Mary Berry Yorkshire Pudding Recipe

Key Takeaways

• Mary Berry’s classic Yorkshire pudding recipe uses 140g plain flour, 4 eggs and 200ml milk, with a pinch of salt
• The secret to a spectacular rise is smoking hot oil and a properly rested batter, at least 30 minutes
• Never open the oven door for the first 20 minutes, or they’ll collapse
• Plain flour is essential; self-raising flour ruins the texture
• Works brilliantly for a classic Sunday roast, toad in the hole, or one giant Yorkshire pudding to share

Why I Trust Mary Berry With My Yorkshire Puddings (And You Should Too)

The Mary Berry Yorkshire Pudding Recipe (Exactly As She Intended)

Right, here’s the recipe in its purest form:

Ingredients (Makes 12 Yorkshire Puddings)

• 140g plain flour
• 4 large eggs
• 200ml whole milk
• Pinch of salt
• Sunflower oil or beef dripping for the tin

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl
2. Make a well in the centre and crack in the eggs
3. Whisk together, gradually incorporating the flour from the edges
4. Slowly add the milk, whisking until you have a smooth batter (consistency of single cream)
5. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge
6. Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan)
7. Add a teaspoon of oil or small knob of dripping to each section of a 12-hole Yorkshire pudding tin
8. Heat the tin in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the oil is smoking hot
9. Carefully pour batter into each hole until about half full
10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes without opening the door
11. They’re done when gloriously puffed and golden brown

No weird techniques, no mysterious ingredients, no complicated science.

Scaling This Recipe Up or Down

Plenty of people are making this for two, or doubling it for a houseful. Here’s how the ratio scales while keeping the same proportions:

For 6 or more, I’d genuinely recommend doing it in two batches rather than one giant bowl of batter. It’s easier to whisk properly and easier to get an accurate rest time on both batches.

A Note on Which Mary Berry Recipe This Is

As I mentioned earlier, Mary Berry has published a few versions of this recipe over the years, but 140g flour, 4 eggs and 200ml milk is the one I trust and the one this whole post is built around.

Why This Batter Works

Mary Berry’s Yorkshire pudding recipe succeeds because it gets the fundamentals exactly right. The ratio of eggs to flour to liquid creates a batter with just enough structure to climb the sides of the tin but enough moisture to create steam for lift.

The resting time isn’t some optional suggestion. It allows the gluten in the flour to relax and the starch granules to absorb the liquid properly. I’ve tested this extensively (because I’m that person), and batter that’s rested for 30 minutes genuinely rises higher than batter used immediately. The difference is visible and measurable. My kids can tell.

The temperature is absolutely critical. 220°C isn’t a random number. It’s hot enough to create instant lift when the cold batter hits the oil, but not so hot that the outside burns before the inside sets. I once tried making these at 180°C because I had something else in the oven and wanted to multitask. They were rubbish. Flat, pale, sad little things that my 8-year-old declared “not actual Yorkshire puddings.”

Plain flour is also non-negotiable. Self-raising flour contains leavening agents that interfere with the steam-driven rise and give you something with a spongy, cakey texture rather than the hollow, crispy structure you’re after. Always plain flour.

Yorkshire Pudding Myths Worth Busting

Myth: You must use beef dripping or they won’t be authentic Reality: Beef dripping tastes amazing, but sunflower oil produces equally tall puddings. Use what you have.

Myth: You need to add water to the batter Reality: Mary Berry’s recipe uses just milk. Some recipes add 50ml water, which can make them slightly lighter, but it’s not essential and I honestly can’t tell the difference.

Myth: The batter must rest overnight Reality: 30 minutes is sufficient. Overnight resting doesn’t noticeably improve the rise or texture based on my testing.

Myth: Yorkshire puddings are difficult Reality: They’re one of the easiest things you can bake once you understand the basic principles. Easier than scones, honestly.

What Actually Makes the Difference

After making these more times than I can count, here’s what matters.

Temperature Is Everything

Your oil needs to be properly smoking hot. Not warmish. Not “probably hot enough.” Actual wisps of smoke rising from the tin. This is non-negotiable. When you pour the batter in, you should hear an immediate sizzle. If you don’t hear that sizzle, your oil wasn’t hot enough and your Yorkshire puddings will be disappointing.

I heat my tin for a full 10 minutes at 220°C. Yes, it feels like forever when you’re standing there with a jug of batter, but it matters. The first time I made these properly, I only heated the tin for about 5 minutes because I was impatient. They rose, but only halfway. Now I set a timer and walk away so I’m not tempted to rush it.

Don’t Open That Oven Door

This is where most people sabotage themselves. Yorkshire puddings are structurally fragile for the first 20 minutes. They’re held up by steam and hope. Opening the oven door releases the heat and the steam, and they collapse.

I know it’s tempting. You want to check they’re rising. You want to peek. But if you open that door before 20 minutes, you will have flat Yorkshire puddings and nobody to blame but yourself. I learned this the hard way during my first attempt at Christmas dinner in our house. My mother-in-law watched me open the oven at 15 minutes “just to check” and the look on her face when they deflated still haunts me.

Fill the Tins Properly

Half full. Not a third full (they won’t rise enough over the edge). Not three-quarters full (they’ll overflow and create a mess). Exactly half full.

I use a small jug with a good pouring spout for this. Trying to pour batter from a mixing bowl leads to spillage, uneven distribution, and swearing. A proper pouring jug makes your life significantly easier.

Use the Right Tin, on the Right Shelf

A proper 12-hole Yorkshire pudding tin has deeper holes than a muffin tin. The extra depth gives the batter more room to climb and creates those lovely crispy sides. Muffin tins work in a pinch, but your Yorkshire puddings will be shorter and the proportions won’t be quite right.

Shelf position matters too. Put them on the top shelf of the oven, not the middle. The higher heat at the top gives the batter an immediate upward blast when it goes in. I used the middle shelf for a long time and wondered why my Yorkshires were decent but never spectacular. Moving them to the top shelf made a noticeable difference.

I’ve got a whole post dedicated to why Yorkshire Puddings don’t rise with some great tips and tricks there too!

My Sunday Timing, Step by Step

Here’s exactly how I make these on a Sunday:

11:00am – Make the batter while the kids are occupied with screens. Takes 5 minutes. Cover and leave on the counter. If you’re organised enough to do this the night before, brilliant. I never am.

12:15pm – Put the joint in the oven (my timings are based on a roast that needs about 90 minutes).

1:30pm – Take the meat out to rest. Turn the oven up to 220°C if it’s not already there.

1:35pm – Put the Yorkshire pudding tin with oil in the oven on the top shelf. Set timer for 10 minutes.

1:45pm – Pour batter into smoking hot tin. Shut oven door. Set timer for 20 minutes. Walk away.

1:50pm – Ignore child asking if the Yorkshire puddings are ready yet.

2:05pm – Check through the oven door (don’t open it). They should be beautifully risen and golden. Give them another 5 minutes if they’re not quite brown enough.

2:10pm – Remove from oven. Serve immediately because Yorkshire puddings wait for no one.

This timing means the Yorkshire puddings come out right when everything else is ready to serve. It took me about six months of Sunday roasts to get these timings right, so you’re welcome.

Can You Make Yorkshire Puddings in an Air Fryer?

Yes, you can, and it works better than you’d expect. It’s not my default method (the oven gives you a more dramatic rise and that proper puffed-up height), but if your oven is already full or you’re only making a small batch, the air fryer is a genuinely decent option.

Use the same batter. Preheat your air fryer to 200°C and heat a little oil in each cup of a silicone muffin mould or an air fryer-safe muffin tin for about 3 minutes. Pour in the batter (half full, same rule applies), and cook for 10 to 12 minutes without opening the drawer. They’ll rise nicely and get crispy edges, though they won’t reach the same heights as an oven batch. For a midweek roast chicken with all the kids eating at different times, it’s very handy.

When Things Go Wrong

Flat Yorkshire Puddings

Causes: Oil wasn’t hot enough. Opened the oven door too early. Oven temperature too low. Batter too thick or too thin.

Solution: Heat the oil until it’s properly smoking. Don’t touch that oven door for 20 minutes. Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer because ovens lie. Your batter should be the consistency of single cream.

Soggy Bottoms

Causes: Not enough oil in the tin. Batter too thick. Oven not hot enough.

Solution: A proper teaspoon of oil per hole. Make sure your batter isn’t too thick (add a splash more milk if needed). Crank that oven to full 220°C.

Yorkshire Puddings That Rise Then Collapse

Causes: Opened the oven door (I will die on this hill). Removed them too early before they’d fully set. Oven temperature dropped.

Solution: Keep the oven door shut for the full 20 minutes minimum. They should feel firm and set when you tap them, not squishy.

Burning on Top, Raw in Middle

Causes: Oven too hot. Tin too high in the oven.

Solution: 220°C is the sweet spot. Don’t go higher. If this is a repeated problem, try the second shelf from the top rather than the very top, particularly if your oven runs hot.

I’ve made every single one of these mistakes. The first time I made Yorkshire puddings for my husband’s family, I managed to create things that were simultaneously burnt and undercooked. They were architectural marvels of failure. But you learn, and now I genuinely can’t remember the last time I had a Yorkshire pudding disaster.

Yorkshire Pudding Variations Once You’ve Mastered the Classic

Toad in the Hole

Use the exact same batter but pour it into a large roasting tin with cooked sausages. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. My kids prefer this to regular Yorkshire puddings, which I consider borderline treasonous, but it is delicious.

Individual Toad in the Holes

Put a cooked cocktail sausage in each Yorkshire pudding hole before adding the batter. Genius for kids’ parties or when you want to pretend you’ve made canapés.

Giant Yorkshire Pudding

Pour all the batter into one large roasting tin. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Brilliant for serving with the roast beef in the middle and letting people help themselves. Very Jamie Oliver. I do this for casual family lunches.

Herb Yorkshire Puddings

Add a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme to the batter. Posh enough for dinner parties, easy enough for Sunday lunch.

Serving and Storage

Yorkshire puddings are best eaten immediately. This is not controversial. Straight from the oven to the plate is ideal.

But here’s what nobody tells you: they reheat brilliantly. I always make extra and freeze them. Let them cool completely, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in a 180°C oven for 5 to 6 minutes. They won’t be quite as crispy as fresh, but they’re still miles better than anything you can buy.

I keep a stash in the freezer for emergency Sunday roasts, or for when my teenager announces at 4pm that he’s having friends over for dinner and do we have any Yorkshire puddings. Yes, child. We do. Because your mother plans ahead.

Mary Berry vs Other Yorkshire Pudding Methods

I’ve tested this against Nigella’s recipe (which uses water as well as milk), Jamie Oliver’s version (which has less egg), and my nan’s mysterious method (which involves adding the milk gradually in three stages for reasons nobody can explain).

Mary Berry’s wins on reliability, simplicity, rise and texture. The result is consistently tall, crispy on the outside and slightly custardy inside, and the recipe works the same way whether you’re making 6 or 24.

Where others might have a small edge: Nigella’s are fractionally lighter (barely noticeable in practice). Beef dripping creates a richer flavour, but Mary’s recipe works perfectly with dripping too, so that’s not really a competition. For home cooking, this is the one.

Comparison: What Makes This Better Than Shop-Bought

Homemade wins on every metric except convenience. And once you’ve got the method down, they’re so easy that the convenience gap narrows considerably. I’ll buy frozen Yorkshire puddings for emergencies, but I genuinely prefer making my own. My kids genuinely prefer homemade. Even my fussy 13-year-old daughter, who claims to dislike “most food actually,” will eat three homemade Yorkshire puddings without complaint.

Your Questions Answered

How far in advance can I make the batter? Up to 24 hours in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature for 30 minutes before using. I’ve never noticed a difference between 30-minute-old batter and overnight batter in terms of rise or texture.

Can I make these gluten-free? Not with this recipe as written. Gluten-free versions require different ratios and techniques. I’ll write that up separately because it genuinely deserves its own post.

Why are my Yorkshire puddings tough and chewy? You’ve overworked the batter. Whisk just until smooth, then stop. Or you’ve used too much flour. Weigh your flour properly rather than estimating it.

Can I use semi-skimmed milk? Yes, but whole milk creates richer Yorkshire puddings. I’ve used semi-skimmed in emergencies and they still rise, just with slightly less flavour.

Do I need to sift the flour? Mary Berry says yes, and I’ve tested with and without sifting. Sifted flour creates marginally lighter puddings, but honestly, if you’re short on time, skip it. The difference is minimal.

Can I make these in advance and reheat them? They’re best fresh, but you can reheat them in a hot oven for 3 to 4 minutes. They’ll lose some crispness but they’re still decent. I do this all the time with leftovers, on the rare occasions we have any.

Can I make Yorkshire puddings in an air fryer? Yes. See the section above for the full method. They won’t be quite as tall as oven-baked ones but they’re a solid option for small batches.

Why do I need plain flour and not self-raising? The rise in a Yorkshire pudding comes entirely from steam, not from any chemical raising agent. Self-raising flour contains baking powder, which interferes with that process and gives you something with a spongy, cakey texture instead of the hollow, crispy structure you want.

Why do Mary Berry Yorkshire pudding recipes vary online? Because she’s published more than one version across different books over the years. The ratios differ slightly but the core method, hot oil, proper resting, high heat, is the same across all of them. See the section above for the full breakdown.

Why won’t my Yorkshire puddings rise? Nine times out of ten it’s the oil not being hot enough or the oven door being opened too early. I’ve got a whole separate post on this if you want to troubleshoot properly.

The Kit You Actually Need

Essential:

• 12-hole Yorkshire pudding tin
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk or electric mixer
• Measuring jug
• Kitchen scales

Helpful but not essential:

• Pouring jug with good spout (makes filling the tin much easier)
• Oven thermometer (if your oven runs hot or cold)
• Second Yorkshire pudding tin (if you’re feeding a crowd)

You don’t need fancy kit for brilliant Yorkshire puddings. Yorkshire pudding tins are widely available from Lakeland, Amazon, or most kitchen shops and they’ll last for years if you look after them. I use my KitchenAid to make the batter because I’m lazy and it takes 30 seconds, but a hand whisk works perfectly fine and arguably gives you more control. I used a hand whisk for years before I had the KitchenAid and my Yorkshire puddings were identical.

Tips That Make a Real Difference

Take your eggs and milk out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start. Room temperature ingredients combine more smoothly and create better structure in the batter.

Half full means half full. I mark the halfway point on my tin with a tiny scratch so I can fill them quickly and evenly without thinking about it.

Make a double or triple batch. The batter freezes beautifully and you’ll thank yourself when you’re having a manic Sunday and realise you forgot to make Yorkshire puddings.

The wiggle test. Before removing them from the oven, give the tin a gentle shake. The Yorkshire puddings should wiggle as one solid piece, not slosh around. If they’re still liquid in the middle, give them another 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve immediately. Yorkshire puddings start losing their crisp within about 10 minutes of leaving the oven. Time your cooking so they’re ready when everything else is ready to plate.

What to Serve With Your Yorkshire Puddings

Obviously roast beef is traditional, but these work with any roast dinner (chicken, pork, lamb), with sausages and gravy, as a starter filled with caramelised onions, or with jam and cream for pudding (controversial but traditional in some parts of Yorkshire).

My family has decreed that Sunday roasts without Yorkshire puddings “don’t count as proper Sunday lunch,” which means I’m contractually obliged to make them every week. I’ve learned to embrace this.

Why This Recipe Has Never Let Me Down

I’ve made Mary Berry’s Yorkshire puddings through house moves, oven changes, altitude differences (we spent a summer in the Peak District and they still worked), and three children’s worth of kitchen chaos. The recipe is bulletproof.

What I love most is its simplicity. There’s no mystery. No secret ingredient your great-grandmother passed down. No technique that requires years of practice. Just four basic ingredients, proper heat, and a bit of patience.

Every time I serve these, someone asks for the recipe. Every single time. Including my mother-in-law, who claimed for years that her mother’s Yorkshire puddings were unsurpassable. She now uses Mary Berry’s recipe. I consider this a significant personal victory.

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Browse my full Mary Berry recipe collection here!