Do you ever feel sluggish after eating a bagel? The chewy breakfast favorite is carb heavy, meaning it can cause a blood sugar spike and then a drop in about an hour. (No wonder my favorite poppy seed and cream cheese bagel leaves me feeling sleepy mid-morning — a time when I need as much energy as I can get!) However, I am determined not to give up my favorite morning treat, and so I went digging online for low-carb recipes. That’s what led me to this easy, delicious recipe for baked bagels. The best part? One homemade bagel has about 30% less carbs than the store-bought kind. Keep reading to learn how to make low-carb bagels using just 3 pantry staples!
The ingredients in traditional bagels
Traditional bagels are made with a dough containing flour, yeast, salt, sugar and other ingredients. Unless they’re left plain, the bagels are topped with sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning or poppy seeds before baking. This creates a bagel with a soft and chewy interior and crunchy exterior. But it’s also high in carbs — which can lead to a slow metabolism and weight gain when consumed in excess. The good news: You don’t have to give your morning bagel entirely. Simply use 3 ingredients to make a batch of low-carb yet filling bagels!
Making 3-ingredient bagels
Unlike standard bagels, the low-carb kind only requires Greek yogurt, self-rising flour and an egg. The yogurt and flour are combined to form a dough, shaped into bagels, brushed with beaten egg and then baked. Before you know it, you’ll have soft and tangy bagels that require very little kneading and no lengthy rise times. Plus, a 3-ingredient bagel contains about 24 grams of carbs along with 10 grams of protein (another nutrient that supports a healthy metabolism). This is largely thanks to the yogurt, which goes through a straining process to develop its thick consistency and boost its nutritional content. By comparison, a small store-bought bagel provides 36 grams of carbs and 7 grams of protein. These homemade bagels are the clear winner as they’re pillow, nutritious and easy to make from scratch. (Click through to our story on protein bread for weight loss.)
Below, you can find this quick bagel recipe from the Best Recipe Box food blog. To make this bagel more filling, turn it into a sandwich by stuffing it with sliced turkey breast or thinly-sliced tofu and your favorite salad greens or condiments. You can also fill it with sautéed egg whites, spinach and cheese. Yum!
Easy Baked Bagels
Ingredients:
1 cup self-rising flour + more
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 large egg, beaten
Sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning or other coatings (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment.
Combine flour and yogurt in bowl. Knead about 30 seconds. Dough should be slightly sticky. Add a few extra tsp. flour if too sticky. (Note: Don’t add too much flour, which will make bagels tough.)
Split dough into 4 even-sized parts. Lightly flour hands. Roll each piece into ball. Lightly flour finger; poke hole through center. Gently stretch out the center to create 1-inch opening.
Place bagels on prepared baking sheet. Let them rest and rise; 15 minutes. Brush bagel tops with beaten. Sprinkle seasonings on bagels, if desired.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden. Rotate sheet pan halfway through bake. Once lightly browned, increase temperature to 400°F. Bake another 4 to 5 for deeply browned crust.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
My Taste Test
I have to admit it: I was a little skeptical that these bagels would taste good. I love an authentic boiled, chewy bagel, so I worried that mine wouldn’t have the right texture. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised. Though they didn’t taste or look exactly like authentic bagels, they were pretty darn good — they came out incredibly soft and moist. The slight sourness from the yogurt and squishy texture reminded me of a British crumpet. Also, they look somewhat burned (they browned very quickly at the end!), but didn’t have a burned flavor. I even melted a slice of provolone cheese on one, which made for a delicious, savory option.
Unfortunately, the holes I created entirely disappeared when the dough rose in the oven; of course, this didn’t affect the taste at all! But if you want yours to resemble traditional bagels, make sure you really stretch out the center holes before baking. Overall, I’m so happy I discovered this recipe — I plan to make a couple trays of bagels in bulk and freeze them, so I always have some handy for a quick breakfast.
For more delicious and nutritious breakfast options, check out these dishes below!
Instead of cream cheese, try a topping such as peanut butter so that you're getting all the yummy protein instead of extra calories. If this doesn't sound enticing, you can also try a spread like avocado. Avocado is filled with vitamins, potassium, fiber and healthy fats.
Everything bagels are famous for breakfast or a quick snack, but they often have a high carb count. Fortunately, low-carb everything bagels are now available, giving you the classic flavor and texture you love without the added carbohydrates; these bagels provide a nutritious source of protein and healthy fats.
Peanut butter and banana is a healthy, protein-packed combo that tastes great on a bagel. Perfect for breakfast on the run or as an after-dinner snack, simply spread your favourite PB onto your bagel and top with thinly sliced pieces of ripe banana. Add a sprinkle of ground cinnamon for an extra flavour hit.
If you eat bagels regularly, choose whole-grain and pair with veggies, protein and healthy fat to stay full for hours and keep blood sugar stable. We love eggs, avocado and spinach on a toasted everything bagel.
Whole wheat flour is high in protein because it contains the entire wheat berry, including the bran, endosperm, and germ. Bran is naturally high in protein. Typically, whole wheat flour protein percentages range from 13% to 15% or higher. (For reference, King Arthur Baking Whole Wheat Flour is 14% protein.)
For a healthier choice, look for whole wheat, whole grain, or rye bagels. While bagels with cream cheese are delicious, traditional cream cheese is not necessarily healthy. This popular bagel topping is generally low in protein and high in fat and calories.
If you're eating bread or bagels while trying to lose weight, look for those made from grains with a low glycemic index. Bagels and bread aren't among your top choices when trying to lose weight. But if you love bagels or bread, you can certainly continue eating them, even when on a weight loss plan.
Toasting bread doesn't change its nutritional value, but it may decrease the glycemic index. Toasted bread calories aren't any fewer than untoasted bread calories. Toasting also doesn't affect carbohydrates or gluten; it may lower the glycemic index of bread, which is an advantage.
Try choosing bagels made from whole grain and simple, whole food ingredients if you eat them regularly. Limiting your refined carb intake may help manage weight and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases.
If you're looking for the highest protein content in a bagel, you might want to consider an everything bagel or a multigrain bagel. Everything bagels are topped with a variety of seeds and spices such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, and onion.
Because these bagels contain eggs, they are good sources of protein, iron and vitamins A and B12. Regular bagels have about half the amount of protein and iron as egg bagels and have zero vitamin A or B12.
Whether you choose to slice or mash, an avocado is a great way to add healthy fats to your bagel. For an extra boost of protein with your avocado, you can add fried, scrambled or sheet pan eggs. This combination is perfect for a nice savory breakfast your whole family will love.
Baking soda makes the water more alkaline, giving the bagels a pretzel-like quality that contributes to their chewiness. Just one teaspoon helps the bagels develop a shiny, dark-brown exterior as they bake.
Now unlike most bread, bagels are unique because they are boiled before baked in the oven! Add honey and baking soda to the boiling water in a large pot. This will help give the bagels a nice sheen and golden brown color when out of the oven.
bagel is the simplest, the Plain Bagel. However, that plain bagel is far from plain in protein; it contains 9 grams of protein, more than the 7 grams of protein in a large egg.
Include protein-rich foods in every meal: Some good sources of protein include eggs, chicken, fish, beef, pork, dairy products, legumes, and tofu. Try to include one of these foods in every meal and snack to help you reach your protein goal.
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