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These high protein Cottage Cheese Bagels use just three simple ingredients and will seriously blow you away. They’re absolutely delicious and such a fun breakfast with 10 grams of protein per bagel.
Of all of the high protein cottage cheese recipes I’ve developed, this one is easily top three. These are so easy to make, only use a few simple ingredients, and you can easily turn them into your favorite flavors.
It uses a simple dough that comes out perfectly every time. They’re one of my favorite recipes to meal prep! If you love these, you have to try my Cheesy Cottage Cheese Bread and Cottage Cheese Pizza Crust next.
Easy Higher Protein Bagels
There are so many reasons to love these high protein bagels, but the most important one is that they are seriously GOOD. The cottage cheese gives the dough protein and mild flavor that bakes up to be absolutely delicious.
You can use these as a part of a balanced high-protein breakfast with some eggs and fruit on the side, top with peanut butter or avocado for a super easy and delicious snack, or use them as the base for chicken salad sandwiches.
- High protein. One bagel packs 10 grams of protein for a breakfast that will keep you full. You can even pair these with my Cottage Cheese Egg Bites for a seriously high protein and delicious breakfast.
- Simple ingredients. You only need three simple ingredients to make this dough (cottage cheese, flour and baking powder), and they come out perfectly every time.
- Quick and easy. Unlike traditional bagels, there’s no complicated bagel steps required. Just mix up your bagel dough, add your toppings and bake them. Plus you don’t need to blend the cottage cheese, so no food processor or blender required!
- Endless flavor options. These can easily be turned into any of your favorite bagel flavors. My favorites are everything bagel and blueberry!
Ingredients
The best part about this recipe is how easy it is with just a few simple ingredients.
- Flour: You can use all purpose flour, whole wheat flour or even bread flour. You can also use a gluten-free flour if needed. If you want to omit the baking powder, you can also use self-rising flour.
- Cottage cheese: I recommend full-fat cottage cheese, but any will work. Good Culture and Daisy are my personal favorite. Cottage cheese adds extra protein and a really delicious mild cheesy flavor.
- Baking powder: Baking powder helps the bagels rise so that they’re nice and fluffy.
- Egg wash: This is optional, but gives the bagels a nice golden brown, glossy top and helps the bagels stick. It’s just one egg plus a splash of water.
- Your favorite toppings: My favorites are everything but the bagel seasoning mix, dried minced garlic, onion flakes, poppy seeds, cinnamon and sugar, shredded cheddar cheese or Asiago cheese. I even like to mix frozen blueberries into the dough for an easy blueberry bagel.
Variations
- Everything bagel: Top with egg wash and then generously top with everything bagel seasoning.
- Blueberry: Mix 2-3 tbsp of frozen wild blueberries into dough, top with egg wash and coarse sugar.
- Cinnamon sugar: Top with egg wash and roll entire bagel in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Sesame seed: Top with egg wash and white sesame seeds.
- Asiago cheese: Mix a couple of tablespoons of shredded asiago cheese into the dough, top with egg wash and more shredded cheese.
- Jalapeño cheddar: Mix 1/2-1 very thinly sliced jalapeño and a few tablespoons of cheddar cheese into the dough, then top with egg wash and more cheddar.
- Greek yogurt bagels: Swap the cottage cheese for plain Greek yogurt.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Bagels
- Add ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add cottage cheese, flour and baking powder to a mixing bowl. Mix well with a spoon as much as you can, and then switch to kneading the dough together with floured hands.
- Form the dough. Form mixture into a ball. If the dough is too sticky, add a pinch of extra flour until it’s easy to work with.
- Form bagels. Next, split the dough into eight equal parts and form into a bagel shape. You can either roll them into a ball, flatten them and poke a hole in the middle. Or, roll into long log shape and then connect the ends together. Note: Make sure the hole is at least the width of your finger because it will get smaller when it bakes.
- Brush with egg wash. Arrange your cottage cheese bagels on a sheet pan that’s lined with either parchment paper or silicone reusable baking mats. Optional but recommended: Brush bagels with egg wash.
- Add toppings. Top bagels with seasonings of choice. If you omit the egg wash, press them gently into the bagel tops.
- Bake. Bake for about 25 minutes. Bagels should be golden brown. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and enjoying them just like regular bagels (don’t forget the cream cheese!).
How to Store
Store the bagels in an airtight bag or airtight container in the fridge. Warm up by toasting in a toaster oven or putting under your broiler on low for a couple of minutes.
FAQ
Yes, you can use almond flour to make these but the texture will be slightly different. You can also use a gluten free baking flour if you need gluten-free bagels.
Nope! No blending required for this recipe and there are no visible cottage cheese curds once they’re baked.
Yes! You can also make these high-protein bagels in the air fryer by air frying at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Cottage cheese bagels stay fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.
Jamie’s Tips
Tips for Success
- Add more flour if needed. The dough will be a little sticky, but it should be easy to mold into a bagel shape. If it’s too sticky, just add a tablespoon or two of extra flour until it’s easy to work with. Similarly if it’s still sticky, add a little extra cottage cheese.
- Bake on parchment paper. I recommend using a sheet pan that’s lined with either parchment paper or silicone reusable baking mats for the best results.
- Don’t skip the egg wash. You don’t need the egg wash, but it really makes these bagels extra delicious. It gives them a glossy golden brown top and helps your toppings stick.
- Make your bagel hole big enough. Seriously. Keep in mind that when the bagels bake, the hole will close, so make sure to make it at least the width of your finger.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
If you’ve made and loved these Cottage Cheese Bagels or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Cottage Cheese Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour, or self-rising flour (omit baking powder if you use self-rising flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup cottage cheese, small curd full-fat recommended
- 1 egg, plus splash of water for egg wash, optional but recommended
- Seasoning ideas: everything but the bagel seasoning, dried onion flakes, dried minced garlic, or cinnamon and sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add cottage cheese and self-rising flour to a medium sized bowl. Mix well with a spoon as much as you can, and then switch to kneading the dough together with floured hands. If it's too sticky, add a pinch of extra flour until it's easy to work with.
- Next, split the dough into eight equal parts and form into a bagel shape. You can either roll them into a ball, flatten them and poke a hole in the middle. Or, roll into long log shape and then connect the ends together. Note: Make sure the hole is at least the width of your finger because it will get smaller when it bakes.
- To add seasonings, brush bagel tops with egg wash and then sprinkle with seasoning. If you omit the egg wash, press seasonings gently into the bagel tops.
- Arrange your cottage cheese bagels on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 25 minutes. Bagels should be golden brown. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and eating.
Notes
- Everything bagel: Top with egg wash and then generously top with everything bagel seasoning.
- Blueberry: Mix 2-3 tbsp of frozen wild blueberries into dough, top with egg wash + coarse sugar.
- Cinnamon sugar: Top with egg wash + roll entire bagel in a cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Sesame seed: Top with egg wash + white sesame seeds.
- Asiago cheese: Mix a couple of tablespoons of shredded asiago cheese into the dough, top with egg wash and more shredded cheese.
- Jalapeño cheddar: Mix 1/2-1 very thinly sliced jalapeño and a few tablespoons of cheddar cheese into the dough, then top with egg wash and more cheddar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
Can you make these with gluten free flour?
Yes just use a gluten free 1:1 baking flour swap.
If I use GF Flour should I add baking powder? If so, how much
1 tsp per cup of flour.
As easy as it is delicious!
I really enjoyed the taste, but mine really didn’t look like yours, they were firm and didn’t fluff up at all, what could I have done wrong 🫣
Hmm! My first guess is that you maybe didn’t use self-rising flour and may have used regular flour? If you use regular flour you just have to add 1 tsp of baking powder per cup of flour! Baking powder also does expire so make sure your self-rising flour/baking powder is still good!
Can you use almond flour instead?
I haven’t made them myself but you could try!
I cannot get mine to be as smooth as yours. I knead it and its SO difficult to roll into a ball. What am I doing wrong? I used regular flour and added the baking soda too.
I’m not exactly sure what you mean, but if it’s too sticky, add a sprinkle of flour until it’s a good dough consistency! If it’s too dry, you may have added a bit too much flour.
I’m wondering if you could take freeze dried fruit like strawberries or blueberries crushed into powder and add to the dough to make fruit flavored bagels. Have you tried this? I may do some blueberry this weekend and see how it does.
That would definitely work, yes!
I had that issue the first time I made them. The second time I used the Kitchen Aid with the dough hook and it was much better. I just needed to add more flour.
I made these and shared them with coworkers, my husband and myself and coworkers love them!!!Had so many ask about the recipe and I shared your sight with them. We all couldn’t believe how it was just like a regular bagel! Thanks so much for sharing! A huge winner!!!!
So easy and SO good! Thanks SO much!
Thank you!!
My husband and I loved these bagels. They were delish and very easy to make!