Keto Bagels
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My keto bagels are chewy and dense in the middle, with a tender crust; they taste like the real thing! Made with just 5 ingredients, these have no yeast.
I’ve baked my fair share of low-carb breads over the years, but these almond flour bagels are the ones I come back to most. They’re soft, chewy, and have that classic bagel texture you’d never expect from a keto recipe. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I took my fathead dough base and did a few rounds of testing until I finally landed on the perfect combo that rivals the real thing: crisp on the outside, tender inside, and baked in just 15 minutes.
There are plenty of keto bagel recipes out there, but this one stands out because it actually feels like a real bagel- not just a hole in a roll. My picky partner, who grew up in Manhattan (a self-proclaimed bagel snob), actually requests these toasted with cream cheese- proof that going low carb doesn’t mean missing out on bagels.
Key Ingredients
Here are some notes on the ingredients that go into low carb bagels. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
- Almond flour. Blanched almond flour or superfine almond flour, not almond meal. The former two will yield a light and tender crumb.
- Baking powder. Gives the bagels some rise and fluffiness.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese. Yes, you’re reading this correctly. Shredded mozzarella cheese acts as a binder (what gluten would do) and adds structure. There are many kinds of mozzarella, and I find low-moisture mozzarella to be best- it has the least liquid, which bakes up to be chewier and bread-like.
- Cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese, NOT reduced-fat varieties.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs. You can also add an extra egg yolk to be used as an egg wash.
Flavor Variations
While delicious on its own, here are flavor ideas to add on top. Personally, I love them with some almond butter, keto jam, or homemade Nutella on top!
- Asiago. Also known as cheese bagels! Fold through 1/4 cup of shredded cheese into the dough, and sprinkle the tops with parmesan cheese before baking.
- Poppy seed. Sprinkle the tops of the bagels with poppy seeds.
- Cinnamon Raisin. Add 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon into the dough, and fold through 2-3 tablespoons of raisins.
- Sesame. Simple and classic- Add toasted sesame seeds on top.
- Onion bagels. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add onion powder and onion flakes to it. Top the bagels with coarse sea salt, onion flakes, and sesame seeds.
- Everything. Add everything but the bagel seasoning over the tops of the bagels.
How to make low-carb bagels
Step 1- Prepare the ingredients. Combine the almond flour and baking powder and set aside. Melt the mozzarella and cream cheese together, stirring until smooth.
Step 2- Process the dough. Let the cheese mixture cool slightly before transferring it to a food processor. Add 2 of the eggs and the dry ingredients, and pulse until a smooth, sticky dough remains.
Step 3- Shape into bagels. Lightly dust a flat surface with almond flour. With damp hands, divide the dough into 8 pieces, roll each into a rope, and join the ends to form bagel shapes. Arrange on a lined baking sheet, brush with whisked egg, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Step 4- Bake the bagels for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Allow the bagels to cool before slicing, toasting, and serving.
Arman’s recipe tips
- If your stand mixer has a dough blade attachment, use that to pulse everything together for a more uniform dough. It’s much easier than mixing by hand.
- Do not microwave the cheeses all at once. You must do them in 20-second spurts. This ensures they don’t burn or overcook and are pliable enough to form the dough. No microwave? I find the double-boiler method to be the next best option, but be sure to keep mixing.
- The egg wash is optional, but it gives the bagels a golden crust and holds the toppings better. You can also try melted butter.
- Use a donut pan for uniform-sized bagels. Add the batter to a ziplock bag and pipe it in.
Frequently asked questions
If your melted cheese mixture is too warm, it will feel oily and sticky as you shape the dough. This is why I recommend cooling it slightly so it will be easy to shape.
If your bagels turned out dense, it’s because the dough was undermixed or the cheese was cooled too much. The beauty of this dough is that you can reheat it briefly and shape it again.
No, unfortunately not. There is no gluten in them, which would see the mixture dissolve once it hits the boiling water.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information has been reviewed by registered dietitian Felicia Newell, MScAHN, RD, CPT.
Perfect Keto Bagels
Video
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 large eggs divided
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the almond flour and baking powder and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, add the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese. Microwave them together in 30-second spurts, until mostly melted. Whisk them together until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture into a food processor, along with two of the eggs and dry ingredients, and pulse until smooth.
- Lightly flour a kitchen surface with some almond flour. Transfer the dough onto it and divide it into eight equal portions. Roll out each piece of dough into a thin, sausage shape. Connect the sides to form bagels.
- Place the bagels onto the lined baking sheet. Whisk the third egg in a small bowl then brush it over the tops of each bagel, then sprinkle your toppings of choice. Bake the bagels for 12-15 minutes, until firm and golden on top.
- Remove the bagels from the oven and let them cool completely, before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
More keto bread recipes
- Keto English muffin
- Keto bread
- Keto buns
- Keto rolls
- 90-second keto bread
- Coconut flour bread
- Keto banana bread
- Cloud bread
Originally updated July 2022
Lovely. Thank you
Great recipe!! First time I made it my bagels came out flat and super dense. After reviewing the ingredients, I had put too much cheese and my baking powder was expired! So I went out to get new baking powder and followed the recipe exactly – including letting the bagels completely cool off. They turned out perfect! Crumb is dense but fluffy! I actually like a bigger bagel size, so i think i might make 6 instead of 8 next time. I brought one in and cut up samples for my coworkers and they all liked it too – enough to say they’d pay for me to make a batch once a week! =)
One thing I would say is that I prefer a crunchier exterior (I’m a NYer so I’m picky with my bagels) – so I tried broiling to see if that helps and it does! I will also try the toaster b/c at home we don’t have a toaster oven.
Now I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Excellent recipe, have made several times. The suggestion about boiling instead of baking was interesting. Did you add baking soda to the water?
These were super easy and so much better than i expected. thanks for sharing arman.
My son in law had been buying expensive keto bagels. I made these for him and he was blown away. Asked me to make him a dozen for a birthday gift! Of course I did more than that, but there is no better compliment!
I just went low-carb a few weeks ago and while I love eggs and cottage cheese for breakfast, I was missing having more portable options. This recipe turned out great. They look just like little bagels but obviously have a different texture. They were bread-like but were a bit more flaky rather than chewy like a traditional bagel. By my calculations, they are closer to 300 cal each if you split it into 8 bagels but they are packed with protein (17 g) and low carb (8 g). They provide an excellent vehicle for cream cheese. They were simple to make but the dough is rather wet. The suggestion to spray hands with oil before handling the dough made it much simpler. My son who is trying to pack on muscle for his upcoming sports season also enjoyed them. Thank you for the recipe!
My husband couldn’t believe these were keto! So good!
So delicious! I had not anticipated how good they would be. With no time to toast it before running the office, I ate it room temp within a couple of hours of baking, with some cream cheese and was quite pleasantly surprised. I’ll be making these regularly and sharing with others.
Truly the best keto bagel recipe I’ve ever tasted. I thought it would not be chewy but it was perfect.
The perfect low carb bagel does exist! I followed the recipe as written.
VERY good bagels. I had two as soon as they were done cooling! I made 3 types: Plain, everything (I used the trader joe’s everything but the bagel seasoning), and cheddar. The everything and cheddar ones were spectacular!! I paired them with chive/onion cream cheese, and jalapeno honey cream cheese, respectively. After putting them in the toaster they were delightfully crunchy on the outside! I would say they are 90% like an actual bagel, so, so good. Amazing recipe! Thank you so much!
Its many healthy fats, nice, healthy. Perfect snack for my keto friend!
These are amazing! Not exactly like regular, but close enough that it’s worth it to keep my blood sugar from getting elevated.
Fantastic. Really fills a void caused by my diabetes. Soft pretzel recipe also. Thank you!!
This turns out great. A really good alternative.
Best keto recipe I’ve come across so far, across the board! Thank you! They are truly delicious and mimic actual bagels. This is coming from someone who hates eggs and how all keto substitutes always taste eggy.
Question: do you have a suggest on how to make cinnamon sugar bagels with this recipe?