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 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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I just made these bagels for breakfast. They are sooo delicious. Not chewy like a bagel but so satisfying! I used 2% cottage cheese and added a little more almond flour.
I have to purchase whey, where can I get this item that you use?
It’s linked right in my recipe!
Amazing ! My mom and I think so!
Mine were a little flat. More like half a bagel but I think my baking powder is too old 😂 delicious though!
The best bagel I have ever made 😍👍thank you for your support.
Amazing!
I am excited to try these. I’ve loved all your recipes I’ve tried! Can I bake them on parchment paper, as I do not have a silicone mat? Thank you.
Yes but keep your eye on the bottoms! Use an insulated pan if you have one… or perhaps double up the sheet pans.
Can you use egg white powder instead of whey protein?
Please make sure you read the blog post as I always address questions like this. Thanks!
I made these and they turned out very good but my where definitely not as full looking as the bagels in your picture .Any ideas why that could be ? Thank you
I talk about why that might be in the blog post! 🙂 You probably needed a bit more flour. My first attempt was nice and round, my second less so, my third were back on track.
Excited to make these tomorrow morning. We enjoy so many of your recipes. Thx for this new one!
Just made these. They are delicious. I love how crispy they are. I usually make the stupid easy bagel recipe but decided to give these a try. Sure glad I did. I made 3 savory (I can’t eat everything bagel seasoning anymore (since Covid) can’t stand the taste of garlic anymore). I used Flavor God’s butter seasoning on the top of 3. I made the other 3 with a few raisins and cinnamon then sprinkled more cinnamon on top. They are delicious with a little peanut butter and Good Good jelly. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
I want to try these but do not have whey protein unflavored on hand. Tried to do research to determine if I can substitute Multi Collagen Protein but found nothing conclusive. Looking forward to your opinion on this. Do you think it’s worth a try??
Currently enjoying one and they are fantastic, thank you!
These are perfect for us. They are not as chewy as fathead but that works well for mt husband with PD. And I doubled the recipe to freeze them and then had the egg yolks to make a recipe of crème brûlée from the Ultimate guide to Keto Baking!
These are perfect for us. They are not as chewy as fathead but that works well for mt husband with PD. And I doubled the recipe to freeze them and then had the egg yolks to make a recipe of crème brûlée from the Ultimate guide to Keto Baking!
Do you think collagen could be used instead of the whey powder? I don’t react well to whey powder.
Unfortunately, no. Collagen bakes very differently and they will be quite gummy. But you can use egg white protein powder, which is basically just powdered egg white. https://amzn.to/3SMOubF
Looking forward to trying these. Being the milkman’s daughter I was brought up on cottage cheese. I’m wondering how many mini loaves this might make and how long they would bake? Thanks Carolyn for all of your experimentation. Looking forward to a new book.
Pam
I absolutely love cottage cheese and cannot wait to make these. Cheers on writing another cookbook – – I have all six of your cookbooks. When is the new one due to be published? Thanks Carolyn for all of your hard work. I know when I try one of your recipes, you have thoroughly researched and tested them to be as perfect as possible.
Made these today, a double batch. Can’t wait to make sandwiches out of them. Made the Boursin cheese you suggested also. They are delicious together. Used olive oil instead of melted butter, honestly just because I popped them in the oven and realized I had forgotten the topping, so I grabbed the olive oil spray bottle instead of waiting for butter to melt. These are so easy and so delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Drove out in a snow storm to get the cottage cheese. My only regret was not making a double batch.
Glad you were safe! <3
Made without the hole and with egg white powder instead of unflavored whey protein powder (it’s what I had). Also added 2 Tbsp. fresh ground jalapenos. OMG! My favorite bagel flavor ketofied (I like spicy). Won’t let me post a picture, but they were perfect!