Keto Bagels
Published September 26, 2021 • Updated July 9, 2026
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I make these keto bagels every week with just almond flour, protein powder, and a few pantry staples. No fathead dough, no mozzarella, just 3.1g net carbs per bagel and a chew that actually reminds me of the real thing.
I started making these because I was tired of every keto recipe starting with fathead dough. I went through a half-dozen mozzarella-based versions before I realized the problem wasn’t my technique. Cheese in the dough just makes everything taste like a cheese roll. I wanted an actual bagel texture, not a cheese ball with a hole in it. That meant building a dough from scratch with almond flour and protein powder, no dairy in the batter at all.
The first batch I got right, I pulled one out of the oven and tore it open while it was still too hot. The inside was springy and slightly dense in the middle, the way a real bagel should be. The outside had a thin crust that crackled when I bit through it. I made three more batches that week just to confirm it wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t. My reader Corinne went through eight batches to dial in her technique, and she came to the same conclusion I did: keep the dough compact and the chew follows.
The texture comes from how the ingredients work together. Protein powder gives the bagels lift and structure so they don’t come out flat. Inulin keeps net carbs at 3.1g per bagel and adds that dense, chewy center you expect from a real bagel. Xanthan gum is what creates the chewy pull when you tear one apart. If you bake with almond flour at all, you probably already have most of this in your pantry.
My whole week revolves around the Sunday batch. I double the recipe, bake all eight at once, and split them between the fridge and the freezer. The fridge bagels are for the week. I grab one each morning, toast it, and go. Some days it’s a full sandwich with egg, bacon, and cheddar. Most days I just spread butter and eat it on the way out. They hold up to toppings without getting soggy, which is more than I can say for most of the low carb breads I’ve tried. They toast straight from the freezer with no thawing needed, and that’s the part that keeps me coming back to this recipe.
The base dough is plain, but I rotate through flavors depending on the mood. Everything bagel seasoning pressed into the top is my default. Cinnamon with brown sugar free sweetener when I want something closer to a cinnamon roll. Dried onion flakes for sandwich days. I’ve tried all seven variations listed below and the dough handles every one of them.
If you’re building out your keto breakfast rotation, my pumpkin bread and banana bread use similar almond flour bases and freeze just as well. I bake one batch of something new every Sunday and rotate through the week. It keeps breakfast from getting boring without any morning effort.
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Ingredients
1 cup almond flour -
1/4 cup low-carb protein powder
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2 tablespoons inulin powder
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon xanthan gum
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1 teaspoon brown sugar-free sweetener
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 egg
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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2 tablespoons hot water
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1 egg white (for egg wash)
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat oven
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients
In a large bowl, add almond flour, protein powder, inulin powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, brown sugar free sweetener, salt. **NOTE: Can use an additional 1/2 cup almond flour in place of the inulin powder. May need to add an additional 2 tablespoons of water.
Add wet ingredients
Mix in egg, melted butter and hot water.
Mold into bagel shapes
Divide dough into four balls. Place balls on a parchment lined baking tray about 2 inches apart. Using your finger make a circle in the center of each ball. Make sure the circle is a little wider than a typical bagel as the bagels will rise and fill in the circle as they bake. Brush with egg white for egg wash to create a shine on top. **NOTE: When handling dough, it’s best to wet your hands or spray oil on them in order to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
Bake
Bake bagels at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different flour instead of almond flour?
I've tested this with a few alternatives. Coconut flour absorbs way more liquid, so if you go that route, use about 1/3 the amount and expect a denser result. The version I like best after the original is 1/2 cup almond flour plus 1/4 cup lupin flour. It keeps the net carbs low, though the outside comes out slightly yellow. I haven't found anything that matches pure almond flour for texture in this recipe.
What can I substitute for inulin powder?
I know inulin isn't a pantry staple for most people. My best substitute is using an extra 1/2 cup almond flour (1 1/2 cups total), though I'll be honest, the texture shifts toward a biscuit. You lose some of that chewy, dense center. Psyllium husk powder is another option I've seen readers use successfully. It keeps the moisture and chew closer to the original.
How do I store and reheat these bagels?
I keep mine in a zip-top bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, I freeze them and they hold for about 3 months. When I'm ready to eat one, I drop it in the toaster straight from frozen, no thawing needed. Takes about two minutes and the crust crisps back up perfectly. I do this almost every morning. That's the whole reason I batch-make them on Sundays.
Why did my bagels turn out flat?
This happens when the dough gets spread too thin. I had the same issue early on, and one of my readers (Corinne) nailed the diagnosis after eight batches of testing: she went too thin around batch four and lost all the lift. The fix is keeping the dough balls compact and making the center hole wider than you think you need. The dough rises inward during baking, so if the hole is too small, you end up with a mound instead of a ring. Wet your hands before shaping to keep everything from sticking.
Does the protein powder flavor come through when baked?
It depends on the flavor. I've used vanilla whey and it does come through, especially with savory toppings. If you're spreading cream cheese, you probably won't notice it. But pair it with lox, avocado, or everything seasoning and you'll get a sweet note that doesn't belong. My recommendation is unflavored whey isolate. If vanilla is all you have, it won't ruin them, but you'll taste it.
Are these bagels dairy-free?
Almost. The dough uses butter, but swap in coconut oil and they're fully dairy-free. I've made them with coconut oil a couple of times when I ran out of butter, and the texture held up fine. The flavor shifts a little (slightly nutty from the coconut), but it works.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of egg and butter?
I've seen the two-ingredient Greek yogurt versions floating around keto sites. I've tried that approach and the texture is completely different. Greek yogurt gives you something soft and bread-like, almost like a dinner roll. What I wanted was chew and crust, which is why I went with protein powder and xanthan gum instead. If you're after a softer quick bread, yogurt works. If you want something that actually tears and toasts like a bagel, this is the version I'd make.
Can I make mini bagels or a loaf with this dough?
I've made minis by dividing the dough into eight balls instead of four. Bake time drops to about 8-9 minutes, and they're great for slider sandwiches. One of my readers (Marie) asked about a full loaf, and I think the dough would handle it. I'd shape it in a small loaf pan and add 5-10 minutes to the bake time. I haven't nailed the exact timing on the loaf version yet, but the dough scales cleanly.
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.
I've tried every specialty brand. None of them smell like that coming out of the oven.
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.
My mom's visiting next weekend and she can't stand mozzarella, so I'm trying these.
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 firm up as they cool. That soft feeling when you press them at 10 minutes is exactly right, Lisa. I always pull mine when the tops are golden and they look almost underdone in the center, and five minutes on the rack sorts it out.
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?
One tsp. Tried 3/4 tsp and lost the chew, came out more crumbly than bagel-like. The rubber issue comes from going over.
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).
Crumb check mid-table and people start asking what flour you used. I love that. The overnight chew is real, but toaster for 30 seconds brings it almost all the way back.
First time making these and my holes sealed up completely in the oven, totally a me problem, I rushed the shaping. But the chew on these is SO good I made a second batch the same day. 3.1g net carbs means I can actually have one without stressing. Still figuring out the shaping, but a note on how wide to punch the hole before baking would save beginners from the bagel puck situation.
Go wider than feels right, at least 2 inches across before they go in. The dough puffs and that hole closes fast. Second batch same day is the correct reaction.
Sunday mornings used to mean an everything bagel from the place two blocks from my old apartment. Went keto three years ago and wrote that off as something that wouldn't carry over. What I missed wasn't even the taste so much as that specific pull when you tear one apart. This is the first keto version where I actually got it. Something about the protein powder creates a different structure than the cheese-based ones I'd tried. Four stars. Still working on bake time to get the crust where I want it, but this is the one. Feels like Sunday morning again.
The pull is everything. Cheese ones can't get there.
Didn't think protein powder belonged in a bagel. Made them anyway. The chew is real, and 3.1g net carbs shut me up.
Protein powder skeptic to convert in one batch. That chew is exactly why it's in there, almond flour alone can't do it.
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.
Brought these to a Sunday brunch last weekend and two people spent a solid ten minutes debating which bakery I'd picked them up from before I said anything. The xanthan gum genuinely does something to the chew that I wasn't expecting from an almond flour base.
That xanthan gum chew is why I kept the recipe complicated. Easier versions exist but they don't pass the bakery test.
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.
10 for fresh, 12 for toasting. I should've put that in the post.
Brought these to a spring brunch last weekend. The loudest anti-keto people at the table were the ones hovering over the tray. The chew is genuinely unreal for an almond flour bagel (no fathead dough, no mozzarella, just that texture). Someone asked what bakery I'd gotten them from and I had to pull up my phone to prove I'd baked them myself.
The bakery question is the best. It's the xanthan gum. Most keto bagel recipes skip it and you can tell.