Crispy, chewy and delicately spongy in texture with a delicious depth of yeasty flavor, for the best and most authentic homemade crumpets look no further!
Serve these crumpets with homemade Black Currant Jam, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, Gooseberry Jam, Golden Syrup, honey, or just slather on the butter and you’re all set for an irresistibly delicious treat of one of Great Britain’s most iconic foods! Truly, once you’ve tried these homemade crumpets you’ll fall in love forever!
When I moved to England where I lived for 7 years, there were a number of quintessential British dishes I was eager to try. Crumpets was one of them. We had no sooner settled into our hotel room than we went grocery shopping at the local Tesco and I picked up a package of them for the following morning. We popped the them in the toaster, slathered them with butter and jam and took our first bite of English crumpets.
The verdict: The butter and jam were good.
Excessively spongy in texture and bland in flavor, I wondered why, of all things, crumpets had earned such a prominent place on the British table.
I swiftly wrote crumpets off as “tried them once and once was enough.” That is, until I ate some homemade crumpets at a friend’s house. My opinion of the famous crumpet made a 180 degree turn!
Simultaneously crispy, chewy and delicately spongy in texture with a wonderful depth of yeasty flavor, I can promise you – homemade crumpets are everything they’re chalked up to be! Continue below to our crumpet recipe learn how to make the BEST homemade crumpets EVER!
What Are Crumpets?
Crumpets are English griddle cakes made from flour, milk/water and yeast and are traditionally eaten for breakfast or with afternoon tea. They’re soft and somewhat spongy in texture and their crowning feature are the dozens of tiny holes that dot the surface, allowing whatever you spread on them to soak down into them, making each and every bite an unforgettable one.
Crumpet vs English Muffin: What is the Difference?
Crumpets and English muffins are sometimes confused and while it’s true that they’re both cooked on a griddle, they are distinctly different. English muffins are more like bread rolls; they’re doughy, heavier and bread-like. English muffins are also cut in a half for serving.
Crumpets are lighter and spongier in texture both as a result of different ingredients/ratios as well as technique and the dual rising method that gives them a different texture, consistency and appearance (specifically the dozens of tiny holes that dot the top surface).
Unlike English muffins, crumpets are not split in half for serving. Instead the butter, honey, jam, etc and spread right on top of the toasted crumpet.
Where Did Crumpets Originate?
Crumpets originated in United Kingdom and one of the earliest mentions of “crumpet” came from the English Bible translator, John Wycliffe, who referred to them as “the crompid cake.” The name is thought to have Celtic origins referring to a “thin, flat cake” (i.e., Breton: krampouezhl; Cornish: krampoeth; or Welsh: crempog or crempot, a type of pancake).
The crumpet has evolved over time. Centuries ago they were made without yeast and were flatter and harder, more like pancakes (what is also a Welsh variation, bara piglydd, known as pikelets, likewise enjoyed throughout Australia and New Zealand). During the Victorian era the yeast was introduced and crumpets have never been the same since – for the better.
Before we get started there are a few important questions I get asked a lot that I want to address…
How Long Should Crumpet Batter Rest?
Different recipes recommend different times. The batter is ready after sitting for 30 minutes (crumpets in above pics were made after 30 min) but I have found that letting it rest a bit longer will give you an even higher rise and a lighter texture. In the pic below I let the batter sit for an additional 20 minutes. See the side-by-side pic for a comparison of height.
Try both and see which you prefer. Both are excellent but I slightly prefer the higher rise.
Do I Need Crumpet Rings to Make Crumpets?
Yes. Crumpet batter is very loose and runny and the crumpets rings are what will shape and hold the batter while the crumpets are cooking.
I use Norpro’s English Muffin/Crumpet Rings. They do the job perfectly.
Can Crumpets Be Frozen?
Yes, crumpets freeze well. Let them cool completely and freeze them in a ziplock bag or airtight container for up to two months. To eat them let them thaw and then toast them.
Traditional Crumpets Recipe
Let’s get started!
Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm milk and let it rest for 10 minutes until frothy.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour and salt.
Add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir/knead until a thick dough forms. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and beat the mixture for about 3 minutes until a thick dough forms.
Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise for at least an hour or up to two (it should nearly double in size). This stage is important for the formation of the bubbles that will later form the classic holes in the crumpets.
Dissolve the baking soda in the warm water and add it to the dough. In addition to the previous proving phase, the baking soda is also what helps aerate the crumpets to give them their classic pores. Those pores allow the butter later on to soak beautifully into the crumpet and gives them their famous sponge-like texture.
If using a stand mixer, beat the batter for a minute or two. Or use an electric mixer to beat the batter. If some small lumps remain that’s okay. Any remaining lumps will dissolve during the next resting stage.
Cover the batter and let it rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes (see note below comparing the rise of the crumpets depending on how long the batter sits).
After 30 minutes the batter should be nice and bubbly. When you stir it, it will bubble and froth nicely.
Time to prepare the crumpet rings.
Oil the inside rims of the crumpet rings. Lightly oil the frying pan. You can use a regular skillet or a cast iron pan (my preference). I’m using my Lodge 12″ Cast Iron Pan.
Heat the pan and rings over medium-high heat.
Once the rings are hot, pour the batter into each ring until it’s slightly more than half full.
Cooking time will vary depending on your stovetop and frying pan but these will cook for approx 8-10 minutes (the time will vary according to the kind of cooktop and cookware you’re using. Just be sure to keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t burn on the bottom. Lower the temp as needed to finish off the cooking).
The batter will begin to rise and bubble on top.
After several minutes when the tops are cooked and the classic pores/holes are present with the bottoms lightly browned, your crumpets are done and you can remove the rings.
Traditionally crumpets are only cooked on one side only, not flipped over, and then toasted later. However, if you’re going to eat the crumpets immediately, I prefer to remove the rings and flip the crumpets over to cook an extra minute or two on the top side for a nice golden color and added layer of crispiness. If you flip them be careful not to move them so you don’t smear any uncooked batter and thereby cover over the pores.
If you’re keeping them for later or plan on freezing them, you have the option to flip or not flip – either way you’ll want to toast them to reheat them.
Your gorgeous, delicious homemade crumpets are ready to eat!
Do Crumpets Need to be Toasted?
Store-bought crumpets are always toasted before eating them because they’ve become soft from sitting in the packaging. However homemade crumpets straight out of the frying pan will be wonderfully crispy on the outside so there is no need to toast them. If you’re not serving them immediately toast them just before serving.
Serve the crumpets warm slathered with butter, jam, golden syrup, honey or topping of your choice.
Crumpets can also be frozen, thawed and toasted.
Note: Crumpets are eaten whole/open-faced and are not cut in half horizontally.
Enjoy!
For a whole grain version try our Whole Wheat Crumpets!
For more delicious British favorites be sure to try our:
- Yorkshire Pudding
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Treacle Tart
- Eccles Cakes
- Spotted Dick
- Christmas Pudding
- Flapjacks
- Toad in the Hole
- Fish and Chips
- Mushy Peas
- Bangers and Mash
Authentic English Crumpets
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (can substitute half bread flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Stir the sugar and yeast into the warm milk and let it rest for 10 minutes until frothy. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer combine the flour and salt.
- Add the liquid to the flour mixture and stir/knead until a thick dough forms. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and beat the mixture for about 3 minutes until a thick dough forms. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place for at least an hour or up to two to let the dough rise (it should nearly double in size). This stage is important for the formation of the bubbles that will later form the classic holes in the crumpets.
- Dissolve the baking soda in the warm water and add it to the dough. If using a stand mixer, beat the batter for a minute or two. Or use an electric mixer to beat the batter. If some small lumps remain that's okay. Any remaining lumps will dissolve during the next resting stage.Cover the batter and let it rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes (see note below). After 30 minutes the batter should be nice and bubbly.
- Prepare the crumpet rings by greasing the inside of each rim. (I use and like Norpro's English Muffin/Crumpet Rings.) Lightly oil the frying pan. You can use a regular skillet or a cast iron pan (my preference). I use my Lodge 12" Cast Iron Pan.Place the rings in the frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the rings are hot, pour the batter into each ring until it's slightly more than half full. Cooking time will vary depending on your stovetop and frying pan but these will cook for approx. 10 minutes (**the time will vary according to the kind of cooktop and cookware you're using and may take longer. Just be sure to keep an eye on them to ensure they don't burn on the bottom. Lower the temp as needed to finish off the cooking). Turn the heat down as needed to prevent burning. The batter will begin to rise and bubble on top. After several minutes when the tops are cooked and the classic pores/holes are present with the bottoms lightly browned, your crumpets are done. Note: You can either remove the rings and flip the crumpets over to cook the other side for another minute or two until golden or remove them from the rings and toast the crumpets. (See blog post for more info on this.)
- Serve the crumpets immediately slathered with butter, jam, golden syrup or honey. To reheat later toast them in the toaster. Can also be frozen, thaw first before toasting. (Crumpets are eaten whole/open-faced and are not sliced in half horizontally.)
- NOTE: Regarding how long to let the batter sit before using: It's ready after 30 minutes but letting it rest a bit longer will give you an even higher rise and a lighter texture (see blog post for side-by-side comparison pics). And more bubbles means more of those classic holes in your crumpets. Try both and see which you prefer. Both are excellent.
Video
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet October 17, 2019
Mike says
Don’t expect to whip these up for breakfast, but follow the instructions and I use my bread machine for the mixing and waiting steps and the crumpets as cooked turn out fantastically. Only half fill the crumpet rings as the crumpets rise spectacularl and are so much better than the thin, shop bought ones. I use wholemeal flour.
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Mike, thank you for the feedback!
Lee says
Not a single response above is from someone who actually made the recipe.
Personally, I’m not interested in the fact that you will make them some time in the future or that it looks delicious. It’s a recipe! How Was The Recipe?? Ugh!
Shaun says
Why don’t you make it and find out. Ugh!
qwerty says
“I wondered why, of all things, crumpets had earned such a prominent place on the British table.”
All British food is flavorless.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Give these homemade ones a try, qwerty, and I’m confident you’ll change your mind!
Anonymous says
You obviously haven’t eaten british food, or you wouldn’t have made such an uneducated statement
Josh says
This recipe was PERFECT! We’d tried another years ago and it failed miserably. We’d resigned ourselves to only getting a good crumpet overseas. So much for that!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Josh, thank you so much! :)
Annette Martin says
Brings back memories of toastiwerng bread and crumpets in front of my grannies fire. Those were the days of coal fires, very hot,very compact and of course she had an array of toasting forks. Long handled with 3 or 4 prongs. If you weren’t careful you could definally get a fire crumpet!!! I’m going to try your recipe for sure, but I’ll stick to my toaster if I need to toast any.Thank you wholeheartedly for both the recipes and the memories.
James says
Who knows, they may taste great, but if you put them on medium high heat for 10 minutes, you’re going to burn them. Wasted all that time. Preparing the batter, only to have them burn on the bottom, and I didn’t even have it on medium high. I had it on less than the halfway setting. More like turn to medium low after dropping in at medium for a minute or two. So frustrating.
Jen D says
Excellent recipe, great for making on a Sunday as it takes a while between steps but sooo worth it! Slathered with margarine and fig jam and of course a spot of tea ☕️!
Kimberly Killebrew says
So wonderful, Jen, I’m thrilled you enjoyed them, thank you!
Linda says
What would happen if I use 2% fat instead of whole milk/ full fat milk for this recipe? Thanks.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Linda, that’s totally fine. Happy crumpet making! :)
Linda says
Thanks Kimberly! My attempt was disastrous – none edible. I couldn’t get the yeast to activate. I tried three times, including running out and buying a new packet of Active Dry Yeast (I measured 2 teaspoons out of the packet which contains 2-1/4 teaspoons). I used a thermometer to ensure the full fat warm milk was 100-110F. All within expiry dates, so all ingredients were fresh. No froth, foam, bubbles…just flat whole milk which I proceeded to use.
The dough did rise but no bubbles even after the baking soda/ water. I don’t have a cast iron pan so used a pancake griddle and crumpet rings. Maybe about 10-12 bubbles per crumpet, bottoms burnt, inside gooey-dense-raw.
sob sob sob :0(
How’s everyone finding it so easy?
Anonymous says
Did you add the sugar to the yeast and warm milk? You might also want to try quick rising yeast.
Abigail says
My mom is English but we live in the US, so she misses being able to easily buy crumpets. I made these for her today and they were amazing! The texture of the first crumpets wasn’t very hole-y, but they tasted just right. I cooked the last crumpet at a higher temperature and ignored any smoking and it was perfect with loads of holes. I can’t wait to make these again!
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so glad, Abigail, thanks so much for the feedback! :)
Karen Fabiano says
Can crumpets from this recipe be frozen?
Kimberly Killebrew says
Yes they can, Karen. Then simply thaw and toast them.
June Simpson Smith says
I doubled the recipe and wasn’t disappointed. Beautiful texture and crispness as well as being fluffy and chewy. I’ll be sharing these with a crumpet loving friend. I opted for half all purpose flour and half bread flour. I doubled up on the yeast as well because it was past it’s BB date but I am wondering if I would need to double up with fresher yeast? Will have to experiment next time with whole wheat flour in place of the all purpose. This is now my go to recipe for crumpets.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you, June, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! No, there’s no need to double up on the yeast if what you’re using is fresh. Thanks again for the feedback!
Sheri says
I made these this eve… a great start to a good recipe but way too much yeast. They taste fermented… Almost like rice wine vinegar… I make a killer pizza dough that has more than double the flour with only a fraction of the yeast and it rises like that last day on earth.
Louie says
I made these today and it was my first time making crumpets. I am really happy with how they turned out. I did the first rise for 2 hours and the second for 30 minutes. Next time I think I’ll cut back on the yeast – 1 tbs made them delightfully airy but the flavour of the yeast was too strong once they were cooked. The texture was fantastic, and I’m grateful that you shared this recipe! I also used a cast iron pan. The longer you have the pan over the heat the more heat it retains so I had to turn it down a lot. I also used cold butter in the pan to help bring the temperature down a little between batches. I ended up with 10 crumpets from this recipe, two were eaten right away with butter and maple syrup and the other 8 have been frozen for breakfasts/snacks for this coming week. Really happy with them!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Louie, thank you for the feedback!
Vita says
Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out delicious, however, the insides were raw. The only difference is that I didn’t use a cast iron pan (don’t have one).
They had set and dried completely on top (like pancakes) and I flipped them over to get them golden on the other side but when I took them off the heat and cut into one, it was completely mushy and doughy inside.
Kym-Rose Willow Aki says
When cooking anything, if the outsides are cooked to the right amount, or even overcooked, but the inside is still undercooked, what you want to do is cook it at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. If you are cooking at too high a temperature, the outsides are basically cooking too quickly, not leaving enough time for the heat to travel into the centre of the food to cook it. On the other hand, as long as the bottom isn’t burnt, you might just need to cook it for longer at the same heat before flipping. The bottoms of crumpets tend to be pretty heavily cooked and darkened (not burnt but pretty dark).
Peter Douglas says
Best crumpet recipe ever have made these many times simply the most authentic tasting. I always double the ingredients and make enough to share or freeze.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Peter, I’m happy you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback!