Description

These Golden Viral Cottage Cheese Bagels are a quick, easy, and protein-packed homemade bagel option that requires no yeast or rising time. Made with simple ingredients like flour, baking powder, and cottage cheese, they come together in under 30 minutes and bake up chewy, golden, and delicious in the air fryer. With a crisp, shiny crust from an egg wash and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and dried onion flakes, they’re perfect for breakfast or brunch and a healthier alternative to store-bought bagels.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cottage cheese

For the Topping

1/2 egg, whisked (for egg wash)
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

Instructions

Prepare the Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. This blends the leavening agents evenly throughout the flour, ensuring a light and tender crumb in the bagels. Set aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
Blend the Cottage Cheese Until Smooth: Pour the cottage cheese into a food processor or blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy with no lumps. This step is crucial to create a uniform texture that will incorporate smoothly into the flour mixture, resulting in the right dough consistency.
Mix the Dough: Add the blended cottage cheese to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the bagels tender. Mixing gently by hand at the end helps ensure the dough is just combined.
Shape the Bagels: Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a ball, then poke your thumb through the center and gently stretch to form a bagel with a 1-1.5 inch diameter hole. Lightly dust hands with flour if the dough is sticky. Place shaped bagels on a parchment-lined tray or directly into the air fryer basket.
Egg Wash and Seed the Bagels: Whisk the half egg until well combined and golden. Brush each bagel generously with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Immediately sprinkle sesame seeds and dried onion flakes over the wet surface, pressing gently to help them adhere.
Air Fry Until Golden: Preheat the air fryer to 300°F (150°C). Place the bagels in a single layer in the air fryer basket—work in batches if necessary. Air fry for about 13 minutes until the bagels are lightly golden brown and cooked through. They should sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Notes

Use full-fat cottage cheese for richer flavor and texture, but low-fat or fat-free will work too.
If using chunky large curd cottage cheese, blend it until smooth for an even dough texture.
Do not overmix the dough to keep bagels light and tender.
Egg wash is key for a shiny golden crust and helps toppings stick; substitute milk or melted butter if desired but expect less browning.
Maintain the air fryer temperature at 300°F to ensure bagels cook evenly inside without burning outside.
Store bagels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freeze bagels for up to 3 months; slice before freezing for easy toasting.
Toast bagels directly from frozen for best flavor and texture.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Air Frying
Cuisine: American

Keywords: cottage cheese bagels, air fryer bagels, quick bagel recipe, healthy bagels, high protein breakfast