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These cottage cheese bagels are a high-protein, gluten-free option made with blended cottage cheese and a handful of simple pantry ingredients. The dough comes together quickly and is baked in the oven - no yeast, boiling, or rising time required! Using cottage cheese adds moisture and structure, resulting in bagels with a soft, bread-like interior and a lightly golden exterior that holds up well for breakfasts, sandwiches, or meal prep.
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Cottage Cheese Protein Bagels
- Why You'll Love Cottage Cheese Bagels
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Make Cottage Cheese Bagels
- Air Fryer Method
- Recipe & Serving Tips
- Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Recipe FAQs
- More High-Protein Breakfast Recipes
- Easy Cottage Cheese Bagels (High Protein & Gluten-Free) Recipe
Quick Look: Cottage Cheese Protein Bagels
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 25 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 40 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: ~152 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cook Method: oven baked on a sheet at 375 °F
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Soft and chewy everything bagels made gluten-free and high protein.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, perfect for on the go breakfasts
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Why You'll Love Cottage Cheese Bagels
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein, and honestly, I'm still a little surprised by how well it works in so many recipes - from a savory cottage cheese alfredo sauce to a berry cheesecake smoothie. It's one of those ingredients that somehow makes everything better! This cottage cheese bagels recipe is no exception and was created to be practical, flexible, and easy to fit into real life.
They bake up soft and bread-like, toast beautifully, and hold together whether you enjoy one plain, with cream cheese, or as an easy breakfast sandwich. After testing the dough with several cottage cheese brands and fat levels, full-fat or 2% cottage cheese blended completely smooth delivered the best texture and moisture without drying out. They're also ideal for making ahead (just like my cottage cheese flatbreads) so busy mornings feel a little easier with something filling and homemade ready to go! I like slicing and freezing them so they're ready to toast straight from the freezer for quick breakfasts or sandwiches.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Gluten-free 1:1 flour: I like the King Arthur brand - it's super reliable. You can use all-purpose flour if gluten isn't an issue.
- Baking powder: Acts as the leavening agent since these are no-yeast bagels.
- Salt: Balances the flavor and keeps the bagels from tasting flat.
- Cottage cheese: Blended smooth to add protein and moisture. Full-fat cottage cheese creates the best structure, though 2% also works well.
- Water: Helps the cottage cheese blend smoothly depending on brand and fat content.
- Egg: Used for an egg wash, brushed on top of the bagels to help with browning and help toppings stick.
- Everything bagel seasoning (optional): Adds that classic bagel flavor. Plain or seeded versions work too.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Bagels
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and stir to combine.
Step 2: Add the cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon of water to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If needed, add 1-2 more tablespoons of water until the mixture blends easily.
Step 3: Add the blended cottage cheese to the flour mixture and mix with a fork or your hands until a sticky dough forms.
Step 4: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it 10-15 times, adding small sprinkles of flour as needed so it doesn't stick to your hands.
Step 5: Shape the dough into a ball and flatten it into an oval.
Step 6: Cut it into six equal pieces.
Step 7: Roll each piece of dough into a ball.
Step 8: From the ball, form the dough into a rope.
Step 9: Form each rope into a circle, pinching the ends together.
Step 10: Brush the tops with egg wash.
Step 11: Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning if using.
Step 12: Bake for 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Air Fryer Method
Preheat the air fryer to 300°F and lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Add the bagels and cook for 15-16 minutes, until browned on top. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe & Serving Tips
- If you've made my cottage cheese dip then you know that blending the cottage cheese completely smooth is key for even texture. Any remaining curds can create gummy spots in the dough. Expect the dough to feel sticky at first; light flouring during shaping keeps it workable without drying it out.
- Greek yogurt can be used in place of cottage cheese if needed. The cottage cheese protein bagels will turn out slightly softer and less structured.
- These high protein bagels pair well with eggs, avocado, or a side of perfectly baked bacon.
- These gluten free cottage cheese bagels also fit nicely into a protein-forward day alongside options like my cottage cheese taco bowl or a pick-me-up snack alongside my high protein dragonfruit smoothie or high protein carrot cake baked oats.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Once cooled, store the bagels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- These bagels freeze well and can be sliced before freezing for easy reheating.
- Toast straight from frozen or warm in the oven until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Blending the cottage cheese until completely smooth is essential for even texture. Unblended curds can lead to gummy spots and uneven dough.
Gluten-free protein bagels naturally have sticky dough. Lightly flouring your work surface and hands as you shape the bagels helps without drying them out.
Yes! The air fryer works well and produces a nicely browned exterior. Just be sure to let the bagels cool fully after cooking so they set properly.
Yes. Cottage cheese bagels can be healthy because they're higher in protein and often lower in refined carbs than traditional bagels.
More High-Protein Breakfast Recipes
Easy Cottage Cheese Bagels (High Protein & Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Gluten Free 1:1 flour, King Arthur brand works best
- 2.5 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1.5 cups cottage cheese, I like Good Culture 2% or full fat for this recipe
- 1-2 tbsp water, as needed
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
- Everything bagel seasoning, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and stir.
- Add the cottage cheese to a blender along with 1 tbsp water. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If it blends easily without getting stuck, great! If not, add 1-2 tbsp more water until it blends easily. This will depend on the brand and fat content of your cottage cheese. I've found the consistency of the bagels is best with Good Culture full fat cottage cheese, but 2% also works.
- Add the blended cottage cheese to the bowl with the flour. Use a fork or your hands to mix it together. It will be sticky. Mix it as well as you can, and even if it's not all combined, pour the contents of the bowl onto a floured work surface. (I like to put parchment down on the counter sprinkled with some more 1:1 flour).
- Knead the dough with your hands 10-15 times, adding a few more sprinkles of flour as needed so it doesn't stick to your hands. Form a ball, then flatten it into an oval.
- Cut the oval into 6 equal parts, and roll each one into a ball. Roll each ball into a ¾-1 inch-thick snake / rope shape. Join the ends to make a circle and pinch / close it together with your fingers.
- Brush some of the egg wash onto each bagel, then add desired toppings. I like to use a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown, then let them cool for 10-15 minutes.
Air Fryer
- Preheat air fryer to 300. Spray the bottom of the basket with cooking oil. Add the bagels and cook for 15-16 minutes or until the tops of the bagels are nice and browned. Let them cool for 15 minutes. Serve with cream cheese or butter and enjoy!
Notes
- If you've made my cottage cheese dip then you know that blending the cottage cheese completely smooth is key for even texture. Any remaining curds can create gummy spots in the dough. Expect the dough to feel sticky at first; light flouring during shaping keeps it workable without drying it out.
- Greek yogurt can be used in place of cottage cheese if needed. The cottage cheese protein bagels will turn out slightly softer and less structured.
- Once cooled, store the bagels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- These bagels freeze well and can be sliced before freezing for easy reheating.
- Toast straight from frozen or warm in the oven until heated through.
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
Easy and delicious!
Absolutely delicious! It was a little difficult to work with the dough as it was so sticky, but definitely worth the effort.
Mary!! These were delicious! I’ve tried numerous protein bagel recipes and this hands down was the best and easiest. Thanks for another great one!
These are so easy and delicious! Appreciated the tips in the recipe description for working with the sticky dough. They came out great.
Great bagels! My husband said they were better than Thomas’ bagels! Will for sure make again.
These turned out great! I used regular flour. Holds up for a breakfast sandwich and adds extra protein for the kids.
These are wonderful! They are so much better than store-bought GF bagels, and when toasted with butter they are great. I really appreciate how not fussy this recipe is. We have made them twice already and you just posted the recipe this week!
Mine turned out more like biscuits than bagels. I cooked them at 325 for about 30 minutes. They’re good! The dough was very difficult to work with (hence biscuits instead of bagels)
I would try 375 for 25 minutes in the oven or 300 for 15 mins in the air fryer next time! And make sure to add enough water to the cottage cheese before blending so the dough is easier to work with 🙂
Fluffy, easy, and delicious!
These bagels were so easy to make and so delicious!! It is tough to just eat one! 😋 Thank you so much for creating and sharing these; waaaaay better than any store bought or other recipes I have tried online for GF bagels (and I have tried several). Thank you! 💕