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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.
A blogger friend, Maya from WholesomeYum, recently posted a recipe for bagels using the fathead pizza crust recipe. 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, baking soda (or baking powder) and an egg. 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 Low Carb Bagels Fathead Dough 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.
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 (nut-free options in post) (see conversion chart in site menu)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Bacon Scallion Cream Cheese Spread for Bagels (Low Carb)
Low Carb Sugar-Free Strawberry Jam
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
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 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
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
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
These are wonderful! I used milled flax in lieu of the oat fiber since that’s all I had on hand. As a newbie to the keto lifestyle I haven’t purchased all the flours and psyllium husks, etc. I do not recommend using the milled flax seed d/t the flavor and unappealing color. BUT even with e flax, my mini bagels came out beautifully, They LOOK and taste like a bagels. I will be making a triple batch according to your exact ingredients next time and maybe try adding different flavors after a little more practice! This recipe will help me to maintain a keto diet for sure. I will be trying your rolls next. Thank you for the ice cube trick it is key to the process! Folks this is the real deal!!!!!??
Glad you had success, Stacey. I like golden flax the best. It has a more mild flavor. Thanks for the nice comment and sharing you information. Have a great day. -Kim
PERFECTION! I’m glad I decided to use this recipe over similar recipes using way more cheese. These are delicious-its hard to believe they don’t contain wheat flour. I made this recipe exactly as written with one exception- I used 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 butter. I’ve kept them in the fridge in a zip-lock bag, eating one daily, and they are still tasty. I have warmed them in the microwave for 10 seconds, and toasted them in a skillet with butter where they browned very nicely. Thanks for posing this recipe!
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Angelia. I like your tweaks, thanks for sharing. Enjoy the rest of your bagels and have a nice evening. -Kim
So I accidentally left them in the freezer too long and they were difficult to roll out and cracked. I thought it was because of the time in the freezer but upon reading the comments further I did not get the cheese hot and melty enough. Anyways I just rolled them out thinly between 2 pieces of parchment and made flat bread/naan/thin crust pizza dough! So thanks! :)
Hi Reeva. I’m sorry the dough cracked. The dough takes several times to get a feeling for – like regular bread. If the dough is pretty hot, put it in the freezer. If it is just room temperature, then you don’t have to put it into the freezer. I should add that to the recipe. It should be at least room temperature (any hotter and it’s just too sticky) and it should be very easy to roll and shape with oiled hands. Use the ice cube trick to get good lift on the bagels. Enjoy the recipe. -Kim
I just made these this morning!! They made an outstanding vehicle for my sandwich!! I do have a question, though. I followed directions to a “T” but I noticed the interior of mine had more of a crumb texture. Almost like a muffin, though it certainly held together. The only thing I can think of is that the egg I used had 2 yolks in it, but I’m not sure if that would make a difference. I used the food processor, and threw the ice cubes in a pan at the bottom, and used 1 1/2 c of almond flour. They cooked about 14 1/2 – 15 mins before properly browning. My question is, is the crumb texture normal, or did I over/under process or?? Thanks for any suggestions. And keep up the great recipes!
Hi Carol. I’m glad you like the recipe. They shouldn’t have a muffin texture, but this is gluten free bread and it won’t be exactly like a true bagel. The first day they are most like a bagel. Then subsequent days, the bagels become more “short-like”. They are still great as egg sandwiches or fried in butter in a pan. I don’t think you could over process it. I just did a triple batch in my stand mixer and let if go for several minutes as I was doing other things. -Kim
Thanks for your reply and additional info, Kim!
Carol, I made a triple batch yesterday and they did have more of a biscuit or fluffy texture than usual. I think I used a little more oat fiber than I usually do – I had been distracted by my children and I think I added another tablespoon. Try the whey protein powder version or the all almond flour version and see it if works better for you. -Kim
These are amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe! I also made your bacon scallion cream cheese spread to enjoy with them. So good!
I’m glad you are enjoying the recipes, Deidra! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment and rate the recipes after trying. Have a great weekend. -Kim
Made these and they were awesome! I sprinkled some with everything bagel seasoning and some with cinnamon/swerve. So yummy!
Great! I’m glad you liked the recipe. -Kim
Hello, tried these today, but they turned out not that good. The dough was not sticky and was very hard to form and cracked when trying to make a bagel out of it. After backing they were very hard. I found a lot of other recipes like this and most of them call for 2 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
Did anyone experience the same? Thanks for your advice!
Hi Tina. Actually, there is one recipe that calls for 2 1/2 cups of cheese – that was the Wholesome Yum recipe you referred to and is linked to in the post. I have used this fathead dough recipe for two years now and it is very bread-like. It sounds like the cheese didn’t get hot enough the first time you made it. It has to be really hot and melty. Did you use the hand method to mix? I have found that it is harder to get the dough mixed up really well with the hand method and prefer the food processor for 1 batch of the recipe and my stand mixer if I double or triple the batch.
The dough does have a learning curve to find the sweet spot. If it is not warm enough, it is hard to mix and shape. If too much almond flour is added, it can be stiff and dry. If not enough almond flour is added then it will spread too much when baked. The feedback I have had on Facebook, Instagram and the blog has been very positive. People are going on to use the recipe for all kinds of things.
You’ll be able to use some common sense the next time you make it, now that you have a feeling for the dough and ask yourself if the dough is NOT overly warm and sticky, then don’t put it in the freezer. If it’s super sticky and you know you won’t be able to roll it on the counter, then DO put it in the freezer while the oven heats up. I bet the next time you make the bagels they will be much better. As I said, there is a learning curve the first time you make it. I know the next time will be much better. -Kim
These are delicious! Mine came out a little flat, but still tasty. I tried subbing Collagen hydrolysate protein for the whey protein, but I don’t think it did much. My baking soda might be a little old. I’ll switch that out before the next batch. I do need to mention that you ought to specify a metal pan on the bottom rack for the ice cubes, in case there are any other idiots like me out there.. I DO know better, but it was early, I was hungry, I’m dog sitting a ravenous black lab who is perpetually underfoot in the kitchen, and I used a pyrex pie plate. SHATTERED!!! But great recipe! Thanks!
Hi Linda. I’m glad you like the recipe. You may want to try using just a little more almond flour if they spread out on you too much. I have never used collagen as a protein powder substitute. I would think they would have different properties. I. Am. So. Sorry! I’m sorry about your broken pyrex dish. That could have been very dangerous. I will amend that right away. I am so thankful that it wasn’t any more than a broken dish, which is a bummer to have to replace. Thank you for taking the time to comment on the recipe and for letting me know about the mishap so I can add more information. Have a wonderful weekend. -Kim
These look amazing! I’m a fathead pizza convert and have been thinking about other uses for the dough :-)
I read in the comments you said they are ok to freeze. Do you cut them in half, then freeze, or leave them whole? I’m thinking preslicing might make for easy defrosting/toasting…
Hi Katiana. Thank you. Yes, they do freeze well. I like to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Sometimes I make a triple batch and freeze all but a week’s worth. I hope you like the recipe. -Kim
So I have made these twice but used the ground Flax instead of the almond flour (made it with almond flour and it was ok) but the flax and protein powder are so light and fluffy. Great for sandwiches or toasting. Absolutely delicious.
Sounds great, Linda. What measurement if flax did you use? I’ll have to try your recipe! -Kim
These were surprisingly good! Ordinarily, I don’t have high hopes for LC bread products. They’re usually too dry, too crumbly, or too coconut-flavoured. I found cauliflower pizza crust “okay” but a LOT of work. A cauliflower bagel would be gross. However, since I had not tried anything made with fathead dough, and the “stretch” of the cheese concept made sense to me, I wanted to see if these taste as good as they look.
I tried a half batch just in case. I attempted to get 2 “gourmet” size bagels for hubby and I for breakfast. The dough was great! I used the hand method, melted the cheeses in a pot and just mixed the egg in (once removed from heat) and dry ingredients into the same pot. The dough wasn’t too sticky at all. It kind of felt like… well… dough.
My bagels turned out very small and tall (more like dinner rolls with a dimple in the middle by the time they were done LOL) but that’s only a shaping issue. Next time I will make them flatter, larger, with a bigger hole in the dough as it goes into the oven. I had no idea how much they would puff and rise! It was very impressive! I did use the ball-and-poke method instead of the snake-and-pinch method to shape. :-)
Taste wise, these are good. They’re cakier and crumblier than a bagel, but that is to be expected. They hold up amazingly well and I could DEFINITELY see using this for a bacon & egg sandwich fairly regularly. I tried a tiny piece with cream cheese and it was satisfying. It would keep me from derailing for sure.
I will attempt to use this dough to form english muffins for eggs benedict next weekend.
Thanks for the recipe, and the lovely photos that drew me into trying them! :-)
I’m glad you like the bagels, Jenn, and thanks so much for offering an alternate method for preparing the dough. Yes, it takes a while to get the shaping right. I had made these about 10 times (playing with the recipe) before I made them for photos! Lol. We have enjoyed them as breakfast sandwiches as you mention, but haven’t tried them for eggs Benedict yet. Thanks for the idea, wink-wink. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Have a nice day. -Kim
Just an update: Tried these again today and made BIG somewhat flattened rings, with big huge holes in the middle. They could not have turned out more perfectly, even if I had pulled them right out of a pack of actual bagels. They made fantastic bacon & egg sandwiches.
Man, I wish there was a way to make low carb pasta this easily/successfully… LOL
Fantastic, Jenn! Thanks for sharing. Pasta would be good. Lol. -Kim
I have NOT, nor will I EVER give up on trying to find a good low carb pasta recipe. haha
Haha. I’m right there with ya, Deborah! Lol. -Kim
I haven’t tried it yet, but there is a recipe for noodles out there using the dough. I am making the bagels tonight, so I am excited!
http://www.uplateanyway.com/keto/fettuccine-low-carb-pasta/
Actually, that’s just cheese and egg yolk, Michelle. Some people have gotten it to work and others haven’t. Enjoy both recipes. -Kim
I made these, for the very first time, Like you said the dough crawled under my blade,.
What a mess. I got 10 out of mine and they didn’t rise. But they are still good and I will use
then for a dipping bread for my cream cheese,.. Will try a different method next time and
have everything ready b-4 I start. I think that was my problem, I was running around the kitchen
looking for what I needed,.. My mistake,.. But good.. Thanks.
Ooof! Sorry about the mess, Sandra. I think I like the stand mixer the best, now. I still have to scrape the cheese off of the paddle a few times to get the ingredients to incorporate, but it’s the easiest method for me now. I double or triple the recipe and it’s perfect. I really don’t like sticky stuff on my hands, so using the appliances is for me. If they didn’t rise, your baking soda may have been old. Stir it really good or use 1 tbsp of baking powder. You can also use the ice trick to force them to rise a bit. Oh, yes. Get those dry ingredients mixed up and ready to go first, then melt the cheese. Enjoy. -Kim
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve made a few fathead doughs and this one is the best so far! The bagels came out perfectly, my ability to shape them notwithstanding. :D They look acceptable though.
Michelle, I’m so happy you liked the recipe. I bet they look much better than you let on. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Enjoy your evening. -Kim
I followed the directions to a T. I used a medium egg I didn’t have a large, and I added a tablespoon of psyllium husk like one of the girls did I posted earlier. They came out dry and darker looking than yours almost looked like cornbread. Do you think it’s because I used a smaller egg? Would you suggest something I could do?
Hi Shelly, I understand that you followed the directions, but you didn’t use all of the same ingredients. A medium egg is going to have less moisture and the psyllium husk is going to absorb A LOT of moisture! I am absolutely sure that they were dry. As for the color…. I’m not sure. Maybe your yolk was more orange than mine? Also, I can edit the color in my photo editing software, and sometimes remove excess yellow casts as they can make food look unappetizing. I would try the recipe as written next time and see if you like it. Have a great evening. -Kim
Ok! I only used the psyllium husk because somebody said they used it instead of the oat fiber, would you suggest using a quarter cup more Almond flour and not using the psyllium husk? Do you think the size of the egg mattered?
Hi Shelly, I think the size of the egg mattered in this instance because of the psyllium powder. If you are using medium eggs, then I would only add 2-3 tablespoons of the almond flour to sub for the oat fiber. These are not going to be exactly like the bagels we all love and miss, but they are a pretty good substitute. They will firm up in the fridge (the fats get cold) but a quick 7-8 second zap in the microwave will warm them up nicely. I hope this helps. -Kim
I tried them today and I am more than happy! I started eating low carb 3 weeks ago and I was missing bagels so much… Now my breakfasts are saved! Even my kids love them! Thank you for this recipe, it worked like a charm.
Oh, good, Barbara! It’s so nice to have something tasty and familiar when starting out a new way of eating. I’m glad your kids liked them, too. Have a great week. -Kim
I Made these bagels for the first time today!! Wow!! Love them. I was really craving a bagel or toast and this recipe was spot on!!
Thanks so much!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Melissa. I’m with you, I love them. Try them with a little sugar-free jelly or bacon scallion cream cheese – to die for! Yum. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. Enjoy your week! -Kim
Thanks Kim
Great suggestions.. I will definitely try those spreads .. the cream cheese bacon sounds great!
Is it possible to make without the mozzarella cheese or the fake mozzarella cheese?
Heather, that is the main ingredient of the recipe – it’s what gives stretch to the dough. It can’t be subbed and still be the same recipe. I am sorry. There are several low carb recipes for bagels and donuts that don’t use cheese at all. You could try looking for a paleo version if you can’t have the dairy. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help. -Kim
Curious in your recipe it says to substitute 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp whey protein. Do you mean 4 tbsp or something else.
Oops, that was a typo, Linda. Sorry for the confusion. -Kim
These were great! I didn’t have oat fiber so I used a tablespoon of psyllium husks. Added some garlic powder and minced onion too :)
I like your sub, Amanda, and am glad you are happy with the recipe. Garlic powder and minced onion sounds amazing. Enjoy your day. -Kim
I was wondering how to store these bagels.should they be kept in the fridge or in an airtight container in the cupboard? Also THANK YOU so much for this recipe. I just made them and they are amazing. Recipes like this make it possible for my husbamd and I to sustain a keto lifestyle. ?
I’m so glad you and your husband are finding recipes that help you sustain your keto lifestyle! I put the bagels in a bag and keep them in the fridge. Because they are mostly cheese, they get firm in the fridge. Just warm slightly in the microwave before enjoying. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
Hi, going to try to make these, wondering if they freeze well? I want to try making bigger batches of things on Sundays for up coming weeks so that I’m less tempted but what everyone else is having. Looking forward to a fried egg sandwich on a bagel.
Thanks,
Yes, Christine. They freeze beautifully. I suggest using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment if you are going to double or triple the recipe. You will have to unwrap the dough from the paddle a few times until the almond flour is completely incorporated, but I do this all of the time. Enjoy your bagels. -Kim
Love Love Love! The main thing I’ve missed since going low carb is a bagel. This totally satisfies my craving. I toast with butter or cream cheese and they are just wonderful. Am trying an onion version today where I added dried minced onion to the batter. Smells just like an onion bagel. Thanks so much!
I’m so happy you like the recipe, Jayne. Mmmm, onion bagels! Have a great week. -Kim
I was wondering if Oat Flour would sub for the Oat Fiber?
Hi Wanda. That is a great question. Oat flour, or ground oats, is different that oat fiber which is the ground outer papery husk of the oat groat. They have completely different tastes, properties and carbohydrate numbers. Having said that, you could try it. I haven’t tested it but it may be good. You can use additional almond flour if you don’t have the oat fiber. I hope this helps. -Kim
Mine came out awesome! I added a few blueberries! However the bagel wasn’t sweet at all so next time I may add a tad bit of truvia and salt.
I love the idea of adding blueberries, Kye. Yes, a little sweetener would be better with the blueberries. Thanks for sharing your idea. Have a great week. -Kim
I was wondering if you have ever tried using this recipe as a low carb pizza crust?
It’s almost the same recipe as the pizza crust, Tammy. The biggest difference is the leavening. Usually the fathead pizza crust doesn’t have any leavening. I haven’t used this particular recipe for a crust, however. Let me know if you have any more questions. -Kim
These looked so good I had to try them. I used the hand method, and made 6 portions. I also added the whey protein. When I took them out of the oven, they were nicely browned, but they didn’t rise at all. They are just circles, not bagel-like at all. I went back and read everything again and found I had added 2.5 ounces of cream cheese instead of 2 ounces. 1/2 an ounce of cream cheese wouldn’t have affected the recipe? What else could I have done to make them thick like yours instead of thin circles?
I am going to try this recipe again if I can figure out where I went wrong. P.S. I did use the baking soda.
Hi Carol. I’m sorry your first attempt wasn’t as you expected. A couple of things are running through my mind. First, the baking soda may have been old? You can use 1 T of baking powder if you want. Yes, using more cream cheese would make the bagels spread more than rise. You can also add just a little more almond flour 1-2 tablespoons. I’ll tell you a little trick that I will write into the recipe notes. While preheating the oven, put a small sheet pan on the bottom of the oven or the bottom rack. When you put your bagels in the oven, put some ice cubes into the pre-heated pan. The steam will help them rise more. -Kim
Thank you Kim. I will try again. Thank you for the tip. Mine were also kind of hard and dry. Maybe I made the ropes too long? They were about 1″ thick, and rather big, so maybe I need to make the circle smaller, and not roll them out so long.
Hi Carol. If they were too dry, you may have over baked? Also, I am convinced that if you can get the dough mixed really well (I truly think the food processor or mixer – or even hand mixer) the results are even better. Even if the bagels are flat, they should still be good. Upon taking out of the refrigerator, they will be hard and “dry” because all of the fat is cold. I gently warm them in the microwave for 8-10 seconds before enjoying. I’m convinced that as you make the recipe more, you bagels will look more like bagels. I hope all of this helps. -Kim
OK I tried again, and they did look better because I made them smaller, and they did rise more, but they are still kind of hard out of the oven. I don’t think I overbaked them, as I took 2 minutes off the time, but maybe my oven is off. Oh well, maybe I am just not a good baker. ? Thank you though!
Well, they aren’t going to be like an actual bagel. This is low carb baking. Lol. I’m sorry the recipe isn’t what you expected. I’m glad they look nicer! Enjoy your day. -Kim
These were wonderful! I baked in my bagel pan, coated pan with garlic-flavored non-stick olive oil spray. Pressed coarse salt on the tops (Love Salt Bagels!). Cooked on top shelf of my toaster oven for 12 minutes. Came out perfect. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
Oh, great! I love the idea about using the pan and garlic spray. Sounds wonderful! I call my toaster oven my “test oven” in the Summer. Have a nice weekend. -Kim
Kim, in the past I’ve used my food processor to make dough with cheese in it. Not melted. It came together so well and dough-like, I started wondering if the fathead dough could be made WITHOUT melting the cheese and just processing it really well. Have you ever tried to do it that way? I haven’t yet, myself.
No, Elaine, I haven’t tried making the dough without melting. I seem to think the meaty stretch is important to the “dough” but again, I haven’t tried. Have a nice day. -Kim
Any reason for using part-skim mozzarella instead of whole milk shredded mozzarella?
Yes, Jennifer. For some reason it has more stretch. I’m thinking it’s due to a higher protein content and lower fat content? It just works a little better. But, it does work with full fat mozzarella. I hope this helps. -Kim
The final product was bread-like enough to be tasty and satisfying, and amore varied platform than vegetables. Toasted well. I do wish for a crispy edge, but oh well…as far as the toppings, I added a little oil to my hands and lightly rubbed the tops, then added granulated garlic and sesame seeds. They stuck fairly well.
Thank you for your website! I am looking forward to more low carb recipes.
Thank you, Bonnie. I’m glad you like the recipe. I wish they were crispy, too. Have a great week! -Kim
Made in food processor as per the recipe, later at bottom f notes it says not to use food processor! Wah wah wah.it will take practice for me to master this on!
Actually Sandy, it says not to double the recipe and put it in the food processor. I will try to make that more clear. Enjoy your bagels. -Kim
Thank you, thank you! These make wonderful hamburger buns. I was so tired of naked hamburgers because most LCHF buns are so flimsy they aren’t worth making a second time. These were sturdy and didn’t get soggy. I made 4 delicious, bread-like buns with this recipe, and can’t adequately express my gratitude. Sandwiches, here I come!
Fantastic, Chris. I’ll be publishing a hamburger post next week because we have been using them for burgers and sandwiches, too! Thanks for taking the time to leave your gracious comment. Have a great weekend. -Kim
All I can find in what I can afford is almond flour/meal is this ok to use
I haven’t tried the recipe with almond meal. In my experience, it isn’t as finely ground as almond flour and doesn’t produce baked goods as fluffy as blanched almond flour. But, the cheese dough is very forgiving and someone reported to making good bagels with 3/4 cup ground golden flax then almond flour. You don’t need the oat fiber or protein powder for any of the fathead dough recipes, these additions either make it taste better or make the texture more bread-like. I would try the almond meal and see how it turns out. You might need a little more? Good luck! -Kim
I have missed Bagels so much. They used to be my go to for breakfast. Can’t wait to try these.
I missed them, too, Phyllis. They aren’t exactly like a real bagel, but are close enough. Enjoy your new breakfast go-to. Have a nice weekend. -Kim
Can I substitute flax meal for the oat fiber?
Hi Ginny, I don’t see why not, but I haven’t tried it. I’m not sure if you would need a little more or the same amount. Try it as a straight sub first and then tweak it if you need to. You can also just add more almond flour. Enjoy! -Kim
Hi Kim, I would like to try these bagels. Could you tell me how much mozzarella I need – roughly, preferably in gram? The mozzarella we can buy in Germany is not shredded, so it is difficult to get the right portion.
Thank you so much….
Sure Petra. It’s approximately 6 ounces or 170 grams. The pre-shredded part slim mozzarella has a little starch I it, so you may need to add a little more almond flour if your bagels come out a little flat. I hope this helps. Have a great week. -Kim
It is amazing how you make things that are not actually bread, look exactly like bread. I cannot even imagine the taste, but I would love to try it, I think the recipe is very simple for a beginner in such things like I am. :)
Thank you Adina! They taste mildly of cheese and are chewy out of the oven. After that, the exterior becomes softer. When warmed gently, they become almost bread-like. They are a great bread substitute for those on a low carb diet. Thanks so much. Now, to head on over to your blog where I will be wowed with gorgeous photos of beautiful dishes. be well, my friend. -Kim
These are delicious! We were so excited to see a bread-like recipe that was easy and tasted great! I don’t bake well, so this question may be a silly one but I figured I’d ask in the anonymity of the internet… The bottoms of mine tend to brown way too quickly which results in a burned flavor after toasting them the next day. I flipped them over halfway through which just resulted in two brown sides! Any idea why?
Yes, Rachel, the bottoms do brown more than the tops. It’s because nuts burn easily and cheese browns easily. You could try toasting your bagel with butter in a frying pan or maybe using two silicone baking mats on the sheet pan. You could also try baking a rack higher and placing a sheet of foil over the tops to prevent too much browning. I hope this helps. -Kim
Good ideas! Sorry – I sent my second reply before seeing your response. I’ll try these ideas next time!
Okay. -Kim
I should be more clear – the first time the bottom was very browned. The second time I flipped them halfway through . which resulted in both sides being less dark but still overcooked. I used the entire almond flour recipe if that matters. We still ate both batches with extreme delight… I’m just hoping to find a solution to lessen the browning!
These are insane. Thank you!
Glad you like them, Adrianne. Have a nice week. -Kim
Can coconut flour be used instead of almond flour? How much coconut flour is needed? Thank you
Hi Aileen. I have not made the bagels with coconut flour yet. You would need less coconut flour than almond flour when subbing and the yield would be smaller, too. If you are allergic to or dislike almond flour, you may want to sub ground sunflower seeds for the almond flour, but your bagels will most likely turn green. Someone on Facebook said she used 3/4 cup of ground golden flax instead of the almond flour. I’m sorry I don’t have a more precise answer for you. You may have to play with the recipe. Have a nice weekend. -Kim
These were so good! They make a great bacon and egg sandwich too!
Can I replace egg with chia egg?
I’ve had someone replace the egg with a flax egg for the pizza crust, I haven’t heard about anyone trying it with the bagels yet. -Kim
Made these and they turned out great! I used the whey protein option. The dough is very sticky but as you point out, well oiled hands do the trick. I tried another recipe without the whey protein and they were okay but I think this is more bread like.
So glad you liked this recipe Mariel. It’s been a game changer for us. I make rolls for my husband and bagels for me. We are loving it right now. Thanks for taking time for sharing your experience and leaving a comment. Have a wonderful evening. -Kim
i used to coil my bagels when shaping but now i make a ball and stick my tbumb through. makes an authentic shape.
Thanks for sharing, Janet. -Kim
These came out good! Finally I can have my cream cheese bagels again!
Oh, great! I’m glad you liked the recipe. Have a wonderful week. -Kim
Would these benefit from an egg wash to help toppings adhere?
Hi Sierra. Great question. Maybe a wash with egg white, but I experimented with whole egg washes about 6 times and it just absorbs back into the bagel. You do not get the shine. I don’t really remember if it helped the toppings stick, but I remember being unhappy with the result or at least having it turn out less than expected. I suggest washing them one at a time and then topping or like I said, the egg will absorb into the dough. -Kim