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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Hi I just made these but thy flattened out . Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
If you read the blog post, you will understand why…
Hi Carolyn. The bagels tasted great but spread completely flat. I’ll try your tip for more flour next time. Should it be more a firm dough ball?
It shouldn’t be too firm, otherwise it won’t rise properly.
On my second try, I made them in a doughnut pan. No issues with flattening out. They look like real bagels! Used a disher (scoop) to drop the dough into the pan. Great flavor and will be in my regular rotation.
Very tasty but my mistake was I put them in a donut pan and I think if I put them on a regular cookie sheet and made my own shape Which is it much different besides wooden of Been so covered that it caused too much moisture in themA few came out I made a Get back 1 came out too dry so instead of tossing them because the taste was so good I just sliced them down and counted how many small slices I got from each bagel toasted them at 350 and made myself croutons. still a good recipe. I will do them again without my doughnut pan😁
I made a double batch this week since these are so good. I use a doughnut pan since I’m super lazy at cooking and baking.
Another win…! I got this recipe from The Protein Advantage cook book and looked to see if it was on here so I could leave a review. I love every one of your recipes, Carolyn, and this is no exception. Only thing I did wrong was squashing down too much and therefore they’re a bit flat, lol. I’ll be less heavy-handed next time. Because there will definitely be a next time 🙌 Thank you!
Great to hear!
I love your breads and biscuits, but haven’t tried this one because my husband won’t eat them if he tastes coconut flour. Is there an alternative I could use?
Thanks!
Try using another 1/3 to 1/2 cup of almond flour.
Hi Carolyn, you mentioned Mozzarella cheese in another of your recipes. If I make the cheese myself can I use it in your bagels , or do you think it would be too moist? I can’t wait to do the cottage cheese bagels. I just bought a huge container.
It’s hard to say! You can try and if it’s moist, try adding more flour.
The egg yolk is the most nutritious part of the egg. Is there a reason you omitted them in this recipe?
Because sometimes a whole egg isn’t great for consistency or texture.
These bagels look awesome. Will be making them when I buy some cottage cheese Can I skip the protein powder and substitute with almond or coconut flour?
No, this recipe relies very much on the protein powder.
Love your recipes….thanks for all your efforts! Do you think Ricotta would be ok to use instead of Cottage Cheese?
Thanks!
I think so… worth experimenting but be ready to add some additional flour.
Of course you know that regular bagels with wheat flour are simmered in water and baking soda for 30 seconds or so for that bagel finish. Could you do this for this recipe? That is what makes bagels so satisfying to chew!
Thanks for all the recipes!
Patricia
I do not recommend it. The lack of gluten will make these fall apart the minute they hit the water.
I want to try this recipe but I’m allergic to coconut. Is there anything I can use in place of the coconut flour?
Thank you!
Try adding another 1/2 cup of almond flour.
I made these bagels and they spread out way more than I’d anticipated. But you know what? I dont care—they were still DELICIOUS!!!!!
I’m wondering if I flattened them too much, or maybe I just needed to add a bit more flour. I’ll be making these again, and again, and again! Thanks for the great recipe!!! 🙂
I would use a muffin tin when baking so they don’t spread out. You could use a donut pan too.
Just made these this morning AND just tried one. YUM! Only thing I changed was I only had Ice Cream flavor protein powder so I didn’t add EBS. Very good! The Ice Cream flavor turned out to be very nice too. Thank you!
Best low carb bagels ever! And I love recipes with cottage cheese.