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These cottage cheese bagels need just two ingredients to make and yield crispy and chewy bagels every time. Make them in the oven or the air fryer.
Is everyone still adding cottage cheese to everything? I hope so, because I sure have. Inspired by my 2 ingredient bagels and air fryer bagels, I’ve created my new obsession- cottage cheese bagels. They are just as easy and delicious, but pack in extra nutrition in each one.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Quick and easy. No yeast means from prep to plate, these bake up in under 20 minutes.
- Healthy. Like my protein bagels, each bagel packs in at least 15 grams of protein and has very little fat.
- The BEST texture. You get that gorgeous, crispy exterior while being soft and fluffy in the middle.
- Use them like real bagels. Toast them, then stuff them with cream cheese, smoked salmon, or even my famous cottage cheese egg salad!
If you love all things cottage cheese, try my cottage cheese pizza crust, cottage cheese muffins, cottage cheese cookies, and cottage cheese brownies next.
Key Ingredients
- Cottage cheese. I like to use whipped cottage cheese because it mixes into the dough easily. Standard cottage cheese will work, but you’ll need to knead it into the dough a little bit.
- Self-rising flour. A combination of flour, salt, and baking powder. Using this flour skips the need to add your leavening agents and salt. Skip the expensive pre-mixed kind and make my homemade self-rising flour.
- Egg. Optional, but I like to brush the tops of the bagels with an egg wash to give them that golden crust.
- Toppings. Everything but the bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds are my go-tos.
How to make cottage cheese bagels
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- Make the dough. In a mixing bowl, add the flour and whipped cottage cheese and mix until a smooth dough remains.
Step 2- Knead and shape. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and shape into 8 balls of dough. Shape the balls of dough into a bagel shape.
Step 3- Assemble. Transfer the bagels onto a baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and add toppings.
Step 4- Bake or air fry. Bake in the oven at 180C/350F for 20 minutes or in the air fryer for 12 minutes.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Mix with your hands. I know that sounds messy, but I find the best way for the dough to form is to use your hands. This is especially important if you don’t blend or whip the cottage cheese first.
- If the dough is too crumbly, I find adding some cottage cheese or water to rectify it.
- If the dough is too wet, adding a pinch or two of flour will solve it. Avoid going overboard with it to prevent it from being too dense.
- Sub out the egg wash. I know not everyone wants to use eggs so feel free to swap it out for some milk or a dash of olive oil mixed with water.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover bagels are best stored in the fridge, covered, for up to five days.
To freeze: Place the baked and halved bagels in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheating: Slice the bagels in half and toast them as you would any bread.
More high protein breakfast recipes
- Protein smoothie
- Egg white bites
- Cottage cheese flatbread
- Air fryer egg bites
- Protein oatmeal
- Egg bites with cottage cheese
If you tried this Cottage Cheese Bagels recipe or any other recipe on The Big Man’s World, please rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below. It really helps others thinking of making the recipe.
2 Ingredient Cottage Cheese Bagels
Video
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup whipped cottage cheese
Optional toppings
- 1 small egg whisked
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or the air fryer to 180C/350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and whipped cottage cheese and mix/knead them together to form a dough. If the dough seems dry and won’t come together, add more cottage cheese or a little water.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and shape into eight balls. Roll into a bagel shape.
- Place the shaped bagels onto parchment paper and brush with the whisked egg. Sprinkle the toppings of choice.
Air fry
- Place the bagels in the air fryer basket and air fry for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Oven
- Place the bagels on a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Tried this and it came out perfect and tasted great! Very easy to make as well. Definitely saving this recipe!!
These were amazing!! The air fryer gave them such a good texture, 10/10 recommend
Thanks, Molly!
These cottage cheese bagels are a game changer using blended cottage cheese. I can’t say I like using straight-up cottage cheese for it.
We found them to be a little crumbly when recipe testing!
Could these be made with whole wheat flour?
Yes! Or whole wheat self rising flour 🙂
Can the almond flour replace the white flour?
Yes, just tested this using almond flour and it works!!!
Is the amount of almond flour the same as the self-rising flour? Do I need to add baking powder & salt? Can’t wait to try it!!
Yes, it is. And yes!!
How much Baking Powder and Salt do you add when using Almond Flour? Can’t wait to try this!! 🙂
one teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt
Have you tried boiling them before baking like ‘normal’ bagels?
I haven’t, but please let me know if you do!
So delicious 😋 will make it again, definitely a keeper
Why not use everything bagel seasoning?
Yes, feel free to use that. I sometimes omit it because my siblings are allergic to garlic 🙂
Can these be made gluten free. I have celiacs
Just made this and they are soo good!
Love that!!!
Just made these cottage cheese bagels using the air fryer method and it was fabulous. I added some parmesan cheese (love cheesy bagels) and everything but the bagel seasoning.