These easy 2-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Bagels come together in a flash! Easy to customize with various flavors, they taste almost identical to the real deal!
I recently learned that 2-ingredient bagels were a hot internet sensation, made with just plain Greek yogurt and flour.
Because I’ve been whipping up all sorts of cottage cheese recipes lately, I just knew I had to re-create them using cottage cheese.
The end results are astonishing! The bagels are dense, with little air pockets, very similar to regular bagels. I find the taste and texture to be spot on.
They have a tendency to be more moist in the center than traditional bagels, an issue that can easily be remedied through toasting.
This recipe can be made using self-rising flour or a gluten-free flour blend (which is what I use). If you follow a grain-free diet, make my Almond Flour Bagels.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients in detail.
Ingredients for Cottage Cheese Bagels:
Cottage Cheese: Acting as the liquid that brings the flour together, we need 1 cup of cottage cheese. Each bagel contains 9 grams of protein as a result! I use 2% milkfat (low-fat cottage cheese), but higher fat works too.
Flour: Use self-rising flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour. Either one result in a light airy texture. I use a gluten-free flour blend to make gluten-free bagels.
Sea Salt: A little salt enhances the flavors of the bagels. Without it, the bagels taste underwhelming.
Egg (optional): Whisk up an egg and use it as an egg wash for that lacquered effect and a golden crust. This step is optional, but I recommend it for the best texture.
Everything Bagel Seasoning (optional): For classic everything bagels, whip up my Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning or pick some up from the spice aisle in the grocery store. Scroll down for more bagel flavors, or make plain bagels.
Recipe Customizations:
- Make Greek yogurt bagels by swapping the cottage cheese for 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt.
- The viral cottage cheese bagels that sent TikTok into a frenzy involve mixing one egg, 1 cup of cottage cheese and 1 cup of flour to make high-protein bagels. I haven’t tried this version, but I imagine it works great too and it results in extra protein.
- If you are using regular all-purpose flour instead of self-rising flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder to the flour mixture.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Bagels:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Transfer the flour, cottage cheese and sea salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients together with a wooden spoon until a scraggly dough forms.
Then, switch to your hands and knead the mixture until a dough ball forms. It will appear as though there isn’t enough liquid at first. Just keep kneading.
Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Roll one section into a ball, then press it into a flat disc. Press a hole in the center, creating a donut shape out of the dough. Place the dough ring on the prepared baking sheet and repeat for the remaining three sections of dough.
Whisk an egg in a small bowl until well beaten. Use a silicone brush to coat the dough rings with egg wash. Sprinkle liberally with everything bagel seasoning.
Bake at 375 for 22 minutes, then at 450 for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the bagels from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice in half and enjoy toasted with butter, cream cheese, or cottage cheese.
Serving Suggestions:
Bagel Sandwiches: Slice the bagels in half, toast them in a toaster, then load them up with your favorite sandwich ingredients like turkey, ham, avocado, lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc. Or try my Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches.
Cream Cheese Smear: Toast the bagels and spread them with cream cheese. Top them with smoked salmon or lox if you’re into bagels and lox!
Toasted with Butter: My personal favorite. I love a toasted bagel with an abundance of salted butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. If you’re feeling frisky, smear on some jam or peanut butter too.
Pizza Bagels: Slice bagels in half, spread them with tomato sauce, then sprinkle them with mozzarella cheese and pepperonis. Bake in the oven at 375 until the cheese has melted.
Recipe Tips:
- When preparing the dough, the mixture will look dry and crumbly. This improves with mixing and kneading. Keep kneading until the dough comes together into a ball.
- If you have time, blend the cottage cheese in a blender or a food processor until it has a creamier consistency. This step is not mandatory, but it does help the dough come together a little easier.
- Mix up your bagel flavors to keep the bagel love alive!
Other Bagel Flavors:
Blueberry: Add 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and ⅓ cup of dried blueberries to the bagel dough.
Jalapeno Cheddar: Thinly slice 2 jalapenos and grate 1 cup of cheese. Top the bagels with the sliced jalapenos and cheddar when you turn the oven to 450.
Cinnamon Raisin: Add 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and ⅓ cup of raisins to the bagel batter.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Store bagels in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Transfer leftover bagels to a large zip lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
I couldn’t possibly ask more from such a low-effort recipe that is practically made out of thin air. The next time you find yourself craving classic chewy bagels, which up this high-protein cottage cheese bagels recipe!
Drop me a comment below letting me know your favorite bagel flavor!
Cottage Cheese Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour or self-rising flour
- 1 cup cottage cheese I use 2% milkfat
- ½ tsp sea salt
For Topping
- 1 large egg whisked
- 1 Tbsp everything bagel seasoning.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the flour, cottage cheese and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Knead the dough using your hands until a ball of dough forms. It will appear as though there isn’t enough liquid at first, but I promise it will come together.
- Divide the dough into four sections. Roll each section into a ball, then press it into a flat disc. Press a hole in the center, creating a donut shape out of the dough. Transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Whisk an egg in a small bowl to make the egg wash. Use a silicone brush to coat the dough rings with beaten egg. Sprinkle liberally with everything bagel seasoning.
- Bake bagels at 375 for 22 minutes. Increase the heat to 450 and bake for another 3-5 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove the bagels from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice in half and enjoy toasted with butter, cream cheese, or cottage cheese.
I would love to make these, I’m gf and dairy intolerant! I know! Sorry, what could I use as a replacement for cottage cheese please?
Hi Stephanie! I know a lot of readers are in the same boat as you! My Almond Flour Bagels are both gluten-free and dairy-free – https://www.theroastedroot.net/keto-everything-bagels-paleo/ I just googled another recipe for dairy-free bagels, and this one looks good to me – https://www.vibrantplate.com/easy-homemade-bagels-dairy-free/ You can probably get around using the yeast since gluten-free flour blends have a lot of leavening agents. Let me know if you have any other questions!