Golden Viral Cottage Cheese Bagels

If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you’ve probably seen these cottage cheese bagels everywhere. I kept watching people make them and thinking, “There’s no way those are actually good.” But after seeing them pop up on my feed for the tenth time, I finally caved and tried them myself.

Turns out, the internet was right about this one. These bagels use cottage cheese in the dough, which sounds weird but actually works. You get a chewy, satisfying bagel without any yeast or waiting around for dough to rise. Just mix, shape, and bake.

The best part? You probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen right now. No fancy equipment needed, and you can have fresh bagels on the table in about 30 minutes. Perfect for lazy weekend mornings when you want something homemade but don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen.

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What Kind of Cottage Cheese Should I Use?

Any type of cottage cheese will work for these bagels, whether you grab small curd, large curd, or even whipped cottage cheese from the store. Full-fat cottage cheese tends to give you a richer flavor and better texture, but low-fat or fat-free versions will still get the job done if that’s what you have on hand. If you’re using a chunky large curd cottage cheese and want a smoother dough, you can give it a quick blend in a food processor before mixing it with your other ingredients. The beauty of this recipe is that it’s pretty forgiving, so don’t stress too much about finding the “perfect” cottage cheese.

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Options for Substitutions

These bagels are pretty forgiving, so here are some swaps you can try:

• Cottage cheese: This is the star ingredient that makes these bagels work, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting it. The cottage cheese provides moisture, protein, and that signature texture. Stick with full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese for best results.
• All-purpose flour: You can swap in whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor and extra fiber, but use a 50/50 mix with all-purpose flour since whole wheat can make the bagels dense. Bread flour also works well and gives a chewier texture.
• Baking powder: If you’re out of baking powder, you can make your own by mixing 1 teaspoon baking soda with 2 teaspoons cream of tartar.
• Sesame seeds: Get creative with toppings! Try everything bagel seasoning, poppy seeds, dried minced onion, garlic flakes, or even a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. You can also skip the topping altogether for plain bagels.
• Egg: The half egg is just for the egg wash to help toppings stick. You can brush with milk or melted butter instead, though the bagels won’t brown quite as nicely.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake people make with cottage cheese bagels is not blending the cottage cheese smooth enough, which leaves lumps in your dough and creates an uneven texture – blend it until it’s completely creamy like yogurt.

Another common error is overworking the dough once you mix the wet and dry ingredients together, so stir just until combined and handle gently when shaping to keep your bagels light and fluffy instead of dense.

Don’t skip the egg wash step even though it seems optional, as it’s what gives these bagels that golden, shiny finish and helps the seeds stick properly.

Finally, resist the urge to crank up the air fryer temperature to speed things up – the lower 300°F temperature ensures the bagels cook through completely without burning on the outside while staying raw in the middle.

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What to Serve With Cottage Cheese Bagels?

These bagels are perfect for breakfast or brunch, so I love serving them with classic bagel toppings like cream cheese, smoked salmon, and sliced red onion. You can also go the sweet route with butter and jam, or keep it simple with just a smear of cream cheese and some fresh tomato slices. If you’re making these for a crowd, set up a bagel bar with different spreads like hummus, avocado, or even peanut butter so everyone can customize their own. They also pair really well with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon for a complete breakfast spread.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your cottage cheese bagels in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. They’re great to make on Sunday for easy breakfasts throughout the week!

Freeze: These bagels freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just slice them in half before freezing so you can toast them straight from frozen. I like to wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, then toss them all in a freezer bag.

Toast: To bring your bagels back to life, slice and toast them until they’re golden and crispy on the edges. If they’re frozen, you can pop them straight into the toaster without thawing. They’ll taste almost as good as fresh!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 575-650
• Protein: 28-33 g
• Fat: 11-15 g
• Carbohydrates: 85-95 g

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup cottage cheese

For the topping:

• 1/2 egg (whisked well to create a golden, shiny crust)
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp dried onion flakes

Step 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

This combines the leavening agents evenly throughout the flour, ensuring your bagels will have a light, tender crumb.

Set aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.

Step 2: Blend the Cottage Cheese Until Smooth

• 1 cup cottage cheese

Pour the cottage cheese into a food processor or blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy with no lumps.

Blending the cottage cheese is crucial—it breaks down the curds and creates a uniform, wet base that will incorporate smoothly into the flour mixture.

This step transforms the texture and ensures your dough has the right consistency.

Step 3: Mix the Dough

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 1
• blended cottage cheese from Step 2

Add the blended cottage cheese from Step 2 to the dry ingredients from Step 1, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.

The dough will be slightly sticky and hold together but not overly smooth—this is exactly right.

I find that mixing gently by hand for the last few turns helps me feel when the dough is just combined without overworking it, which keeps the bagels tender.

Step 4: Shape the Bagels

• dough from Step 3

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.

Working with one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a ball, then poke your thumb through the center and gently stretch it into a bagel shape with a hole about 1-1.5 inches in diameter.

If the dough is sticky, dust your hands lightly with flour as you work.

Place each shaped bagel on a parchment-lined tray or air fryer basket.

Step 5: Egg Wash and Seed the Bagels

• 1/2 egg
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp dried onion flakes

Whisk the half egg in a small bowl until well combined and golden.

Brush each bagel generously with the egg wash using a pastry brush, then immediately sprinkle sesame seeds and dried onion flakes over the top while the egg is still wet so they adhere properly.

I like to press the seeds gently into the dough so they don’t fall off during cooking.

Step 6: Air Fry Until Golden

• shaped bagels from Step 4

Preheat your air fryer to 300°F.

Place the bagels in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you may need to work in batches depending on your air fryer size).

Air fry for 13 minutes until the bagels are light golden brown and cooked through.

They should sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Golden Viral Cottage Cheese Bagels

Delicious Golden Viral Cottage Cheese Bagels recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4 bagels

Calories 612 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dough

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup cottage cheese

For the topping

• 1/2 egg (whisked well to create a golden, shiny crust)
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp dried onion flakes

Instructions

 

• Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. This combines the leavening agents evenly throughout the flour, ensuring your bagels will have a light, tender crumb. Set aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
• Pour the cottage cheese into a food processor or blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy with no lumps. Blending the cottage cheese is crucial—it breaks down the curds and creates a uniform, wet base that will incorporate smoothly into the flour mixture. This step transforms the texture and ensures your dough has the right consistency.
• Add the blended cottage cheese from Step 2 to the dry ingredients from Step 1, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. The dough will be slightly sticky and hold together but not overly smooth—this is exactly right. I find that mixing gently by hand for the last few turns helps me feel when the dough is just combined without overworking it, which keeps the bagels tender.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll it into a ball, then poke your thumb through the center and gently stretch it into a bagel shape with a hole about 1-1.5 inches in diameter. If the dough is sticky, dust your hands lightly with flour as you work. Place each shaped bagel on a parchment-lined tray or air fryer basket.
• Whisk the half egg in a small bowl until well combined and golden. Brush each bagel generously with the egg wash using a pastry brush, then immediately sprinkle sesame seeds and dried onion flakes over the top while the egg is still wet so they adhere properly. I like to press the seeds gently into the dough so they don't fall off during cooking.
• Preheat your air fryer to 300°F. Place the bagels in a single layer in the air fryer basket (you may need to work in batches depending on your air fryer size). Air fry for 13 minutes until the bagels are light golden brown and cooked through. They should sound slightly hollow when tapped on the bottom.