Cottage cheese gives these low carb Protein Bagels a wonderful texture and flavor. They’re easy to make and have 13g of protein per serving. Perfect for breakfast or lunch!
I have jumped on the cottage cheese bandwagon. As in took a flying leap and landed with a resounding thud. Seriously, why did no one ever tell me how high in protein this funny curdy stuff is?
Now that I am aware and enlightened, what shall I do with that knowledge? Well, to start, I re-created the viral Protein Bagels with low carb ingredients. And they are fabulous!
I already have a classic recipe for Keto Bagels made with fathead dough, and they are well loved by readers. But this cottage cheese bagel recipe is definitely worth a try, especially if you are trying to increase your protein intake.
We love them toasted and spread with a little of our homemade Boursin cheese. They also make awesome breakfast sandwiches!
Be sure to check out all of my low carb high protein recipes.
Why you need to try this recipe
I am going to let you in on a little secret: I recently signed a contract to write another cookbook. Yes, I KNOW I said I was never going to write another one again after The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. But the publisher came to me with this project and I got excited about it. That’s when I know it’s right.
And these Protein Bagels are destined for that project. I kept seeing social media posts for “two ingredient bagels” made with cottage cheese and I wanted to test it out. But the original recipe takes self-rising flour, which is essentially wheat flour with baking powder already mixed in.
Knowing that a low carb version would need something more to hold it together and to help it rise, my protein bagel recipe has six ingredients (not including the toppings). I’d say that’s pretty great for a keto-friendly bread recipe!
They have a different texture than fathead dough, they are less heavy but also less chewy. They could easily just be a tasty bun or roll, if you don’t want to bother with the bagel shape.
And they have 13.3g of protein and only 4.1g net carbs. How’s that for fabulous?
Ingredients you need
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- Cottage cheese: I have only tried this recipe with whole milk cottage cheese. I imagine 2% would work too but you may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Egg whites: I recommend using fresh egg whites, rather than those from a carton, for better lift.
- Keto flour: Of course, we can’t use wheat flour, so I use a combination of almond flour with a bit of coconut flour for the right texture.
- Protein powder: You can use whey protein (I recommend this protein isolate) or egg white protein powder.
- Pantry staples: Baking powder, salt.
- Toppings: Everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppyseeds, or your favorite bagel topping.
Step by Step Directions
1. Blend the cheese: Place the cottage cheese in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the egg whites until well combined.
2. Add the dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, protein powder, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to really work the ingredients together.
3. Form into balls: Wet or oil your hands and form the dough into 6 large balls. You will need to re-wet your hands for every ball. Place on a baking sheet lined with a lightly greased silicone mat. Press down with your palm to about 1 ½ inches thick.
4. Make holes: Dip the end of a wooden spoon into some water and press into the center of each mound. Move the spoon in a small circle to make the hole a little bigger.
5. Add the toppings: Brush the tops of the bags with melted butter or oil and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
6. Bake: Bake at 350ºF 18 to 22 minutes, until puffed and just beginning to brown. The bagels should be firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely before slicing open.
Expert Tips
Having wet or greased hands is a MUST when shaping them. The dough is a bit sticky but you will be able to roll it into balls as long as you take this precaution. If your dough is so sticky that you still struggle, you need to add a bit more flour.
I’ve made these a couple of times now and I found that if I press them down to much, they are a bit too flat. So just be mindful of that when shaping these bagels.
They don’t have to be bagel-shaped! This dough makes wonderful easy rolls or buns too. You could brush them with a little garlic butter like my Keto Dinner Rolls.
If you find that they spread too much during baking, it means you didn’t have enough flour. Try adding another few tablespoons of almond flour or one additional tablespoon of coconut flour.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a number of good keto bagel recipes that use things like mozzarella cheese. But they can be heavy and have a lot of calories. These protein bagels are lighter, with fewer calories, and still very low carb. They are perfect for the keto diet.
Many protein bagel recipes still contain wheat and have a lot of carbs. This recipe for low carb protein bagels has only 4.1g net carbs per serving and more than 13g of protein. So they are perfect for healthy low carb and gluten-free diets.
Store the bagels in a covered container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for several months.
Related recipes
Protein Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cottage cheese (whole milk)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup unflavored whey protein powder
- 2 tablespoon coconut flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ tbsp butter melted
- 1 tablespoon Everything Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
- Place the cottage cheese in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the egg whites until well combined.
- Add the almond flour, protein powder, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to really work the ingredients together.
- Wet or oil your hands and form the dough into 6 large balls. You will need to re-wet your hands for every ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and press down with your palm to about 1 ½ inches thick.
- Dip the end of a wooden spoon into some water and press into the center of each mound. Move the spoon in a small circle to make the hole a little bigger.
- Brush the tops of the bags with melted butter or oil and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning.
- Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until puffed and just beginning to brown. The bagels should be firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely before slicing open.
Pat says
Hi Caroline
These are absolutely the best! I have tried a few bagel recipes, but this one is better than any I have tried. I like the idea of using cottage cheese instead of fathead dough. They are perfect and so easy to make. By the way, as was asked in another post, could I use ricotta instead, if I don’t have cottage cheese to hand?
Carolyn says
I am not sure for these bagels, it may not have the right texture.
Darlene says
Love this recipe!
Although I think it is more of a muffin recipe than a bagel one it is delicious. I triple the recipe and use one large container of 4% cottage cheese. I use a vanilla beef protein powder instead of whey and add 3T of sweetener (for a triple recipe) with a good shake of cinnamon. I don’t use the bagel seasoning, instead I use granulated sweetener on top. I do cook them in a bagel pan, the texture is more like a muffin than bagel. This recipe has become a staple in my weekly menu.
Sue says
would Greek yogurt work instead of cottage cheese? I have everything else except for the cottage cheese…
thank you, these look so good!!
Geri says
Hey there, can full fat ricotta be used in place of cottage cheese?
Brenda says
September is here (tomorrow); I have to get to baking and these are on my list – I always trust your recipes and instructions.
Can hardly wait for the new cookbook! You are my favorite!
Joanie says
Hi Carolyn,
I, too, have a problem with this recipe being too soft and mushy. They spread out too much and turn out like bialys. I have tried adding more flour to no avail. They are okay if I bake them in a donut pan though.
I love your recipes and think you are amazing.
Thanks for what you do.
Carolyn says
Hi Joanie… what brand and fat content of cottage cheese are you using? I suspect that might be the issue.
Lisa says
Hi Carolyn! my batter was not as solid looking as yours. Have you experienced the batter being too liquidy? Not sure if that is the word I’m looking for, but I added more almond flour and a bit more coconut flour but it was still more wet than dry and more solid.. The taste is fantastic but the bagels were not as pretty as yours. I’ll keep trying tho!
Carolyn says
Were you using a cottage cheese that was quite liquidy by chance?
Tannis says
These sound delicious, I’m going to make them into bagel bites for my Thirsty Thursday night with the ladies. Everyone brings a dish and I always use your recipes because I know they will turn out. Everyone love what ever I bring and I’m the only one on Keto.Thanks for all your work you put into your recipes. How long would you suggest I bake them for?
Linnie says
These were yummy!
Sue says
These were delicious! Mine did not rise enough so will check my baking powder. Do you think these could be made in a donut pan? Or could the recipe be double or tripled to make a loaf of bread? First thing I have made that really tasted like bread!
Carolyn says
Yes, you could make them in a donut pan. I haven’t yet tried in a loaf pan.
Suzanne says
This was an easy recipe to follow. I really enjoyed how it turned out. I didn’t toast it like a traditional bagel but it tasted great. I used whipped cream cheese and had it along with some keto chicken and dumplings soup. Heaven! Thanks for a great recipe!