Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a cake pop pan or mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. This prevents the poppers from sticking and makes them easy to remove. You can also lightly grease the pan with butter or oil if you don’t have cooking spray.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk together thoroughly to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed. This step is important to prevent pockets of baking powder or salt in the batter.

Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the milk, whole egg, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Whisk until well combined. Make sure the butter is melted but not too hot, as it could cook the egg.

Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk until just combined. Don’t overmix; it’s okay if some lumps remain. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, which will make the poppers tough. A few lumps are perfectly fine.

Beat the Egg White: In another clean bowl, beat the egg white until smooth peaks form. This adds air to the batter, making the poppers extra light and fluffy. Use a hand mixer or a whisk to beat the egg white. The bowl should be clean and dry, as any grease can prevent the egg white from whipping properly. You’ll know the egg white is ready when it forms stiff peaks that hold their shape.

Fold in the Egg White: Gently fold the beaten egg white into the batter until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, as this will deflate the egg white and result in less fluffy poppers. Use a spatula or a large spoon to gently fold the egg white into the batter.

Add Chocolate Chips (Optional): If using, gently fold in the mini chocolate chips. Don’t overmix after adding the chocolate chips, as this can make them melt and discolor the batter.

Fill the Pan: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, fill each cake pop mold or mini muffin cup almost all the way with pancake batter. Filling them almost to the top creates nicely rounded poppers. A cookie scoop makes it easy to portion the batter evenly.

Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. This indicates that the poppers are cooked through. Check the poppers after 10 minutes to make sure they aren’t browning too quickly.

Cool and Serve: Immediately invert the pancake poppers onto a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes, or until they’re safe to handle. This prevents them from sticking to the pan and allows them to cool evenly. Cooling them slightly makes them easier to remove from the pan. Serve with your favorite toppings.