This Low Carb Bagels recipe is for chewy, golden brown bagels that are full of flavor that satisfy your cravings!
When eating low carb for an extended period of time, you really start missing things like bread, pizza, and bagels. Luckily you can make your own at home!
I haven’t found a low carb bread recipe that I like but we love this low carb bagel recipe. They are made with fathead dough which is a combination of mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, and almond flour.
How To Make Low Carb Bagels
Step One: Cheese
While testing this recipe, we realized that the bagels are so much better with a lot more cream cheese to mozzarella than the original recipe called for. With more cream cheese, the bagels have more height and are less dense.
For this recipe, use shredded low moisture shredded mozzarella (not fresh mozzarella) for the best results.
Step Two: Melt
Melt the mozzarella cheese and cream cheese in the microwave. You need to cook it long enough that is it a smooth melted ball but not so long that the mozzarella cheese starts to get crispy!
Start with one minute and then stir. Continue cooking and stirring in thirty-second intervals until smooth. Remember that every microwave is different so yours may be faster or slower.
Step Three: Dry Ingredients
Next, whisk together the almond flour and baking powder in a large bowl. By whisking these together beforehand, it helps distribute the baking powder more evenly.
Step Four: Eggs
Beat two eggs and add them to the dry ingredients. Stir the two until combined.
Step Five: Mash
Okay now comes the part where you get to use your muscles. Mash together the melted cheese mixture and the almond flour mixture as best you can until one clump forms.
The two mixtures won’t be combined yet at this point. That is where the kneading step comes in next.
Step Six: Knead
Turn the dough out onto a silicone mat or a surface sprinkled with almond flour. Knead the low carb bagels dough until it is combined.
After kneading for a minute or two, the dough will become very sticky. Sprinkle the dough with 1/4 cup of almond flour and continue kneading until combined.
If you are having a difficult time, it may be because the cheese has cooled too much. Don’t worry, you can simply pop the dough back into the bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds or more to soften the cheese again.
The dough doesn’t have to be perfectly uniform. As you can see in the photo above, there are still a few white streaks of mozzarella cheese in my dough ball.
Step Seven: Cut and Form
Cut the ball of dough into eight wedges. Form each wedge into a ball. Then, poke a hole in the center with your finger and mold the dough into a bagel shape. The more height the bagels have when forming them, the thicker they will be after baking them.
Again, if you are finding it impossible to shape the dough, it may have cooled too much so you can soften it again in the microwave for a few seconds.
Step Eight: Egg Whites
Space the bagels out on a parchment covered baking sheet. They will rise and spread while baking so leave enough room for that.
Brush the bagels with beaten egg whites to help the seasonings stick and to make the tops of the bagels get golden brown in the oven.
Step Nine: Seasoning
Sprinkle the bagels with seasonings. We love using my homemade everything bagel seasoning recipe.
But you could also try sprinkling the bagels with garlic and herb seasonings, garlic and rosemary, parmesan cheese, asiago cheese, onion flakes, poppy seeds, or cinnamon sugar.
Step Ten: Bake
Bake the bagels until golden brown, turning the pan around halfway through cooking for even browning.
Recipe Tips
1. Do they taste like regular bagels? They are the closest thing we’ve found to a low carb alternative to regular bagels. They are chewy with little air pockets and very filling. My teenage daughter’s friends chose to eat these bagels over the regular bagels we had in our house because they love them so much!
2. Can I make bagels without cheese? Yes! You can make my SUPER EASY two ingredient dough bagels.
3. Can these bagels go in the toaster? Yes, we love slicing them and toasting them.
4. Where do you store these homemade bagels? After allowing the bagels to cool completely, store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
5. Can I freeze them? These bagels can be frozen after they’ve been baked. If you slice them before freezing them, you can pop them right into the toaster. Allow the bagels to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.
More Low Carb Recipes
- Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash
- Bacon Roasted Cauliflower
- Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice
- Million Dollar Spaghetti Squash
Low Carb Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 5 oz cream cheese cubed
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 egg white beaten
- 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning (or seasoning of choice)
- 1/4 cup almond flour if needed while kneading
Instructions
- Put shredded cheese and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir. Continue microwaving in 30-second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour and baking powder. Add the beaten eggs and stir to combine.
- Add the melted cheese mixture to the almond flour mixture. Mix in the bowl and then turn out onto a silicone mat or flat surface sprinkled with almond flour. Knead until combined. Sprinkle the dough with 1/4 cup of almond flour when it gets sticky and continue kneading. Return the dough to the microwave to soften the cheese if you are having difficulty kneading.
- Divide the dough ball into 8 pieces. Form a ball with each piece and then make a hole in the center and form into a bagel shape.
- Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
- Bake at 425˚F for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.
- Allow the bagels to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Video
Debbie says
These were really good! Easy to make. I recommend using a stand mixer to knead the dough. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Teresa says
Can ypu please add the net frams per bagel somwhere? The nutrition info doesn’t clearly state it.
Emma says
Do they taste like cheese?
Kiriakitsa says
I don’t have a microwave oven. What are your suggestions for melting the cheeses?
Ann Martin says
You can use a double boiler. If you don’t have one, you can nest a smaller pot inside a larger one with water in the larger one.
Christina Doberstein says
These bagels were delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I will be making these again soon!
Ann Martin says
Good to know! I can’t wait to try it!
Denise Rodriguez says
Can’t wait to make these!
They look delicious