Cottage Cheese Bagels
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Blend 1 cup cottage cheese until smooth, mix it with 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, salt and honey into a soft dough, shape 6 rings, brush with beaten egg, add everything bagel seasoning and bake at 375°F for 22 to 25 minutes. The batch of 6 bagels carries roughly 51 g of protein from label values, about 8 g per bagel. Check your dairy and flour labels for your exact numbers.
Cottage cheese bagels are the no yeast shortcut to warm, chewy bagels on a busy morning. Blended cottage cheese and flour come together into a soft dough in about 5 minutes, the rings shape up without any boiling or overnight rest, and 25 minutes in the oven gives you golden bagels with about 8 g of protein each. They will not replace your favorite bagel shop, but for a homemade breakfast they are hard to beat.
Why you’ll love it
- No yeast, no boiling, no overnight rest, just mix, shape and bake.
- About 8 g of protein per bagel from label values.
- 6 bagels from refrigerator to table in about 35 minutes.
- Chewy, golden and endlessly topping friendly.
- The dough is forgiving, perfect for beginner bakers.
Ingredient notes
Cottage cheese: blend it smooth first, every time. The blended cheese hydrates the flour evenly and keeps the crumb tender. Low fat or full fat both work.
Flour and baking powder: all purpose flour plus baking powder does the lifting that yeast would do. Spoon and level the flour so the dough does not turn dry.
Honey: one tablespoon feeds the browning and rounds out the tang of the cheese. Sugar works in a pinch.
Egg wash and seasoning: the beaten egg is what turns the tops deep golden and glues the seasoning on. Everything bagel seasoning is classic, but anything crunchy works.
The sticky dough rule that keeps them chewy
One rule decides these bagels: trust the tacky dough. This dough should feel soft and slightly sticky when it comes together, and the instinct to flour it heavily is exactly what makes bagels dense. Flour your hands generously instead, and leave the dough itself alone. A tacky dough bakes into a chewy, open crumb, while an over floured dough bakes into a dry biscuit with a hole in it. If the dough truly sticks to everything and will not form a rope, add flour one tablespoon at a time, but stop the moment you can roll it.
Variations
- Cinnamon raisin: knead 1/2 cup raisins and 1 teaspoon cinnamon into the dough, and top with cinnamon sugar instead of everything seasoning.
- Asiago: press 2 tablespoons of shredded asiago into the top of each ring before baking for a cheesy crust.
- Sesame: top with a mix of white and black sesame seeds and flaky salt for a classic deli look.
- Pizza bagels: split and toast the baked bagels, then top with marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni and broil until bubbly.
What we learned testing it
- Blended cottage cheese beat unblended clearly. The unblended dough had wet pockets of curd and an uneven crumb, while the blended dough mixed evenly and baked up uniform.
- Egg wash beat no egg wash for looks and flavor. The washed bagels turned deep golden and held their seasoning, while the unwashed batch stayed pale and the seasoning fell off.
- Honey beat no honey in the dough. The honey batch browned more deeply and the slight sweetness balanced the tang of the cottage cheese.
Read how we test recipes.
Cottage Cheese Bagels
Makes 6 bagels · 40 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
Blender or food processor · Large mixing bowl · Baking sheet · Parchment paper · Pastry brush
Instructions
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Blend and mix the dough
Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Stir it together with the flour, baking powder, salt and honey in a large bowl until a shaggy dough forms, then knead gently right in the bowl for about 1 minute until it comes together. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, not dry.
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Shape 6 rings
Flour your hands well and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 6 inches long, then bring the ends together and pinch the seam firmly shut to form a ring. If the seam is not pinched well, the rings will pop open in the oven.
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Brush with egg and season
Arrange the rings on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops and sides generously with the beaten egg, which is what gives the deep golden color and helps the seasoning stick. Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon of everything bagel seasoning over each bagel.
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Bake until deep golden
Bake at 375°F for 22 to 25 minutes, until the bagels are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack. They are wonderful warm, split and toasted with cream cheese.
Notes
- Flour your hands, not the dough. This dough is meant to be tacky, and adding extra flour to the dough itself makes dense, dry bagels.
- Pinch the seam like you mean it. A weak seam is the only reason these rings open up in the oven, and a firm 5 second pinch solves it.
- Make all 6 pieces the same size so they bake evenly. A kitchen scale helps, but eyeballing into roughly equal pieces works fine.
- These are best the day they are baked. Split and toast any leftovers, and they taste freshly baked again.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- All purpose flour
- Use bread flour in the same amount for a slightly chewier bagel. I have not tested a gluten free flour here, and the structure depends on wheat flour, so I do not recommend swapping it.
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Use sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flaky salt or a cinnamon sugar mix instead. For an asiago style bagel, press shredded asiago into the tops before baking.
- Honey
- Use granulated sugar in the same amount. The browning will be a touch lighter, but the dough works exactly the same.
Storage and make-ahead
Store cooled bagels in a zip top bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Split and toast leftovers to bring back the fresh baked texture. For longer storage, slice the bagels in half, freeze in a zip top bag for up to 2 months and toast straight from frozen.
Frequently asked questions
Do cottage cheese bagels taste like real bagels?
They are chewy, golden and satisfying, with a soft, bread like crumb. There is no boiling step, so the chew is lighter than a deli bagel, but warm from the oven with cream cheese they absolutely scratch the itch.
Can I make these gluten free?
I have not tested a gluten free version, and the structure of this dough depends on wheat flour. A 1 to 1 gluten free blend might work, but expect a denser result until it is properly tested.
Why did my bagel rings open in the oven?
The seam was not pinched firmly enough. Roll the rope, overlap the ends by about an inch and pinch hard for a good 5 seconds, rolling the seam gently against the counter to seal it.
How much protein is in one bagel?
These are estimates from label values, not lab tested numbers, and they vary by brand. The batch of 6 carries roughly 51 g of protein in total, about 8 g per bagel, mostly from the cottage cheese, flour and egg. Check your dairy and flour labels for your exact numbers.
Can I add extras like cheese or blueberries?
Yes. Knead 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar or 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries into the dough before shaping. Keep the extras to 1/2 cup so the dough still holds together.
