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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This is a simple and quick recipe. Bagels taste amazing. Soft and light inside when it is hot out of the oven, it has a nice crunch on the outside. Will try it again for sure.
I haven’t yet made these bagels, but, before I do, I would like to know what the baking temperature needs to be. I didn’t see that in the recipe. This sounds like a great recipe to make with my grandson, who loves to bake with Bubby (-: !
PS: I had a cottage bread business before retiring, baked bagels, bialys, babka, sourdough, challah (still bake the latter).
Hi Joy, sounds like you have plenty of experience baking yummies in the kitchen! The bagels should be baked at 375°F/190°C. Hope you and your grandson enjoy!
Hi Jen, if your recipe states just the single word, “salt” as the ingredient, should we assume it is table salt?
Hi Diane, Yes, when a recipe of mine says salt in the ingredient list, I’m referring to regular/table salt. If it calls for something else like kosher salt, I will specify that in the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
I have made these bagels several times since discovering your recipe, and my family and I love these bagels. I always use the FAGE 2% Greek yogurt as shown as it works the best in this recipe, and I change out the seasonings on top depending on what sounds good that day. When they are done, the kids and I like to add a little whipped cream cheese and some fruit on the side. This is an easy and healthy breakfast recipe for a busy family. Thank you!
Mine unfortunately turned out really doughy as if they were undercooked. Just trying to trouble shoot what might have happened. I baked for a little over 25 minutes until they were golden, but my dough was still pretty tacky when I formed them. Would not kneading the dough enough result in that uncooked texture? If not, how can you tell the center is fully cooked if they are nicely golden brown on the outside? Thank you in advance before I reattempt
Hi Ashley, I’m sorry the bagels came out doughy for you! The lack of kneading would not have contributed to them being underbaked. I think you may want to add another tablespoon or two of flour as it sounds like the dough may have been a bit too wet. To determine if they’re cooked through, you can pull a bagel out and cut into it. Another option is an instant-read thermometer. You’re aiming for an internal temperature of 190°F. Hope that helps!
Just made these!!
Deeeeeeeeeelicious!!!
I made everything but added Parmesan, Asiago, and onion. I also made a cinnamon raisin bagel but was not sweet enough for me even though I added 1.5 tbsp of sugar. However, my family liked it just fine.
Soooooo good! My son almost grabbed his third bagel, I had to kick him out of the kitchen!
Definitely worth trying. So fast and so good.
The texture is like a regular bagel but softer inside in my opinion.
Soooooooo good
Initially I was very excited by the simplicity of the recipe. That didn’t last long. Unfortunately, the bagels were dry and papery (everything I dislike in bread). Toasting may indeed save the parade to a degree, but I would only make these again if I exhusted all other possibilitie of getting/making tasty bread. Moving on to your challa recipe.
Mine were soft and delicious, not at all dry or papery.
Maybe too much flour?
Jenn
I love all your recipes and these bagels were no exception. They were fabulous. They came together quickly and easily and were moist and light. I followed the directions exactly but added a bit more yogurt because the dough seemed slightly dry. Between my husband and me, they didn’t last long.
My question is can I double the recipe next time I make them?
Nancy
Glad you liked them! Sure, it would be fine to double them. 🙂
These are a very simple, tasty quick bread. They tasted to me like a cross between a bisquit and sourdough bread. I’ve been using them for sandwiches.
My family loved these but they are not a traditional bagel. I only had one container of Fage yogurt so I used that and Cabot sour cream. While delicious they had almost a biscuit like texture- soft and light, not at all chewy. So quick and easy with no rising, no boiling, another family friendly recipe from Jenn!