Protein Bagels
If you’re from the Pittsburgh area, you may recognize these protein bagels and think they look similar to Einstein’s Power Bagels. And you’d be right! My protein bagel recipe is inspired by Einstein’s power bagels. They are just as delicious but without the extra stuff, like enriched flour, sugar and dextrose.
I could eat bagels all day. Yep. I said it. But while they are delicious, they’re not all that filling. Until now. These protein bagels pack 13 grams of protein, 308 calories, 51 carbs, 9 grams of fat, and 7 grams of fiber into one delicious bagel.
One batch makes 6 protein bagels. If you don’t eat all of the them within 1 or 2 days, just freeze what’s left. I like to enjoy 1 fresh and then freeze the rest. At night I take 1 protein bagel out of the freezer and put it in a plastic bag (not sealed) to thaw. By the next morning I have a fresh bagel for breakfast. A little peanut butter and a cup (2 or 3 if we’re being honest) of coffee make for a very happy and protein-filled breakfast. Maybe food isn’t supposed to bring us happiness, but it sure brings this girl joy!
How To Make Protein Bagels
These may be the easiest bagels you can make. While they have more ingredients than your standard white bagels, once you buy the basics, you can make dozens of bagels for a fraction of the cost of restaurant bagels – – and the quality of our ingredients is just plain better.
I highly recommend using a scale, set to grams, for all the measurements. The process is faster and fail proof. You can’t add too much or too little of anything when you measure grams. But, if you are still resistant to baking with a scale, I’ve included the standard measurements, too. I resisted for years, so I get it!
Step-by-Step Protein Bagels
Step 1: In the bowl of an electric mixer (can also be done by hand) weigh out 240 grams of warm water, 6 grams of yeast, 21 grams of honey, 24 grams of chia seeds, and 30 grams of ground flax. Stir with a spatula.
Step 2: Next, add 300 grams whole wheat flour, 8 grams sea salt, 30 grams chopped pepitas, 30 grams vital wheat gluten, 30 grams sunflower kernels, and 6 grams of cinnamon.. Mix for about 1 minute with a dough hook attachment.
Step 3: Then add in 40 grams of raisins and 20 grams of chopped dried cranberries and mix for 5 minutes with the dough hook, or knead by hand.
Step 4: Your dough will probably be a weird shape like it is above. Form the dough into a ball in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap (I add a tea towel on top of the plastic to keep the cheap plastic wrap down).
Step 5: Let the dough rest, covered, for about 60 – 90 minutes, or until it doubles in size.
Step 6: It’s time to form the protein bagels! The dough will be tacky, but it shouldn’t be sticky. I’ve never needed to flour my counter. Avoid it if you can. Extra flour will dry out the bagels. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. You can measure them if you want to be exact, but I just wing it.
Step 7: Taking 1 piece at a time, flatten out the dough into a square-ish shape, and roll it up. Tuck the ends in and pinch those seams together tightly.
Step 8: Place the bagel seam side down, and flatten it out. Then, using your hands, form it into a rectangle shape, about 1/2″ thick.
Step 9: Repeat for all 6 protein bagels. Place the bagels on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Step 10: Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes. When they come out of the oven, take a bit of butter/vegan butter, and rub it over the tops quickly. This helps give them a a nice color and sheen. I weighed out the butter and it only uses 1 gram.
Homemade Bagels
These protein bagels can be made in less than 2 hours from start to finish. I don’t ever make them in the morning, though. Who can wait 2 hours to eat breakfast!? That’s madness.
They are great for lunch though! And they are awesome the next day, too. I wouldn’t let it go longer than 2 days, though. Homemade food is fantastic, but without preservatives, they just don’t last. So use your freezer! Protein bagels taste great after being frozen. Let them thaw naturally (don’t microwave), and then pop them into your toaster.
My favorite way to eat a protein bagel is with peanut butter. Nothing fancy, just a bagel and peanut butter (and coffee, obviously). They are great with butter, cream cheese, and eggs and cheese, as well. My husband likes them with peanut butter and honey. They are also delicious with turkey for lunch. Protein bagels are a staple in my house. My kids don’t love them, yet. But I’m working on that!
If you love a hot breakfast, you may want to try out pumpkin pancakes and banana pancakes, too. Both are quick and delicious.
Let me know if you try these and if you love them like I do! I’d love to hear about it in the comments. And if you’re on Instagram or Pinterest, I post updates and new recipes there, too.
I hope you’ll stop by again. Thanks for visiting!
Protein Bagels
Ingredients
- 240 grams warm water 1 cup
- 6 grams active dry yeast 1 1/2 tsp
- 21 grams honey 1 tbsp
- 30 grams flax seed, ground 3 tbsp whole, 4 tbsp ground
- 24 grams chia seeds 2 tbsp
- 300 grams whole wheat flour about 2 1/3 cups
- 8 grams sea salt 1 1/2 tsp
- 30 grams pepitas, chopped (can crush by hand, too) 1/4 cup
- 30 grams vital wheat gluten 1/4 cup
- 30 grams sunflower kernels 1/4 cup
- 6 grams cinnamon 2 tsp
- 40 grams raisins 1/4 cup
- 20 grams dried cranberries 1/8 cup
Instructions
- In the bowl on an electric mixer, weigh out water, yeast, honey, chia and flax seeds. Mix with a spatula to break up the chia seeds and dissolve the honey.
- To the bowl add flour, salt, pepitas, vital wheat gluten, sunflower kernels, and cinnamon. Use the dough hook attachment and mix for 1 minute, or stir by hand until incorporated. .
- Add in the raisins and dried cranberries, and mix/kneed for 5 mintues.
- Cover the bowl in plastic and let rest for about 60 -90 minutes. When the dough has doubled in size, it's time to shape.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Taking 1 part at a time, flatten it out with your hands into a square shape. Then roll it up. Tuck in the ends and pinch the seems. Place the dough seem side down, and flatten it out. Use your hands to form a rectangle shape with the dough, about 1/2" thick. Repeat for the remaining 5 pieces.
- Place the bagels onto a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes.
- Optional – – When the bagels are out of the oven but still warm, run a stick of butter over the tops. It uses very little butter but gives them a nice sheen and a soft texture.
