April 6, 2018
Low Carb Keto Bagels
by Kirbie
These savory cheesy bagels are keto, low carb, gluten free and wheat flour free. They are just 5 ingredients and easy to make. Step by step photos included!
After I shared my post for 2 Ingredient Bagels on the blog, the question I kept getting over and over again was whether the bagels could be made with almond flour. Unfortunately, substituting almond flour for regular all purpose flour or self rising flour just won’t work for the 2 ingredient dough recipe.
However, it did make me want to research a possible almond flour bagel recipe alternative for those who are not able to consume wheat flour.
So today, I’m excited to share with you these low carb keto bagels! The dough is made with a cheese mixture, eggs, almond flour and baking powder. The end result is something that looks remarkably similar to regular bagels. Because they are made with almond flour, they don’t have that distinctive chew of regular bagels. But they also don’t just taste like bread baked into bagel shapes. They have a firm crust and a slightly chewy interior.
Also unlike the 2 Ingredient Bagels, these have no tangy flavor. Instead, they are decidedly savory with a delicious cheese flavor throughout.
Cheese dough
I’ve made pizza crust and breadsticks with just cheese and eggs (recipe here). When mixed together and baked, the eggs give the cheese enough structure to form a chewy thin bread. This bagel uses a similar cheese mixture as its base.
The cheese used is a combination of mozzarella and cream cheese. You can melt on the stove or in the microwave, until it becomes creamy and uniform. The end result looks like dough (but made out of cheese!).
Almond flour
The almond flour + baking powder give the bagels a lighter, fluffier texture. Otherwise just cheese and eggs will be quite flat.
I like using superfine almond flour when baking. Regular almond flour is more gritty, but with superfine almond flour you can barely detect the almonds at all. For this recipe, I used Bob’s Redmill Superfine Almond Flour.
Making the dough
I tried mixing the dough by hand, mixer and food processor. I thought the best way was using a food processor using the dough blade attachment. The dough is quite sticky so I don’t recommend trying to mix it by hand. The mixer with dough hook attachment works but you have to help it along as it doesn’t reach all the ingredients and the batter get stuck on the sides of the bowl.
However, the food processor blended all the ingredients and turned it into a smooth and uniform dough.
Once the dough is ready, it will still be quite sticky. It gets less sticky as it cools, but I found the best way to work with the dough is to wrap your pastry board with plastic wrap until it’s taut (so that it won’t shift as you’re rolling out the dough) and then lightly coat your hands with oil. This way the dough won’t stick to the board or your hands.
Once the dough is rolled out into logs, you shape into circles and pinch the ends closed. Carefully transport the dough to a silicone baking mat (or parchment paper) lined baking sheet.
Then you add egg wash which will give the surface of the bagels color as they bake. If you wish to add toppings, you sprinkle them on top after the egg wash. I did sesame seeds and everything bagel seasoning (I used the one from Trader Joe’s).
The bagels come out a beautiful golden brown. You can spread cream cheese on them, toast them, or eat them as is.
Additional Recipe Tips
- Bake the sheets of bagels one at a time, in the middle of the oven. Avoid baking both trays at once and avoid having other things cooking in the oven at the same time as it causes uneven heat distribution. (I rushed one of my batches of bagels because I needed to leave the house soon, so I stuck them on the bottom rack and they ended up being flat and wrinkly rather than puffy and golden.)
Post now updated with video! You can also view all my recipe videos on my youtube channel.
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 3 large eggs divided (one egg is reserved for egg wash)
- 1 ¾ cups superfine almond flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Topping Ideas
- sesame seeds shredded cheese or everything bagel seasoning (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a small bowl, whisk together almond flour and baking powder. Set aside.
Add mozzarella and cream cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave at full power in 30 second intervals. After each 30 seconds, stir cheese until cheese is completely melted and uniform (see photo above). This should take around 2 ½ minutes total. Do not try to microwave the full time at once because some of the cheese will overcook. You can also melt the cheese over the stove in a double boiler.
Add cheese, 2 eggs (remember one of the eggs listed is for the egg wash finish at the end only), and almond flour mixture into a food processor with dough blade attachment. Pulse on high speed until the dough is uniform. The dough will be quite sticky, which is normal.
Wrap your pastry board with plastic wrap until the plastic wrap is taut. You should have the plastic wrap running across the bottom of the board so that the weight of the board will help keep the plastic wrap in place. Lightly coat your hands with oil and divide dough into 8 equal parts. Roll each dough into ropes about 1 inch thick. The plastic wrap should keep your dough from sticking to the board. Form the rope into a circle and pinch the ends shut. Carefully place circle onto lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Place 4 bagels on each baking sheet. (The bagels should be placed about 2 inches apart. You can fit up to 6 on one regular half-sheet baking sheet. For the photos above, I made more than one batch which is why I put 6 bagels on each sheet.)
Add the final egg to a bowl and whisk. Generously brush surface of bagels with egg wash. If you wish to add bagel toppings, add them at this time.
Bake bagels for about 14-15 minutes in the middle rack of your oven, or until bagels are golden brown. When you touch the surface of the bagels, they should not collapse. I recommend baking the bagels one sheet at a time rather than trying to bake both sheets at once because it leads to uneven heat distribution and your bagels may not puff up properly. Allow bagels to cool on baking sheets before removing.
- Adapted from Gimme Delicious
- I have included several step by step photos and notes above in the post, so please read through before making this recipe.
- These bagels freeze well so you can make a large batch and reheat when needed. I do not recommend trying to freeze or refrigerate the dough. The dough needs to be used right away before the cheese solidifies.
- I recommend using superfine almond flour and not regular almond flour. I used Bob's Red Mill brand which I bought on Amazon here.*
- *Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Nutrition Facts
Low Carb Keto Bagels
Amount Per Serving (1 bagel)
Calories 298 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 104mg35%
Sodium 313mg14%
Potassium 222mg6%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 400IU8%
Calcium 465mg47%
Iron 1.5mg8%
Net Carbs 5g10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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One question: how many bagels does this beautiful recipe make?
the recipe makes 8. It is stated in the very top of the recipe box.
Can I still make this without a food processor? If so how?
you can make mix the dough by hand or with the dough attachment in a stand mixer. It just takes longer and more effort
I have made these several times and love them! Do you have the nutrition info?
recipe has been updated with approximate nutrition information
Not sure if this is silly but how do you store them?
fridge or freezer both work
My food processor only has the silver blade. Will that work.
I have not tried, but I think the metal blade will be too hard.
I used the metal blade and it worked just fine.
thanks for sharing!
I am IN LOVE with this recipe! Thanks so much! They turned out wonderfully!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Does it have to be superfine almond flour?
I highly recommend it. Regular almond flour or almond meal is very gritty
Is there any way to do this with coconut flour? I have a nut allergy so can’t use the nut flours
I’m sure it can be done, but I would have to test out before providing a recipe. I was avoiding coconut flour for this recipe.
Awesome Keto recipe!
So glad you enjoyed!
I made these tonight and they turned out amazing. One question though. The inside seems to be moist and almost uncooked. Is that normal or did I do something wrong?
They should be quite moist since it’s made mainly of cheese. If you are worried they are uncooked, you can try baking them a little longer.
Just made them and mixed them by hand. You have to really knead it. It was a bit sticky, but didnt take too long. Once you start making them into balls and rolling them out, they are not sticky anymore. They turned out perfect!!! I used a donut tin.
So glad these turned out well for you!
Just pulled these babies out of my oven. They are so amazing and really delicious! So happy I won’t have to miss one of my favorite things in life. I sprinkled on sesame seeds and Jane’s Krazy Mixed-up Salt. Yum! Will definitely make these again.
I’m so glad they turned out well for you!
Just made these for the first time and I am so happy! I love bagels and now I can make some I can have. I do have a dumb question though, can I toast these in the toaster or will they just melt? Thank you for sharing your recipe!
yes they can be toasted
I’m excited to try these this weekend. Question on the cheese measurement. Do you have any idea how much to use in grams vs. cups? I prefer to weigh most of my ingredients whenever possible and particularly cheese. Thank you!
Sorry I do not have gram measurements for this recipe
Looks great. The recipe says eggs “divided” Does that mean that the 2 eggs added are just the yolks and not the full egg with the white
Sorry if this is a dumb question
divided just means that the eggs are used in different steps in the recipe, so that you won’t accidentally add the full amount the first step you see the ingredient. In this case, 2 eggs are used in the batter and one is used for egg wash. You do not need to separate egg yolks from whites
My hubby and I just made these bagels! They are absolutely delicious! They came out gorgeous! I wish I could add a picture but I don’t know how to do it 🙁
Hi! I’m so happy to hear they turned out well. I love seeing pictures! You can send them to me via email, facebook direct message or Instagram direct message.
I would love to see a video of you making these! Look yummy
it’s definitely on my to-do list!
Can I use sharp cheddar ??
the dough base needs to be mozzarella.
Made them today was easy and taste really good .
So glad you enjoyed!
Do you have to put the left overs in the fridge?
yes you will need to refrigerate.
Can you 1/2 the recipe
yes
I use food prep gloves and knead the dough by hand works great!
Great idea!
I have made these 4 times and they turned out great. My question is if you double the batch can you freeze them one they are cooked.
yes!
This recipe is awesome!!!! Will be using it for many years to come! Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you like the recipe!
I like cinnamon raisin bagels, do you suppose these could be adapted to that?
I don’t think so because these bagels use cheese as the dough base.
Sounds delicious! Can the dough be frozen and cooked when required? And how long will it keep?
No, if the dough is frozen, the cheese will also solidify. It’s best to bake the bagels and then freeze them.
Love these there so good.
So happy to hear that!
I’ve made these several times….pretty much every weekend for the last month, they are SO good! I was having trouble getting them as fluffy as yours in the photo but this last batch was spot on! I wisked up the egg wash for the tops in advance and actually put 1/2 in the batter (because I never use the whole egg for the wash) and they are BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for sharing this recipe! It will be a staple for years to come!
I’m glad the bagels turned out well for you!
I made these and they turned out good however did not like the taste. It tasted too cheesy for my liking.
I tried to make these and the bagels just spread out in the oven. They were not in the shape of bagels. Do you know why this happened?
Perhaps not enough almond flour or too much cheese.
Just took these out of the oven 15 minutes ago. They are delicious. My oven tends to be really hot and they got very brown. I will shorten the time on my next batch so they look like yours. I also used a donut tray. Perfection!
Using a donut tray is a great idea for keeping the shape, but I think the donut tray will cause them to brown faster since the bagels are baking inside the cavities. I’m glad they still tasted delicious!
Have you or anyone tried using coconut flour? I want to make them but trying to avoid having to go to the store for almond flour.
I made a dairy free version with coconut cream and coconut Pizza shred ? it turned out amazing!! Did the same with the bread sticks! They were so perfect… love this recipe thank u so much!!
So happy to hear you were able to make a dairy free version!
Hey Michelle, do you think you could share your recipe?
do you think adding some xanthum gum will give it the bagel “chew”?
I have only used xanthan gum as a thickening agent. I do not know if it would work to give the bagels some chew because there is very little flour in this dough–it’s mainly cheese.
Amazing! So much better than eggy cloud bread!
I’m happy you like the bagels!