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.
Diane Bryant says
Carolyn,
Just wanted to say these are the best!
I have tried several different recipes for a simple roll/bagel/bun but the almond flour was always too much for my liking. But these are just great!! Easy and delicious!
Thank you!!
Shirley Devlin says
Can I substitute ricotta for the cottage cheese?
Carolyn says
No.. not enough protein.
Cathy Beedle says
I wonder if you would use less (by measure) pre blended cottage cheese than whole cottage cheese before blending? I have been blending my cottage cheese all at once and putting it back into the carton to make things with it so I don’t dirty a blender every time I make something. If I do it this way I use a bit less because the full measure seems to be too wet.
Carolyn says
That’s an excellent question. I don’t do that so it’s hard for me to say but I say go with your gut and do a bit less.
Mimi says
I would think you could blend the amount for the recipe and then measure that amount so you know the amount blended and unblended. Does that even make sense? These are on the docket for tonight!!
Natasha Koch says
Loved these bagels. I’ve made my bagels usually with fathead dough which are great however these have a light airy consistency with great flavour. I made a chicken sandwich and it was delicious will make them again. Thank you
Carolyn says
Fabulous! Yes, I agree about the lighter texture… and less calorific too so you don’t get over full.
Vicki Nelson says
Are you supposed to whip the egg whites first?
Carolyn says
No. I would tell you if that were the case.
Anna Wisner says
I just made a double batch of these protein bagels. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I would like them–I’ve never had a recipe of yours that I didn’t wish I had made more of, so this time I went big. They are delicious, and I ate one at work today. Tonight, I’m going to serve them with chicken salad garnished with a little bit of bacon–it’s Valentine’s Day, and I know my husband will appreciate the gesture of bacon! Thanks for a great (as usual) recipe.
Carolyn says
Sounds like a lovely way to use them!
Patricia Christiansen says
I baked these in the convection oven in my very small RV, using the jar of my stick blender to process the cottage cheese. I say all that to emphasize how terrific they are. I can see how easy they’d be to make in a real kitchen. My (non-keto) husband ate 2, I was very satisfied with just one, but can see I’ll need to make them again in a day or so.
Carolyn says
So glad they worked out!
Debbie Givan says
Excited to try these! I avoid fathead dough because it is so high in fat. Will you be creating other father recipe substitutes using cottage cheese?
Debbie Givan says
*fathead
Cathy Beedle says
I can’t tell you how happy I am about you writing a new cookbook!! Your cookbooks are my most treasured keto cookbooks! Thank you! Also, this recipe is really really good and toasts better than I had hoped! Now I need a new toaster!
Kim says
I made them today. They are fantastic – great flavor, texture, looks! I was worried that rolling them into balls was going to be a gooey mess and that they were going to spread too much. So I decided to use my donut pan, and to get the batter in there, I put it in a plastic bag, cut off the corner and piped it in. That worked really well. I sliced a bagel in half, toasted it up, made a bagel egg sandwich using the leftover yolks. Yum!
arlene says
Thank you for a fantastic recipe that doesn’t require egg white protein powder. it’s SO EXPENSIVE here in Canada. This is perfect!
Carolyn says
It’s expensive here too! Especially with the avian flu.
Cheryl says
Great recipe! Quick, easy, tasty. Will definitely be making again. Used it to have a morning bagel with egg and cheese.
Louise Wrage says
Simply Amazing!
T says
Ooh, I am excited to try these!! I have two questions. Do you need the whey/egg white protein powder for the dough, or is it just there for the protein boost? Also, can you use 2 whole eggs, or are egg whites necessary?
Carolyn says
No and No. Please make the recipe as written if you want it to be successful.
Pam B says
As a person that can not stand cottage cheese. Does the taste come through ? I also don’t like the everything seasoning. Have you tried this with cinnamon?
Carolyn says
You won’t really taste the cottage cheese. I am not sure about the cinnamon, you will need to experiment.
Terry S says
Wondering if a little gelatin would work for a chew factor?
Carolyn says
I suspect it would make them gummy.
Nancy13 says
I can’t wait to try this easy recipe! I just can’t master fathead dough, so this is right up my alley. So glad I found you on the internet and looking forward to add another cookbook to my “Carolyn” collection.
Carolyn says
Thanks so much!
Anita says
Can you use a bagle silicone baking dish, or do you need to hand form?
Parris Adams says
Thank you for sharing this receipe. I’ve been trying to find a keto bagel recipe that isn’t fathead dough. I’m so excited to try this!!!
Debbie says
Can I tell you how VERY EXCITED I am to make these! I am in a constant battle to find bread alternatives that don’t spike my blood sugar and don’t have weird ingredients. I have come to LOVE and TRUST your recipes! I was wondering how well do they toast?