Bring a little bit of England into the kitchen with this Crumpet Recipe. These Crumpets only take a few simple ingredients to make this delicious English snack.
Make your favorites at home! Instead of going out, try these Crumpets, Homemade Soft Pretzels, or your own Apple Cider Donuts.
Crumpet Recipe
A few years ago, I was gifted a cookbook – Good Food, Good Life by Curtis Stone. If you know me and my love of cookbooks, you would know that this is a perfect gift for me.
While I was looking through the cookbook, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a recipe for crumpets. You see, just the weekend before, I was in Seattle for just under 24 hours. I was on a mission to try as many places as I could, and one of those places was The Crumpet Shop in Pike Place Market. It was at that restaurant that I tried a glorious crumpet that was topped with ricotta and lemon curd. It was my last stop, and I almost didn’t stop because the line was long and I was so full, but it ended up being probably my favorite thing that I ate. So needless to say, I had to make the crumpets.
What is a crumpet?
A crumpet is a small griddle cake, usually made with just flour, water or milk, and yeast. Crumpets traditionally come from the United Kingdom, eaten for breakfast or with afternoon tea, depending on the region.
The crumpets of today are no doubt different than when they first originated, but that doesn’t make them any less delicious! Crumpets are soft and almost spongy – the holes that form are the perfect vehicle for butter, honey and/or jam. They almost remind me of a fatter pancake with lots and lots of holes and crevices.
The Difference Between a Crumpet and an English Muffin
They may look somewhat similar, but crumpets and English muffins are not the same. While English muffins and crumpets are both a type of griddle cake, English muffins are breadier, and a lot dryer.
The dough/batter for each is also very different. Crumpets have a looser batter, more like a pancake batter, while English muffins are made from a dough. And just as a technicality, English muffins are split in half when they are eaten, while crumpets are not.
Here in the United States, English muffins can be found at any grocery store, but I have never seen crumpets sold at our grocery stores. (They might be found in some regions, but they are definitely not as easy to find as English muffins!)
How to Make Crumpets
Because crumpets are made with a looser batter, you do have to have a special ring to make them. There are rings that you can order online, called a crumpet ring, English Muffin ring, or egg ring. I bought these on Amazon. (affiliate link) I bought 2 packages, and the minimal investment was totally worth it. Because these babies are good.
These crumpets do take a little bit of time to make, but they are pretty simple.
- Combine your milk, sugar and yeast and allow the yeast to bubble up and foam.
- Add the flour and mix in until the mixture is smooth. Then you’ll want to cover the bowl and set it aside to rise until the mixture has doubled and the batter is bubbly.
- Stir together your water and baking soda, then add that to the dough and mix. Then you will let it sit again for about 30 minutes. All of this waiting is to make sure your crumpets will end up with lots of little nooks and crannies for butter and jam. 🙂
- Heat a griddle or a skillet, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place your rings on the griddle, and make sure your rings are sprayed as well so that the crumpets will not stick. Pour your batter into the mold and allow the batter to bubble up and cook for 5-9 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the ring, then flip the crumpet over to cook quickly on the other side, only about 1 minute. Traditionally, crumpets are not cooked on both sides, but I like to cook that second side very briefly.
- Serve your crumpets with lots of butter, honey, or jam!
These crumpets aren’t as tall as the ones at The Crumpet Shop, but I think the flavor was right there. And I’m guessing that if you added more batter to the rings, you’d get taller crumpets. They are so good, you’ll find yourself going back for more and more. In fact, it may be dangerous that I have this recipe now!!
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to keep the heat on medium-low. The crumpets will cook through on the one side, so if your crumpets are burning, you’re heat is on too high.
- Make sure to grease the rings – otherwise, the crumpets will stick.
- If you make these ahead of time, you’ll want to toast them before serving so that the outsides are crisped up.
- Crumpets can also be frozen. Again, once they are thawed, you’ll want to toast them before serving.
- I love to eat these with a bit of butter and honey, but as I mentioned above, the first time I had a crumpet it was served with ricotta and lemon curd, and it was divine! They also topped them with all kinds of things, like eggs, pesto, and even smoked salmon.
More fun breakfast recipes:
The breakfast recipe we make the most at our house is pancakes, and I really believe that this is the Best Pancake Recipe.
But if my husband were to choose a favorite, it would be this Best Waffle Recipe.
Perfect for a weekend or a holiday, I love this Overnight French Toast Casserole.
If you are a muffin lover, try these Cinnamon Muffins or Brown Sugar Muffins.
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Crumpets
- Prep Time: 1 hour 40 mins
- Cook Time: 27 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 7 mins
- Yield: about 12 crumpets 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: English
Description
Bring a little bit of England into the kitchen with this Crumpet Recipe. These Crumpets only take a few simple ingredients to make this delicious English snack.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, heated to 110ºF – 115ºF
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk, sugar and yeast. Let them sit until the yeast starts to bubble, about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until the batter is smooth and it stretches when you lift out the beater. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free area until the mixture has doubled in size and is bubbly on top, about 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, stir together the water and baking soda. Stir this mixture into the batter, then set aside for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Spray the surface lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and spray 4- 2 1/2 -inch crumpet molds. Place the molds in the skillet. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the batter to the center of each mold and then cook until the bottoms are a deep golden brown and air bubbles have formed on the top, about 9 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to remove the molds, then turn the crumpets over to cook on the second side for about a minute.
- Remove the crumpets to a plate or serving platter, then repeat until you have used all of the batter. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes:
The original recipe says you should get 20 crumpets, but I only got 12.
recipe source: Good Food, Good Life by Curtis Stone
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 crumpet
- Calories: 68
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 154 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 2 mg
Keywords: crumpets, crumpet recipe, english recipe, homemade
Kieron says
ok…so I wasn’t paying attention and mixed the water and baking soda in after the initial mix. so I covered rested for the 60 mins…then stirred and rested again.
it was thick and wouldn’t spread enough so I just added more to cover the bottom. they didn’t bubble, so flipped and finished cooking then removed from pan and split them right down the middle ….they were full of the holes so returned to pan and browned off…they came out perfect…proper crumpets. oh and I used butter spray in the pan and rings..
★★★★★
Michelle Casey says
As a Brit i’m crazy about Crumpets so I’m always happy to see a variety of Crumpet recipes out there. I’m happy to say I think I’ve perfected the art with another recipe I found online from Warburtons, who are master Crumpet producers. If you want a good rise ( you said yours weren’t as high as you’d like) use very warm water instead of milk ( added bonus it’s then suitable for vegans ), it really does make a fluffier batter AND I found adding a pinch of sugar to the yeast when you’re hydrating it ,(and give it 10 mins before adding to your batter) really gets it going. And one last thing, make sure your proving environment is REALLY warm. I set my oven to 50°C for a while and use that space to prove. Hope you don’t mind these suggestions, and keep enjoying your Crumpets! ☺️
Pat says
I can’t wait to go and make these right now.
Ann says
The batter was too thick so they never spread out in the crumpet ring. The insides were raw and they lacked flavor.
★
Barb Chamberlain says
I life in Seattle and have yet to get to The Crumpet Shop. Now that I’ve made the recipe I need to go there because honestly, these didn’t blow me away for the time involved. They were improved by putting lemon curd on them, pretty bland with butter and syrup or honey.
I didn’t have the rings so I used wide-mouth canning lid rings, reoiling after each use. They worked fine; remember to put the big side touching the pan, not the side with a lip that will get caught in the batter.
★★★★
raish says
thx for the great recipe! really easy to make. only i didn’t have the molds so i just dropped them like pancakes… not great looking but super tasty!
★★★★★
Michelle Casey says
Hi Barbara, you probably forgot all about this but I’m only just reading this recipe and the comments today.. although this recipe with milk in IS more true to original 14 th century recipes and I’m all for authenticity, but using water instead of milk definitely gives a better rise, is lighter and tastes better. If you had Crumpets in England ( where I’m from) you most likely had ones made by a company called Warburtons, as they’re the biggest (I think) commercial producer of crumpets and they’re damn good at it. They recently released their recipe for us Crumpet muggles to make at home and it’s foolproof.
https://www.warburtons.co.uk/news/crumpet-recipe-revealed/
I would add though, I find if you add a pinch of sugar to the yeast (essentially, feeding it) as you’re hydrating it and leave it 10 mins , it really gets it going. And really coating COLD rings inside, thickly with butter and only putting them onto the hot oiled pan seconds before half filling with your warm batter guarantees they don’t stick. I say warm batter because in order to really get the yeast AND bicarbonate of soda working on the batter it needs to prove in a REALLY warm environment…like a very low oven 45-50°C (no hotter). And I can’t remember if it’s mentioned in the recipe but, the flavour develops if you make them a day in advance, you can freeze them at this stage, and then toast them the next day… it’s the toasting that really perfects them, and for me it has to be proper English salted butter and honey slathered on. Lemon curd nearly as good . Hope this helps.
steve a temming says
great tips-followed yours to a T-my life just improved to super happiness!!
Michelle Casey says
Just a Brit passing on some useless information ☺️ if you don’t use rings and drop them straight onto the pan they’re called Pikelets, originally, rich households who could afford the rings had Crumpets and the peasants had Pikelets, exactly the same as Crumpets just flatter 😉
susan says
OMG, this my last stop too on a short, first visit to Seattle. I loved it so much that I told the staff I wish I could be a ‘regular’! Can’t wait to try these at home! Thank you.
Judy Kennamer says
First time and made no variations came out 100%! First I ordered norpro crumpet rings from Amazon, made sure all ingredients were fresh and followed recipe to a T…mine yielded 9 total but some were bigger than others. Amazing…Aussie hubs loved. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Deborah says
I’m so happy that you loved them!
Barbara says
This recipe will be great the next time I make it. This time I found I was out of milk, but I took a chance and used my husband’s almond unsweetened milk. So I am writing to say stick with the whole milk. So tomorrow I will try again. These looked nice when I put three Tablespoons in each ring. But the taste was awful. I have had them in England and also had them from our local grocer, imported from UK, and I am determined to make it work.
★★★★★
Deborah says
I hope you get to make them again with the milk and that you love them!
Catherine says
I got hooked on crumpets years ago after we had them at Pikes Market. I have made them quite a few times since then , and I find your recipe to be a good one. I fill my hot greased rings about half way full. Once they are griddled I cool them and then I toast them in the toaster so they are crispy. Delicious , lightly buttered , with a cup of hot tea!
★★★★★
Deborah says
Those crumpets at Pikes Market are what got me, too. 🙂 I’m glad you are enjoying this recipe!
Alyssa says
These were delicious, but I had to add a lot more water for some reason, otherwise they didn’t even need a mold it was so thick. I probably added two to three times as much water. But when I figured out the problem they were great!
★★★★
Sara says
Tuna cans with both ends removed work fine as crumpet molds
Deborah says
Such a great idea!
Vicki says
I haven’t seen tuna in cans with removable bottoms in years now. I had a set of tuna can rings, and tossed them during a move, only to discover that cans are made differently now. So, I too have purchased crumpet/egg rings from Amazon. Am anxious to try your recipe, my mother is Canadian, and got to missing them recently. Trader Joe’s in our area has crumpets, btw. You can toast them in a pop-up toaster, then butter and jam as usual.
Scott says
I want to try your crumpet recipe sometime. thank you.
Melanie says
I’m originally from New Zealand, and crumpets were a breakfast staple in our household with lashings of butter and or golden syrup. I now live in Canada, and they’re not available here, so I am thrilled to have stumbled upon your recipe. I’ll be giving this a go once I get hold of some ring molds. Thanks so much for sharing!
Deborah says
I hope you get a chance to try them!
Peter says
Use to be able to get them here in Manitoba but have not seen them this year,going to make my own using Jolie egg rings I am also an ex Kiwi and miss my Crumpets
Sabrina Kroesen says
There are quite a few places in Canada to buy crumpets.. Most major food store chains sell them – I know for sure that PC makes one. Just to let you know… I am planning on trying this recipe, they look the fluffiest and “holiest” out of all the recipes I’ve looked up!
Tjet says
I myself just returned from Seattle and I’m eating a crumpet right now thank you so much for the recipe I will definitely be checking it out.
★★★★★
Jeanne says
Crumpets made without a ring of some sort are called pikelets. Yes! It’s a thing. They definitely spread out more. I’ve always described crumpets as a cross between a pancake and an English muffin. Love them. They are hard to find so I’ll be making your recipe soon. Thanks for sharing!!!
Deborah says
Thanks Jeanne – I hope you love them!
Melissa McDonald says
Do you need a mold? Could you just put 1.5 TBSP. on the griddle, I don’t have molds
Deborah says
I’m not sure that they would work the same without the molds because the you might not get the same texture as the batter would spread out a lot more. You’d probably get something delicious, still, but not the same as a normal crumpet. I have heard of people using mason jar rings, but I haven’t tried that myself.
Cathy Pearson says
Can a person use mason jar rings for the molds?
Deborah says
I haven’t tried using them, but I think it would be worth a try!
Jody Mabry says
Is 1.5 Tbs of the batter correct? They bubble up that much?
Deborah says
Yep, that is correct!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
I have fond memories of eating crumpets and Nutella in Austraila. Yours look scrumptious.
Whitni @ A Cookie & A Kiss says
Oh I have never made crumpets but this post has convinced me that I need to!
Ambar says
I have never tried Crumpets but they look delicious!
Katrina says
Crumpets are so dang tasty! I’ve never tried making them at home but these sound like a great plan! Yum.