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My protein bagels need just three key ingredients to make and pack in over 30 grams of protein each! They bake in just 15 minutes.
Love homemade bread recipes? Try cottage cheese bread, protein bread, and coconut flour bread.
I grew up eating bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter, but as I’ve gotten older, I’m realizing they don’t have the staying power they did back in the day. Enter- my high-protein bagels!
Yes, the thought of the two sounds a little bit like an oxymoron, but I’ve adapted my 2 ingredient bagels recipe to be super high in protein. Like many of you, a high-protein breakfast is super important for keeping me full and satisfied, and these honestly taste like the real thing.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- No yeast is needed. Unlike traditional bagels, these do not contain yeast and are baked, not boiled!
- Quick and easy. This recipe takes less than 15 minutes to make from start to finish. I reckon the hardest part is choosing what to serve your bagels with.
- Super high in protein. Each bagel has over 30 grams, but I’ve included a ton of variations to amp it up even more!
- No fancy mixers or kitchen gadgets. All you need is just one mixing bowl and a mixing spoon.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Great recipe. 😊 I sprinkled them with everything but the bagel seasoning and served them with mashed avocado & a tiny bit of lime juice. Absolutely delicious, great breakfast.” – Mj Armstrong
Ingredients needed
- Protein flour. An enriched self-rising flour with added protein in it. I used Vetta protein flour, which has 21 grams of protein per serving. If you can’t find protein flour, standard self rising flour can be used. For gluten-free bagels, use a gluten-free baking flour containing xanthan gum.
- Protein powder. Optional, but swapping out half the protein flour for unflavored protein powder will increase the protein content of each bagel to 30 grams.
- Greek yogurt. Non-fat Greek yogurt has over 21 grams of protein per half cup. I used a full cup in this recipe, which provides 42 grams of protein. For vegan protein bagels, use your favorite non-dairy yogurt or coconut yogurt.
- Bagel toppings. Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and everything but the bagel seasoning.
How to make protein bagels
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the dough. In a mixing bowl, add your protein flour, protein powder, and Greek yogurt and mix until a thick dough remains.
Step 2- Knead. Lightly wet your hands and gently knead the dough until smooth.
Step 3- Shape. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and shape them into bagel shapes.
Step 4- Bake. Place them onto a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with your favorite bagel toppings. Bake until golden on top.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use the right protein powder. If you choose to add protein powder, be sure it is unflavored and a blend, not straight whey protein powder. I’ve found through testing that the latter dries out the bagels (or any baked goods, for that matter).
- Always knead the dough. While these bagels don’t use yeast, kneading them properly will ensure a smoothie exterior and make them easier to form. I find 3-4 minutes to be plenty of time.
- Shape the bagels correctly. Stretch the dough once you add a hole to the center, and make sure it is large enough. This typically shrinks during the baking process.
- Brush with butter. Or an egg white. This gives the bagels a golden exterior and helps any seeds or toppings stick on.
- Make your own flour blend. Combine all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder together.
- Make these in the air fryer. Follow the exact same process as my air fryer bagels. Place the bagel dough in a preheated air fryer basket and air fry at 200C/400F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Ways to add more protein
While the Greek yogurt and protein-enriched flour add a hefty dose of protein, you can amp it up even more with a few tricks!
- Cheese. Cheddar, tasty, American, and Pepper jack cheese all pack in 7-10 grams of protein per slice. Cream cheese also provides 2-3 grams per tablespoon.
- Cottage cheese. Swap out the yogurt for equal parts blended cottage cheese.
- Nut and seed butter. Almond butter, honey peanut butter, and sunflower seed butter all have at least 6 grams of protein per two tablespoons.
- Spreads and dips. Hummus, tzatziki, and avocado all have between 3-5 grams of protein per serving.
- Eggs. Egg salad, air fryer soft boiled eggs, or an over easy egg.
- Meat, poultry, and seafood. Smoked salmon, grilled chicken, healthy tuna salad, and air fryer turkey bacon.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover bagels can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days.. If you’d like to keep them longer, store them in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Place cooled bagels in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to six months.
Reheating: Slice the bagels in half and toast them before adding your favorite spreads and/or fillings.
Frequently asked questions
Traditional bagels typically have around 4-5 grams of protein each. In my recipe, each bagel has around 30 grams of protein. If you skip the protein powder, each bagel will still have around 13 grams of protein.
Yes! Swap out the flour for equal parts almond flour. Please do not use coconut flour, as these bagels will dry out completely.
More high protein baked goods
Protein Bagels
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup high protein self rising flour * See notes
- 1/2 cup unflavored protein powder ** See notes
- 1 cup Greek yogurt non-fat
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, add your flour and yogurt and mix until combined. Using your hands, gently knead together until smooth.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into eight equal portions and shape them into bagels. Place them on the lined baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with your favorite bagel toppings.
- Bake the bagels for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove the bagels from the oven and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published December 2021, updated March 2024
Great recipe. 😊
I sprinkled them with everything but the bagel seasoning and served them with mashed avocado & a tiny bit of lime juice.
Absolutely delicious great breakfast.
I’m sensitive to whey, so can I use beef gelatin powder as my protein powder?
Do you think I use a vegan coconut yogurt instead of green yogurt? Since I don’t do dairy.
Sure can!