I like these keto bagels best split and toasted, with butter melting into the cut sides. The edges get a little crisp while the center stays soft. For a bigger breakfast, I add cream cheese and smoked salmon, or use a bagel for an egg, bacon, and cheddar sandwich.
The dough starts with almond flour, whey protein powder, and inulin. An egg and melted butter bring it together, and the inulin adds some chew. There is no cheese to melt into the dough and no pot of water to boil. I shape four bagels, brush them with egg white, and bake them directly on a tray.
The topping is an easy place to make the batch your own. I like everything seasoning for a savory bagel; poppy seeds, sesame, or dried onion are other simple choices. Add them while the egg wash is wet so they stay on the tops.
I let the bagels cool before slicing. For breakfast later, I slice before freezing too, so the halves are ready to warm and toast. That leaves the best part for the morning: deciding what to spread on them.
Shape four bagels and give the holes room
The dough should hold together when you gather it. Wet your hands lightly before shaping so it sticks less to your fingers. Divide it into four equal pieces, shape each into a compact ball, and make a hole in the center. Widen the opening a little more than you want the finished hole to be; the dough rises inward as it bakes.
Keep the bagels about 2 inches apart. Brush with the separate egg white, then add seeds or seasoning while the surface is wet. The wash gives the tops a shine and helps the toppings stay in place.
Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, starting your check at 10 minutes. Look for golden tops and centers that are set, with no wet dough inside. Add time if needed. Let them cool before slicing; a soft warm bagel is easier to squash under the knife.
The flour choices and the whey that stays
Almond flour is the main flour, whey protein contributes structure, and xanthan gum helps bind the dough. Inulin is a fiber powder that adds some chew. Keep the 1/4 cup whey protein powder in each of the versions below.
Version
Flour and inulin amounts
What to know
Original recipe
1 cup almond flour plus 2 tablespoons inulin
This is the version used for the nutrition estimate.
Without inulin
1 1/2 cups almond flour total; omit inulin
Add up to 2 more tablespoons water only if the dough is too dry to come together.
Lupin alternative
1/2 cup almond flour plus 1/4 cup lupin flour; omit inulin
The combination I confirmed in my baking notes. Keep the whey and the other ingredients.
I confirmed the 1/2 cup almond flour plus 1/4 cup lupin flour combination in my baking notes. Keep the whey protein in that version too. With either flour alternative, the change replaces the inulin, not the whey.
Without inulin, expect a softer, less chewy bagel. Use the egg amount in the card; an extra yolk is not required for either flour alternative.
The card’s 3.1g net carbs and 13.9g protein per bagel apply to one of four bagels made with the original inulin version, before toppings. Different flours, powders, and toppings change the estimate.
From buttered breakfast to a savory sandwich
I like a toasted bagel with butter, or cream cheese and smoked salmon when I want something more substantial. Capers add a salty bite with the salmon. For another savory topping, try avocado, or turn a split bagel into a sandwich with egg, bacon, and cheddar.
For a savory sandwich or burger, you can leave the teaspoon of sweetener out; I included it for flavor. Use unflavored whey protein for savory toppings, since vanilla powder can leave a sweet note.
Choose a topping before they go in the oven
All four bagels can have different toppings. Brush the tops with egg white first, then choose what sounds good for each one.
Everything seasoning: Sprinkle on Everything Bagel seasoning for a savory bagel. Check whether your blend contains salt before adding a heavy layer.
Poppy or sesame seeds: Use either one, or a little of each.
Parmesan: Sprinkle over the egg wash for a savory cheese topping.
Add butter, cream cheese, nut butter, or other spreads after baking and toasting. Those toppings are separate from the nutrition estimate in the card.
Cool, slice, and freeze for another breakfast
Let the baked bagels cool completely before packing them. For a short hold, keep the plain bagels in a sealed container in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days. Store spreads and sandwich fillings separately.
For a freezer batch, slice each cooled bagel in half first. Put a small piece of parchment between the halves, wrap well, and freeze in a bag with the air pressed out. Use within 3 months for best quality.
Separate the halves before toasting. If they are frozen together, let them thaw enough to pull apart easily. Toast until warmed through and crisp at the edges, checking as you go; a toaster oven is useful for pieces that do not fit a toaster slot. There is no single setting or two minute time that works for every appliance.
For me, that is the useful part of making extra: the shaping and baking are already done, and breakfast can be as simple as choosing what goes on a toasted half.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2
Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, whey protein powder, inulin, xanthan gum, baking powder, optional brown sugar free sweetener, and salt.
To make the version without inulin, use 1 1/2 cups almond flour total and omit the inulin. Keep the 1/4 cup whey protein powder. This version may need up to 2 tablespoons extra water in the next step.
3
Bring the dough together
Mix in the egg, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons hot water until the dough holds together. If using the almond flour alternative without inulin, add extra water a little at a time only if needed, up to 2 more tablespoons.
4
Shape and brush the bagels
With lightly wet hands, divide the dough into four equal balls. Set them about 2 inches apart on the tray. Make a hole in the center of each, widening it a little more than a typical bagel hole because the dough rises inward. Brush the tops with the separate egg white. Add seeds or other optional toppings now.
5
Bake and cool
Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, starting to check at 10 minutes. The tops should be golden and the centers set, with no wet dough inside. Continue baking if needed. Let the bagels cool before slicing, then toast if desired.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 bagel
Calories
253
Fat
20.7g
Protein
13.9g
Total carbs
6.7g
Net carbs
3.1g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these keto bagels without inulin?
Yes. Use 1 1/2 cups almond flour in total and skip the inulin, keeping the 1/4 cup whey. That dough runs drier, so add up to 2 extra tablespoons of hot water, a little at a time. You lose some of the chew the inulin gives.
Why did my bagels turn out flat?
Three things to check. The whey protein and the baking powder went in, and the baking powder is fresh. The dough balls were compact, not spread into thin rings. And the holes were wide, because the dough rises inward and closes them. Wet hands keep the dough from sticking while you shape. Too much extra water flattens them too.
Can I substitute coconut flour or leave out the protein powder?
Coconut flour, no. It drinks up liquid and turns this small amount of dough to paste. The protein powder is what gives these bagels their structure and chew, so leave it in. The version without inulin above is the only swap on this page.
Are these keto bagels dairy free?
No. Butter and whey protein are both dairy. Swap coconut oil for the 2 tablespoons of butter and egg white protein powder for the whey in the same 1/4 cup; plant proteins bake denser. Expect a slightly less rich bagel with the same chew from the inulin.
Can I leave out the sweetener?
Yes. The teaspoon of brown sugar free sweetener is only there for flavor. I leave it out when the bagel is going under a burger or a savory sandwich, and I use unflavored whey so no vanilla sneaks in.
Can I make mini bagels or a loaf?
Mini bagels, yes. Divide the dough into eight instead of four and start checking at 8 minutes. A loaf, no. This dough has no rise to fill a pan, and the middle stays wet before the outside sets. For a sliceable loaf, use my keto bread.
Thanks Sasha! Holding up under a sandwich is what I was after with these. Real bagel chew comes from gluten, so getting most of the way there is about as good as almond flour gets.
Passed the toughest quality check in my house. My son pulls every bagel apart before eating it to check the inside, that’s his whole system. He did it with these, checked the pull, and ate both halves standing at the counter.
The smell hit before I even opened the oven. Butter and almond going toasty. I’d quietly retired the bagel category a year ago – not dramatic, just decided the math never worked. Annie, this site keeps making me rethink that. 3.1g per bagel and actual chew from the xanthan gum. Dough comes together fast, ten minutes in the oven. I stopped buying the specialty ones after the second batch.
Cream cheese in almond flour dough fights the mix for about a minute before it suddenly clicks. I almost stopped before it did. Added two tablespoons to the original batter to chase the chew I remembered from a real bagel. Cream cheese brings fat and moisture, so I pulled the xanthan gum back to 3/4 teaspoon or it gets gummy. Baked at 375 for 12 minutes, outside comes out matte rather than shiny. Honestly looks more like real bagel crust that way. Crumb holds together better and the protein powder fades into the background more. Tradeoff is the dough is noticeably stickier; first batch was messy until I got a feel for it. Four stars for the base, but I’m not going back to the original.
Thanks for explaining your cream cheese and reduced xanthan variation, Megan. Those are your adjustments, rather than the original formula. I have kept the card at 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum and no cream cheese in the dough. Wet hands are helpful when shaping a tacky batch.
Inulin powder on an ingredient list is usually my signal to scroll past. Made these on a whim anyway and now I’m annoyed I waited this long. The density problem that kills every other almond flour bagel? Not here. These hold structure through day two without turning into a round brick, and the inulin is doing more than I gave it credit for.
Made these this morning and they turned out way better than I expected for my first keto bread. They were golden on top at exactly 10 minutes but still felt soft when I pressed them, so I panicked and left them in another 2. Do they firm up in the oven or do they set as they cool?
They do firm up as they cool, Lisa, but cooling should not be used to fix raw dough in the center. Start checking at 10 minutes and keep baking until the tops are golden and the centers are set. If yours needed another 2 minutes, that is useful information for your oven. Let them cool before slicing.
Been hunting for a mozzarella-free keto bagel for months – this one finally looks right. Quick question on the xanthan gum though. I overdid it in another recipe once and the texture went completely rubbery. Is one teaspoon right for four bagels, or is that something where less is safer?
The card uses 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum. I do not have a confirmed 3/4 teaspoon variation to recommend. Measure carefully and keep the other ingredients as written for the most predictable result.
Brought a batch to a casual dinner party and someone cut one open mid-table to check if it was done all the way through. When they saw the crumb, they started asking what flour I used. Four stars because they’re noticeably better fresh (the chew softens overnight).
I like that everyone was interested in the crumb at the table. Toasting a sliced bagel can bring back some crispness, but the time depends on your toaster and the thickness. Check as it warms rather than relying on my earlier 30 second suggestion.
Somewhere around batch eight and I’m still tweaking. The xanthan gum is non-negotiable, but I’ve started pulling these at exactly 11 minutes because the bottoms were charring on me at 12. They’re not a New York bagel, nothing keto is, but freaking nothing comes close to this for 3.1g net carbs. Tried everything bagel seasoning mixed straight into the dough last batch and that’s now the only way I’ll make them.
The everything bagel mixed into the dough is so much better than just on top. Stays in every bite. 11 minutes tracks if your oven runs hot, mine hits 12 but I watch those bottoms.
Sixth batch and I finally dialed in the bake time. At 10 minutes the tops are golden and there’s still a little give, which is what I want if I’m eating them right away. Push to 12 and they firm up (better for toasting, not as good fresh). The no-mozzarella thing was what got me to try the recipe in the first place, and the xanthan gum does actually deliver that chew. Made it into the Sunday prep list.
Thanks for sharing the timing you like, Jess. I have kept the card at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. Start checking at 10 and bake until the centers are set; plans to toast them later should not determine whether the first bake is complete.
Wet your hands before shaping, like actually soak them, and the dough stops fighting you completely (xanthan gum gets grippy fast). Took me three batches to figure that out. Should’ve been obvious but here we are.
I am glad wet hands helped. That tip is in the shaping step, and I have made it easier to spot. It keeps more of the dough on the tray and less on your fingers.
Tip for anyone fighting dough stickiness: wet your hands before shaping and it stops completely. Mine were done at 11 minutes, golden already, so check earlier than you think.
Your 11 minutes is within the card range of 10-12 minutes. Ovens vary, so start checking at 10. Look for golden tops and set centers without wet dough inside; color alone is not the only check.
Grew up on deli bagels every Sunday. Giving them up was honestly the hardest part of going keto. Made a batch of these and that xanthan gum chew hit me somewhere I wasn’t ready for. Ate one standing over the sink and had some feelings about it. No regrets.
Wet hands really help here. The xanthan gum makes it sticky, and dry hands just fight it the whole time. Started rinsing between each ball. Rounds came out way cleaner.
Lightly wet hands help keep the dough from sticking while you shape it. That is the handling tip in the card. I should not have presented cold dough as a tested fix here.
My teenager tests every keto bagel I make and is not shy about it. Sunday he bit into one and asked if I’d finally ‘just bought real ones.’ The xanthan gum + protein powder combo is what actually creates that slight resistance when you bite through, which every other recipe I’ve tried has skipped. That was enough.
Batch eight and I’m still tweaking. Somewhere around batch four I went too thin on the dough and they went completely flat, no lift at all, and it took two more batches to figure out that was the whole problem. Back to keeping them compact and the chew is totally different now, actually bouncy in the good way. No cheese in these at all, no fathead, nothing like that, and somehow that makes them taste more like a real bagel. Freezing a double batch this weekend.
Thanks for explaining what changed between your batches, Corinne. Keeping the dough compact is a useful shaping tip. For the freezer, cool and slice the bagels first, separate the halves with parchment, and wrap them well. Toast the separated halves, checking as they warm.
There is an alternative in the card, and I missed it in my earlier reply. Omit the inulin and use 1 1/2 cups almond flour total. Keep the 1/4 cup whey protein, and add up to 2 extra tablespoons water only if the dough needs it. This version is softer and less chewy, with different nutrition.
