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Crumpet Recipe for Breakfast or Teatime

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This Crumpet recipe is easy to make at home for teatime, breakfast, or anytime you’re in the mood for crumpets and tea (or coffee). If you can make pancakes, you can make your own crumpets. And yes, most decidedly, serve them with tea!

Top view of crumpets on a blue and white plate with strawberry jam.

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Crumpet Recipe Overview

A simple crumpet recipe that’s easy to make at home. With 5 pantry ingredients, they are delicious for breakfast or teatime and will keep for several days.

  • Recipe Time: 5 minutes prep, 20-30 minutes rising time, 4-5 minutes cooking time
  • What You Need: Nonstick skillet and rings
  • Servings: 12 crumpets

What are crumpets, and how are they different than English muffins?

Crumpets are much like a combination of an English muffin and pancakes. They are small, yeast-leavened cakes cooked on a griddle or skillet. With a spongy texture and iconic holes, they are perfect for soaking up butter and jam. While they share similarities with English muffins, like size and shape, crumpets are softer with a more porous texture.

Top view of tea and crumpets on a blue and white plate with butter and strawberry jam.

What I Love About Homemade Crumpets

I’ve had a love affair with crumpets for as long as I can remember.

When my son was a toddler, he was a picky eater. Strangely, he also developed a love for crumpets (but not tea), spicy pumpkin bread (I’ll never understand that one), and chocolate chip cookies. Aversions were broccoli (to which I cried when he finally ate one, silly!).

But crumpets were purchased or “ordered” at my favorite bakery. It hadn’t occurred to me to make crumpets by scratch.

Until it did, and then, there was no stopping the crumpet production in my kitchen. And delicious? Oh my, yes! Satisfying… extremely. Easy… absolutely!

You can make these crumpets in minutes. The prep is simple, much like mixing pancake batter. Let the yeast do its thing for about 20 to 30 minutes, and then a skillet will make the magic.

The iconic bubbles on the top? It’s one of the things I love most!

When tea cravings hit, or you want to invite friends for crumpets and tea, you’ll be so glad you have fresh crumpets to serve.

Enjoy!

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Top view of crumpet ingredients on a wooden board along with egg rings for forming the crumpets.

Ingredients for Crumpets

You only need a handful of ingredients to make delicious crumpets at home. The ingredient measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a quick list of what you will need:

  • Yeast: Both active dry yeast and instant yeast work equally well. I’ve made them with both.
  • Granulated sugar: Activates the yeast and gives the crumpets a hint of sweetness.
  • All-purpose flour works best in this crumpet recipe. I haven’t had a lot of success with gluten-free flour.
  • Salt for flavor
  • Baking powder helps form the iconic holes in the top of the crumpets.

Kitchen Tools for Making Crumpets

The only equipment you need to make crumpets is a skillet, I prefer a nonstick skillet for this crumpet recipe, rings to form the crumpets, and a spatula to turn them. I’m using a 3.5-inch egg ring, but any round-shaped mold or cookie cutter can also work.

Side top view of two stacked crumpets on a white and white plate.

How to Make Crumpets

Step-by-step instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s how to make these simple crumpets.

1

Make the crumpet batter

Dissolve yeast into warm water (about 110 degrees F) and let sit until foamy, about 4 minutes. Add flour, remaining warm water, and salt into a bowl and whisk for 2 minutes. Add the yeast mixture, sugar, and baking powder and whisk for 30 seconds more.
Cover and let sit in a warm place to rise for 20-30 minutes or until the surface is foamy. The batter won’t double; expect it to increase by about 15 percent.

2

Heat skillet and rings

Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-low heat. Butter or spray your rings* (see notes in the recipe card on rings) and place them on the skillet.

3

Cook 1st side of the crumpets and watch the bubbles.

1. Fill each ring with 1/4 cup of the batter (or about halfway up) and cook for 1-2 minutes. Bubbles will begin appearing but will not be popping yet. 2. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking until the top is set, about 3-4 minutes. At this point, the bubbles will have popped, and it will be clear there isn’t more forming or popping.

4

Flip crumpets

Remove the rings and then flip the crumpets to the other side. Cook for 20-30 seconds to give the tops a hint of golden color, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat until the batter is used.

Crumpet Recipe Tips

Much like making pancakes, crumpets take a little practice. The first one or two may not turn out perfectly. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the process. Knowing when to turn the crumpet is something you learn by trial and error.

That being said, if you can make pancakes, you can definitely make crumpets. It’s one of the reasons I love this recipe. Because it makes twelve, what is one or two that didn’t turn out as expected or is a bit more brown on one side than you prefer? Enjoy your efforts with a cup of your favorite tea!

  • Grease the rings so the crumpets come out easily.
  • Be sure the skillet is hot when you add the batter. This helps form the bubbles on the top.
  • Reduce the heat and be patient while the batter cooks through and the bubbles pop.
  • Watch the underside as they cook and adjust the skillet temperature accordingly.
  • When flipping the crumpets, you want just a blush of color on the top.

More Recipes You May Enjoy with Tea

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Side view of stacked crumpets on a white and blue plate.
Side view of two crumpets on a blue and white plate with strawberry jam.

Crumpet Recipe to Make at Home

Make delicious homemade crumpets with this easy recipe. Perfect for teatime or breakfast, enjoy these tasty treats with butter and jam.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 52 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ plus 2 tablespoons cups warm water divided, about 110℉
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

Crumpet Batter

  • Dissolve yeast into 2 tablespoons of warm water in a small bowl. Let proof for 5 minutes.
  • Place flour, 1 ½ cups warm water, and salt into a bowl and whisk for 2 minutes. Add the yeast mixture, sugar, and baking powder and whisk for 30 seconds more.
  • Cover and let sit in a warm place to rise for 20-30 minutes or until the surface is foamy. The batter won't double; expect it to increase by about 15 percent.

Cooking the Crumpets

  • Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-low heat. Butter or spray your rings* (see notes on rings) and place them on the skillet. Fill each ring with 1/4 cup of the batter (or about halfway up) and cook for 1-2 minutes. Bubbles will begin appearing but will not be popping yet.
  • Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking until the top is set, about 3-4 minutes. At this point, the bubbles will have popped, and it will be clear there isn't more forming or popping. You can help the bubbles to pop by using a toothpick if needed.
    Closeup top view of crumpets in a nonstick skillet ready for flipping.
  • Remove the rings and then flip the crumpets to the other side. Cook for 20-30 seconds to give the tops a hint of golden color, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat until the batter is used.
  • Serve immediately with clotted cream and jam or with honey and butter. Store in an airtight container– they are wonderful toasted!

Video

Notes

Egg Rings: I’m using 3.5-inch egg rings, but any ring or metal shaper (like a cookie or biscuit cutter) will work. Be sure to coat them with butter or nonstick spray, as the batter will stick.
Cooking Tips: Be sure the skillet is hot when adding the crumpet batter. A hot skillet helps the bubbles to form! It’s important for a stronger heat at the beginning and a lower heat to cook them through. 
Storing Crumpets: Let them cool completely and then refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Tried this recipe? Pin it Today!Follow me on Pinterest for more and use the "Pin" button at the top of the recipe card.
Course: Bread
Cuisine: British
Keyword: crumpets

2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I homeschool my children and on Fridays we have teatime and learn about an artist, poet and musician. Today we made the crumpets for our teatime. They were fabulous! They were like a fluffy Welsh Tea Cake. My daughter put syrup on hers and ate it like a pancake. I put a bit of fig jam on mine. So yummy! And so easy!

    Do you have a recipe for Welsh tea cakes?

    1. Hi Jennifer! Fridays are even better with a homeschool day like yours. Thank you so much for your kind words and I’m thrilled that you and your kids enjoyed the crumpets for teatime! Thank you for including us in such a lovely day. As to Welsh Teacakes, I’ve been working on a recipe for a couple of months and plan to publish it very soon. I love them too! Have a beautiful weekend.

5 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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