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.
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.
What You’ll Need To Make Miraculous Homemade Bagels
- 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.
Add the Greek yogurt and mix with a fork just until the dough comes together in a shaggy, crumbly mass.
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.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and press it into a flat disc.
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (about 92 grams each, if you’re weighing them).
Roll each piece into a rough ball—don’t worry if it looks a little craggy, like biscuit dough.
Use your finger to poke a hole in the center.
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.
For the egg wash, beat the egg with 2 teaspoons of water.
Place the bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and brush them with the egg wash.
Sprinkle with the toppings, if using.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden. Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
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.
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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.
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
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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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I have to admit that I was skeptical. But…..these are so good and are so light! And so easy to make! I especially like the idea that the recipe makes only 6. Just right for me…I cook for one.
Great, easy and fun to make – family was impressed!
This bagel recipe is incredibly delicious. Baked 2 of each flavor- sesame, poppy and everything- just this morning! Easy to prepare resulting in bagels that have a crispy bottom, soft and light textured dough with mouthwatering toppings. These bagels are sure to impress and are diet friendly.
Just love the simplicity of the bagel recipe and the Greek yogurt gave it a nice fluffy, soft texture. Made tuna bagel sandwiches! 😉
These are just amazing! The crust is golden and crispy and the inside is chewy – just what a bagel is supposed to be. The ratio of crust to bread is almost 1 to 1 so no extra bread to scoop out. The first time I tried the recipe, I used part 2% Fage and part 1% of my homemade yogurt. The dough was so sticky that it was very difficult to manage, although the baked bagels were delicious. Yesterday I made the batch with only 2% Fage and the dough was perfect, as were the baked bagels. My toppings were 2 sesame, 3 Trader Joe’s Everything mix and 1 Maldon Flake finishing salt which didn’t melt into the crust and was pretty dazzling to look at. These are definitely in my weekly baking rotation.
Question on the Greek yogurt. One yogurt cup is 7 oz. So is it 1.5 Greek yogurt cups (10.5 oz), or truly measuring out 1.5 cups so 12 oz?
Hope that makes sense, I can’t wait to make these!
Hi Laura, if I’m understanding your question correctly, you don’t want to rely on the cups that the yogurt comes in. I’m referring to using 1-1/2 measuring cups full of yogurt. If you have a kitchen scale it’s the equivalent of 360 g. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the bagels!
Hi Jenn,
I made this yesterday for the first batch I make it like a bun no whole on it for my husband sandwiches to take to work ,when it came out in the oven I had a bite and I said to my husband wow this is good. I made the second batch right a way with dried blueberries as per your suggestion this time is bagel for myself this is so good there is no doubt when it comes to your recipe. I am looking forward for your new book to be release this fall, sometimes I feel guilty I forgot to go the review and put 5stars I cooked 98% food at home from your recipe. I am a Filipino living in Canada and I never been a good cook thanks I found your site many years and I had your first book. I couldn’t say thank you enough to you for sharing your recipe and emails. My husband told me he eat good food now.
Thanks again
Rose
❤️
I feel the same way. My cooking through Jennifer’s recipes has become foolproof. Thank you Jenn.🎉👯♀️💫
Just tried this recipe and the bagels turned out great! I made them plain but next time I will try some toppings. I was so happy with results and how easy it was to make them!
I had never made a bagel of any kind until I made these. My husband says they are excellent and I think so too because of Jenn’s delicious, yet easy recipe! Before baking I sprinkled dried onions and also sesame sesame seeds on them and, added bonus, they smelled so good while they were baking.
I’d love to try this recipe with my 3 grandsons. I’m curious as to whether the recipe can be doubled as is, or whether there are adjustments. (Six bagels would disappear in a flash!)
Thank you, Lynn
Hi Lynn, It’s fine to double – no changes needed. I would set one rack in the middle and the other in the upper middle position, and allow a few extra minutes to bake.