These protein bagels are so easy to make with a handful of ingredients! With fluffy, soft, and chewy interiors, these cottage cheese bagels make for the perfect savory breakfast or snack! Make them in the oven or the air fryer!
Based off my super easy air fryer Greek yogurt bagels, these cottage cheese bagels are just as simple to make!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- While I don’t count calories, these homemade cottage cheese bagels are lower in calories than traditional bagels, making them higher in protein than regular bagels! I always try to sneak in extra protein in the mornings so I can hit my protein goals easier, so these protein bagels are a staple.
- Sometimes, my body just needs a perfectly toasted bagel with a slab of cream cheese but I didn’t think to buy bagels in advance. These homemade protein bagels are made with cottage cheese and like two more ingredients (plus an egg wash and toppings of your choice), making them super easy to whip up whenever the craving hits!
- No fancy equipment needed! These cottage cheese bagels come together very easily in a bowl. You only have to knead it a couple of minutes and you’re good to go! You don’t need a mixer and you don’t have to proof the dough, so this is a great beginner recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
cottage cheese — cottage cheese is a low-calorie cheese with a mild flavor, so it doesn’t add any strong flavor to the bagels. It essentially melts into the bagels when baked, so you get light, airy little pockets throughout the interior of the bagels. Cottage cheese is also an excellent source of protein, so it’ll leave you feeling satiated. I usually use 2% MF (2% milk fat), but if you can find 4% MF, I highly recommend it!
flour — these protein bagels use all-purpose flour, so you’re likely to have what you need on hand! I haven’t tested this recipe with a different flour, so unfortunately, I’m not sure how they’ll end up if you swap the flour.
baking powder — make sure your baking powder isn’t expired! If you’re pulling an old box out of the back of the pantry, it might have lost its effectiveness in its leavening properties.
egg — you’ll need to beat an egg to brush the dough so the toppings will stick. If you don’t have an egg, you can use heavy cream!
toppings — use your favorite bagel toppings! Poppy seeds and sesame seeds are always a popular option, but I like to use everything but the bagel seasoning.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Bagels in the Oven
- Heat the oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use a fork to combine the cottage cheese, flour, baking powder, and salt. The dough will look crumbly.
- Using clean hands, knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together into a ball and is smooth and tacky (but not sticky). If your dough is too wet and sticky, you can add another tablespoon of flour.
- Divide into four equal parts.
- Roll each cut section into a ball. (If the dough is still super sticky, you can coat your hands in flour to make rolling the dough easier)
- Roll the ball into a thick rope.
- Join the ends to form bagels and gently stretch out the center so the bagels have just under 2 inches of space. If the hole is too small, when the dough expands in the oven, you won’t end up with a hole in the middle of your bagel!
- Repeat with the rest of the dough to form four bagels.
- Then, brush each bagel with the beaten egg and add your topping of choice to them; I use everything but the bagel seasoning. You can sprinkle the topping on the bagels or press them into a shallow bowl of toppings.
- Bake in the middle rack for 20 to 22 minutes and allow the oven-baked cottage cheese bagels to rest out of the oven for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Bagels in the Air Fryer
- Place the bagel dough with toppings of your choice in the air fryer basket and air fry for 13 to 14 minutes at 350°F. Rest the air fryer cottage cheese bagels for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If your cottage cheese is super wet, you’ll need to add extra flour to even it out. Start with an extra tablespoon of flour if the dough isn’t coming together and is too sticky because of the wet cottage cheese. You can also coat your hands with flour when kneading.
- Keep in mind that depending on your topping choice, it can make your bagels super salty! Some everything but the bagel seasoning mixes I have are a bit heavy on the salt and will make the bagels salty.
- When I first made these cottage cheese bagels, I blended the cottage cheese (like I would for my whipped cottage cheese recipe) so the texture would be similar to Greek yogurt, but after a few more times, I was curious to see what would happen if I just put the cottage cheese in without blending. The results were just as good and didn’t require me to wash my blender or food processor!
- These cottage cheese bagels also pair nicely with my hummus, whipped ricotta, and guacamole! Or turn them into my air fryer bagel chips.
- I’ve also used bread flour for this recipe and it was totally fine!
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days on a cool, dry spot on the counter. Storing bagels in the fridge will dry them out.
- Freezer: allow the cottage cheese bagels to cool before transferring them into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. Store for up to 3 months. I recommend pre-slicing them before freezing so you can heat them up directly from frozen and have them toasted for your spread immediately!
Want to Try More Cottage Cheese Recipes?
Need another recipe to use your tub of cottage cheese after making these bagels? Check these out!
- Whipped Cottage Cheese
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes
- Cottage Cheese Egg Bites
- Scrambled Eggs with Cottage Cheese
- Cottage Cheese Pasta Bake
- Cottage Cheese with Roasted Garlic and Chives
High Protein Cottage Cheese Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use a fork to combine the cottage cheese, flour, baking powder, and salt. The dough will look crumbly.
- Using clean hands, knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together into a ball and is smooth and tacky (but not sticky). If your dough is too wet and sticky, you can add another tablespoon of flour.
- Divide the dough ball into four equal parts and roll each cut section into a ball then into a rope. Join the ends to form bagels and gently stretch out the center so the bagels have just under 2 inches of space. (If the dough is still super sticky, you can coat your hands in flour to make rolling the dough easier)
- Brush each bagel with the beaten egg and add your topping of choice to them; I use everything but the bagel seasoning.
- Bake in the middle rack for 20 to 22 minutes and allow the oven-baked cottage cheese bagels to rest out of the oven for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- If using the air fryer, air fry for 13 to 14 minutes at 350°F. Rest the air fryer cottage cheese bagels for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Cottage Cheese with Fruit
- Cottage Cheese with Smoked Salmon
- Cottage Cheese Peanut Butter Bowls
- Cottage Cheese Apple Cinnamon Bowls
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