Crumpets are the British answer to the warm breakfast bread: small, round and spongy, with a surface full of holes that soak up melted butter. They are made from an unsweetened, runny yeast batter with bicarbonate of soda, which is not shaped by hand but poured into moulds. With crumpets in the air fryer, you can skip standing over the pan and minding the heat: the batter bakes in small greased moulds with a solid base, and the top sets by itself in the hot air.
Advertisement: The page displays ads and contains advertising links (affiliate links). See our advertisers here.
Finally, the finished crumpets are toasted directly in the basket, so the edge turns crisp while the crumb stays soft and slightly chewy. The result is warm, holey breakfast breads with a British feel, made from perfectly ordinary ingredients.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love crumpets in the air fryer
A good crumpet is all about contrasts: a crisp edge, a soft and slightly chewy crumb and a top full of tiny craters. The holes appear when the yeast and bicarbonate of soda send bubbles up through the runny batter before the surface has time to set. In the air fryer, the batter gets heat from below because the moulds are preheated in the basket, and the circulating air firms up the top without the crumpets having to be turned.
I also like that the batter is unsweetened, because then crumpets go just as well with cheese or a poached egg as with jam and honey. And it needs neither kneading nor rolling out.
The difference between the pan and the air fryer
Traditionally, crumpets are cooked in metal rings in a pan over low heat, where you have to keep a close eye on the base so it doesn’t get too dark before the middle is done. In the air fryer, the temperature is steady, and you can bake four at a time without standing at the hob. The trade-off is that the moulds need a solid base, because the batter is too runny for rings without a base.
My kitchen test of crumpets
I tested crumpets in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has one basket with heating elements both above and below. That is an advantage here, because the heat from below helps the bubbles rise through the batter. I preheated to 170 °C, let the four empty ramekins warm up too for 3 minutes, brushed them with melted butter and filled them a third full. After 12 minutes at 170 °C, the surface was full of holes, set and lightly golden. Finally, I toasted the crumpets directly in the basket at 200 °C for 3 minutes with the holey side up.
Beforehand, the batter had risen for 45 minutes and rested for 15 minutes with the bicarbonate of soda, so 60 minutes of rising time. With 15 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking, the recipe comes to 105 minutes in total, but the batter looks after itself for most of that time. In a large model like the Philips XXL, the four moulds fit side by side; in a smaller air fryer, you bake 2-3 moulds at a time.
Never stir the batter once it has rested with the bicarbonate of soda. Lift it out gently with a large spoon, so the bubbles stay in the batter – they are the ones that become the holes.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is a batter that is too stiff. It should be runny, like a thick pancake batter, otherwise the bubbles cannot break through the surface. The second mistake is overfilling the moulds. Fill them only a third full, so the crumpets end up about 2 cm tall and have time to bake through; if the first one is still doughy in the middle, give the next batch 1-2 minutes more. The third mistake is cold or poorly greased moulds. Let them warm up during the preheating, and brush them thoroughly on the bottom and sides, so the batter gets heat from below right away and the crumpets come out easily when you loosen them with a small knife.
How to serve crumpets
Crumpets should be eaten warm and freshly toasted. The classic is butter alone, but the unsweetened batter works with both sweet and savoury toppings:
- Butter that melts down into the holes
- Jam or honey for a sweet breakfast
- A slice of cheese while the crumpet is still warm
- A poached egg for the weekend brunch
Storing and reheating
Crumpets can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you are ready to eat them, toast them in the air fryer at 200 °C for 3-4 minutes, until they are warm and crisp at the edge. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months and toasted straight from frozen at 180 °C for 5-6 minutes.
Crumpets in the air fryer are an easy way to bring a British breakfast feel into your home. Give the batter time to bubble, let the moulds get hot, and serve the crumpets warm with butter running down into the holes. You will find the whole recipe with quantities at the bottom of the page.
FAQ
Usually the batter is too stiff, or it has been stirred after resting with the bicarbonate of soda. It should be runny, like a thick pancake batter, and the moulds should be preheated, so the bubbles reach the surface before the top sets.
Yes, you can use 5 g of dried yeast instead of the 15 g of fresh yeast. For a slightly heartier flavour, you can also replace 50 g of the plain flour with wholemeal flour.
Use ovenproof moulds with a solid base, about 9 cm in diameter, for example ramekins or small metal tart tins. The batter is too runny for rings without a base.
Recipe
Crumpets in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
Avoid the screen turning off while you cook.
Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
Does the recipe fit my Airfryer?
If you’re unsure, you can always reduce by one serving in the recipe, or click the 0.5x button.
You can also Ask the AI Chef
It’s easy! Just press the Ask the AI Chef button you see at the bottom.
Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 4 Ramekins - About 9 cm in diameter, or other ovenproof moulds with a solid base
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Kitchen towel
- 1 Brush
- 1 Spoon - Large
- 1 Small knife
- 2 Oven mitts - Heatproof, or pot holders
- 1 Cooling rack
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Heat 2 dl whole milk and 1 dl water in a small saucepan until the liquid is lukewarm, about 37 °C.
- Pour the warm liquid into a large mixing bowl and dissolve 15 g yeast in it.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave the batter to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, until it has clearly grown and the surface is full of bubbles.
- Dissolve 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda in 2 tbsp water in a small bowl, and gently stir it into the batter. Leave the batter to rest for 15 minutes, until it bubbles up again.
- Melt 20 g butter in the saucepan while the batter rests, and get out a pastry brush.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 170 °C fan. Place the 4 empty moulds in the basket and let them warm up for 3 minutes, so they are hot when the batter goes in.
- Pull out the basket and brush the hot moulds thoroughly on the bottom and sides with the melted butter.
- Divide half of the batter between the 4 moulds with a large spoon, without stirring the bowl, so the bubbles are kept. The moulds should be about a third full, which is about 1.5 cm of batter.
- Bake the crumpets at 170 °C for 12 minutes without turning them, until the surface is full of holes, has set and is lightly golden.
- Lift the hot moulds out with oven gloves or pot holders, loosen the crumpets around the edge with a small knife, and tip them out onto a wire rack.
- Brush the moulds again, divide the rest of the batter between them, and bake the second batch at 170 °C for 12 minutes in the same way.
- Turn the air fryer up to 200 °C. Place 4 crumpets at a time directly in the basket, holey side up, and toast them for 3 minutes, until they are golden and crisp at the edges.
To serve
- Serve the crumpets warm with 50 g butter, which melts down into the holes.
Our notes for the recipe
The batter should be runny, like a thick pancake batter. If it is too stiff, the bubbles cannot break through the surface. Do not stir the batter after it has rested with the bicarbonate of soda, and fill the moulds only a third full, so the crumpets come out about 2 cm tall and have time to bake through. If the first crumpet is still doughy in the middle, give the next batch 1-2 minutes more. The holes:
The preheated, greased moulds give heat from below, so the bubbles from the yeast and bicarbonate of soda rise up and open the surface before the top sets. That is why the crumpets should not be turned during baking. Moulds:
Use ovenproof moulds with a solid base, about 9 cm in diameter, e.g. ramekins or small metal tart tins. The batter is too runny for rings without a base. Variation:
Replace 50 g of the flour with wholemeal flour for a slightly heartier flavour, or use 5 g of dried yeast instead of fresh yeast. The batter is unsweetened, so the crumpets work with both sweet and savoury toppings. Serving:
Classic with butter alone. Also try them with jam, honey, a slice of cheese or a poached egg. Portion size:
The recipe makes 8 crumpets, so 2 per person. If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake 2-3 moulds at a time in several rounds.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
Easily share the recipe with others:
Via email or on Facebook
Open the recipe on your phone
Scan the QR code with your phone and get the recipe directly on your mobile while you cook.
Author
Airfryerkogebogen.dk
