Guilt-Free Bagels? Yes, Please! This High-Protein Recipe Is Oven-Ready in 15 Minutes

Do you ever feel sluggish after eating a bagel? The chewy breakfast favorite is carb heavy, meaning it can cause a blood sugar spike and then a drop in about an hour. (No wonder my favorite poppy seed and cream cheese bagel leaves me feeling sleepy mid-morning — a time when I need as much energy as I can get!) However, I am determined not to give up my favorite morning treat, and went digging on the internet for high-protein recipes. That’s what led me to this easy, delicious recipe for baked bagels. The best part? One large, homemade bagel packs 18.5 grams of protein. Here’s how to make it.

Nutrition Facts

To make baked high-protein bagels, I used only three ingredients: non-fat, plain Greek yogurt, self-rising flour, and one egg to use as an egg wash. Wanting bigger portions, I doubled the original recipe and used two cups of flour and two cups of yogurt. I split the dough into four pieces, which each became a bagel. So, each bagel had roughly 300 calories, 200 grams of carbs, and 18.5 grams of protein.

To increase the protein and fiber in this breakfast, consider making your bagel a sandwich with sliced turkey breast or thinly-sliced tofu with your favorite salad greens and condiments. Or, you can fill it with sautéed egg whites, spinach, and cheese.

How To Make 3-Ingredient, High-Protein Bagels

To create these baked bagels, here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 cups non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• Sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning (optional)

If you don’t have self-rising flour, use 2 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. You can also use 2 percent or full-fat Greek yogurt in place of non-fat. Here are the instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheet with parchment. Coat with oil or cooking spray (optional).
2. Combine flour and yogurt in bowl. Knead for about 30 seconds. Dough should be slightly sticky. Add a few extra teaspoons flour if too sticky. (Don’t add too much flour, which will make bagels tough.)
3. Split dough into 4 parts for large bagels, 6 parts for small bagels.
4. Lightly flour hands. Roll each piece into a ball. Lightly flour finger; poke hole through center. Gently stretch out the center to create a 1-inch opening.
5. Place bagels on prepared baking sheet. Let them rest and rise; 15 minutes.
6. Brush bagel tops with egg wash (optional). Add seasonings (optional).
7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Rotate sheet pan halfway through the bake.

How They Turned Out

I have to admit it: I was a little skeptical that these bagels would taste good. I love an authentic, boiled, chewy bagel, so I worried that mine wouldn’t have the right texture.

Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised. Though they didn’t taste or look exactly like authentic bagels, they were pretty darn good — they came out incredibly soft and moist. The slight sourness from the yogurt and squishy texture reminded me of a British crumpet. Also, they look somewhat burned (they browned very quickly at the end!), but didn’t have a burned flavor. I even melted a slice of provolone cheese on one, which made for a delicious, savory option.

Unfortunately, the holes I created entirely disappeared when the dough rose in the oven; of course, this didn’t affect the taste at all! But if you want yours to resemble traditional bagels, make sure you really stretch out the center holes before baking.

Overall, I’m so happy I discovered this recipe — I plan to make a couple trays of bagels in bulk and freeze them, so I always have some handy for a quick breakfast.

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