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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After these cooled they looked like a pretzel to me, so I dipped one in mustard. Pretty good. Just another low carb substitution
Have you ever made blueberry bagels if so how could I incorporate them
I haven’t, and fresh blueberries would probably get crushed here but if you could find sugar free dried ones, that would work.
Well this was a total disaster. Me or the recipe or the ingredients, i don’t know… I was so excited to try these. At least I only used half the ingredients (it only gave me 2 bagels not 4).
I had to add at least the same amount of almond flour for the dough to become cohesive. Otherwise it was just a complete mushy, messy, sticky mess. And I followed the recipe to a T… I’ve fone fathead dough and bagels before, I don’t know what went wrong 🙁 maybe my coconut flour is not a good one?
I hope they are tasty anyway!
What coconut flour did you use?
I just made these and they are THE best Keto fathead bagel. I’ve made a couple of other low carb fathead bagels and they were a fail. These actually look like high carb bagel and taste great. I was hesitant to make them because I hate the taste of coconut flour but, YAY they didn’t have that flavor at all and I think it helped mask the cheese flavor some. Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
Hooray I am so happy to hear it!
Hi! I just checked on mine in the oven and I’m hoping they turn out, however, I’m not sure they will because I just used the marble cheese I had in my fridge. Does it have to be mozzarella? If so, I wonder why?
Because mozzarella is a lot more melty and gooey than any other cheese.
What do you use to knead the dough with? Wet the spatula or use coconut flour?
Nothing. Just the spatula… I would state if it needed something else.
Was sooo excited to make these so I made a batch about an hour ago. They taste great but didn’t rise at all. Pretty sure I followed all the directions. Any thoughts?
If they didn’t rise at all, chances are your baking powder is no longer good. They definitely rise when baked!
Hi, just found & made these, and all I can say is that you’re a godsend! I’d given up on eating keto breads; bread-shaped eggs just doesn’t appeal. However! Now I can play with this recipe!
Mine rose, then fell; was it the rainy weather? The ingredients? Too hot? Not hot enough? Who knows. All I do know is the hubs was ecstatic to be able to eat “bread” again, and I’m glad to keep playing around with a recipe that works! Thanks!
They do rise and then sink a bit upon cooling but they should sink too much. Maybe bake a bit longer?
Love! Love! Love! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. So easy to make. Do you think think the recipe can be doubled to make more for meal planning?
Mine turned out small. are they supposed to be mini bagels? I made a 1/2 batch and my 4 bagels it made were only about 2inch in diameter and very thin…
They were tasty but I ate 1/2 of the batch since they were tiny.
No, not tiny. They should be more like 4 inches across. What coconut flour did you use? Any chance you mismeasured something when cutting it in half?
I had the same issue. I used the recommended coconut flour brand and measurement. They are still delish!! Thank you!
These are almost good… I think I’m just sick of Coconut flour. I have not tried anything with whey protein powder yet but could I use that as a substitution? If so how much? I am looking for nut free options thank you!
I have never tried that as a sub here. You’re welcome to play with it!
Hi Carolyn! I don’t usually post comments but I just had to let you know that these were AMAZING! I am skeptical of all low carb breads – they never seem to live up to my expectations, but these were awesome. Even my two teenage sons, who are not low carb, declared they like these better than regular bagels. That says a lot! I should know better by now…..I am NEVER disappointed in with ANY of your recipes. You are, hands down, the best, Caryolyn. THANK YOU!
I am delighted to hear that! Thank you.
Omg, I have found my go-to keto bagel recipe! The texture is AMAZING! Thank you so much!
So happy to hear it!
These are amazing! Even my picky eater loved them.
I love it when we win over the picky eaters!
I have just made this and they are absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Definite thumbs up on this recipe! I didn’t have on hand the seasonings so I used Trader Joes Everything But the Bagle seasoning mix. Thank you for providing an easy to follow and tasty end result bagel recipe!