An easy homemade gluten-free bagel recipe for big, soft and chewy bagels. The recipe also has a dairy-free and Vegan option.
Gluten-Free Bagels
One thing I have missed so much since going gluten-free is a New York style bagel. Oh, and Panera bagels and definitely Enstine bagels too.
I’ve missed big, soft and chewy bagels! There are several store-bought gluten-free brands of bagels, but they are not quite like the bagels I’ve been missing. So I set out to make the best homemade gluten-free bagel recipe.
How To Make Gluten-Free Bagels
- Pre-heat oven to 100°F (bread proof) and spray an oven-safe bowl with gluten-free non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, add the granulated sugar and warm water (100°F-110°F), stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the yeast and stir to combine. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for 5 minutes, until it becomes frothy. (photo 1)
- Add the flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it), ground psyllium powder, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar to the yeast mixture and beat on low speed for 2 minutes the dough hook attachment. Add the butter (or dairy-free butter) and apple cider vinegar and beat on medium for 5 minutes, until dough is sticky and stiff. (photo 2)
- If you do not have a stand-up mixer, you can mix the dough together in a large bowl then knead by hand for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to the greased oven-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel. Place in the oven to rise for 20 minutes. (photo 3)
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto the parchment paper and cut it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. (photo 4)
- Press your finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1 inch in diameter. Cover the shaped bagels with a kitchen towel for and let rise on the counter for 10 minutes. (photo 5)
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Add 2 quarts of water in a large pot. Whisk in the honey (or maple syrup). Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in the boiling water 1 at a time and boil for 30 seconds and then flip the bagel over and boil for 30 more seconds. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, return the bagels to the sheet, right side up, with flat bottoms against the sheet. Repeat until all the bagels have been boiled. (photo 6)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and water. Brush the tops and the sides of the bagels with the egg whites mixture. Sprinkle with seasoning if desired (I used everything bagels seasoning). (photo 7)
- Bake the bagels on the middle rack for 10 minutes and then turn the baking sheet and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 180°F. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy! (photo 8)
- The completely cooled bagels can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The bagels can be frozen up to 1 month, once sliced and wrapped in aluminum foil and then placed in a freezer bag.
Homemade Bagel Flavor Ideas
This gluten-free bagels dough can be easily turned into your favorite flavor of bagels!
- Everything Bagels
- Sesame Seed Bagel
- Poppy Seed Bagels
- Blueberry Bagels
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
- Chocolate Chip Bagels
- Cheese Bagels
- Garlic Bagels
The possibilities are endless with this easy gluten-free bagel recipe.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
I used Pillsbury gluten-free flour for this bagel recipe. It is my favorite cup for cup gluten-free flour blend. A cup for cup flour blend is one that already has xanthan gum it.
Cup for cup (or 1 for 1) flour blends makes gluten-free baking so much easier! Make sure you do not add any extra xanthan gum to your flour if it already has it in it. If you do, you will get super gummy bagels!
Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
Pro Tip For Measuring Gluten-Free Flour
- I have found the best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Use a large spoon to scoop out the flour into a measuring cup. Then use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Please do not scoop the flour directly out of the bag with a measuring cup.
Dairy-Free Baking Tips
I have also included a dairy-free option to the gluten-free bagel recipe. There are three of us that are also dairy-free in my family-my husband, youngest son and I. So I always try and have a dairy-free option for my recipes.
For the dairy-free option, I used Smart Balance butter. Now you can also enjoy a gluten-free and a dairy-free bagel.
Gluten-Free Vegan Bagels
I get a lot of questions about gluten-free Vegan or gluten-free and egg-free option to recipes. For this recipe, the Vegan option, use Vegan butter and pure maple syrup in the water bath. The bagel dough is naturally egg-free (omit the egg white wash step).
Can I Freeze The Bagels?
Yes! The bagels can be frozen up to 1 month, once sliced and wrapped in aluminum foil and then placed in a freezer bag. Thaw the bagels overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat or toast.
Once you make these homemade gluten-free bagels, you will never go back to store-bought again! Gone are the days of small, flat and dry gluten-free bagels.
Now you can have big, soft and chewy gluten-free bagels, that are just like you remembered them to be! My favorite way to eat bagels are with locks and cream cheese (dairy-free), but my kids love to eat them plain.
They are perfect for making sandwiches and even for making mini pizzas. There are so many ways you can enjoy gluten-free bagels!
More Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes To Try!
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Gluten-Free Bagels {Dairy-Free and Vegan Option}
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups warm water (100°F-110°F)
- 1 tablespoon instant/rapid rise yeast
- 3 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour , I like Pillsbury gluten-free
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum , leave out if your flour blend already has it
- 3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled dairy-free/Vegan use Smart Balance or Vegan butter
- ¼ cup honey Vegan option use pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg white, whisked Vegan option omit this step
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 100°F (bread proof) and spray an oven-safe bowl with gluten-free non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer add the granulated sugar and warm water, stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the yeast and stir to combine. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for 5 minutes, until it becomes frothy.
- Add the flour, xanthan gum (leave out if your flour already has it), psyllium powder, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar to the yeast mixture and beat on low speed for 2 minutes the dough hook attachment. Add the butter and apple cider vinegar and beat on medium for 5 minutes, until dough is sticky and stiff.
- Transfer the dough to the greased oven-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel. Place in the oven to rise for 20 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto the parchment paper and cut into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Press your finger through the center of each ball to make a hole about 1 inch in diameter. Cover the shaped bagels with a kitchen towel for and let rise on the counter for 10 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Add 2 quarts of water in a large pot. Whisk in the honey (or maple syrup). Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high. Drop bagels in the boiling water 1 at a time and boil for 30 seconds and then flip the bagel over and boil for 30 more seconds. Using wire skimmer or slotted spoon, return the bagels to the sheet, right side up, with flat bottoms against the sheet. Repeat until all the bagels have been boiled. In a small bowl whisk together the egg white and water. Brush the tops and the sides of the bagels with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with seasoning if desired.
- Bake the bagels on the middle rack for 10 minutes and then turn the baking sheet and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 180°F. Please watch your oven because all ovens are different. Remove from the oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
- The completely cooled bagels can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The bagels can be frozen up to 1 month, once sliced and wrapped in aluminum foil and then placed in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat or toast.
Notes
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- The best way to measure gluten-free flour is the “spoon & level” method. Please do not scoop the flour directly out of the bag with a measuring cup.
- If you do not have a stand-up mixer, you can mix the dough together in a large bowl then knead by hand for 10-15 minutes.
- For the dairy-free option, I used Smart Balance butter.
- The completely cooled bagels can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- The bagels can be frozen up to 1 month, once sliced and wrapped in aluminum foil and then placed in a freezer bag. Thaw the bagels overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat or toast.
Michelle says
I agree with everyone who gives these bagels FIVE STARS. They are SO much better than store-bought, and they don’t have unnecessary additives that most GF products have. We are dairy-free and used Country Crock Plant Butter. I do have a question, and I read through the article several times, as well as the comments. How/When would you add blueberries, cheese, or cinnamon/raisin to make these flavored bagels?
Audrey says
Hi Michelle. You should stir the mixins into the dough before you allow it to rise. Thank you so much for the awesome recipe review.
K says
Delicious and great texture! For my fellow Canadians – Robin Hood GF flour is the exact same blend as Pillsbury! I used it in this recipe and the bagels came out perfect and exactly like the photos.
Keri says
Amazing, thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! Will be making these weekly now. Used Bob’s 1to1 flour and only had traditional yeast and they turned out incredible. I did add between 1/2 to 1 cup total more flour (I measured as instructed) and the dough was still quite sticky as noted but easier to handle after rising. I will try to weigh the total flour used next time for reference 🙂
Melissa says
I’m in the process of making my second batch now. This recipe is AMAZING. These are the best tasting GF bagels with the best texture. And I have tried several different recipes several times only to be left with a hard rock of dough. Not these!!! Soft, chewy and delicious. I didn’t even a topping and could eat these plain!! I made them the first time with Namaste Perfect Flour Blend and real butter. I followed the recipe exactly and they were fantastic The recipe made 8 very large bagels. This time, same flour, but with a plant based butter- the rise was fantastic and I decided to make 12 and they are a more perfect size. Thank you thank you thank you for this recipe!!!! I never thought I would enjoy a bagel again after going GF.
Nicole says
Great recipe, and incredibly well written directions! I used Bob’s Red Mill cup for cup, and it turned out well. This recipe was really easy to follow, and the family loved them. Excited to make more batches with all my favorite bagel flavors!
Katie says
Literally the best gf bagels I’ve ever tried. My favorite gf bagels used to be the ones from Trader Joe’s, but these ones are wayyy better. They are chewy on the inside without sacrificing the slight crunch on the outside. I substituted swerve brown sugar sweetener for the brown sugar and used sugar free maple syrup instead of regular because I try eat as little sugar as possible. They still turned out AMAZING. Don’t be fooled at the length of the recipe, it’s super simple to follow and doesn’t take too long.
JoyMC says
These were so good I could cry . I haven’t had a bagel in ten years. Thank you so, so much!!!
Kat says
Sooo so so good. There’s no Pillsbury or Better Batter GF flour in Canada so I used the ‘mock better batter’ DIY flour blend I found online and the bagels came out completely perfect! So happy I found this recipe, thank you so much!
Aileen says
This recipe is unreal, an absolute gift. My husband had made bagels in the time before Celiac came into our lives and quite frankly I didn’t love them. When he said he was going to try to make a vegan gluten free version I rolled my eyes (with my back turned, I didn’t want to hurt his feelings) So I had no expectations and was ready to be disappointed. They were so good that I actually started to cry, I would choose these over bagel store bagels. SO please take our thanks for your hard work and skill to create such a wonderful recipe that has given us bagels again. I loathe every commercially available GF bagel. Now every Saturday we have fresh bagels and it makes the day a little brighter <3
Mak says
I made these bagels with bobs red mills baking flour mix. I don’t have a stand mixer or a hand mixer with dough hooks so I improvised with a serving fork and beater on my hand mixer. This recipe is so good you can even mess it up and still get bagels! I didn’t read the recipe carefully enough and didn’t realize the 1/4 cup liquid sweetener went in the boiling water… I put it in the dough. Needless to say the bagels turned out a bit sweet but, they boiled, baked and, toasted well! Can’t wait to make these again the right way and perhaps with a stand mixer next time.
claire says
These bagels are the bomb! I was so impressed with the texture and flavor! Thank you so much for this incredible recipe! I have to admit the first time I followed the recipe exactly. This morning I was feeling a bit rebellious and threw everything into the bread machine putting the dry ingredients in first then let it mix for about 10-15 minutes then preceded to step #4– it turned out great! And yes, like others I added more flour. I think with Grandpa’s Kitchen GF mix I might go to 2 cups of warm water next time. Thank you again!! YUM! YUM!
Brittany says
I’ve only been gluten free for a few months and I’ve been mourning the loss of bagels. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Poppy says
Wow. I just made these and had to post a review straight away; they are amazing! I live in the UK so used Doves plain white flour and needed 1 extra cup for the full quantity to get the batter to the right consistency. They turned out chewy and wonderful. I will be making these over and over again!
Beth says
What a pleasant surprise! Best bagel I have had in the 20+ years I have been Gluten Free! Thank you!
Ursula Connolly says
I’ve made these bagels twice now and they are better than I ever expected! My youngest son and I both have celiac disease and he had never even tasted a bagel before. Not only do he and I love them, but my gluten eating husband and other son are loving them too which means they’re REALLY GREAT! ? I did want to ask you to review the recipe though, bc I think there may be a typo- When I follow the recipe exactly the “dough “ is like cake batter. Both times I’ve made them I’ve had to add maybe another full cup of flour. I noticed many other commenters saying the same thing. It’s an amazing recipe, but I think either the amount of water needs to be reduced or the amount of flour needs to be increased. Thx for getting back to me and Happy Mother’s Day!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Ursula for the wonderful recipe review! I am so happy that you and your family enjoy the bagels. The dough will be different depending on which brand you use. Gluten-free flours with sorghum in them will not absorb liquid the same way, as that is why others are having to add more flour. I have only test baked this recipe with Pillsbury and Better Batter, which both do not have sourgum in their blends. I wish all brands of gluten-free flours were made the same, but unfortunately, they are not. I appreciate your question, as I know it will help others. Wishing you a blessed Mother’s Day as well. Thank you again!
Jac says
Great recipe! I added a little almond meal and flax. Much easier than other GF bagel recipes and did not require eggs. I used almond milk instead of water. I only used 1 3/4 but it’s humid here in Texas and was a little tacky, so added more flour mix. Topped with TJ everything but bagel seasoning. Baked in convection and took a little longer to bake. Delicious and reheated well. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Stephanie says
Oh my! These are hands down the best gluten free bagels I have ever eaten!
I used bobs red mill 1 to 1 baking flour, ended up using the whole 22oz bag when it was all said and done because it was more like brownie batter as another reviewer mentioned. I just slowly added more until I got it to the right consistency. Used about 1/4 cup more when I was balling up the dough and forming bagels. I’m apparently not the best at following directions because I only boiled each bagel for 30 seconds (15 on each side) but they still turned out good. Next time I’ll follow the directions better, ha ha! I did the egg wash and added poppy seeds. Ended up having to bake about 15 minutes longer (but I’m sure that’s because I didn’t boil them long enough and my oven doesn’t get too hot.)
These were fun and easy to make!
JD says
HI, this recipe was great. better than purchased bagels for sure. I used the full 2c water but i guess my flour was less thirsty so it was too wet and so a lot of playing around before the texture was stickey like you say but eventually came out and they were beautiful. Topped them with Zata’r and everything bagel seasoning.
Heather V. says
Hi Audrey, I wanted to thank you for all the work you put into developing, testing and then sharing this recipe. I would imagine that it was a lot of work. I made these bagels this week; it is difficult to find GF bagels right now in our area. They came out better than any bagel I have had in a long, long time. Can’t wait to make them again!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Heather for the wonderful 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that you enjoyed the bagels. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipe I make for my family. Thanks again!
Daniel L Edens says
These bagels taste amazing but somewhere along the way I must have messed up. I cooked these for near an hour and they were still practically raw in the middle. I couldn’t let the tops get much more color but had to keep cooking them at 350° until they finished which was another 20-30 minutes. I don’t know how you got these baked in 25.
KC says
The base recipe is AMAZING. I didn’t have a couple (main) ingredients and they still came out, hands down, better than store bought.
I didn’t have a cup to cup substitute, so used my mix of brown rice/potato starch/tapioca (2, 2/3, 1/3 parts blend). Like another poster, I needed another cup of flour in there. Without it, the dough was the consistency of brownie batter. Also I didn’t have psyllium husk, so substituted ground flax.
I’m also at a slightly higher altitude, so the bagels that stayed in the boiling water longer cooked better in the oven. They needed to boil at least a minute.
I can’t wait to try these again. SO GOOD!
Audrey says
I am so happy that you enjoyed the bagels KC! Thank you for sharing your gluten-flour blend, that you were able to substitute flax for the psyllium husk, and your adjustments for higher altitude, as I know it will help others. Thanks for the awesome 5-star recipe review!
Jen says
Made these for the first time tonight. Mine turned out kind of dense, BUT I think that’s because of the flour I used as needing to add at least a cup more than called for, probably not kneading long enough (no mixer), and possibly having my water too hot when I mixed the yeast and sugar. However, they are still quite yummy. I added 1 tsp of cinnamon and a handful of raisins to half the dough, and those are yummy, too. Although these are a little work intensive and took me a long time, I will probably be making them again! I also made 12 instead of 8. Next time I might let them be bigger and just eat half at a time.
Audrey says
I am so happy that you enjoyed the bagels Jen! I am so glad that you will be making them again. Thank you for the wonderful 5-star recipe review!
Nereida says
Thank you for your easy and delicious recipe for making bagels. Just made these tonight (Dairy free version) and they were amazing. Topped them with “everything but the bagel seasoning blend” from Trader Joe’s. Won’t be my last time making these.
Audrey says
Thank you so much Nereida for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that you and your husband enjoyed the bagels. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes I make for my family. Thank you again!
Nereida Meloi says
Thank you for your easy and delicious recipe for making bagels. Just made these tonight (Dairy free version) and they were amazing. Topped them with “everything but the bagel seasoning blend” from Trader Joe’s. Won’t be my last time making these.
Audrey says
Thank you so much Nereida for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the bagels and you will be making them again. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes I make for my family. Thanks again!
Lyla Reinero says
My daughter and I just made these for the first (but certainly not last) time. They didn’t look as pretty as yours, but they’re so delicious and the house smells amazing! I used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour. I also used my bread machine on the dough cycle for mixing and rising. My bagels got huge when I put them in the boiling water so I needed to grab another sheet pan and did 2 trays with 4 bagels each.
Audrey says
Thank you so much Lyla for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that you and your daughter enjoyed the bagels and that they were delicious. Thank you for sharing the brand of flour you used and your tip about using your read machine, as I know it will help others. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. Thanks again!
Bethany says
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I’ve always felt like I wouldn’t be able to master gluten free bagels. But these were so much easier than I expected and are absolutely delicious! I’ve made them twice in the last 3 weeks. I used cup4cup brand flour and had to add a bit more flour than called for. The dough was also pretty wet for me and I had to shape the bagels with wet hands so they wouldn’t stick. But the texture once baked is perfect!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Bethany for the wonderful 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that you enjoyed the bagels and you have make them several times. I have not tried Cup4Cup but I know that it has milk powder in the ingredients, so that is probably why you had a wetter dough. I am glad that you were able to adjust the recipe and it worked out perfectly! Thank you again.
Jennifer Fineberg says
I came across your blog when I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, as I am a strong believer that gluten is a big contributor to my condition Boy am I ever glad that I found you Audrey! The gluten free bagels that I had been buying were sub standard and I knew that there had to be something better than that! I made your bagels recently and I can’t say enough about how incredible they are! I made a sandwich with a lightly toasted bagel, including dijon and fig mustard, avocado, sliced cucumbers, and capers. Delicious is an understatement! Thank you for taking your time to create and maintain your blog Audrey!
Audrey says
Thank you Jennifer for the amazing 5-star recipe review, it really made my night and blessed me. I am so happy that you enjoyed the bagels and they turned out incredible. Your bagel sandwich sounds amazing. you are so welcome, I love helping others and sharing the recipes that I make for my family. Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement, it really blessed me!
Abigail Biddle says
Literally the best gluten-free bagels I’ve ever had. I substituted the Butter with a low-fat “buttery” spread for a lower fat content. But wow, these are just amazing. Super crisp and delicious!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Abigail for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that these were the best gluten-free bagels you have ever had. Thank you again!
Abigail Biddle says
Literally the best gluten free bagles I’ve ever had. I substituted the Butter with a low-fat “buttery” spread for a lower fat content. But wow, these are just amazing. Super crisp and delicious!
Audrey says
Thank you so much Abigail for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that these are the best gluten-free bagels you have ever had. Thanks again!
M. Netti says
Delicious! I used Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free. The dough looked more like batter when I mixed it so I added 1 additional cup. Plus 1/3 to 1/2 cup for kneading. The addition made them rather large; next time I plan to make them Palm size, I should get a dozen then.
Audrey says
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the bagels. Thank you for sharing your modifications, as I know it will help others. Thanks again!