Can You Make Bagels in an Air Fryer? Here’s What Happened When I Tried It

From caramelizing romaine lettuce to reheating pizza, my air fryer can do it all. Its ability to cook food without tons of oil is why it’s got a prime spot on my kitchen counter. Recently, I’ve started experimenting with my air fryer a bit more — specifically, with its bread baking capabilities. (Homemade bagels, in particular, are a treat I enjoy almost every morning; but between letting the dough rise and boiling them before baking, they take a very long time to prepare.)

There’s good news, though: I found (and successfully used) an easy recipe for making bagels in the air fryer — in under an hour, no less! I’ve shared it below.

How To Make Air Fryer Bagels

This bagel recipe from AllRecipes.com requires only two ingredients for the dough: self-rising flour and Greek yogurt. Once the dough is formed, the recipe calls for kneading and shaping it into bagels. Each bagel is brushed with egg white and topped with everything bagel seasoning before being air fried to golden brown perfection. Alternatively, you can leave the bagels plain or sprinkle them with sesame seeds or dried onion flakes. Using these shortcuts, you’ll have a mouthwatering breakfast in no time!

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups self-rising flour
• 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg white, beaten
• 3 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning

Directions:

• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 15 mins
• Cool time: 15 mins
• Total time: 45 mins
• Yield: 4 bagels

1. Using fork, mix flour and Greek yogurt in medium bowl until crumbly dough forms. If mixture is too thick, add more yogurt; if too sticky, add more flour.
2. Transfer dough to a lightly-floured work surface, and knead until smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Divide dough into 4 even balls. Roll and stretch each ball into ¾-inch thick ropes about 8- to 9-inches long. Connect both ends, pinch, and seal to form bagel. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with bagel seasoning.
3. Preheat air fryer to 280 degrees Fahrenheit. Line fryer basket with parchment liner or spray lightly with cooking spray.
4. Place bagels in basket and cook 15 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. (Don’t crowd basket and cook in 2 batches if air fryer is small.)
5. Remove to rack, and cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.

My Taste Test

I was a little skeptical about whether my air fryer bagels would taste like traditional bagels. I’m happy to say that they exceeded my expectations. They had a mild tangy flavor — thanks to the yogurt — and a soft, chewy texture. I used Dan-O’s Crunchy Seasoning (Buy from Walmart, $12.44) to get the garlicky-onion taste I crave minus the high sodium content found in other everything bagel seasonings.

Overall, I’d take these two-ingredient bagels over the store-bought kind any day. I’m excited to make this recipe the next time I’m serving brunch, and offer my bagels to guests alongside cream cheese, smoked salmon, and dill. Yum!

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