Chewy keto bagels do exist and they are delicious! This easy nut-free recipe takes only 5 ingredients and 40 minutes of your time. And with only 2.9g net carbs, they are perfect for a healthy keto breakfast.
I couldn’t be more thrilled with these keto bagels and I think you will be too. They have the perfect chewiness of the conventional kind, with a mere fraction of the carbs.
It took me quite a few attempts to get this recipe right, I will admit. I had to play around to get the perfect combination of cheese and keto flour. But once I did, I knew I had something pretty remarkable on my hands.
They remind me of traditional Montreal style bagels…smaller and denser than the New York kind, but full of flavor and delightfully chewy. They toast really well, and with a schmear of cream cheese, you can truly enjoy bagels again.
And just like my keto biscuits, they make great breakfast sandwiches too!
Why you need to try this recipe
This keto bagel recipe is a little different from others you may have seen. For one thing, it’s made with coconut flour rather than almond flour, which means it’s completely nut-free.
I have experimented quite a bit with fathead dough, which is typically made of cheese, almond flour, and eggs. Because almond flour has a high oil content, it causes a great deal of spreading during baking. This can mean that most keto bagels end up flat and shapeless.
I find that coconut flour provides much more structure and holds up better. It also makes the bagels chewier, like the real thing. And they don’t taste like coconut at all!
One reader says: “Chewy, rich, great texture, delicious! This dough was easier to work with than any other fat head dough I’ve tried.”
Ingredients you need
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- Coconut flour: I created this recipe using coconut flour because I really think it gives them the ideal texture. Do not substitute with almond flour as the bagels will flatten and spread too much. For best results, weigh the flour out by grams.
- Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder is not old or else your bagels will not rise and will be a bit flat.
- Xanthan gum: There really is no substitution for this as it gives the bagels structure. Remember, a bag of xanthan gum will last for several years. You can find it in the gluten-free aisle of most grocery stores, or you can purchase it online.
- Shredded mozzarella: Fathead dough is tricky, and some shredded mozzarella works better than others. I have had good luck with all sorts of brands like Whole Foods, Safeway, Trader Joe’s Organic, and Sargento. But for some reason, I have not had much success with Organic Valley.
- Eggs: Use large eggs for this keto bagel recipe. Extra large or jumbo eggs will make the dough too soft.
- Butter: Brush the top of the bagels with melted butter. It adds great flavor, browns the bagels and gives the toppings something to adhere to.
- Everything bagel toppings: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried minced onion and coarse salt make these taste like classic bagels. You can also purchase everything bagel seasoning that is premixed.
Step by step directions
1. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, baking powder and xanthan gum. Make sure to break up any clumps in the coconut flour.
2. Melt the cheese: In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the cheese on high in 30 second increments until well melted and almost liquid. The exact time this takes varies with the power of your microwave. For me, it takes about three 30-second zaps.
3. Add the flour mixture and eggs: Place the flour mixture over the melted cheese, then add the eggs. The flour will help protect the eggs from the heat of the cheese. Knead in the bowl using a rubber spatula.
4. Turn out the dough: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and continue to knead the dough until cohesive. Cut the dough in half and cut each half into 4 equal portions so that you have 8 equal pieces of dough.
5. Roll into logs: Roll each portion out on the mat to about 8 inches long. Then pinch the ends of the log together to form a circle.
6. Add the seasoning: In a shallow dish, stir together the sesame seeds, poppyseed, dried onion and salt. Brush the top of each bagel with melted butter and dip firmly into the everything seasoning. You can also just sprinkle the seasoning on top.
7. Bake until golden: Bake the bagels at 350ºF until they have risen and are golden brown.
Expert Tips and FAQ
Fathead dough is tricky, because so much depends on the right combination of shredded cheese and keto flour. So I have a few extra tips to help you get these keto bagels right. Be sure to watch the video in the recipe card for even more tips and tricks!
If you don’t have a microwave, you can melt the cheese in a pan over very low heat on the stovetop. Remove the pan from heat before adding anything else and stir very quickly once you add the egg. Don’t let the pan get too hot or it will curdle the egg.
If the bagels spread too much or turn out a bit flat, it usually means you didn’t have enough coconut flour to give them structure. I strongly recommend weighing the coconut flour for accuracy.
The brand of shredded cheese can also be an issue, so it can take a bit of experimentation. Look under the ingredients section for the brands that have worked best for me.
Store bagels in a resealable container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They tend to get quite firm when refrigerated, although you can warm them up gently to make them softer again.
This keto bagel recipe has 5.5g of carbs and 2.6g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.9g net carbs per bagel.
This keto dough is made with mozzarella cheese, eggs, coconut flour, xanthum gum and baking powder. It produces a chewy and delicious bagel that tastes similar to regular bagels. And they toast well, too!
More fathead dough recipes to try
Fathead dough is a game-changer for keto recipes, as it is so similar to real pizza dough. Here are a few other recipes you might enjoy:
- We use it to make keto pizza crust frequently. The kids love cheese and pepperoni, but my husband and I really like to make Jalapeno Popper Pizza.
- You can also use it to make fabulous keto cinnamon rolls! The dough is elastic enough to roll up nicely with a cinnamon filling.
- I modified the dough to make this fun Keto Everything Bagel Bread. It’s fun to serve at parties or just make some to snack on at home.
- Craving calzone? Fathead dough is perfect for that. I filled my Keto Calzone with a creamy mixture of spinach, artichokes, and cheese.
Related recipes
Keto Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (60 g) coconut flour (60g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) xanthan gum
- 12 oz (340.2 g) pre-shredded mozzarella
- 2 large eggs
Optional Topping for Everything Bagels
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp poppyseed
- 1 tsp dried minced onion
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) coarse salt
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with a silicone liner. Lightly dust with coconut flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the cheese on high in 30 second increments until well melted and almost liquid. Stir in the flour mixture and the eggs and knead in the bowl using a rubber spatula.
- Turn out onto the prepared baking sheet and continue to knead together until cohesive. Cut the dough in half and cut each half into 4 equal portions so that you have 8 equal pieces of dough.
- Roll each portion out into a log about 8 inches long. Pinch the ends of the log together.
- In a shallow dish, stir together the sesame seeds, poppyseed, dried onion, and salt. Brush the top of each bagel with melted butter and dip firmly into the everything seasoning. Set back on the silicone mat.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the bagels have risen and are golden brown.
Video
Notes
Storage information
Because fathead dough tends to lose elasticity as it cools, it’s best to store the bagels at room temperature. Place them in a covered container for up to 5 days. If you do refrigerate or freeze them, warm them gently in the oven or microwave to make them softer again.Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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You’ve hit it out of the park again! I’ve tried other Keto bagel recipes and was left disappointed each time. These are amazing. I’m not surprised as I’ve yet to find a recipe of yours I didnt like. I added a little jalapeño and cheddar on top and it took it to a whole new level. Thank you for continually sharing your creations!
Good afternoon. Really would like to make these. But there’s no xanthum gum where I live. Any alternatives? Tapioca flour maybe?
Thanks
You could try a tablespoon of tapioca.
Hmmm… well these turned out pretty good but the flour measurement vs. volume is way off. First I measured it and then I weighed it, and 1/2 cup was only 40something grams. Even packing the measuring cup I could only get to 50 grams. (And I used Bobs Red Mill coconut flour like you did.) So I used the larger amount (weight).
Anyway, the texture came out more bread like than any other fake keto bread recipe I’ve tried. I wouldn’t call it chewy, not like a real bagel anyway. But that’s OK, it was still satisfying. The coconut flavor coming through isn’t awesome, but it’s not a deal breaker. (maybe I should’ve used the smaller amount after all.) I’d leave the salt out of the topping next time, as the cheese is already pretty salty. I’ll also try an egg wash to adhere the topping next time as it didn’t really stick well with the butter.
Hey there. I just measured it out again on 2 different scales and when I packed it, I got 61 and 66g respectively. Which just goes to show you that even the same brand of coconut flour differs from time to time. I’ve always said as much!
Just made this recipe…yumm!!! I used one of the 8 piers and flattened out to make a mini pizza crust!!! So good. Can’t wait to make brownies!!!
I forgot to click the stars on my previous comment. I’d give it 10 stars if I could!! Easy and delish!!
Thanks so much!
These bagels are so easy to make and are to die for!!! Just made them and of course ate one right away for a late lunch. I could hardly wait for them to cool enough to get one in my eager little hand. My husband calls me a cake eater because I love carbs. You have made keto a sustainable possibility for me with your yummy recipes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
So glad to hear it!
My cheese turned into a glue consistency while melting in the microwave. It never became liquid form so consequently I was never able to truly it roll into a ball or rings. It seems that the shredded mozzarella is low in moisture does not work for this recipe.
Actually it works perfectly because that’s what I use. Sounds to me like you overcooked it.
I had a similar issue but I’m a pretty novice baker… any suggestions on how to get the mozzarella cheese to melt more liquidy instead of more glue like consistency? Should I take out after each 30 second interval and mix? Thanks!!!
What brand of mozzarella was it?
This is a great recipe , I use to make everything .
Hi! I’m super excited to try this recipe, but for the cheese, what’s the difference between the part-skim and whole mozza? I always thought we were supposed to use whole cheeses for keto? Thanks!!
Part skim just makes this a lot less oily…much easier to work with. Believe me, it’s plenty high fat in the end anyway!
I finally made these today and they turned out great! Such an easy recipe! Thank you!
So good! So easy too. I used my hand mixer/beater to stir this up. I also used Whole milk mozzarella. Turned out great! I will definitely make these again. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Can we substitute gelatin for the xanthin gum? Would it be the same measurement.
No, that won’t work.
What is the xanthan gum used for? Wondering if it could be used in other bread type recipes.
It’s a thickener and a stabilizer.
AMAZING!! I promised my co-workers (3 of which follow keto) I would make these and bring them in. I felt like a rock star!! Our morning break with your Keto bagels and cream cheese was a huge hit! My son (18) hung around the oven until they were golden and got “first dibs.” A hit at home and at work. Double win! Thank you Carolyn!
Yay!
About those gnocchi…please share your results!
I LOVE gnocchi and would love to have some. How much coconut flour did you add?
Thanks in advance!
Great recipe! Closest thing to bagels I’ve tried. Made 6 regular and 8 mini bagels out of this using donut and mini donut pans. Mini bagels took about 15 min and regular took 20 min, using a cookie sheet underneath the pans to cut down on overbrowning. Super tasty! Raised a bit and did not fall. Used Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel seasoning on the regular bagels and chocolate salt on the mini bagels, and was generous with the butter. Next time I’m going to flavor the mini bagels with cinnamon-monkfruit ‘sugar’!
Thanks for the hard work on all your recipes!
So glad you like them, Jamie!
Hi Carolyn, I made these and they were amazing!!! I can’t thank you enough. The neighbors came over and stole half of them so now I need to bake more.
Just wanted you and your readers to know: I don’t have a microwave and I didn’t melt the cheese. I used a Cuisinart food precessor and chopped the grated cheese very fine. I added all the powdered ingredients and kept pulsing until it was sandy. After I added the eggs, I pulsed until it came together as a dough.
Hand formed the bagels as described. I couldn’t believe how well they rose! And stayed puffy! I did not use Bob’sRedmill coconut flour, I just used Presidents Choice. Also used old baking powder LOL!
This is a fantastic recipe. Thanks again.
Thank you for sharing your experience making these with your food processor. I used mine as well when the eggs began to cook in the hot cheese mixture. I put everything in the food processor and processed until it became a cohesive dough and it turned out very well. I am going to try it the way you described as that would be a lot easier. With this dough I made a couple of hotdogs by wrapping the hotdog with some of this dough and it was very good dipped in sugar free ketchup and mustard. This is a great recipe Carolyn, thank you.
I just tried making these using the food processor method and for the life of me could not get this into a workable dough. It looked so promising!! I think I may have had too much coconut flour because I weighed this time and it was definitely more than 1/2 a cup. My dough was very crumbly and impossible to form into anything but mounds of mashed together “dough.” They are in the oven so we shall see how they come out!
I like this method because I know the cheese is really well combined with the other ingredients. Just need to figure out a way to make the dough come together! I wonder if melting it some in the microwave before adding the eggs would help.
“I wonder if melting it some in the microwave before adding the eggs would help.”
Yes…just like the recipe instructs! ???? I’ve made this recipe as written, and it’s really good. The steps are there for a reason, and it’s worthwhile to follow them at least the first time. Just my opinion.
After posting this comment, it occurred to me that I used pre-shredded whole milk mozarella, because I don’t buy part-skim. So, I cannot truthfully say that I followed the recipe exactly as written. However, as someone who experienced success with the method prescribed by Carolyn’s recipe, I do stand by the recommendation to follow it.