This easy cottage cheese bagel recipe uses just two ingredients and will seriously blow you away. They’re absolutely delicious and such a fun baked treat with 11 grams of protein per bagel.
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Why you’ll love them
The best part about these cottage cheese bagels is how easy they are. You only need two ingredients to put the dough together, plus your favorite seasonings on top.
You might be asking yourself: why cottage cheese? Cottage cheese is such a great ingredient for two ingredient dough because of how high protein and flavorful it is! If you’ve ever tried two ingredient dough before with Greek yogurt, it works out exactly the same with a cheesier flavor.
They’re also high protein with about 11g of protein per bagel, which is pretty impressive! Are these an exact swap for regular bagels? Of course not! I’m not anti-regular bagels as a dietitian, but these are a super fun an easy high protein swap that you can enjoy sometimes.
Most importantly, these are GOOD. The cottage cheese gives the dough a super mild cheesy flavor that bakes up to be absolutely delicious.
Plus, there is just nothing like a freshly baked bagel right out of the oven! When these are fresh you don’t even need to toast them, they’re so good as is!
You can use these as a part of a balanced high-protein breakfast with some eggs and fruit on the side, or top with peanut butter or avocado for a super easy and delicious snack. Let’s get into how to make them!
Ingredients
The best part about this recipe is how easy it is with just two simple ingredients. You only need one cup flour and one cup of cottage cheese.
- Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour has salt and baking powder added so you don’t have to add anything to it! It makes for super simple baked goods like these bagels.
- Cottage cheese: I like to use whole milk Good Culture cottage cheese, but any different brands of cottage cheese would work. If it has a lot of extra liquid, just drain it first (a little bit is fine!).
Optional toppings: Whatever seasonings you like on bagels. I used everything but the bagel seasoning mix (a blend of salt, poppy seeds, garlic, onion and sesame seeds) but you could also use dried minced garlic, garlic powder, onion flakes, just salt, or even cinnamon and sugar! Try different toppings each time you make them!
Step-by-step 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 your hands. If it’s too sticky, add a pinch of extra flour until it’s easy to work with.
- Next, divide dough into four equal parts and form into a bagel shape. You can either roll them into a ball of dough, flatten them and poke a hole in the middle. Or, roll into long log shape and then connect the ends together.
- To add seasonings, press them into the dough. You can also brush the tops with an egg wash and then sprinkle with seasoning.
- Arrange your cottage cheese bagels on a sheet pan that’s lined with either parchment paper or silicone reusable baking mats.
- Bake bagels in the oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing and eating. Serve with cream cheese, mashed avocado, a fried egg, peanut butter, or whatever you normally like on your bagels!
Recipe FAQ
How should I store cottage cheese bagels?
Store the bagels in an airtight bag or airtight container in the fridge. Warm up by toasting in a toaster or putting under your broiler on low for a couple of minutes.
Do I need to blend the cottage cheese?
Nope! No blending required for this recipe and there are no visible cottage cheese curds once they’re baked.
Can I make these in the air fryer?
Yes! You can also make these high-protein bagels in the air fryer by air frying at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes.
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Easy Cottage Cheese Bagel (2-Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1 cup cottage cheese
Optional
- 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 your hands. If it's too sticky, add a pinch of extra flour until it's easy to work with.
- Next, split the dough into four 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.
- To add seasonings, press them into the dough. You can also brush the tops with an egg wash and then sprinkle with seasoning.
- Arrange your cottage cheese bagels on a sheet pan that's lined with either parchment paper or silicone reusable baking mats.
- Bake for about 25 minutes. Bagels should be golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing and eating. Serve with cream cheese, mashed avocado, a fried egg, peanut butter, or whatever you normally like on your bagels!
27 Responses
Made them last night, very impressed!
Glad you liked them!!
In LOVE with the ease of these, and they turned out so crispy and delicious. Love all of your easy and nutritious meals!
Could you somehow make these blueberry? What would you recommend?
I haven’t tried but it’s always worth experimenting! I would just add some fresh or frozen wild bluberries and see if it still bakes up the same!
Any ideas how to make these gluten free?
The texture will definitely be different with gluten-free flour, but other followers have shared that they’ve made them with gluten-free self-rising flour 🙂
I like these bagels better with cottage cheese than the Greek yogurt. For one, cottage cheese is way more affordable than the Greek yogurt and I like the taste of cottage cheese.
Me too! I love that it adds a little bit of cheesy/saltiness!
My husband is on low sodium diet (5%). Of the daily value and carbs too under 30g. I am too 30g carbs. How can we make these less. For us.
Use plain Greek yogurt instead 🙂
Have you ever blended the cottage cheese first ?
I haven’t! I don’t find that it needs it at all 🙂
Can you use all purpose flour?
Yes but you would need to add your own baking powder and salt.
My husband says they’re like red lobster biscuits. I love them. I’m going to match another batch with cheese and high protein flour. Can’t wait!
I totally agree, they remind me of biscuits!
Love them so much! Totally satisfied my bagel craving. Do you recommend a specific way to store them?
I store them in the fridge in an airtight container 🙂 So glad you loved them!
Can you swap the flour with almond flour?
I believe it does work but it will definitely be a different texture 🙂
Can you make these with lactose free cottage cheese? Thank you!
Definitely!
What can I use if I don’t have self rising flour? Do you know the ratio of the other ingredients?
For every 1 cup of regular flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.
Sorry I’m not a baker and I’m extremely literal. Do you mean exactly an even leveled cup of cottage cheese, and the same as the flour?
Is the 11g of protein per serve??
(We made the chicken salad lastnight and love it and I’m keen to make these today!!)
Yes, a leveled cup of each 🙂 but honestly I’ve made them a million times and even if you’re measurements aren’t absolutely perfect, they’ll still turn out great! So glad you loved the chicken salad!