Miraculous Homemade Bagel Recipe

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

This easy bagel recipe calls for equal parts flour and Greek yogurt, making the bagels high in protein and low in calories.

Bagels stacked on a plate.

My dear friend Kim Cohen shared this miraculously easy and waistline-friendly bagel recipe with me. Apparently, it’s a popular Weight Watchers recipe, but Kim found it on Skinnytaste, and there are versions all over the internet. It seems everyone knew about this amazing bagel recipe but me!

Made from equal parts Greek yogurt and all-purpose flour, the bagels are not only high in protein (10g!) but also low in calories (169!). They don’t taste quite like New York bagels, which are made with yeast and require boiling before baking, but they are delicious in their own right. The Greek yogurt gives them a sourdough-like flavor, and they have a lovely texture, which you can see in the photo below. They are especially good sliced in half and toasted.

Bagel sliced in half.

What You’ll Need To Make Miraculous Homemade Bagels

Bagel ingredients including baking powder, egg, and flour.

Step-by-Step Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

whisked dry ingredients in bowl

Add the Greek yogurt.

adding Greek yogurt to dry ingredients

Using a fork, mix the ingredients just until they form a shaggy, crumbly dough.

mixing bagel dough with fork

Using your hands, knead the dough until it forms a slightly tacky mass and no crumbs remain (do not overwork the dough; this process shouldn’t take more than a minute or so).

kneaded bagel dough

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and form it into a flat disc.

bagel dough on floured work surface

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (if you want to weigh them, they should be about 92 grams each).

dough cut into 6 equal pieces

Roll each piece of dough into a ball (the dough will have a slightly uneven and craggy appearance, similar to biscuit dough — that’s okay).

bagel dough ball

Use your finger to poke a hole in the center.

poking hole in dough ball

Lightly flour your hands, and gently pull and stretch the dough into a bagel shape until the center hole is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and the bagel is just shy of an inch tall.

Dough in the shape of a bagel.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, sprinkling with more flour as necessary.

shaped bagels on work surface

Make the egg wash by beating the egg with 2 teaspoons of water.

Egg wash in a bowl with a fork.

Arrange the bagels on a parchment lined baking sheet, and brush them with the egg wash.

brushing egg wash on bagels

Sprinkle with the toppings, if using.

sprinkling toppings on bagels

Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden. Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

baked bagels fresh out of the oven

The bagels will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two days; freeze for longer storage. For best results, slice and toast the bagels before serving.

Bagels stacked on a plate.

You May Also Like

Miraculous Homemade Bagel Recipe

This easy bagel recipe calls for equal parts flour and Greek yogurt, making the bagels high in protein and low in calories.

Servings: 6 bagels
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur), spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups low-fat Greek yogurt (preferably Fage brand)
  • 1 egg
  • Toppings, like poppy seeds, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, etc. (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the upper-middle position. Line a 13x18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the yogurt and, using a fork, mix the ingredients just until they form a shaggy, crumbly dough. Using your hands, knead the dough until it forms a slightly tacky mass and no crumbs remain (do not overwork the dough; this process shouldn't take more than a minute or so).
  3. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and form it into a flat disc. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (if you want to weigh them, they should be about 92 grams each). Roll each piece of dough into a ball (the dough will have a slightly uneven and craggy appearance, similar to biscuit dough -- that's okay). Use your finger to poke a hole in the center. Lightly flour your hands, and gently pull and stretch the dough into a bagel shape until the center hole is about 1½ inches in diameter and the bagel is just shy of an inch tall. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, sprinkling with more flour as necessary.
  4. Arrange the bagels on the prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, beat the egg with 2 teaspoons of water. Brush the bagels with the egg wash and sprinkle with the toppings, if using.
  5. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden. Let the bagels cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Before serving, slice the bagels in half and toast.
  6. Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bagels will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two days; freeze for longer storage. For best results, slice and toast the bagels before serving.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 bagel
  • Calories: 169
  • Fat: 2g
  • Saturated fat: 1g
  • Carbohydrates: 27g
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 10g
  • Sodium: 245g
  • Cholesterol: 4g

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • I have to admit that I was skeptical. But…..these are so good and are so light! And so easy to make! I especially like the idea that the recipe makes only 6. Just right for me…I cook for one.

  • Great, easy and fun to make – family was impressed!

  • This bagel recipe is incredibly delicious. Baked 2 of each flavor- sesame, poppy and everything- just this morning! Easy to prepare resulting in bagels that have a crispy bottom, soft and light textured dough with mouthwatering toppings. These bagels are sure to impress and are diet friendly.

  • Just love the simplicity of the bagel recipe and the Greek yogurt gave it a nice fluffy, soft texture. Made tuna bagel sandwiches! 😉

  • These are just amazing! The crust is golden and crispy and the inside is chewy – just what a bagel is supposed to be. The ratio of crust to bread is almost 1 to 1 so no extra bread to scoop out. The first time I tried the recipe, I used part 2% Fage and part 1% of my homemade yogurt. The dough was so sticky that it was very difficult to manage, although the baked bagels were delicious. Yesterday I made the batch with only 2% Fage and the dough was perfect, as were the baked bagels. My toppings were 2 sesame, 3 Trader Joe’s Everything mix and 1 Maldon Flake finishing salt which didn’t melt into the crust and was pretty dazzling to look at. These are definitely in my weekly baking rotation.

  • Question on the Greek yogurt. One yogurt cup is 7 oz. So is it 1.5 Greek yogurt cups (10.5 oz), or truly measuring out 1.5 cups so 12 oz?
    Hope that makes sense, I can’t wait to make these!

    • Hi Laura, if I’m understanding your question correctly, you don’t want to rely on the cups that the yogurt comes in. I’m referring to using 1-1/2 measuring cups full of yogurt. If you have a kitchen scale it’s the equivalent of 360 g. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the bagels!

  • Hi Jenn,
    I made this yesterday for the first batch I make it like a bun no whole on it for my husband sandwiches to take to work ,when it came out in the oven I had a bite and I said to my husband wow this is good. I made the second batch right a way with dried blueberries as per your suggestion this time is bagel for myself this is so good there is no doubt when it comes to your recipe. I am looking forward for your new book to be release this fall, sometimes I feel guilty I forgot to go the review and put 5stars I cooked 98% food at home from your recipe. I am a Filipino living in Canada and I never been a good cook thanks I found your site many years and I had your first book. I couldn’t say thank you enough to you for sharing your recipe and emails. My husband told me he eat good food now.
    Thanks again
    Rose

    • ❤️

    • I feel the same way. My cooking through Jennifer’s recipes has become foolproof. Thank you Jenn.🎉👯‍♀️💫

  • Just tried this recipe and the bagels turned out great! I made them plain but next time I will try some toppings. I was so happy with results and how easy it was to make them!

  • I had never made a bagel of any kind until I made these. My husband says they are excellent and I think so too because of Jenn’s delicious, yet easy recipe! Before baking I sprinkled dried onions and also sesame sesame seeds on them and, added bonus, they smelled so good while they were baking.

  • I’d love to try this recipe with my 3 grandsons. I’m curious as to whether the recipe can be doubled as is, or whether there are adjustments. (Six bagels would disappear in a flash!)
    Thank you, Lynn

    • Hi Lynn, It’s fine to double – no changes needed. I would set one rack in the middle and the other in the upper middle position, and allow a few extra minutes to bake.

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.