The 5-Ingredient Bagel Recipe I Can’t Stop Making

I’m about nine months pregnant, and one of the things I’ve been craving throughout this journey is a toasted bagel, with one half topped with whipped cream cheese and the other with Kerrygold butter and flaky salt. 

For anyone who has not experienced pregnancy cravings, allow me to explain one thing about them: Once a craving claws into your mind, it’s highly likely you will not be able to think of much else until that thing is in your hands, or more specifically, in your mouth. Sometimes the craving—even if it’s the most random food item you’ve never given much thought to before—will stick around for the duration of your pregnancy, popping up whenever it feels like it. 

My longing for toasted bagels inspired me to come up with the best five-ingredient recipe.

The 5-Ingredient Bagels I Can’t Put Down

I knew early on that I couldn’t very well be downing bagels every single day throughout my pregnancy. I wouldn’t feel great doing that, and it wouldn’t be the best thing for baby. But as I said, the claws were in, so I needed a back-up plan if I wanted to think about anything else. Luckily, the perfect solution fell into my lap. Just as this craving struck, cottage cheese everything—including bagels—became viral on TikTok and Instagram! I fell in love with cottage cheese bagels.

As time went on, the recipe developer in me started playing around with different variations, wondering if I could alter the interior and exterior textures with different additions or swaps and even playing with some flavors and mix-ins. One day, I had Greek yogurt in my fridge. So instead of adding 2 cups of cottage cheese to my bagel batter, I used one cup of 5 percent plain Greek yogurt, and one cup of 2 percent cottage cheese. To my surprise and delight, it made the bagels even better! The interior is softer and chewier and they’re slightly tangy and bake to an even more perfect golden brown and crisp exterior.

Eventually, I tried mixing in dried garlic and onion flakes with one batch, Parmesan cheese and black pepper with another, and even swapped plain yogurt for strawberry Greek yogurt for a subtle sweetness and strawberry flavor. My favorite swap was using blueberry Greek yogurt with a handful of dried blueberries mixed into the batter. No matter what you create, these bagels are best enjoyed toasted.

How To Make Your Own 5-Ingredient Bagels

Needless to say, one of the best things about these 5-ingredient cottage cheese bagels is the sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity! 

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose or gluten-free flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup 5% plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups 2% cottage cheese
• 2 eggs, divided
• Everything bagel seasoning (for topping)
• Flaky salt (for topping)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and one egg. Once combined, add to the dry ingredients. Combine by hand until a sticky batter forms (wearing gloves helps). Divide into eight equal portions (a large ice cream scooper helps) on a parchment lined sheet pan.
3. Form batter into 8 balls, and then slightly flatten by hand into rounds. Use your finger to form holes through the center of each.
4. Beat the second egg in a small bowl. Use a silicone brush to coat each with egg wash. Sprinkle four bagels generously with Everything Bagel Seasoning, and the other four with flaky salt (or any other toppings of your choice). Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the exterior is crisp and golden. Enjoy warm and toasted. Store in an airtight bag in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for up to one month. No matter what, always toast before enjoying them!