil. You also need to use the right amount. Too much will make the bottom of your Yorkshires greasy, while too little could see your puds stick to the pan. Mary Berry recommends one teaspoon of oil per Yorkie.

If your Yorkshires do come out greasy, blot them on kitchen paper before serving or follow the advice of Adebola Adeshina, chef patron at The Chubby Castor, Cambridgeshire. He suggests that once you've cooked your puds, quickly flip them upside down and return to the oven for two minutes to dry out the bases and avoid any sogginess.

You might have heard a myth that you can't open the door while cooking Yorkshire puddings. If you've followed the advice above, there still should be enough steam for them to rise even with a stolen glance!

If you hang around too long after you've cooked your Yorkshire puddings, though, there's real risk they'll sink. So, timing is everything – once cooked, serve them immediately.

You don't need to overcomplicate (or spend more on) Yorkshire puddings just because you're cooking with a dietary requirement in mind, says gluten-free cooking expert Becky Excell.

"You don't need any specialist 'free from' products. All you need are eggs, milk and… cornflour.

"Cornflour creates lovely light Yorkshire puddings. But be warned – they come out huge! If you don't have cornflour, you can also use tapioca starch as a like-for-like swap, which creates equally fabulous Yorkshire puds.

Avoid using a gluten-free flour blend as that tends to contain a mix of ingredients (including rice flour) which is heavier so leads to a less crisp and puffed-up pud."

For vegan Yorkshire puddings, author and blogger, external Karen Lee says that instead of plain flour you should opt for a mix of self-raising and (sifted) gram flour, with a little baking powder to mimic the rise you'd usually get from the egg.

Bread flour, xanthan gum and baking powder will also work too, as in this recipe from food writer Justine Pattison.

And if you just want a speedier bake? The air fryer will work. Adeshina suggests you adjust the cooking time as "they'll need five minutes less in an air fryer." Just bear in mind you might have to bake a smaller batch, depending on the size of your air fryer.

Updated February 2026.

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