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

  • This came out perfectly and just as described! Finally a use for leftover sesame and poppy seeds as well 🙂

    • — Ty on October 22, 2023
    • Reply
    • I just made these bagels. I have tried different recipes but I liked the texture with this recipe the best. However mine was flat and I would like them to be more round. What did I do wrong?

      Thanks!

      • — Sanae on December 28, 2023
      • Reply
      • Hi Sanae, Sorry, these came out a little flatter than you would’ve liked. Was your yogurt very watery? If not, what brand of flour did you use?

        • — Jenn on December 28, 2023
        • Reply
  • I do not like using yeast and your bagel recipe sounded so easy. It is nice to make a recipe that was throughly enjoyed I changed the yogurt to Nancy’s Organic probiotic whole milk yogurt. In addition, I made my own baking powder, without adding salt. Since you already had salt in the recipe, I didn’t want to add more. Not sure if the yogurt I used made them extra sour. I know you stated they they have a sourdough taste. I enjoyed the sourdough taste. The bagels have been devoured. Thank you Jenn!

    • — Christine on July 11, 2023
    • Reply
  • These were an EPIC FAIL. They came out flat and tasted nothing like a bagel. Awful just awful .. what a waste of ingredients. :\

    • — Debbie on June 28, 2023
    • Reply
    • Thank goodness for a reasonable review here. What are people smoking? A cup and a half yogurt to a cup and a half flour? Incredibly wet and difficult to work with. And then it did nothing in the baking. Awful recipe. I’ve made many dozens of bagels in different ways, never will I try this recipe again.

      • — Dog Work on November 23, 2023
      • Reply
  • Great recipe and easy to make. Mine could have been a bit more cooked in the center but in looking at your images I should have baked them a bit longer. Also, next time I will wash and dry my hands after mixing the dough but before forming the bagels. Having sticky dough on my hands when forming them was not helpful. Cooking is a journey so no complaints.

    • — Bill F on March 25, 2023
    • Reply
  • These are very delicious and easy to make. Mine didn’t rise nearly as much as the photo though. Next time I’ll do what another reviewer suggested and add yeast, allowing them to rise. I think the real secret to deliciousness is to toast them well.

    • — Nory on February 1, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi Jen – can’t wait to make these. Wondering if substituting the white flour with whole wheat will end in the 5* review? Or whether I should stick to white? I try and look for high fibre options / alternatives where possible. Thank you in advance!

    • — Jana Kapeller-Bigg
    • Reply
    • Hi Jane, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). I’d love to hear how they turn out!

    • They r awesome. But can I use sour cream instead of greek yogurt
      Keep up with the amazing recopes

      • — Patricia humber on November 14, 2022
      • Reply
      • Glad you like them! And yes, it’s fine to use sour cream in place of the yogurt.

        • — Jenn on November 15, 2022
        • Reply
  • Usually, I am not thrilled to work with dough, however, this recipe is so simple and quick. Bagels turned out delicious and moist, and keep well in the fridge.

  • Made these and they turned out so wonderfully! I had Greenwise organic whole milk Greek yogurt and not quite the 1.5 cups the recipe called for but they were perfect just the same. I didn’t even adjust the other ingredients to compensate! Wondering what else(besides pizza crust) I can use this dough for!😀. Would love to be able to figure out a way to adjust this recipe to make a clean hot dog bun lol. Hard to find:(

  • I made a batch of the bagels yesterday. The recipe was easy to follow, and the bagels were absolutely delicious!!
    Thank you!

  • Can I substitute sour cream for Greek yogurt for your bagel recipe?

    • Sure – enjoy!

Add a Comment

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