You’ll love these soft and chewy Keto bagels! This easy low carb bagel recipe is made with Fathead dough, which means it’s gluten free and grain free. Keto breakfast has never been more delicious.
Who else loves that moment when you bite into a freshly baked bagel that’s still warm? I love that feeling when your teeth sink through the crunchy crust and then hit the soft and chewy inside.
Hold on, I hear you say. Bagels – all that wheat. They’re a carb fest. They’ll spike your insulin like crazy. And after this massive glucose surge your energy levels drop and you feel hungry again within a couple of hours.
Not if you make Keto bagels with Fathead dough!!
Fathead dough first appeared on a low carb blog called Cookys Creations as a pizza crust recipe. It called for a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, almond meal, and an egg. This low carb dough was then re-named after the guys from the Fathead movie posted about it on their blog.
I think Fathead dough is an absolute godsent for anyone on the keto diet. Mozzarella produces beautiful keto breads and even pastries! Especially when fresh out of the oven, Fathead recipes are fluffy, soft and light. Plus, they have a delightfully crunchy crust.
Admittedly, they don’t taste EXACTLY like their wheat counterparts. But they are excellent substitutes. I have grated mozzarella on repeat order from the supermarket!
Here are some delicious recipes I have made with fathead dough:
- Keto Garlic Bread
- Keto Cinnamon Rolls
- Low Carb Tortilla Chips
- Genius Grain Free Pretzels
- Easy Low Carb Pizza
How to make Keto bagels – step by step:
1.) Melt the mozzarella and cream cheese in the microwave or over the stove in a non-stick pan.
Now you have options – you can either proceed mixing the other ingredients in by hand or you can transfer everything to a stand mixer or food processor. I did not want to end up washing my bowl AND my mixer, so I continued manually.
2.) You mix your almond flour, psyllium husk powder and baking powder in a separate bowl. Then you add it together with a beaten egg to the melted mozzarella. Fold with a spatula, then use your hands and knead until you have a smooth dough.
Tip: The dough is very sticky when it is hot and there is THAT moment when you think it’s never going to come together. It is easier to handle once it cools down.
To prevent it sticking to your hands, you can oil them lightly. I use a light walnut oil for this.
If you’re using a mixer/food processor, just throw everything together and mix away until your dough is smooth.
3.) Form a large ball and divide the dough into six segments.
4.) Roll each segment into a log (ca 110 cm long) and form bagel shapes by pinching the ends together. Make them tall and leave a decent-sized hole in the middle because they will spread a little.
Place the keto bagels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, sprinkle with bagel seasoning – for example poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or nigella seeds.
Bake for around 20 minutes at 180 Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit or until lightly browned.
Tip: Your dough should be room temperature when you shape it and put it in the oven. First of all, this makes it easier to handle and the bagels will retain their shape. If it is too warm it can result in your bagels flattening out in the oven.
If you are worried about the bagels flattening, you can also bake them in a donut pan.
5.) Wait until your bagels are slightly cooled, then enjoy with your favourite toppings!
Here are my top tips to make sure your Keto bagels are a success:
Sticky dough: Like I mentioned above, the dough is VERY sticky when the mozzarella is hot. That’s why I fold the ingredients together with a spatula as much as possible. Only then I start kneading with my hands. OIL them lightly if necessary, with a neutral-tasting oil such as walnut oil.
Smooth dough: Make sure you knead your dough until it is very smooth and all ingredients are incorporated. If it gets too hard and difficult to work with, you can heat it up in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Almond flour: I used ground almonds for the bagels shown in the images. This is comparable to almond meal or coarser/regular almond flour in the US. If you don’t have extra fine almond flour to hand, increase the amount stated in the recipe by 3-4 tbsp. This will also help retain the bagel shape and your bagels won’t flatten out.
Keto bagels with coconut flour: If you can’t or won’t eat almond flour, you can substitute it with coconut flour. Simply replace the almond flour with 1/3 cup of coconut flour.
Fresh baking powder: Your dough did not rise? Maybe your baking powder is out of date! It should fizz when you put it in a glass of water.
The bagels firm as they cool down. They can be reheated in the microwave or lightly toasted.
You can store them in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Can you make dairy free low carb bagels?
Yes! Readers have replaced the mozzarella and the cream cheese with dairy free substitutes with great results. Try the “cream cheese spread” by Daiya or Kite Hill (available in the US and Canada). Daiya also produces a non dairy mozzarella shreds product. Note that I have not tried this yet myself.
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Keto Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup / 175g shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup / 100g almond flour extra fine. 1 1/4 cup / 125 g when using ground almonds / almond meal
- 1 egg, large, beaten
- 4 tbsp / 50g cream cheese
- 1 tbsp psyllium husk powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- poppy / sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 360 Fahrenheit
- Melt the mozzarella and cream cheese in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes on high) or in a non stick pan.
- In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients - almond flour, psyllium husk powder and baking powder. Add dry ingredients plus the beaten egg to the mozzarella. Combine with a spatula, then knead with your hands until you have a smooth dough. Alternatively, mix in a stand mixer or food processor.
- Form a large ball and cut into 6 segments.
- Form each segment into a log, lay them down in a circle and pinch the ends together to make bagel shapes.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
- Bake for ca 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Taynith Walker says
Hi, just about to try these…thanks for sharing the recipe. Are the macro’s you provide at the bottom of the page for the entire amount or per bagel?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I always calculate the nutrition per portion – in this case, per bagel 🙂
Amy Smith says
Absolutely amazing recipe!! I have made fathead dough before but this recipe turned out much better, had a lovely bread like crust and light and fluffy inside!! Perfect!! I am slowly making my way through your other fantastic recipes! Thanks Katrin- you’re the Queen of Keto!!
Katrin Nürnberger says
Hi Amy, so good to hear you like what you’re finding! Keep me posted and write me a review if you try anything else. 🙂
Mary says
What can I use as a substitute for psyllium husk powder?
Katrin Nürnberger says
You could use 1 1/2 tbsp of ground flax or double the amount of additional almond flour
Orliris says
I used flax seed. Same amount. It was perfect.
Julie says
They tasted great, but turned out purplish? Did I add too much psychlum powder?
Katrin Nürnberger says
Oh, it’s the curse of the psyllium powder. I have not quite gotten to the bottom of it. Personally, I have used three different brands and never had a problem (BonPom and Green Origins among them). I have heard that the Now brand also works fine – though recently someone reported it made their bread turn purple. I haven’t tried that brand myself, but I know it’s popular in the US.
I recently heard that the whole purple thing could in fact have something to do with a reaction to baking powder that contains aluminium. Could that be the case with you? Check whether your baking powder contains it, maybe that’s the culprit!
Hope this helps 🙂
Irene Tomlinson says
Another brilliant recipe Katrin! Been making fathead dough a while but these were fabulous:)
Katrin says
That’s great news! I’m really happy you like them 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Veronika says
Hi Katrin, I would love to try this recipe but was wondering whether you could recommend a grated mozzarella brand in the UK. The ones I have looked at all contain potato starch. Or does that not matter? Many thanks!
Katrin says
i’ve just been using the Sainsbury’s or Ocado own brands. They do contain a bit of potato starch, but overall, it’s negligible. It appears that in other countries you can get this harder type of mozzarella in a block, which you can grate yourself, but I have never seen it here in the UK.
Veronika says
Brilliant, I’ll give it a go then! Thanks so much for your prompt reply and for all the yummy recipes!
Katrin says
Let me know how you like them!
Sandi says
These have been a life saver and made following my daily keto plan so much easier. They toast up nicely for breakfast and lunch time sandwiches. LOVE them!!
Claire says
Such lovely and light mini morsels of heaven to dunk into our alkaline ‘carrot and ginger soup’ for tea. Thought my bread days were over forever.
Thanks so much again Katrin! Every recipe is soooo goooood…
Claire xo
Katrin says
Hi Claire, I see that you’ve tried quite a few recipes in a go… I love it! I’m glad you like the bagels. I remember when I first discovered Fathead dough… it was a bit of a revelation. I had made some sugar free jam and was eating it with yoghurt for breakfast, which was ok, but just a bit sad. Next day, I had a bagel with jam. Simply OMG!
Claire says
All of your recipes (so far) are genius Katrin! So many other recipes seem to lack that magic x factor. Yes, I had a real baking day yesterday and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. It seems that this way of eating can now be deliciously abundant, rather than from a mindset of lack. Thank you again!
Claire xo
Katrin says
I’m so happy I can inspire 😉 Be sure to let me know tweaks that work because it’s always interesting – for myself and for other people trying the recipes!
Judy says
I am allergic to cream cheese; any suggestions as to what I can substitute? Would mascarpone work? or would non-dairy cream cheese Kite Hill work?
Katrin says
I haven’t tried it myself… so I’m not sure. But I think the most important ingredients are the mozzarella and the almond flour. I’d probably go with the non-dairy cheese and make a test run with half the recipe!
Emma says
Hi Katrin!
You are amazing?
Still in quarantine time…can a extra thick nonfat Greek yogurt be used instead of crea cheese?
Katrin Nürnberger says
I think it should work with full fat greek yogurt, but I don’t know how non-fat yoghurt reacts in baking. Does it get watery? It would be an experiment. That said, it’s only a small amount so my best guess is that it’s probably no problem 🙂
Susan says
Hi! In reference to the cream cheese question, the answer is absolutely YES! I’ve used Daiya brand “cream cheese spread” in Canada & Kite Hill when in the US. Daiya also produces a non dairy mozzarella shreds product. I’ve used both of the above with perfect results. I’ve tried many keto bagel recipes and these substitutes work very well. Hope this helps!
Shouna Vue says
What if I don’t use a good processor because I don’t have one?
Katrin says
You don’t actually need to use a food processor for this recipe:) Simply make sure you mix the dough well
Louise says
I am waiting for the bagels to cool before I sample them, they look fabulous. I did a few things including heating the cheeses for 30 secs at a time in the microwave. After each 30 secs I would stir the contents in the bowl using a spatula. I ended up using a total time of 80 secs. It really depends on the heat of your microwave. I used a food processor with a plastic blade to mix the ingredients. I didn’t want to use a metal blade and I don’t have a dough hook for this model. I have a mixmaster but that is too big for the amount of dough. The food processor did a great job of mixing the dough. I lightly oiled my hands to separate out the dough into six portions and make the bagel shape. And lastly, I used an egg white wash on the tops and sides of the bagel as I wanted to sprinkle everything bagel seeds on the dough but the seeds wouldn’t stick, therefore I lightly applied with a pastry brush some egg whites that I have in a cartoon.
Katrin says
Great idea to use an egg wash! It does make seed stick better and makes the tops nice and shiny 🙂
Erin Russell says
Do you think I can add flavours- like spinach and feta?
Katrin says
Yes, that should work! With the spinach, I’d wilt it first and make sure to squeeze as much liquid out as possible before using it.
Gina says
Can I use the shredded part skim mozzarella?
Katrin says
Yes, absolutely!
Evie says
How many net carbs per bagel?
Katrin says
Hi Evie, it’s 3.4 net carbs per bagel. The nutrition panel shows total carbs and fibre, and you deduct the fibre from the total carbs to calculate the net carbs.
littleleftie says
Hi! I am new to your site, but have been thoroughly enjoying it so far!!
In regards to vegan cheese (non-dairy) Daiya is actually a Canadian company based in Vancouver, BC. They make excellent products, which we buy for our allergic grandchildren.
As to the Fathead dough, perhaps I didn’t melt the cheeses mixture well enough, because I found big globs of mozzarella that didn’t melt…and consequently ended up with “lumps” of mozz in the actual bagel. Next time instead of the microwave, I think I’ll try stove top melting….
Otherwise, they did taste fantastic! I added in some chopped up pepperoni, mushrooms, green and red bell peppers and a couple of teaspoons of pizza sauce….they were excellent pizza bagels!!!!!!!
Thanks and keep the great recipes coming. 🙂
Katrin says
Oh, I love the idea of pizza bagels! And thank you for the tips regarding the vegan cheese. Interesting that your cheese did not melt evenly. Melting on the stove works fine, that’s what I did pre-microwave. That way, you have the opportunity to melt really slowly and you can stir continuously to make sure you’re getting no lumps.
Storm Anduaga-Arias says
I really trust the recipes on this site and I want to make these bagels. The only issue is that I can’t have dairy! Is there a baking expert that can help me out? What can I substitute for mozzarella and cream cheese?
Katrin says
Hi, I have tried vegan cream cheese, which tastes just as good as dairy cream cheese. I’m not sure where you are based, but the 2 brands I have tested in the UK are violife (coconut based) and nush (almond based). I know that you can also buy vegan mozzarella shreds, although I have not tried it myself yet. There is a popular brand in the US that is mentioned in blogs called Daiya. I would test the recipe using the vegan alternatives and see if you like the result.
Mary says
Would xanthan gum work as a substitute for husk powder?
Katrin says
Hi Mary, I have never tried that but as it’s only 1 tbsp I think it could work!
Diana says
Hiya! Just made these..OMG! Best “bread” so far.
I did modify a bit because I didn’t have psyllium husk…
Instead I used flaxseeds and chia.
Thank you for this great recipe, can’t wait for my hubby to try!
Katrin says
Great!!!! Hope he’ll like them too 🙂
Jocelyn says
Made these today and they are awesome
Jocelyn
Katrin says
That’s so good to hear! Thank you for the thumbs up 🙂
JJ says
what if nut allergies?
Katrin says
can you have coconut flour? You could replace the almond flour with 1/2 the amount of coconut flour. Or use sesame flour instead of the almond flour (I have not tried this but could taste quite good I think!)
Kate says
Can you just put all the ingredients in the food processor at the same time (like with the fathead pizza dough)? (Seems like this should work but IDK). THANKS!!
Katrin says
I haven’t tried this, but if you have a high speed food processor that melts the mozzarella with its blades, it should work. If you try it, will you let me know the result?
Maggie says
These are great, but are they suitable for freezing?
Katrin says
I have never tried this, but I don’t see why it should not work!
Arielle Spiller says
Hello! Just made my bagels today, and they turned out beautifully. my only question is the size. One batch made 6 mini bagels, rather than full size. Is that what you get too? Or did I do something wrong? Thank you!
Katrin says
Hi Arielle, the bagels are smaller than wheat bagels. They are WAY more filling than regular bagels, being made of mostly mozzarella (=fat) and almond flour (=fat). You absolutely did it right. But if you want the bagels to be the same size of regular bagels, you could make 3 large bagels with this recipe. You might adapt the baking time a little and keep them in the oven another few minutes, but it should work!
Ally says
What happens if I don’t have the husk powder?
Katrin says
I think it makes the bagels fluffier. You can replace it with more almond flour though, it should still work. Psyllium is an awesome ingredient in low carb baking, if you bake regularly it’s worth getting a pack 🙂
Marion says
The only mozzarella available in my country is the ‘wet stuff’. You know, bland white balls suspended in salty water. I know that in the USA, you can buy ‘shredded mozzarella’, which is actually a quite dry cheese which has been grated.
Which kind of mozzarella did you use in this recipe? The wet balls which were shredded or the grated dry stuff which I can’t get over here?
If it’s the last one, do you have a suggestion for a substitute?
Thanks!
Katrin says
It’s the dry stuff that you can buy grated. I don’t have a suggestion for a replacement – it’s beautifully bland, that’s why it works so well. Any other cheese I can think of, Edam for example, still has more of a cheesy taste than mozzarella. Maybe you can get it on Amazon? Or a really large supermarket? I’ve lived in Germany, Spain and the UK and it’s pretty much a staple.
Maggie says
What a treat! Made this recipe today and can thoroughly recommend it. Bagels turned out beautifully. I topped them with everything seasoning – delicious.
Katrin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed your bagels Maggie! And you can never go wrong with everything seasoning 🙂
Ursula says
Where do you buy Everything seasoning? Can’t wait to try these low carb bagels!
Bill says
You can get the seasoning from Trader Joe’s!