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 1/2 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
- 3/4 cup (157.5 g) cottage cheese, (whole milk)
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 cup (112 g) almond flour
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder
- 2 tbsp (14.2 g) coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp 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 1/2 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 bagels 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.
Notes
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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Are you supposed to whip the egg whites first?
No. I would tell you if that were the case.
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.
Sounds like a lovely way to use them!
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.
So glad they worked out!
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?
*fathead
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!
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!
Thank you for a fantastic recipe that doesn’t require egg white protein powder. it’s SO EXPENSIVE here in Canada. This is perfect!
It’s expensive here too! Especially with the avian flu.
Great recipe! Quick, easy, tasty. Will definitely be making again. Used it to have a morning bagel with egg and cheese.
Simply Amazing!
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?
No and No. Please make the recipe as written if you want it to be successful.
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?
You won’t really taste the cottage cheese. I am not sure about the cinnamon, you will need to experiment.
Wondering if a little gelatin would work for a chew factor?
I suspect it would make them gummy.
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.
Thanks so much!
Can you use a bagle silicone baking dish, or do you need to hand form?
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!!!
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?