Cottage Cheese Bagels (5 Ingredients)
Make a batch of these soft and fluffy, high-protein Cottage Cheese Bagels with flour – no eggs needed. You’ll only need 5 ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on prep time to be able to enjoy freshly baked bagels at home. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or lunch, especially at special occasions such as Easter or Mother’s Day.
Making high-protein bagels from scratch can be intimidating but once you have made a batch and enjoyed freshly baked bagels at home, it’s hard to go back. Just like my pretzel bagels, these bagels made with cottage cheese are briefly boiled in a baking soda bath before baking, creating the soft and chewy texture bagels are known for.
Unlike the social media trending egg and cottage cheese bagels, this recipe uses self-rising flour only, creating fluffy bagel that’s still offering 15g of protein per serving.
My favorite way to them right now is to top the bagel with extra cottage cheese mixed with avo and spicy shaved carrot salad. Make sure you give this combo a try! For more delicious ways to add extra protein to your meals, check out my cottage cheese flatbreads and cottage cheese Alfredo sauce as well.
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Cottage Cheese Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese full-fat
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds optional, topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Blend the cottage cheese with the milk briefly with an immersion or stand-up blender for a smoother consistency.1 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup whole milk
- Combine the cottage cheese mixture, self-rising flour, and the salt in a stand-mixer or by hand to create a shaggy dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 1-2 minutes. Divide it into 4 equal portions.2 cups self-rising flour, 1/2 tsp salt
- Shape the portions into balls and gently press a hole in the middle with your finger to shape a bagel. Repeat with the others.
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Reduce it down to a simmer. Place 1 or 2 bagels into the water bath at a time and let it cook for 15 seconds before flipping it over. They will puff up slightly and start rising to the top straight away. Repeat with the remaining bagels.4 cups water
- Place the bagels onto the lined baking sheet and add sesame seeds or your preferred bagel topping.1/2 cup whole milk, 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- Bake them for 25 minutes until golden brown and fluffy. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cottage cheese – I use full-fat cottage cheese with 4% fat for a rich cheesy flavor but lighter options work well too. You can also use Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese but you would need to reduce the milk.
- Flour – Self-rising flour is a convenient choice as it already has baking powder and some salt added. You can substitute it with 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 4 tsp of baking powder, and 1 tsp of salt.
- Milk – Whole milk creates a rich dough but you can use a lighter version or even water if needed.
- Salt – Although the self-rising flour already contains some salt, you’ll need to add some more for a flavorsome bagel or it will taste bland.
- Toppings – I used some sesame seeds but you can add any of your favorite bagel toppings including everything bagel seasoning, poppy seeds, dried onion, or shredded cheese.
Step-by-step: cottage cheese bagels
1. Blend the cottage cheese with the milk to smooth it out. Combine it with the self-rising flour and salt to a dough.
2. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions.
3. Shape the bagels by gently pushing a whole into the middle of a dough ball. Alternatively, roll it out into a log and connect the two ends firmly. Use some extra flour for shaping if the dough is too sticky.
4. Create the baking soda bath and boil the bagels for 15 seconds on each side with a gentle rolling simmer. Sprinkle with your favorite topping and bake them for 25 minutes.
My top 5 cottage cheese bagel tips
- Combine by hand: While a stand mixer can help combine the initial ingredients, you’ll need to use your hands to form a smooth dough ball.
- Minimal flour: The dough will be a bit tacky due to the high hydration from the cottage cheese and milk. Resist adding too much flour during the shaping stage, or the bagels will become dry and crumbly.
- Wet hands: If the dough sticks to your hands, ensure they are clean and then wet them with a little water.
- Boil with care: Don’t overcrowd the baking soda bath. Boiling one bagel at a time helps them maintain their shape and cook evenly as they float to the top.
- Blend for smoothness (optional): Blended cottage cheese results in a smoother dough. Skipping this step creates a denser, extra-cheesy bagel with visible specks of curd.