Low Calorie Bagels
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My low calorie bagels are light, fluffy, and made with a simple Greek yogurt dough. They bake up golden on the outside and soft inside, all without yeast or boiling. Each bagel comes in at about 72 calories.
I genuinely love bagels, especially a toasted, warm one with a crisp exterior and soft, chewy center. Traditional bagels, however, can be calorie-dense due to their size and classic flour dough.
Instead of cutting them out, I started experimenting with my Greek yogurt dough as a base to create a lighter version. The result is a bagel that bakes up golden and tender on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, all while being lower in calories than most store-bought options.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- No boiling required. Which simplifies the process while keeping the texture light.
- No yeast is needed. My yogurt dough eliminates the need for proofing time while still producing a soft interior and a golden crust.
- They freeze well. Bake a batch ahead of time for quick breakfasts of bagel sandwiches.
- Lower in calories. Each bagel comes in at about 72 calories, compared to many store-bought bagels, which range from roughly 220 to 300+ calories depending on size.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into low calorie bagels, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Non-fat yogurt. Use Greek yogurt for the best texture and extra protein. Full-fat or regular yogurt can be used, but the dough may be a little softer, and the calories per bagel will increase slightly.
- Self-rising flour. A blend of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. It simplifies the ingredient list and provides lift without yeast. If you don’t have any, you can make homemade self rising flour.
- Salt. Balances the tanginess from the yogurt.
- Bagel seasonings. Like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or Everything but the Bagel seasoning.
- Butter or egg wash (optional). Helps the toppings adhere and promotes browning. For the lowest calorie option, use an egg white wash or skip the step entirely.
How to make low calorie bagels
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2- Make the dough. Combine the flour, yogurt, and salt until a smooth dough forms. Shape it into a ball.
Step 3- Shape. Place the dough on a floured surface and divide it into equal-sized balls. Roll it into a bagel shape, connecting the sides to form a circle.
Step 4- Bake. Place the bagels on the lined baking sheet, brush them (optional) with butter or an egg white, and sprinkle your toppings on each bagel. Bake until they’re golden brown, then let them cool briefly.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Bake the bagels on the middle rack. This prevents the tops from browning too quickly and allows the centers to cook through evenly.
- Flavor the dough. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of garlic or onion powder for a savory variation, or 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (or substitute) for a lightly sweet version.
- Add mix-ins. Like raisins, cinnamon, blueberries, pickled jalapeños, or asiago cheese…though preferably not all in the same recipe!
Storage instructions
To store: Store the bagels in an airtight container in the fridge for one week.
To freeze: Place the cooled, uncut bagels in a freezer bag and freeze for six months.
Frequently asked questions
When made as instructed, each bagel weighs approximately 1.5 ounces (45 grams).
Yes, but increasing the size will proportionately increase the calories. If you want to double the size (similar to large, store-bought bagels), each bagel will have 144 calories.
They are lighter and softer than traditional bagels. While they won’t have the same chew as a New York-style bagel, they hold up really well to slicing, toasting, and toppings.
If you use regular (non-Greek) yogurt, the dough will be better because it contains more moisture. You’ll likely need to add extra flour to make it workable. For best results, a thick, strained non-fat Greek yogurt, brands like Chobani, Face, Trader Joe’s, and Oikos, work well.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information on this page was calculated using weighed ingredients and analyzed by our in-house registered dietitian using standard food composition databases. Values are estimates and may vary depending on specific brands, ingredient substitutions, and portion sizes. We recommend measuring key ingredients (especially flour) by weight to improve accuracy.
Low Calorie Bagels
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup Non fat Greek Yogurt 240g
- 1 cup self rising flour 120g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1.5g
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 18g, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, non-fat yogurt, and salt, and mix until a thick dough remains. Using your hands, gently shape into a smooth ball.
- Lightly flour a kitchen surface. Transfer the ball of dough on top of it. Divide the dough into 8 small or 4 large portions. Using your hands, roll out the dough into a hot dog shape, then connect the sides to form bagels. Place them on the lined baking sheet.
- If desired, brush the tops of each bagel with the melted light butter or a whisked egg white. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or your favorite bagel toppings.
- Bake the bagels for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top. Remove the bagels from the oven and let them cool completely before slicing in half and serving.
Notes
- Nutritional information: This recipe makes 8 mini bagels. The nutritional information does not include the butter/egg white wash or toppings.
- Bagel weight: Each bagel weighs in at 1.5 ounces (45 grams). The total batch weighs 12- 12.35 ounces (340-350 grams).
- Standard-size bagels: If you’d like large, New York-style bagels, each one is 144 calories (3 ounces/90 grams).
- Leftovers: Keep refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 6 months.
Nutrition
More low-calorie favorites
- I love a slice of low calorie banana bread with a pat of butter for an afternoon snack or a sweeter breakfast.
- If you enjoy granola, my low calorie cereal has all the crispness and crunchiness, without the calorie density.
- Low calorie pancakes are thick and fluffy and perfect for any morning of the week.
- Low calorie tortillas are pliable, soft, and great for quesadillas or pizzas.
- Or any of my low calorie recipes
Originally published December 2021. Updated February 2026 to improve measurement accuracy and provide revised nutrition estimates.
I wondered why these were so low calorie and then immediately realised when I could only make 4 very tiny bagels out of the dough mix! They taste good and you can’t complain with only 3 ingredients, but just be aware they’re not normal bagel size unless I’m doing something very very wrong
Hi Sue! These are more mini bagel sizes, but definitely not tiny- they turn out as pictured. Did you shape them correctly?
i definitely did something wrong because i had to use almost two cups of flour. but apart from that they were good
Hi Tilo- it sounds like its the brand of yogurt you used. I recommend a non-fat Greek yogurt (typically higher in protein than traditional plain yogurts), as they are thick and absorb flour a little better than other yogurts, which are wetter and tend to need more flour.
pls do recipes in metric plz
My dough came out a sticky mess. What did I do wrong?
Hi Maddie- sorry to hear that. Did you use Greek yogurt and the correct flour?
hi !can i use whole meal flour or the calories will change?
Hi Elen! You can use wholemeal self rising flour, and the measurements would stay the same. The calories will increase by a tiny bit, which won’t have too much of an effect per bagel.
great but needed to use x2 amount of flour and made half what it said it does
Hi Evie- it sounds like its the brand of yogurt you are using which is requiring more flour than expected. I’ll add an FAQ to address this, as several readers have also mentioned this!
Not sure how this would be lower calorie than a traditional bagel (which is boiled-not fired btw.), unless you’re just portioning it smaller. I guess you’re eliminating any sugar or malt syrup but you’re adding yogurt which would have additional calories. These would have some protein though. . .
Hi Huntcade- I totally hear you. So, I’ve gone back to the post and updated it with metric measurements, and had our in-house registered dietitian give a nutritional breakdown. When compared ounce to ounce (or gram to gram), there is significantly fewer calories in my version compared to traditional store-bought ones.
You are correct, it was an error in the writing which has been fixed 🙂
Can’t wait to try!
Please do, Teale! I’m excited to hear your thoughts! 🙂
Hm I was searchimg this week in the shop. But I couldnt find low calorie bagels. You have some advice?
Can I also use skyr instead of Greek Youghurt?
I never bake things especially not bread and this seemed too good to be true low calorie and quick and easy but ALAS they came out literally perfect I can’t believe it!! I put rock salt and garlic on the top and omg so amazing
I never made bagels before. When you write self raising flour, can I use regular one and put baking powder?
I never made baga before. I see many of your recipes have Greek yoghurt.
But in grocceries I only find “type of Greek yoghurt”. Is that the same?
Lovely buns did everything As on recipe and tasted well and weren’t dry however more salt for next time as flavour was pretty blunt. And the size would say was small not medium.
No worries, Syndia! Yes, these are small when made as 8, but I’ve updated the recipe to reflect the measurements if you make 4 extra large ones instead 🙂
These are the most delicious and easy bagles to make. I love them! Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome!
best bagels ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!