Miraculous Homemade Bagel Recipe

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Who knew bagels could be this simple? Made with just three ingredients—mostly flour and Greek yogurt—these high-protein bagels have a sourdough-like flavor and a chewy, satisfying texture. They’re perfect toasted and topped with your favorite spread.

Bagels stacked on a plate.

My dear friend Kim Cohen introduced me to this shockingly easy and waistline-friendly bagel recipe. It’s a twist on a popular Weight Watchers favorite that she discovered on Skinnytaste, and apparently, versions of it are all over the internet. Somehow, I’d completely missed the memo!

The recipe uses Greek yogurt and flour as its base, resulting in bagels that are light on calories but pack a protein punch. While they’re not quite the same as traditional New York bagels—those require yeast and boiling—they’re delicious in their own way. The tangy yogurt gives them a unique flavor, and the texture is wonderfully satisfying. They’re particularly good toasted and slathered with cream cheese or your favorite topping.

Bagel sliced in half.

What You’ll Need To Make Miraculous Homemade Bagels

Bagel ingredients including baking powder, egg, and flour.
  • All-Purpose Flour: Forms the foundation of the dough, creating structure while keeping the bagels soft and chewy.
  • Baking Powder: Acts as the leavening agent, giving the bagels a light, fluffy rise without yeast.
  • Low-Fat Greek Yogurt: Adds moisture, tangy flavor, and richness to the dough while helping it bind together.
  • Egg: Brushed on the bagels before baking to create a glossy, golden-brown crust.
  • Toppings: Optional but highly recommended for added flavor and crunch; try poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or everything bagel seasoning.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

whisked dry ingredients in bowl

Add the Greek yogurt and mix with a fork just until the dough comes together in a shaggy, crumbly mass.

mixing bagel dough with fork

Knead the dough with your hands until it forms a slightly tacky ball and no dry bits remain. Don’t overwork it—this should only take about a minute.

kneaded bagel dough

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a flat disc.

bagel dough on floured work surface

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (about 92 grams each, if you’re weighing them). 

dough cut into 6 equal pieces

Roll each piece into a rough ball—don’t worry if it looks a little craggy, like biscuit dough.

bagel dough ball

Use your finger to poke a hole in the center.

poking hole in dough ball

Lightly flour your hands, then gently stretch the dough into a bagel shape, making the hole about 1-1/2 inches wide. The bagel should be just under an inch tall. Repeat with the rest of the dough, adding more flour as needed.

shaped bagels on work surface

For the egg wash, beat the egg with 2 teaspoons of water.

Egg wash in a bowl with a fork.

Place the bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush them with the egg wash.

brushing egg wash on bagels

Sprinkle with the toppings, if using.

sprinkling toppings on bagels

Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden. Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

baked bagels fresh out of the oven

The bagels will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two days; freeze for longer storage. For best results, slice and toast the bagels before serving.

Bagels stacked on a plate.

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Miraculous Homemade Bagel Recipe

Forget the bagel shop — this straightforward recipe delivers flavorful bagels without the need for yeast or boiling.

Servings: 6 bagels
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur), spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups low-fat Greek yogurt (preferably Fage brand)
  • 1 egg
  • Toppings, like poppy seeds, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, etc. (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the upper-middle position. Line a 13x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the yogurt and, using a fork, mix the ingredients just until they form a shaggy, crumbly dough. Using your hands, knead the dough until it forms a slightly tacky mass and no crumbs remain (do not overwork the dough; this process shouldn't take more than a minute or so).
  3. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and form it into a flat disc. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (if you want to weigh them, they should be about 92 grams each). Roll each piece of dough into a ball (the dough will have a slightly uneven and craggy appearance, similar to biscuit dough -- that's okay). Use your finger to poke a hole in the center. Lightly flour your hands, and gently pull and stretch the dough into a bagel shape until the center hole is about 1½ inches in diameter and the bagel is just shy of an inch tall. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, sprinkling with more flour as necessary.
  4. Arrange the bagels on the prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 2 teaspoons of water. Brush the bagels with the egg wash and sprinkle with the toppings, if using.
  5. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden. Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Before serving, slice the bagels in half and toast.
  6. Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bagels will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two days; freeze for longer storage. For best results, slice and toast the bagels before serving.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 bagel
  • Calories: 169
  • Fat: 2g
  • Saturated fat: 1g
  • Carbohydrates: 27g
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 10g
  • Sodium: 245g
  • Cholesterol: 4g

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • This recipe was great fun, and the bagels turned out beautifully. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, given that the recipe is based on Weight Watchers, but the bagels are small. I wonder if anyone has tried using the same amount of dough for 4 bagels rather than 6?

    • — Laura on February 13, 2025
    • Reply
  • Ok I was a bit hesitant as I had never made these before and some of the negative comments BUT they turned out amazing! Also considering I used 1 c. of Greek yogurt and 1/2 c. of cottage cheese as well as 1c. Of white flour and 1/2 c. of whole wheat flour. After cutting into 6 pieces I folded in some extras in a few (a couple white cheddar & black pepper, a couple sesame, one caraway and one white orange zest and cranberry). Anyways – awesome and will definitely make again. Oh! I should add I’m in Canada , cook with a gas oven and did have to cook longer but that’s fine:)

    • — Teagen on February 3, 2025
    • Reply

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