An easy bagel recipe made with low carb fathead dough which results in perfect keto bagels every time. Have bagels ready in minutes for your next breakfast or lunch. (Nut-free option.)
THIS POST INCLUDES AFFILIATE LINKS TO SHARE THE THINGS I LOVE.
Do you miss having bagels as much as I do? I admit to being a former bread addict and bagels are a weakness of mine. Sesame bagels are a favorite, especially with bacon and scallion cream cheese like Bruegger’s Bagels makes. Mmmm. But sometimes, I enjoy my bagel toasted and slathered in butter and sugar-free jam; my favorites are strawberry, raspberry and blueberry.
Imagine healthy low carb bagels made with almond flour and mozzarella cheese! As you probably know, we low carb bloggers use this simple mozzarella dough recipe for almost everything. It’s a forgiving recipe accepting tweaks of all kinds for both sweet and savory applications – like bagel dogs.
I’ve tested this low carb keto bagel recipe extensively the last several weeks and finally have the recipe and technique down. Don’t worry. The recipe is extremely easy. I test my recipes several times before sharing.
Low Carb Keto Bagel Ingredients:
You only need five ingredients to make great low carb bagels but adding a sixth ingredient makes them even better. The simple ingredients are found in almost all low carb homes. The dough is made with
- mozzarella cheese
- cream cheese
- almond flour (or sunflower flour)*
- baking soda (or baking powder)
- one egg
NOTE: *Adding a little protein powder or oat fiber makes the bagels even more bread-like.
How to make Low Carb Bagels?
The method for making the bagel dough is very easy. I’ve experimented with three techniques and have a favorite. However, I will share all three with you since I want this recipe accessible for everyone.
Hand Method: Melt the cheeses together in the microwave (or on the stove). Add the egg and stir until combined. Add the almond flour and baking powder and stir to combine. Mix the dough thoroughly. It is very sticky, but easier to handle when it is cool and your hands are oiled. Lightly oil hands, divide the dough into even portions and roll into snakes and make a circle by pinching the ends together. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Stand Mixer Method: Melt the cheeses together in the microwave (or on the stove). Scrape the melted cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the egg and turn the mixer on low, then medium to mix to combine ingredients. Scrape the cheese off of the paddle (it will wrap around it). Add the almond flour and baking powder and mix on medium low – medium speed until the dough is nice and homogeneous looking. It will be super sticky, but less so if cool. Lightly oil hands, divide dough into even portions and Roll into snakes and make a circle by pinching the ends together. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet. (My favorite method for tripling the recipe!)
Food Processor Method: This is my favorite method. Melt the cheeses together in the microwave (or on the stove). Scrape the melted cheese into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the egg and run on low until completely incorporated. Add the almond flour and baking powder and mix to form a nice dough. Scrape onto a piece of cling wrap and freeze until the oven is ready. Lightly oil hands, portion dough and roll into snakes and make a circle by pinching the ends together. Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
See? Super easy! No need for special doughnut pans or equipment. You can enjoy healthy low carb bagels in minutes. I make a batch of low carb bagels on the weekend and enjoy them as a breakfast sandwich or with cold cuts for lunch. They make a great low carb and gluten-free bread alternative.
NOTE: These do not have the characteristic “chew” of real NY wheat flour bagels. This is a low carb recipe using low carb ingredients. However, it is a nice sub for those who are missing bread.
Nut-Free Keto Bagels Recipe
Follow the recipe as written for low carb bagels but sub ground sunflower seeds for almond flour or 3/4 cup of ground golden flax seeds. The bagels made with sunflower seeds may turn green, but that is only cosmetic.
[NOTE:] I’ve had readers tell me that using Daiya dairy-free cheese and dairy-free cream cheese works in this recipe. Readers have also told me that they have had success with using a flax egg for an egg-free recipe. I have NOT personally tested these ingredients.
EVERYTHING BAGEL TOPPING
Many readers love topping these keto bagels with Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel topping. For those who don’t have a Trader Joes near, here is a homemade everything bagel recipe from Savoring the Good.
Each low carb keto bagel is 3 net carbs.
Low Carb Keto Bagels Recipe (Fathead Dough)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 2 ounces full-fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour (see conversion chart in site menu) (nut-free options in post)
- 1 tbsp baking powder (or 1 tsp baking soda)
- 1 tbsp oat fiber (or 2 tbsp whey protein powder or 1/4 cup more almond flour)*
Instructions
- Place the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Scrape the cheese into a food processor with the egg and process until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and process until a dough forms. It is very sticky! Scrape onto a piece of cling film and place into the freezer.
- Preheat oven to 400 F and place rack into the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- When oven is ready, remove the bagel dough from the freezer and divide into 6 equal pieces. Lightly oil hands and roll each portion into a snake and seal the ends together forming a ring. Place on the parchment paper and top with your favorite topping, pressing gently to adhere.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the outside has browned. They will still be soft, so let them cool before removing from the baking sheet. Once cool, store in a bag in the refrigerator. Warm slightly to enjoy or toast.
- Makes 6 average sized bagels. Dividing the dough into 8 portions results in mini bagels and dividing into 4 results in gourmet sized bagels. (Don’t have a food processor? Read the post for other methods.)
- Keep bagels in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They keep for 7-10 days and also freeze well.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Bacon Scallion Cream Cheese Spread for Bagels (Low Carb)
Low Carb Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam
Awesome recipe!!
These weren’t awful, but I fail to see the appeal or at least why these are labeled as bagels besides the shape they are molded into. They taste more like a bran muffin than a bagel. Which isn’t exactly a horrible outcome but if you are expecting to bite into a bagel textured bagel then you will be sorely disappointed. But if you go into it thinking of it more like a bran muffin or a cakey type of bread then you will be more impressed. I ate them both fresh out of the oven after it cooled for 15 minutes but was still warm as well as one that was toasted. The one that was toasted and lathered with strawberry cream cheese was definitely more appetizing. Don’t get me wrong, I will use this recipe again but perhaps not as “bagels”.
Hi Sara. Yes, you are right. Low carb fathead bagels do not have the characteristic chew of regular bagels. I mention it in the post, “NOTE: These do not have the characteristic “chew” of real NY wheat flour bagels. This is a low carb recipe using low carb ingredients. However, it is a nice sub for those who are missing bread.“.
As for them tasting like bran muffins… I’m not sure how that would happen. Did you use finely ground blanched almond flour (the standard for low carb baking) or whole ground almonds (with the skin on)? That will make a difference in taste and texture for sure! Also, I think I like the whey protein powder the best out of all the versions, the oat fiber makes it more biscuit-like.
Keep in mind that low carb baked goods are never going to deliver the same taste and texture of the “real thing”, but are delicious nonetheless. Once you approach a low carb baking recipe with that in mind, you will be able to enjoy it for what it is – which is pretty wonderful.
Thank you for your thoughts and have a great week! -Kim
Happy to find a recipe with such good reviews. A month into Keto and my man and I are definitely craving bread in the morning!
Curious what you think collagen protein powder would do in this recipe instead of whey. I have not baked with either, but have a bunch of collagen unflavored I would like to use if you think it might be a decent sub.
Will probably order oat fiber too.
Thanks for the recipes, will let you know if I try it out soon!
Hi Susie. I haven’t tried using collagen protein in baking so I am unsure what it brings to the table. I actually made these yesterday. I honestly prefer using the whey protein powder in them as the oat fiber makes them a little biscuit-like (and I can taste the coconut flour if using that). The protein powder dries them out bit and makes it more bread-like. Add a little extra almond meal if the dough is too sticky to handle and don’t handle to dough too roughly or you can knock out the air bubbles. Only roll to about 6 inches. They are small, but filling and the perfect size for an egg breakfast sandwich. I hope this helps. -Kim
Kim! These are absolutely amazing. I’ve made as bagels but sometimes just shape as biscuits and they are incredibly perfect and so easy! Quick question – if making as a biscuit, is there a way to modify (maybe with yogurt instead of cheese and adding vanilla extract) so that you could use this as a biscuit for a strawberry shortcake type of dessert? I’d like to avoid adding sugar to make unhealthy but am curious if there’s a way to make neutral or plain for whipped cream and berries! Thanks
Hi Grace. I’m happy you like the recipe. You can add sour cream, yes. I would use oat fiber instead of protein powder as that seems to result in a more biscuit-like texture. Also, you should probably add just a little more almond flour to the recipe or they may spread out too much and be flat. I would mix any powdered sweetener you use with the almond flour and baking powder. Just so you know, I do have a nice strawberry shortcake recipe but it uses a sheetpan cake recipe. Leftover cake crumbs can be pressed into the bottom of a springform pan to be used as a cheesecake base. I hope this helps. -Kim
Just wondering what would happen if I used shredded sharp cheddar instead of mozzarella? Or a combo of the two?
Hi Jenny. Mozzarella cheese is “stringy” or rubbery and provides some elasticity to the dough that I don’t think you will get with cheddar cheese. -Kim
You did it again, well done. Fast and easy and hits the bread craving for sure!
Hi Kim,
Yesterday I made this with fresh mozzarella (instead of dried) by mistake. I am not from the US, so wasn’t sure about the cheese terminology and got confused…anyway they turn out to be SO good!
Texture is a bit more like a scone, or a cheese muffin. Anyhow I made BLT out of it and it was very good. Next time I’ll try with the dry cheese. Thank you, love your recipes.
Hi, I was just curious on if you can substitute the Almond flour with coconut flour.
Hi Monica. No, it’s not a straight sub. I should develop a recipe for coconut flour. For now, try the coconut flour bagel recipe from Low Carb Yum. -Kim
I just made this today with my boyfriend who is trying to do keto and I must say I followed your recipe basically spot on I even went out and tried to buy oat fiber which I couldn’t find instead used away isolate protein non-flavored I topped them with the homemade everything bagel seasoning which I just made from spices in the baking aisle I am not keto myself and I have to say I would absolutely choose these bagels any day over regular bagels that I eat on the shelf they were filling delicious fluffy fragrant gray with a whipped cream cheese tomato cucumber avocado and dill spread I have never tasted anything so amazing and I’m not even keto I think I’m going to turn keto now thank you so much for this recipe
Hi, If I don’t have a food processor, What is the substitute I can use? Thanks.
Hi Aileen. Just follow the “hand method” described in the post. If the dough is really sticky, let it cool a little after thoroughly mixing and/or add 2-3 tbsp more almond flour until it reaches a more manageable consistency. -Kim
These are so wonderful!!!! They baked up perfectly, I used egg white wash for tops to get a beautiful golden brown. Fantastic!
I’ve made several fathead bagels before and yours are by far THE best! Went ahead and doubled the recipe and feeling creative, I took some of my own garlic butter blend seasoning and topped 4 and my onion and herb dip blend on 4 using my everything bagel blend for the remaining 4. OMG the aroma in my kitchen was amazing! My kids stopped over with the grandbabies and devoured a few. Can’t wait to make them again with the oat fiber I just ordered.
PS-I’m also going to try seasoning the dough with some of my blends to make various flavored bagels. Have you done this?
These are incredible. I have them every day for lunch with cream cheese and smoked salmon and I can’t tell the difference from a normal bagel. They are also so filling. It is something I would have eaten not on keto as a bad treat!
Omg I’m so glad I found this recipe, all the other ones I tried were so crumbly I felt like I was having a savory scone
These are amazing! I had little hope since the last keto bagel recipe I tried was a HUGE flop. But this one is PERFECT! The texture is awesome and they taste so good! you really could do all sorts of things with them! Yum!
My bagels didn’t rise much, which is ok. I think I put in too much oat fiber, because they taste strongly of oats. I will try toasting them up and putting an onion butter on them, then trying your scallion bacon cream cheese spread.
Hi Paula. Just to make sure that you used oat fiber and not ground oats. Also, oat fiber should be almost white in color and have a very mild smell. If it has a strong smell, it is rancid. I found that out the hard way. Enjoy the cream cheese spread. I love it. Have a nice weekend. -Kim
Is it possible to make without the mozz cheese? Or are there any replacements for it (ie. more cream cheese instead)?
Hi Han. People have had luck with Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese, which is a little higher in carbs. -Kim
I followed your recipe to the tee and they turned out beautifully. My husband and I were just amazed. It must be the generous amount of leavening. I’m a baker, and 1 full tablespoon of baking powder added to less than 2 cups of dry ingredients would normally affect the flavor. We used poppy seeds and Himalayan salt on half. The other half we sprinkled with Zatar and sea salt. Incredible texture and flavor. Thank you so much for this gorgeous treat.
Just a tip: brush the bagels with egg wash (1 egg to 1 tablespoon water whipped) before topping and popping into the oven. It gives them a crust and keeps the toppings secure even during storage.
What is oat fiber? Where can you get it?
Hi Patricia. Oat Fiber is the ground and powdered husk of oat groat and nearly 100 % fiber. It acts similarly to coconut flour without the taste, but is not a 1:1 sub. It makes baked goods fluffy and helps them taste more like conventional baked goods. It lasts a long time and I find myself using it more and more. I buy it on Amazon. Make sure to choose a brand that is snow-white in color. It should have little smell. If it smells strong, then it has become rancid. That has happened to me before. I have begun using it in my cookies and love it. It makes fathead recipes more “short” kinda like a biscuit. Whey protein powder makes this recipe more bread-like. -Kim
wonderful.. I made Onion bagels using dried minced onions.. YUM
I don’t understand how you are getting 3 net carbs per serving of 6 here. Please explain? I just made these and entered the ingredients into a recipe maker and it shows 11 net carbs each.
Collene, enter the weight of the almond flour in grams as “blanched almonds”. This gives you the most accurate count. Also, add the weight of the cheese (in ounces). Using cups instead of actual weight of ingredients forces the program to make assumptions. I use Fatsecret.com as I feel it has the most accurate information, but it matters how one enters each ingredient. I have been doing this for about 10 years, so I know how to enter ingredients for the most accurate counts. -Kim
How are you getting such a low carb count with 1 1/4 cup of almond flour between 6 bagels?
Hi I made this recipe tonight with a few changes and they turned out amazing! I added 1/2 tbsp of coconut flour & 1 tsp of psyllium powder in place of the oat fiber. The rest of the recipe I kept the same. I am so happy to find this recipe. Next time I may try just coconut flour as I prefer it to almond flour. Thanks
Hi Meg, I’m glad you like the recipe. I suggest looking for a recipe that was developed for coconut flour instead of subbing coconut for the almond flour in this recipe as it isn’t a straight sub. -Kim
OMG! These are amazing. I used extra almond flour instead of oat bran and put teaspoon of vanilla flavoring. They turned out great. Thank you for an awesome recipe!!
Is it Baking POWDER or Baking SODA thats required??? Recipe & video are in conflict
Hi Laura. I’m sorry about the conflict. I originally used baking soda in the recipe (and photos), but many people said their bagels didn’t rise so I changed it to baking powder. I use double acting baking powder in my home. -Kim
Just made these, I didn’t have any oat flour so added more al one flour. Two of them I put cheese , bacon bites, and sprinkle them all with Everything bagel, bought that at Home Sence.
I had one and it was pretty good. My next one I will toast. Thank you for the recipe.
I’ve made a couple different keto bagels and these are the best. The ingredients don’t vary much recipe to recipe, but the technique in this one makes all the difference. I used the food processor method with great results.
I made these last night and they taste amazing! They were very dense and mine didn’t have the big sized holes yours do inside but the flavor is fantastic! I was wondering though….I noticed your low carb rolls recipe is the exact same recipe as this one only they’re rolled into balls, yet they seem to turn out in your pictures looking like a totally different texture especially on the inside. They also seem to rise much more judging from the pics. I’m concerned about trying them as I don’t really want super dense rolls, but in your pics they look so fluffy inside and full of air holes. Was there a trick you did to getting the rolls so much fluffier than the bagels? Or are they actually just exactly the same?
Hi Sam. Using oat fiber gives a little fluffier texture – almost like a biscuit. I like that for the rolls and protein powder for the bagels. I actually used baking soda instead of baking powder when I shot the photos for these recipes. Since so many people complained about their products not rising like mine did, I changed the ingredients list from baking soda to baking powder. I also use the bakers trick of heating a pan in the bottom of the oven and putting ice in it when my baked goods go in to lift them with steam. I handled both the rolls and bagels gently as not to squeeze out too much air. My rolls were almost completely round when I gently dropped them onto the pan. All gluten free baked goods will look really nice right from the oven and then will shrink as they cool. This will affect the texture, making it a little denser. Because of the amount of fat in the dough, cold bagels and rolls are more firm. Warming them gently relaxes the fat and makes them softer. I hope this helps. -Kim
There is a bakery near my house that uses hazelnut and almond flour for bagels along with white psyllium husk and the ingredients you list. They taste better and chewier than any regular bagel I’ve EVER eaten. Wish I could figure out the exact recipe as they are amazing.
They sound delicious, Julia! -Kim
Can these be made with whey protein powder?
Hi Melanie. I haven’t made this recipe with only whey protein powder, but I provide it as an option for the oat fiber. I like them both. The oat fiber makes it a little more biscuit like and the protein powder makes it more bagel like. -Kim
I have brand new baking soda but not baking powder. How much baking soda would you recommend I use or is that a bad idea? Thanks in advance – I’m looking forward to trying these.
Hi Jen, I used baking powder and it was fine for me, but others complained that it didn’t work. I would use 1 tsp. -Kim
Love these. Been low carb for two years and will never go back thanks to these wonderful recipes
Gosh I love this recipe, it is so delicious right after it is baked or toasted. People need to know that keto baking is a approach to regular baking. This iwebsite is so well-designed, it provides nutrition facts, very important for people who do keto diet, you could jump to the recipe if you wanna skip the author ‘s notes, tempting pictures make you feel a diet is not suffering. Thanks so much for making this all happening, this is wonderful.
Thank you, Grace. I’m happy you like the recipe and find benefit from the site. -Kim
Thank you so much for this recipe with a nut free option. Flax seed is so good for you and inexpensive. I have a donut pan and divided the recipe into 6 cavities to bake them. A lot less messy, lol
Made these, with a twist. As someone else suggested I added the yeast. Then to one batch I added 1Tbs cocoa powder and Tbs keto approved sweetener. They would have been better if I added a tsp of vanilla. Then i made another batch with 1 Tbsp cinnamon , 3Tbs sweetener and 1 tsp vanilla. I am not necessarily keto but have celiac and need gf and want to be sugar free as well. Next time I will do the garlic and onion powder.
Thank you for sharing Kim. I made this several times and it always turned out great, I want to make some for my great niece who is allergic to egg, Is there a way to omit egg. Please let me know.
Hi Gina. People have used flax eggs and it has worked. Just google “flax egg”. -Kim
Thanks, unfortunately she is also allergic to flax seeds so I tried egg replacer and it works. I used all almond flour and for the first time in her 2/1/2 years she was able to have her first bread. Thank you again.
Gina, I’m happy to hear that the egg replacer worked! I haven’t used it in over 20 years so I couldn’t remember if it would act as a binder or not. Your poor baby. Allergies are not fun. My nephews have multiple allergies and my husband is anaphalxis with pine nuts. Have a nice day. -Kim
What is the substitute for coconut flour?
Try 1 – 1 1/2 tbsp coconut flour, Hilary. -Kim
Ugh I love this recipe. Made it a few times now and it’s my go to bread substitute. I agree it’s not like a “bagel” but it’s so tasty my carb eating boyfriend even loves them. Plus the fat from the cheese really keeps me satiated. Thank you for the recipe! I am going to use it as a jumping off point and see what I can build from it
They taste good…I used whey…nothing like a bagel, however, is a great roll, muffin, bagelly breakfast treat.
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I have tried the Pretzel dog and it turned out great, also tried the pretzel dog recipe to make bagel. Today I tried this recipe and I don’t know what went wrong, it’s just to sticky and hard to work with even after putting it on the freezer. Could it be the Whey Powder that make it sticky cause on the Pretzel dog I just add your recommended extra almond flour and it turned out perfect. Any suggestion
Try adding a little more almond flour if it is to sticky again. Sometimes we measure more ingredients than another day. The recipe does take making a few times to get the hang of. -Kim
I’ve tried a fair few recipes the last few days but this was the best so thank u so much. My dough was runny though definitely not stiff enough to roll so I put it in a ziploc and piped logs onto the baking tray. I’m so happy just to have eaten something!!
Hi Claire. It could have been that the dough was too hot? I have never had anyone say it wqs runny. Next time, if it is really soft and gushy, let it cool just a little. Maybe your egg was larger? Did you use almond meal (ground almonds with the skin) or almond flour (without the skins)? All of these things will make a difference. The recipe will get easier the more you make it. Enjoy! -Kim
Second time making these and they come out fantastic!!! Use the protein powder and a food processor.
These are awesome! My tweaked. I followed the recipe verbatim. To the cheeses mix before microwaving I added a few shakes each of onion powder, garlic powder (less than onion) and dried chives. To the egg, (which I scramble before adding) I added about 1/2 tsp of dried yeast to sit in the scrambled raw egg and… melt. The yeast is just for a more authentic flavor. They came out so good and yummy. I split in half and popped into the taster. They had just enough bite and crunch. I have made Fathead pizza crust before many times, but never ventured out for something like this.
Great recipe! I wanted to let you know what I did to give it a crispy bite.
Basically I was lazy and mixed in the mozzarella and cream cheese in the food processor with everything else – unmelted. The bagels were a bit hard to roll out, and they don’t look pretty cooked. They were also a tiny bit flimsy so I toasted them. But somehow this give the exterior that crunch we’re all missing.
Hi Beth. That is how I make my focaccia bread and corn bread. Instead of melting the cheese, I put it all in the food processor. It’s great. I haven’t tried it as a bagel that way yet. -Kim
I will never understand why recipes mix ingredient values by oz, gms or cups, why not all in oz or gms and what is a cup, an egg cup, tea cup, which come in numerous sizes or mug and is that a British cup, American Cup Australian cup, etc., etc.
I Love this bagel recipe, it makes an awesome breakfast sandwich. I had to learn for myself not to double the recipe. Yes I tend to do things the hard way, lol that’s a mistake I won’t be making again! Topping these with a little garlic salt and Everything Bagels is so yummy, but hey I love garlic. Thank you for another awesome recipe :)
I’m happy you like the recipe, Theresa. Yes, without using a stand mixer or food processor, it’s messy trying to double the recipe. You can also melt the cheese in a pan on the stove and stir the ingredients into it right there on the stove. That may work better? -Kim
I have used Fat Head Dough in the past, but this recipe makes a great bagel! I used the Whey Protein – Very light and almost has the same texture as regular bagels.
Very Pleased!!
OMG these are amazing!! I have to admit, I usually have low expectations when trying out new low carb recipes, but this one is fabulous and definitely a keeper. I topped mine with everything seasoning and ate it right out of the oven with a big glob of butter. I had to restrain myself from eating the whole batch! Warm homemade bread is my weakness. Thank you so much for this recipe!
You’re gonna think I’m nuts, but I only had vanilla protein powder, so I used it. Turned out great. Got myself vanilla bagels. Delicious with cinnamon butter!!!!!
That sounds delicious! -Kim
I only have cookies and cream whey powder and I’m so tempted to use it to make a sweet version of these! Seeing this comment makes me feel better about trying it lol.
Hi Kim: You never cease to post great recipes. I love your rolls, bagels, dessert bars, Lemon Curd (my fav for cakes) & so many others that I cannot pick one favorite! I am SO glad I found your website last year!
Here’s an internet recipe for making Everything but the Bagel seasoning without spending a fortune for it in a store if you can even find it (or if there is no Trader Joe’s nearby). I use it as a topping for your rolls & bagels in rotation from my favorite caraway seeds or poppy seeds. (Recipe Source: Savoring the Good; )
[RECIPE REMOVED BY LOW CARB MAVEN AND LINKED TO IN THE POST]
You are so welcome, Mira! I made the lemon curd a few days ago. It’s so good. Thanks for sharing the Everything Bagel topping recipe. I added a link for it in the post. -Kim
Just discovered your blog, thanks for all the recipes and yummy work! I just made these with the flax meal replacement and they came out soft, without any rise. Is it possible I didn’t bake them long enough? Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi Danielle. I’m not sure what you mean by flax meal replacement. I didn’t test the recipe with ground flax. Did you use a flax egg or did you use ground flax instead of oat fiber/protein powder/more almond flour? If I know more about how you changed the recipe, I may be able to help. -Kim
Fyi a hand mixer works just as well
Yes, it does, Tara! But I had to keep pulling the cheese off of the beaters! (insert crying-laughing emoji). -Kim
This recipe comes out more like four servings unless you’re restricting how much you eat on top of dieting, which I don’t do. I did half of the recipe and made two bagels and they were smaller than average. I forgot to add baking powder so it was dense and weird, don’t make that mistake. I mixed cream cheese, pepper, salt, Italian herbs, and tomato paste together, topped that with a slice of tomato, topped that with more mozz, then topped that with a couple of sliced of dry cured sausage (chorizo is what I had on hand, but that’s Spanish, and pepperoni or salami would’ve been better). Pretty good recipe to build off of. Hopefully next time I remember baking powder and I can report on the texture of the recipe itself. No oats for me, however. I’ve also read that whey is not a recommended protein source for keto, so none of that either.
Hi Amanda. I agree that the bagels are on the smaller side, but I chose to have the recipe serve 6 because many people use them to make breakfast sandwiches. Although those who follow a low carb or keto diet have more wiggle room on calories and fat over those counting calories, many of us still have to watch our fat and protein macros. Having a larger bagel would not allow for much extras in that department. However, if one was having a bagel with cream cheese and one of my low carb jam recipes, yes, a larger bagel would be fine. Thank so much for providing your feedback. -Kim
I’m wondering if a little psyllum husk might give it a little chew?
Hi Colleen. Some people have used a little psyllium powder in this recipe and have liked it. Others, report that they were dry. I would have to experiment on how much to use. -Kim
Could I use psyillum husk instead of oat fibre?
You may need to use less psyllium husk. That is the one combination I didn’t try! Some people have tried and the bagels were dry and others liked it. You would have to experiment a little. -Kim
Unfortunately this recipe did not work out at all. I followed it exactly as written. The dough was not sticky even after the freezer so I had to add another egg. Still was not a good consistency. I have made low carb bagels before and thought I would try a different recipe. I ended up just trying to make buns as the dough was not kerping together. I through it out.
Hi Cindy. I’m sorry this recipe was challenging for you. It sounds like the cheeses weren’t hot enough to begin with. Did you mix by hand? I find that the recipe is much better if I use the paddle attachment on my stand mixer or use my food processor fitted with the metal blade. In the recipe notes I mention that if the dough isn’t very hot, it shouldn’t go in the freezer. That is just if it is too hot and soft to handle.
Hi, does it make a difference if I use a pre shredded or I shred the cheese? Thanks
It does, Fara, but both are good. The pre-shredded has a little starch (anti caking agent) which delivers a better texture than if you grate the cheese yourself. It still works, though. -Kim
Can you use coconut flower instead of almond flour?
Hi Shelly. I think that Low Carb Yum has a coconut flour recipe, I do not. -Kim
My hub used coconut flour as I am allergic to almonds. Came out good!
I just made these today and they turned out AMAZING! They taste and smell like crackers and are sooO fluffy :) definitely will be making these again ! I made them into pinwheels but I might try making breadsticks or character buns with them next!
Hi, I just found this recipe and your site looking for Dukan friendly recipes. Do you think this recipe would work with fat free or low fat cream cheese? The recipe sounds amazing and easy to make. Love all the reviews. I can’t wait to browse more recipes.
Thanks,
Isora
I have not tried this recipe with fat-free cheeses, but people have told me that vegan cheese substitutes work, so maybe? -Kim
When using the food processor method, which blade do you use? Standard metal one or other?
Great question, David. I just use the metal blade. -Kim
Bagels are my favorite and now I can make my own. I have Nomaste perfect flor blend and how this works.
I made this for my Mom, didn’t have mozzarella so I used jack cheese and psillium husk instead of oat bran or protein powder or oat bran. Came out really good.
These were so delicious!! Not chewy like a bagel, as stated in article, but definitely satisfied that craving. The only think I did different was coated with an egg wash to promote that golden browning. I’m looking forward to eating one tomorrow with the homemade breakfast chicken sausage and egg.
Is is 1 1/4 cup flour OR 1/4 flour? Sorry.
Hi Cathleen. It’s 1 and 1/4 cup almond flour. -Kim
Is the whey or oat fiber optional? Thank you
Yes it is. Just add a little more almond flour. The oat fiber makes it just a little biscuit-like and the whey protein powder makes it more like bread. -Kim
Mozzarella cheese, does it make a difference if you use the moist kind vs the drier version?
Hi Stephanie. The drier version, part skim, pre-shredded works the best. -Kim
Instead of baking in the oven- could you put them
In an air fryer?
I don’t have an air fryer, Hillary. -Kim
Did you try it in the air fryer?
I made these, toasted them and put peanut butter or cream cheese on them. So good and easy to make. Definitely fulfills my cravings for a bagel or bread.
How about making the dough and separating it into portions, then leaving in the freezer until you want to make a bagel at a time? So they will be hot and fresh each time?
Hi Myra. You will need to let the dough thaw in the refrigerator and also warm up before baking or it may not rise properly. I bake them, then freeze them once they have cooled. -Kim
I made these around 1pm and just now put them in the fridge 7 hours later, are they safe to keep or should I toss them?
They are safe to eat, Amanda. They have been cooked. -Kim
I tried to use my food processor but the ingredients seemed way to dry and didn’t mix well. Should I have used my ‘dry ingredient’ container instead?
Hi Mary. I suspect that the cheese wasn’t hot and melty enough. I only have one bowl for my food processor so I’m not sure what you mean by “wet” and “dry” container. If you have something like a Kenwood mixer that has all of the attachments, then the “wet” would be like a blender and the “dry” would be a food processor bowl. I hope this helps. -Kim
Thank you Kim. I have a Vitamix which came with both a wet and dry container. You might be right about the cheese, I don’t think it was warm. The bagels were fantastic so I will definitely be making them again.
Made these by hand and they turned out great (plain, sesame, TJ Everything But The Bagel, and cinnamon raisin). I guessed right that the kiddos would like the cinnamon raisin the best. Going into our regular rotation. Thank you!!
These turned out good! When I cut it in half there were some areas that looked not cooked all the way so I think maybe 13 or 14 min or check one before taking them out bc they look browned on top and bottom.. I like that they don’t taste eggy like other Keto breads I’ve tried. I wouldn’t suggest making mini ones if you want to cut them in half. It’s borderline on thickness when you make the 6. I will definitely make these again! Since going Keto I miss my avocado toast and cream cheese bagels. This is great for that.
Hi Sara. I’m glad you like the recipe. Yes, baking times will depend on your oven. I found that I need to cut my baking times down in my mother’s smaller wall oven. I suggest letting the bagel cool completely before cutting it in half and that should take care of any parts that may appear not cooked through. Regular bred recipes do the same if cut when still hot. Also, depending on how you mixed the dough (by hand or mechanically) the ingredients may not be evenly distributed. Thanks for you comment and for sharing your ideas and tips. Have a great week! -Kim
I just put my bagels into the oven. They are fun to put together. Very easy to make by hand. I just used a medium size mixing bowl. I did it all by hand. I had just received a donut pan from Amazon yesterday. I washed and dried the pan. I used butter to grease the cups and it worked perfectly for kneeling the dough. No stickiness at all. I only had 1 cup of the Super fine almond flour so I added 1/4 cup of flax meal. I read someone’s comment about adding a little vinegar also some baking soda. So I did that too. They are all done. They smell a little like pizza dough. Very tasty.
Great recipe! I did add a splash of vinegar and a tap of baking soda and they puffed up a little more and I was able to get a crisper outer layer.
What a great tip, Mellisa. I will have to try that for sure! -Kim
Your food processor bagels turned out wonderfully.
I use 1 tbsp psyllium powder instead of oat fiber and baked them in a silicon donut tray. Delicious! Thanks for taking the time to test and experiment with the food processor. Clean up sucks but it saved time making the dough.
Thank you so much, Yvonne. Yes, I agree the food processor is not fun to clean. Lol. -Kim
can you use xantham gym instead of oat fiber?
Hi Rebecca. I wouldn’t use xanthan gum. I would use whey protein powder, coconut flour or more almond flour. -Kim
Thank you! Having a hard time finding oat fiber. I’m going to use more almond flour but I’m afraid they are going to be dryer than I would like.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I made mine in the food processor and followed the recipe exactly except I used 1 tbl. of flax seed meal because I couldn’t find oat fiber. They turned out great…nice and “bready” and not hard or heavy at all. The only problem is that my 12 year old daughter keeps trying to eat them all up!
I’m happy to hear that you and your daughter like the recipe. These are so nice to have in the morning as part of breakfast. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend! -Kim
How many grams are in a serving?
My bagels are all different sizes so I want to weigh out a bagel to get accurate nutritional facts.
Hi Josh. Next time you make them, weigh the dough before dividing. Divide the total weight by six and portion each ball of dough to that weight. Then all of your bagels will be the same weight and have the same macros. That’s what I do. I hope this helps. -Kim
I have fresh mozzarella and it is very moist. Do you think this recipe could work with it? Has anyone tried fresh Mozzarella in a fathead dough?
Hi Kelly. I have not used fresh mozzarella but my gut says not to use any cream cheese and that you may need to use a little more almond flour. The recipe is very forgiving an accommodates all kinds of ingredient tweaks. I’m sure that fresh mozzarella could be used, but I honestly don’t know what the ratio of the other ingredients wold be. -Kim
Hi it says they are 3 carbs each but in the nutrition al facts it says 6 can you tell me what it is if you make 6?
Can’t wait to try them!
Hi Holly. The recipe makes 6 small bagels (larger than mini) and each has 6 grams total carbs and 3 grams of fiber. To calculate net carbs, subtract fiber grams from total carbs. That’s how I got 3 net carbs per bagel. -Kim
Is this dough solid enough to poach before baking.?
Poaching before baking is what makes a good NY bagel
Hi Gary. I have made real bagels many years ago and they came out beautifully. Unfortunately, this recipe isn’t like that. It’s made from gluten-free, low carb ingredients which do not possess the magical properties of gluten. These bagels are good as a vehicle for butter and low carb jams, as well as breakfast and lunch sandwiches, but they are not chewy like a real bagel nor do they have that yeasty smell and taste. -Kim
This dough is actually the best cinnamon roll dough I have ever made. The only sub I make is that I use 1/4 cup of lupin flour in place of 1/4 cup of almond flour. and no butter in the rolls.THANK YOU THANK YOU!
I used shredded vegan mozzarella cheese in the batch I made today and they turned out great – not as salty as real mozzarella. Another option is to use half vegan cheese and half regular cheese – and real cream cheese, of course! They are my new favorite! I had an egg salad bagel sandwich! Completely took care of my bread craving!
Hi Kim
What attachment do you use with the food processor?
I use the chopping blade. -Kim
These were fantastic!!! Mine weren’t very pretty, but they tasted amazing!!! So funny, because I had all these toppings out to try, cream cheese with cinnamon and Stevia, butter, jelly and I could have beaten him just plain!! To me the texture is more biscuitie, but what’s wrong with that?? Thank you so much!!
Do you prefer (or is there a difference between) blanched or unblanched almond flour. I’m starting to stock my cupboard with baking ingredients. I was a huge Baker before prediabetes and I don’t want to lose that because I’m trying to eat differently. Thank you for sharing all your experience!!!!
Hi Marq, great question. Yes, there is a difference between blanched and whole almond almond flour. Get the blanched. It works much better in recipes. I get it at Costco, Welbee’s on Amazon, or Bob’s Red Mill at my grocery store. Costco and Amazon have the best price so far. I also think that oat fiber, whey protein isolate, and xanthan gum are worthwhile purchases. Oat fiber can make baked goods taste more like wheat and also makes a fluffier texture. Only a little is needed and it keeps in the fridge forever. Xanthan gum thickens sauces and binds ingredients thus enhancing texture. Protein isolate can provide a little more structure to baked goods as well as give a more bread-like texture. All three of these extras last me years. -Kim
Hi,
Thank you for the perfect recipe, I have just add 2 table spoon of coconut flour, it made it perfect no sticky at all
Still soft and tasty… yummmm
I wish I can post the pictures!!
Fantastic, Azza! Send me the picture on Facebook. I would love to see it! -Kim
Hi Gina, I love your blog just found it today. So I just removed the bagels from the oven but they are not fluffy as pictured. I did add a bit more almond flour (roughly 2 tablespoons more) as I found the dough to sticky after kneading. I guess next time I can try the bakers tip and see if that ihelos then to rise them more. I will also try a brand new can of baking powder as well. Anyways my kitchen smells delicious and I can’t wait to try them. I did add an egg wash prior to adding the everything seasoning.
New to keto and stumbled upon your recipe on Google. I just used this recipe to make breadsticks (didnt feel like getting my hands oily and make circles). Maybe the oily hands would make it easier to roll out dough and keep dough from falling apart. I microwaved for 1.5 minutes as 1min didnt seem to melt the mozzarella all the way. I mixed everything in my bowl with a spatula as I didnt want to clean more dishes (yes, I’m being lazy on this rainy Monday).
Wow, they taste amazing and JUST like bread!!!! Thank you for your tips and sharing this recipe. I can now have my bread fix without all the carbs. Now I’m going to browse aeound your site to see what other awesome recipes you have. Thank you again!
Hi Christina. I’m glad you like the recipe. If the mozzarella cheese doesn’t completely melt, then that would cause the dough to fall apart. I hope you find other recipes that you love. Have a nice week. -Kim
Have you tried making them without the hole and using for hamburger bun? Everything else I’ve tried has been to eggy for my son.
Thank you.
Hi Gina. I do have a hamburger bun recipe and it is the very same recipe. I think the protein powder works the best. The oat fiber makes it more like a biscuit. Enjoy playing with the dough. -Kim
Hi!
I love how easy this recipe was, however, I found it very salty! Do you have any suggestions to reduce that?
Thank you!
Gail
Hi Gail. The saltiness would depend on the salt content of the cheeses. You could try to counteract the saltiness with a tiny bit of sweetener. Sweet balances salt. You can also try omitting the cream cheese. -Kim
Love, love, love this recipe! I use it to make a pizza crust by adding some basil and garlic sea salt to the dough. Bake it for 12 minutes on parchment paper. Top with a layer of mozzarella, then crushed tomato sauce, lots of meat toppings and finally cheeses of choice. Literally been making it weekly and even my husband, who is not a keto fan, loves this pizza. Thanks for the recipe.
I love how you made this into a pizza, Pamela. Thanks so much for sharing you idea and recipe. Check out my Taco Bake. It is a similar dough base that needs no melting! It makes a great base for pizza, taco meat, sloppy Joes, chili, etc. Thanks again and enjoy your week. -Kim
Can you make this dough for biscuits?
Yes, Lyn. I prefer the oat fiber version for biscuits and the protein powder version for bagels. You may need to add a touch more almond flour if the dough is too sticky. -Kim
Just made these. They came out so good. Although I almost forgot the baking powder cause I was making the corn dog recipe too. Will make again. I enjoy your site and will keep looking forward to more recipes. Keep up the good work and God bless you.
Thank you for the kind blessings, Laura. I’m glad you like the recipe. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
I followed directions, but measured out 6 ounces of shredded cheese, a little more than 1 1/2 cups. I followed directions to a tee, and got a dry, crumbly dough in my food processor. I thought maybe my cheese was old and dry so got a new bag out. I tried again, and got the same result. It could be that I used psyllium husk powder instead of oat fiber, but I’m afraid to waste ingredients to try again.
Hi Joanna. Yes, the psyllium husk powder acts differently than oat fiber or protein powder. Also, if the cheese isn’t hot enough initially, then it won’t incorporate with the other ingredients. It sounds like a combination of the cheese not being hot and melty enough and the psyllium husks being too absorbent. You can also make the bagels with just a little more almond flour. Some people prefer to melt the cheese in a pot and stir the rest of the ingredients into the pot with the cheese. It’s all about finding the method that works for you. -Kim
I am SO embarrassed. You might want to just delete my comment, after I tell you what happened. I realized when I went to try a third time (a different recipe) that I had accidentally grabbed my gluten free flour blend. >.< No wonder it didn't work! I got out my almond flour, made your recipe, and it turned out wonderful. Feel free to delete my original post, because I think it might confuse people that might not read the child comments. Thank you for your great recipes! The psyllium husk works great, my husband loved them.
Sorry I didn't get back sooner, I was in a rush for a family get-together and then forgot to come back to let you know!
I found that I only had coconut flour. It was dry and crumbly. Didn’t use the whey protein as I only had flavoured. Cheese was piping hot but it just wouldn’t blend and wasn’t sticky. Had to add a bit of water for it to combine. Do you need less coconut flour than almond flour?
Hi Nikki. You can’t straight sub coconut flour for almond flour. Coconut flour is extremely absorbent. You need much less coconut flour compared to almond flour. There are recipes for low carb coconut flour bagels if you Google them. -Kim
I just made these.I followed the food processor method and added psyllium fibre to the mix.I put sesame seeds on top.They turned out very well and taste great.Looking forward to experimenting with the recipe.Thank you so much.
Ok…got all ingredients in..even got the everything sprinkles in a grinder bottle by Rachel Ray; .copied recipe for bagels;… gonna first do the mini bagels cause others in the family will at least want to try…can’t wait…have been bread free for nearly three weeks!….next will be the FH pizza dough….a friend made it and said very good! Thanks for having these posts!
Thank you for this recipe! They turned out great even though I made errors when cutting the recipe in half. Using a whole egg did work good even using half the recipe. I used ground flax instead of oat fibre. Thanks for the steam bath tip, I think It helped! We love that these bagles don’t taste eggy like keto bread.
Great, Wendy. Thanks for sharing. -Kim
Hello Kim,
When I plug the ingredients into Carb Manager. I am coming up with 8 net carbs. The nutritional facts are double what you have. The batch we made was of 6. I didn’t have the protein whey so just used the extra almond flour. What happened?
Hi Jennifer. It’s common for people to get differing numbers on their nutritional calculators. I weigh all ingredients in grams/ounces and add them as raw to my calculator. I used MasterCook recipe program for years, but now am using Fatsecret.com since my new computer is incompatible with MasterCook. I love Fatsecret anyway and used to use it as my food tracker years ago. It’s great.
Anyway, all nutritional calculators use different algorithms to calculate food. The most accurate way to calculate nutrition is by measuring in grams then plugging it into the calculator. Using preset numbers for things like shredded cheese and almond flour (1/2 cup, 8 servings) is always more inaccurate as the program has to guess. For example, choosing eight 2 tbsp servings of almond flour to represent 1 cup is going to be different than weighing in grams and entering that number. The average weight for 1 cup of almond flour is about 90 grams. One more thing to think about is making sure that the almond flour is whisked up to remove lumps before measuring. Lumps equals using more than the recipe calls for because of compaction. And, coco powder should be sifted before measuring.
Also, be careful what brands you are choosing for your ingredients in the calculator. On Fatsecret, there is a mayo choice that has 5 g carbs per serving while another has zero. Same thing for cream cheese – A store brand I bought in Texas had 3 g carbs per tbsp while Philadelphia had zero. That was a shocker!
So, you can see that there are several things that can influence how numbers will fall when using a nutritional calculator. I suggest trying Fatsecret. I feel they have one of the best calculators around. I also like the pie chart of macros they include so you can see them at a glance.
I hope this helps. -Kim
Can I use psyllium husk powder instead of oat fiber?
Hi Jennifer. They are two different animals. The oat fiber makes these more fluffy. I am uncertain if you would have to add liquid to the recipe if using psyllium husk as I haven’t tried it yet. -Kim
I am so making these tonight for breakfast prep! I’m going to try mixing blueberries into the dough and see how it turns out. I have worked with fathead dough so many times for different recipes and am excited to try this out! Will also make a plain batch for egg sandwiches. MmmMmm. Can’t believe I never thought to turn the fathead dough into bagels! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Sometimes, all I want is a toasted bagel with salted butter. Will this toast well in a toaster?
Hi Catherina. Bagels are so good, right? I haven’t tried toasting these in the toaster, I always use the pan. -Kim
Hello question. If I don’t use the 1tbsp oat fiber do I just use the 1 1/4 almond plus an additional 1/4 cup of almond flour?
Thank you!
Yes, Sandra. BUT, make sure to use a whisk to remove all of the lumps in the almond flour before you measure so you don’t end up using too much. You don’t want the bagels to be too dry. -Kim
Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe! A nice change to the bulletproof coffee!
My dough was so sticky though, I had to make them into little buns instead of bagels. Any ideas?
They cooked perfectly though, and I’m very excited to have something different to eat for breakfast.
Hi Jennifer, I’m glad you like the recipe and that your bagels turned out so well. Let the dough cool a bit more and make sure to oil your hands before handling. That will help a lot. -Kim
Thanks for prompt reply Kim, will definitely try that
Another trick with working with this dough is to always have your finger tips wet with water! Works like a charm.
Hey, Kim!
This recipe is pretty great! Before I continue, I should let you know that I’m an avid home baker and cook. When I cook or bake, I strive for perfection.
That being said, I started the Keto diet about 1 month ago. I’ve lost 13 lbs already. (I guess I was eating too much sugar, eh?) – yup, I’m Canadian
Okay, back to the point of this post. When you melt mozza and cream cheese in the microwave, it will be very high in termperature. Hot hot hot. The next instruction that you gave was to put an egg in it. NOPE. The egg will cook and get scrambled. It no longer forms a wet dough. It will get chunky and not smooth. So, I think it’s important that you test the temperature of the cheese mixture before adding the egg. Just put a CLEAN finger in it!: If it’s too hot for your finger, than the egg will cook and scramble.
Thanks so much for the amaing recipes! XOXO
Hi Katie. Congratulations on your weight loss, that’s wonderful. My cheese has never gotten hot enough to cook the egg! Lol. So sorry. I think I have a weak microwave. Thank you for sharing how to check for the proper temperature before adding the egg. Have a great weekend! -Kim
These tasted good, but mine did come out looking like yours at all. They were thin and did not rise as large as yours did. I used my food processor and yours look nice and light colored and mine you could see the dark spots from the almond flour. Can you help me?
Yes, Stacie. It sounds like you used almond meal and not almond flour. Almond meal is ground almonds with the skin and almond flour is blanched almonds which have the skins removed. They behave differently in low carb baking recipes. I answered your question at length with lots of information on Facebook. Hopefully, I answered all of your questions. -Kim
I just made a batch using the hand method.
Perfection!
I only used the almond flour.
Had them warm with my homemade sf raspberry jam.
I will be making these weekly.
Is there a particular reason why the recipe needs “full fat” cream cheese?
Hi Michael, that’s a great question. The recipe calls for full fat because full fat cream cheese has less carbs than light or fat-free cream cheese. Also, full fat (which is the regular cream cheese) cream cheese melts very nicely. If you are trying to reduce fat, and aren’t concerned about carbohydrates, then the light cream cheese may work – but I haven’t tried it. -Kim
Thanks
Mine look like cheese rolled in almond flour
Oh no, Tiffanie. It sounds like you mixed by hand? If the cheese doesn’t get hot enough, the almond flour may not get completely mixed in. If you are doing it by hand, you can gently melt the cheese in a pot on the stove, take it off the heat and add the egg, then almond flour. See if that helps. Let me know if I can provide any more assistance. -Kim
Have you tried using some Xanthan Gum in the recipe? I ask because it’s used in gluten free baking as a replacement for the gluten in regular flour that gives baked goods structure and chewiness.
Hi Janis, that’s a great question. The mozzarella cheese in this recipe is magic and preforms better than xanthan gum for this application. Psyllium does a similar thing and there are some bagel recipes that use psyllium powder instead of the cheese, but they are completely different recipes. I hope this info helps. -Kim
Kim, you know I like your recipes, but to be honest… THIS is one of your best! At this moment baking some with rosemary and parmesan, sesame seeds and just plain. It’s part of my routine: every three days I’m baking these beauties for breakfast and dinner for the next day’s. Foolproof and yummy!!
This is a total game changer! I’ve been missing egg sandwiches so much and got so sick of yogurt and almonds for breakfast especially in the cold winter. I lost 25 lbs with the yogurt/almonds/salad/nuts as the entirety of my diet, now with these I still lost another 5! Now I look great but I don’t think I’ll be going back to eating carbs regularly, certainly not bread and bagels and pasta. This recipe seems pretty flexible, I skipped any other fibers or flours besides the almond (I used almond meal, that’s what they had at the store) and didn’t bother with a food processor just hand mixed it and ended up slightly increasing the amounts of things, and used 2 eggs. They’ve come out perfect every time I’ve made them and I didn’t even bother measuring the ingredients the last two times. Amazing. Thanks for a fantastic recipe.
Just curious, have you frozen the dough to be baked at a later date?
What type of protein powder have you used?
Glad to hear these can be adjusted to be more like biscuits!!! Love myself some hot buttered biscuits – now if only honey didn’t have so many carbs!
Amy, I have frozen the dough without the baking powder – the pizza dough, but not this recipe. I use the plain zero carb protein powder from Isopure. It smells funny, but it doesn’t make things taste funny. -Kim
Hello! Just tried them today and they were great! Just wondering if you have to refrigerate them or can you leave them out overnight?
Thanks!!
Hi Mary. You don’t have to refrigerate them, but I think they are better if you do. The texture changes overnight a bit and they are better if they are warmed gently before eating. With low carb baked goods, it is what it is. I’m glad you like the recipe and appreciate you taking the time to comment. Have a wonderful day, Mary. -Kim
Amazing,, I’ve made another batch and they are fabulous!! Thank you for your help,, yesterday was just one of “those”Days. I feel so silly..anyway, wanted to let you know, when ya make me right, they are really good!
Oh, good, Jackie. I never know if someone uses a different measuring system so I go overboard in information sometimes. Thanks for taking the time to write back and let me know the recipe turned out for you. Have a wonderful day. -Kim
Maybe recheck the bagel recipe..n1 TABLESPOONS of baking soda???nthats all Intaste in my bagels.. Maybe you should double check the recipe.. TLBS = tablespoon… Tsp is teaspoon
Jackie, it is 1 tablespoon of BAKING POWDER not baking soda. If you use baking powder, try 1 teaspoon. In the states, the abbreviation for tablespoon is TBSP, Tbsp, tbsp or T. and teaspoon is tsp or t. I hope this helps. -Kim
It said either I thought.. Ok thank you, I loved the texture and everything but that aftertaste of soda, wow! Lol. Thx again!
No problem. I hope the next batch tastes better! yuck! lol. -Kim
Ok, you’re right, I went back and retread the recipe and now I feel dumb,, lol,, thanks tho for clarifying!
Hi Kim. Under the food processor directions, the recipe calls for baking soda. But the recipe says ingredients list saying backing powder. I was confused too until I read the comments.
Thanks!
Thanks Christine! Found and changed! -Kim
How are these when eaten cold or at room temp? We are heading out camping and would love to have a packable sandwich type lunch, but so far most of the keto “breads” I’ve made are best eaten warm. Definitely going to give these a try either way.
Thanks!
Hi Jen, great question. I don’t like them cold as well as room temperature or warmed slightly. When the cheese is cold, the texture is more firm. -Kim
Thank you Kim, ill give that a try.
These are very nice, particularly for Low Carb “bread.” But they really need a new name. Neither the flavor nor the texture is anything like a real bagel, so I was rather disappointed from that standpoint.
That said, I used my stand mixer with dough hooks, and sprinkled on some Trader Joe’s brand “Everything But the Bagel” mix. They baked absolutely beautifully, didn’t have an overwhelmingly cheesy flavor, and would make very nice little all-purpose “buns” for sandwiches, toast, and the like.
But let’s not call them bagels.
My bagels come out flat. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Penny. There is a little learning curve with the dough. Your baking powder may be old or you may need to add a little more almond flour (1-2 tbsp is usually enough). Also, try the baker’s trick of adding ice to a preheated pan in the oven when the bagels go in. The oat fiber gives almost a biscuit texture to the dough, the protein powder gives the truest bread-like texture, and using all almond flour is somewhere between the two. -Kim
These look great and I want to try them but baking soda and baking powder are not the same thing. You can substitute for one another but the measurements are very different. Which did you use? Thanks for the recepie!
Hi Ruth. I used both. I used 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda for the bagels, but some people said that their bagels didn’t rise. I changed the instructions to call for 1 Tbsp of baking powder instead of the baking soda in the hopes of keeping people happy. The bagels in the photos were with baking soda, but I get the same result with the baking powder. I hope this helps. -Kim
can i substitute something else for the mozarella? it’s just not a cheese that sits well in my gut, i blame the celiac. thanks!
Jamie, the mozzarella cheese gets rubbery and that is what helps give these structure. Another cheese may work. I say to try it and see what happens. You my not need the cream cheese since other cheeses have more fat than the part skim mozzarella. -Kim
SO GOOD! I used the whey protein option and the ice cube trick. I used my scale and divided out 6 2 oz portions of dough. I’m tripling the recipe this weekend because there are 3 people on Keto in my household. 6 days worth of “bread”!
Great! I’m so glad you liked the recipe, Katrina. Make sure to use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you triple the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your experience with the recipe. Enjoy! -Kim
BISCUITS!! I made these last night and did a few things wrong (it was kinda late) BUT my errors resulted in delightful biscuits! As a southern girl I was thrilled. I made sausage gravy and biscuits for breakfast and will make the batter incorrectly again for a biscuit topping for chicken pot pie. My mistakes were – I added all of the flour at once and ended up using too much so it wasn’t sticky. Then I skipped the freezer part and put them straight into the oven. I’m going to try again to make the bagels correctly but am happy to have a biscuit recipe too.
Yes, Donna, if you use more of the oat fiber you get biscuits. I’m glad you liked them and your sausage gravy biscuits sound delish! Actually, the protein powder gives a better bagel texture. -Kim
Hey Kim! Amazing blog, you’re a lifesaver for low-carbers. Any ideas for a sweet fathead dough? For perhaps danishes, cinnamon rolls, etc.? Would love your suggestions! Thanks, Nicole
Absolutely, Nicole. You can sweeten the dough. I would use a powdered sweetener or powder yourself. I have use it to make danish, but you have to use a little more baking powder. -Kim
Keto deliciousness!
I just made these and they taste quite good. I added some rehydrated jalapeño flakes for a bit of kick and sprinkled cheese on top before baking. I am sure they will make a nice BLT. Thanks for taking the guess work out of making these.
I made the bagels and they were great! Could I use this same dough for pizza?
Yes you can, Lynn. I would leave the baking powder out of the recipe though. -Kim
l hate most fake breads but these were pretty good! I might use them for hamburger buns in the future! Thanks.
Just made a batch of these (I’m a bit late this this party). They are shocking good! Thank you for all your hard work developing, and posting this recipe.
Have you tried to freeze the dough for later use? I wonder if it would be okay?
Hi Ashleigh. I have frozen the pizza dough, but not this bagel dough. Because the cheese is a little acidic, I wonder if it will act on the baking powder and use up it’s rising properties by the time it thaws and warms up? I’m just thinking out loud. You would have to try. I often triple the recipe, making it in my stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and bake them all on two sheets. Then, I freeze 12 for later use while I enjoy 6 for the week. I hope this helps. -Kim
Hi Kim
I have been following your site for a while and love the low carb recipes. I love my bread etc which is what I miss the most with low carb , but I am surviving!! There is another recipe that has been circulating which I tried before getting your email. It consists of only 2 ingredients: 1C self rising flour (I used almond flour & baking powder that’s why 3 ingredients not 2), 1C full fat greek yogurt (this needs to be the full fat, and not the flavoured – usually too much whey) and egg wash. I even made in the air fryer. Only made 2 to prevent myself from over indulging !! Turned out pretty good.
I would love to see the recipe, Kathy. Could you send it to me? I have an email icon included with the social media icons on the site. Have you seen the roll recipe from Cast Iron Keto? I haven’t tried it yet, but I would love playing with it. Have a nice day. -Kim
Thank you for this recipe! It is perfect!!!
I made these with one addition of brushing melted butter on top and sprinkling with Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning and they turned out perfect! I did add the Whey protein as suggested and they really are perfect. I also used my Vitamix (using the Pulse option) and it worked perfectly. For sizing I used my kitchen scale to make them all the same approximate size. Note if you are looking to make bagel shop size bagels you will not get six but if these are sized perfectly and given the ingredients anything bigger than suggested would probably be too rich.
Thanks again!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Trish. I’m glad you like the recipe. The bagels are rich and that is why I portioned the recipe at 6 bagels. We’re all watching our macros to some extent and these are nutritionally dense…. Have a very nice weekend. -Kim
Perfection. I’m so happy with the way these turned out. Thank you for sharing.
Can someone point me in the right direction to find the list of ingredients with the amounts. It may be right in front of my nose but I can’t find it.
Hi Kathy. They are listed in the recipe card under the heading “Ingredients”. -Kim
I pretty much love this reply
Thanks. I don’t know why that didn’t show up before when it is so obvious now.
Do you have recommendations for a dairy free option? I have something to sub for the cream cheese…can I just use all cream cheese substitute?
Valerie, I have had readers say that they used vegan cream cheese and Daiya Mozzarella cheese and it worked. It will be higher in carbs, but lower than a regular bagel. -Kim
Made these bagels last night and they’re delicious! Had a nice breakfast sandwich this morning with an egg and piece of bacon! I think next batch I’ll add some raisins, cinnamon, and a little sweeter to make a cinnamon raisin bagel :-)
Your video shows baking soda, but your ingredient list shows baking powder… which is it?!
Hi Paige. I actually just changed the recipe the other day. I used baking soda in the bagels in the pictures, but several people said that their bagels did not rise. It could have been because they had old baking soda since it isn’t used as often as baking powder. I want these recipes to be great the first time, so I just omitted the baking soda and left the baking powder in the recipe. I had already contracted out to have the video made. I am sorry for any discrepancies. You can use 1/2 tsp baking soda if you would prefer. Have a nice day. -Kim
I am new to low carb. What kind of whey protein powder do you use. Thanks, I can’t wait to try these out.
I love using zero carb Isopure, John. I used to buy the vanilla and the chocolate, but now I just buy the unflavored. I get it from Amazon, but it can also be found at The Vitamin Shoppe. Congratulations on trying low carb. There are so many great recipes around now. Enjoy! -Kim
This does NOT make 6 regular sized bagels. I doubled the recipe for 12 and was only able to make 5 regular sized bagels that were puffy and not flat. If I didn’t make them the size they were, they’d be flat as a pancake and small like mini bagels. Otherwise these were delicious and easy!
I think of regular sized bagels somewhere between the big ones you get in the bagel shop and mini sized, Lauren. With the macros, you probably wouldn’t want them too much bigger if you were going to use them for sandwiches or put an egg on them. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Have a nice week! -Kim
I made these just like the recipe but I used all almond flour and added a tablespoon of flax seed for extra fiber. I topped then with toasted sesame seeds. They turned out really good!
This looks so good! I’m so excited to try this recipe. But, i like to cook in bulk, can these be frozen?
Absolutely! If you have a stand mixer, I recommend using it for the dough. I triple it and freeze the rest. Use the baking powder option, it seems to produce the best rise. And the ice cube trick also helps. They shrink upon cooling, like all gluten free baked goods do. Enjoy the recipe.
Have you ever tried making these as the flavor of French toast? Just wondering because I have maple flavoring and keto sugar free cinnamon sugar mix for the top. Do you know about how much maple flavor I would be good to add?
No, I haven’t, Zoe but it sounds like an awesome idea! -Kim
WOW!!! I made these and my husband and I LOVED them. I used all Balderson Cheddar instead of Mozzarella, added 1 Tbsp of Physillum, and dipped both sides in sesame seeds. Very impressed with the finished product. Thanks for the awesome recipe. Definitely going to be a family favorite.
Great recipe. Terrible website. So many ads loading and reloading that even on a new mac – difficult to scroll.
Robert. I am sorry you are having a bad experience with adds the site. I have my adds set to “Low” and have “jump to recipe” and “print recipe” buttons at the top of the page for all of my content except for my most popular recipes. I just don’t know what else I can do since I spend 15-30 hours on each post (yes, it’s a REAL full-time job) and I deserve to be paid for my hard work. Most sites have adds and people expect it. Part of the slowdown is a conflict between Java and another script (both integral to the theme) which forces them both to load and may result in the page re-loading. I am searching for a faster theme. There are other keto sites which do not have ads, but they have multiple affiliate programs which they peddle in every post, on Facebook, and in their Newsletters. You can always employ an adblocker in the Google toolbar to cut back on ads. I hope this helps. Have a wonderful day and enjoy your holiday. – Kim
I made these but found it easier to make a ball and stick my finger in the center to make a hole. This worked better to me.
Thank you so much! I am addicted ! I made mine with whey protein option and add pinch of salt and pinch of Monk fruit sweetener.
Great! I love your little tweaks. Have a nice week. -Kim
Hi Kim,
i am so excited to try this recipe!!! i have a couple of questions before i start to bake. how much mozzarella is in grams? can i use a regular ( non pre- shredded) mozzarella or will it be too wet?
Hi Annarita. Two things, my recipe card will convert any ounces to grams for you if you hover over the ounces. Also, I have a conversion chart for almond flour and other common low carb flours in the menu bar that you can access at any time. You can even pin it. Grated cheese is generally measured 1 ounce per 1/4 cup, so around 170 grams? I hope this info helps. -Kim
Thank you for this recipe – Awesome! I have tried so many recipes with almond flour, protein powder, coconut flour (mostly all alone – one ingredient at a time) and have never been happy with the consistency. Always tastes like sawdust! This time I took the four volume and split into thirds using all three + one heaping teaspoon of pea protein powder. I also used herb and garlic cream cheese as I did not have plain (yummy flavor to the bread it turns out). Then I doubled the recipe and made in a food processor. I also used pea protein powder for the oat fiber ingredient. Half the dough was split in 4 to make “regular” (what you see in stores) sized bagels and the other half split into 6 which made smaller bagels.
I wet the tops with water which seemed to get sucked up dry! then brushed egg white on the tops (as an adhesive) and added my home-made everything bagel topping. Then I lifted them and rubbed the bottoms into the topping on the parchment that had fallen so both sides where blessed with the everything bagel topping. They baked perfectly. I gave the bigger ones an extra 2 minutes.
OMG – I am now addicted! Just slice toast (the whole hose fills with the smell). add butter and cream cheese.
Thank you – it’s a keeper! I am done experimenting…but not eating!!
I’m thrilled you like the recipe. Yes, any egg wash gets absorbed almost instantly into the bagel, that’s why I didn’t add that step in the recipe. Thanks for sharing your experience and taking the time to comment. Have a wonderful day. -Kim
Hi Tom. I’m going to try Kim’s revipe as is but would also like to try what you made.
Will u be able to email me your measurements please? I’m new to keto and miss bagels a lot.
Oceanview295@gmail.com
Thank you
Thank you! These are fantastic. My first Keto bagel…….it was much easier to make than I thought they would be. And they’re delicious! I wish I could send you my picture.
RF
I bet they are beautiful, Robin! You can send it to me through email or the LCM Facebook Page. So happy you like the recipe. -Kim
I used 1 Tbsp. of psyllium husks (not powdered psyllium husks, the “regular” husks) rather than the oat fiber. It worked great! These bagels are sooooo good. I was also glad to find a recipe that only uses one egg. Thanks for sharing!
Good to hear Tris. Thanks for sharing! -Kim
First of all thanks so much for all the awesome recipes! Quick question… my dough did not stay together very well and was very oily. They are baking now but I am wondering if I did something wrong.
Hi Steven. What method did you use to mix the dough and which combination of ingredients did you use? -Kim
I used the stand mixer and I used all almond flour.
Your dough should have been mixed thoroughly then. I always break-up any lumps and fluff up my baking ingredients with a small whisk before measuring. If not, the ingredients tend to compact and clump between use and I end up using more because of it. The dough is pretty tender and soft, so oiled hands are best for rolling into snakes. If it is crumbling apart, then I suspect the almond flour was compacted resulting in using more than the recipe could take. Did you use pre-shredded cheese or did you grate your own? The tiny bit of anti-caking agent, really makes a difference without adding too many carbs to the recipe. As all “bread” recipes, it takes making it a few times to get a good feel for the dough. I hope this helps. -Kim
I used pre shredded and it was the one with a touch of Philadelphia cream cheese. I think maybe I added to much almond flour as well. But the dough was oily out of the mixer. So not sure. They just came out and smell outstanding! I wish I could send a pic to you just so you could tell see how it kind of fell apart some
Steven, send me an email at kim@lowcarbmaven[dot]com. Include the photo and I will see if it’s what we both suspect. I have never used pre-shredded cheese with a touch of philadelphia cream cheese. I’ve never even heard of it. Maybe that is why the dough was greasy. It sounds like it separated when melted. Next time, use regular part skim pre-shredded mozzarella and real full fat cream cheese in the recipe. That’s how I make it. You are using blanched almond flour, right? -Kim
I coated them in some olive oil and bacon bits. More bagely crust to them that way!
Is oat fiber the same as oat bran? I made this today but had a hard time finding oat fiber at my grocery store. They are good but I’d like to try making them with the oat fiber next time!
No, Morgan. Oat bran and fiber are different. You don’t have to make them with oat fiber. You can just use more almond flour if you wish. I like it with the oat fiber or protein powder best but each of the choices produces different results.
I just made these. I had 2.5 cups mozzarella so I made 1.5 times the recipe. I used 2 eggs..
I missed the freezer step.:- ((
Once rolled, I sprinkled garlic, pepper and sesame seed.
They came out very well!!
Will most def be making them again!
Thanks!
Great, Bjk. I’m glad you like the recipe. Have a nice week. -kim
I just tried this, but the dough won’t hold together? I followed the recipe to the letter
My bad. I used coconut flour, which absorbs liquid like a sponge.
I remade it with almond flour. They are cooling now, and look pretty good.
FYI – I live just outside of Manhattan. If you want more NYC-style bagels, I would only make 3 or 4 out of the dough. These come out rather skinny.
Yes, TW. I’m glad you got the recipe sorted. Yes, they are a little small compared to a NYC style bagel, but they are very nutritionally dense, so keeping them smaller helps one not blow their macros – especially if using them as a breakfast sandwich. Thanks so much for commenting and rating the recipe. Have a great day. -Kim
Can you use sesame flour instead of the flax?
What a great idea! I love sesame flour. I would try a few tablespoons because it is an absorbent flour. I’m going to try that in a few weeks! Yum! -Kim
I used 1/4 cup (about 4 tablespoons). A little too sesame for me but still pretty good. Baked 15 minutes but still a little doughy. Will try 3Tbsp sesame and 2 Tbsp coconut flour next time ?
Thanks for letting me know. The sesame flour can be bitter, but I love it. -Lim
Followed recipe to the “T” using oat fiber too.
They came out beautiful but when i sliced one open after letting it cool for a bit, it was still wet/doughy in the middle. What does this mean? Did i do something wrong?
I blended the dough using a hand mixer.
Jamie, the oat fiber makes the texture a little fluffier – almost like a biscuit, but they shouldn’t be wet. If you want a firmer texture, use the protein powder or more almond flour. What I like about the recipe is it is forgiving and customizable. Enjoy finding your ideal version. -Kim
Do they toast?
They toast better in a pan, Cierra. -Kim
Thumbs up – thank you, they are very tasty!
Awesome, Liz! -Kim
This recipe is divine! I love that I can add seasonings for an everything bagel or sweetener, cinnamon, and raisins for a sweeter version. They always come out perfect!
Fantastic, Amanda! I love all of your tweaks. Thanks for sharing, commenting and rating! Enjoy your week. -Kim
Do you think you could make this in a Blendtec?
I’m anxious to try. I’m in higher altitude (about 5300 – nearly a mile). Any tips for altitude as well?
I don’t think a blender would work. As far as high altitude…. I am closer to sea level so I’m now sure. What about cooking them in a toaster oven? Is the problem browning? Rising? Getting the oven hot enough? -Kim
Oh my goodness! I just made these bagels and they turned out perfectly! I’ve been on Keto for 3 weeks and this is the first bread like food I’ve had. Almost felt like cheating, lol.
Thank you so much for the awesome recipe!
Yay! Feels good, doesn’t it. Enjoy the recipe and congratulations on your 3 weeks. -Kim
I remade your bagel recipe and they turned out wonderful! The rolling like a snake didn’t work for me. That batch came out like pretzels, but they ARE my pretzels. What worked for me was one of your reader’s method of oiling my finger and make a hole. They rose and liked exactly like yours.
Mass apologies and thanks for the recipe.
Great! I’m glad you found what worked for you and ended up with a bagel you liked, Linda. Thank you for sharing and for rating the recipe. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
My bagels had great lift in the oven while baking, but once they cooled they shrank quite a bit. Did I miss something?
Hi Alexis. All gluten-free baked goods are prone to shrinking upon cooling. It’s the nature of the beast. I hope they tasted good. -Kim
I JUST made these for the first time, and now I’m in trouble!! My husband LOVES them, lol…now, he’ll want me to make these every week-end! Thanks for the very easy to follow recipe!
How would these work if I were to make a large batch and form them, then freeze the dough on parchment to bake later? This way, I could have them fresh every few days…
I haven’t frozen the dough raw with the baking soda/powder yet, Jill. I don’t know if it loses it’s efficacy or not. I bake and then put them in the freezer. I have frozen the regular fathead dough without the leavening and it works great, but I haven’t tried with this yet. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. -Kim
Deliscoius recepie! Even my sceptic husband likes the bagels :)
One question; what is the best way to store them?
Great, Nelly. Store them in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Enjoy your weekend. – Kim
How long will they last in the fridge?
I keep them in the fridge up to 10 days but food safety guidelines would want me to say up to 7 days. I hope this helps, Lisa. -Kim