Healthy Bagel Recipe | Even Kids Love Them!
Are you looking for a healthy bagel recipe that your whole family can love? I sure hope so – – cause you just found it!
This recipe is adapted from my Protein Bagels to create a healthy bagel that even my kids would love. And it worked! Both my 8 and 4 year old girls love these bagels. I do too!
Are Bagels Healthy?
Traditional bagels are made of white flour and water. Much like bread. While delicious, it’s certainly not a super food.
My Sourdough Bagels are an improvement over traditional bagels by utilizing active sourdough, making them a slightly healthier alternative to traditional bakery bagels.
My Protein Bagels are made with whole wheat flour instead of white flour and includes chia, flax, sunflower seeds, and other goodies. However, my kids couldn’t get past the “seeds”. They would try to pick them out.
So, how do I get kids to eat a healthy bagel? Eliminate the seedy seeds! That’s code for I left the chia and flax seeds as they dissolve in the water so kids can’t tell they exist. I also added a 1/2 cup of vegan dark chocolate chips. And let me tell you, this bagel recipe isn’t just healthy. It’s nutritious as well as delicious!
And to boot, there’s no boiling! Now I love a boiled bagel, but being to skip that step sure is nice!
A Healthy Breakfast for the Family
In an effort to reduce the amount of post-school hangry moments, I’ve been trying to pack our breakfasts, lunches, and snacks with protein. And luckily, it’s working! Shocking, right?! Less sugar and more protein make for happier people. Who knew?
Anyway, if you’re looking for a quick and healthy breakfast, these bagels will do the trick. Slather on some peanut butter, throw an egg on the side and a dish of fruit – – voila! You and your kids have a nutrient dense breakfast that will keep the hangry monster away for hours!
How to Measure Flour
As with any recipe where flour is a main ingredient, I highly recommend using a scale, set to grams, for all the measurements.
The baking process is so much faster and nearly fail proof. You can’t add too much or too little of anything when you measure grams.
But, if you’re still refusing to get a cheap kitchen scale, make sure to at least measure “right”. Scoop your flour out of the container and dump into the measuring cup. Don’t press down! When the cup is overflowing, take a flat handle knife/spatula, and scrape off the excess.
How to Make this Healthy Bagel Recipe
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 to incorporate and let rest for about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add 300 grams whole wheat flour, 8 grams sea salt, 30 grams vital wheat gluten, and 6 grams of cinnamon. Mix for about 1 minute with a dough hook attachment or knead by hand until the dough starts coming together.
Step 3: Add in 60 grams of dark chocolate chips (you could also use raisins, dried cranberries, or dried blueberries) mix for 5 minutes with the dough hook, or knead by hand.
Step 4: Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp towel and let the dough rest for about 1 hour, or until it’s doubled in size.
Now it’s time of shaping!
How to Shape Bagels
There’s no need to flour your counter as this dough isn’t sticky. Dump out the dough (I like to knead it a few times) and then flatten it out.
Divide the dough into 6 equal-ish portions. For each piece, pull in the edges to form a dumpling looking ball.
Then flip it over and roll it around to for a ball.
Poke a finger/thumb through the center, and then use your fingers to make the hole bigger and form a nicely shaped bagel.
Repeat for all bagels and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic and let raise for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven at 400 degrees. Remove the plastic, and bake the bagels for about 18 minutes. Take a bit of butter and swipe the tops of the bagels while they’re still warm.
I love these bagels with peanut butter. My oldest takes her with vegan butter and my youngest goes with cream cheese. Add an egg and some bacon for an amazingly healthy bagel sandwich!
I hope you give these a try!
Healthy Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
- 240 grams warm water 1 cup
- 6 grams active dry yeast 1 1/2 tsp
- 21 grams honey 1 T
- 30 grams flax seed 3 T whole, ground to 4 T
- 24 grams chia seeds 2 T
- 300 grams whole wheat flour 2 1/3 cups
- 30 grams vital wheat gluten 1/4 cup
- 8 grams sea salt 1 1/2 tsp
- 6 grams cinnamon 2 tsp
- 60 grams dark chocolate chips 1/2 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. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- To the bowl add flour, vital wheat gluten, and salt. Use the dough hook attachment and mix for 1 minute, or stir by hand until incorporated.
- Add in the dark chocolate chips (or dried fruit) and mix/kneed for 5 minutes.
- Cover the bowl in plastic and let rest for about 60 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Once doubled, remove the dough onto a clean surface (do not flour). Flatten out the dough and divide into 6 equal portions.
- Taking 1 piece at a time, pull up the edges to form a dumpling shape. Turn it over and roll the dough on the counter to form a ball.
- Push a finger through the center and work the center bigger until it resembles a bagel. Repeat for remaining pieces.
- Place the bagels onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 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.
