Easy, gluten free bagel and recipe aren’t things most of us would think belong in the same sentence. But with this recipe, I promise you’ll be thinking about gluten free bagels in a whole new light!
Until I developed this gluten free bagel recipe, it had been a long while since I’d had a really great bagel.
The gluten free bagel varieties I’ve tasted have been ok when toasted, but they’re nearly all frozen so they lack that bagel texture — that reach out and squeeze it and watch it bounce back quality (what do you call that??). You know what I mean: if you have to toast it from the get-go, there’s just not a lot to get excited about with pre-made, frozen gluten free bagels.
But with my gfJules Flour or Bread Mix, these gluten free homemade gluten free bagels are delicious on day 1 or day 2! They never get hard or rubbery. You can eat them cold, warm them or toast them.
What Flour Is Best for Homemade Gluten Free Bagels?
YOU can make bagels anytime YOU want them! And since you can also use my easy gfJules Bread Mix, there’s hardly even anything to add – just dump the mix in with the liquids and yeast, mix, poke a hole in ’em, boil ’em and bake ’em.
Of course, you can also use my bagels from-scratch recipe using my pre-blended gfJules Flour. I’m here to give you delicious choices, you know!
It’s important to use my award-winning gfJules pre-mixed All Purpose Flour Blend or gluten-free Bread Mix though, as recipes like this one will not turn out with the chewy/springy-ness you’ll want from your bagel without it.
In fact, as if we needed any reminder just how B.A.D. a gluten-free bagel can be, a restaurant sent along a side order of gluten-free bagels with our meal delivery the other night and they were a cross between so rubbery you could bounce them off the walls and so hard they could break your teeth — kindof like a lacrosse ball in bagel form. Definitely gives gluten free a bad name.
But back to truly great gluten free bagels …
I often hear people talk about interchanging gluten free flour blends in recipes; coming from regular gluten baking like we all were, it’s natural to think flours are all the same (like Gold Medal Flour is no different from the Safeway Brand of flour …) but in the gluten free world, nothing could be further from the truth! All gluten free flour blends are different — find out why here.
Even if you think you want to make your own gluten free flour blend, it will turn out differently from someone else making it because the individual RAW ingredients that combine to make the blend are all different! It’s true!
When I choose the raw ingredients for my blend, I have access to tons of choices; when you go to the store, you may have access to one or two, if you’re super lucky. And they all behave and interact differently.
The ingredients may LOOK the same on the ingredient label, but they are actually highly specialized. So go with the blend recommended for each gluten free recipe you try — mine or someone else’s on their site.
Trust me when I say that in this gluten free bagel recipe, if you use my gfJules Flour, you will have more fun rolling this dough because it will be stretchy, and you will get much more joy from the end results, too!
And don’t worry if you’ve never made a bagel before; there’s no magic to it, but the baking soda boiling step is key to getting that bagel-y sheen and dense bagel-y texture. You can also do an egg wash for that classic bagel “sheen,” if you like.
So start thinking differently about bagels. What’s your favorite way to eat them? You can do that again! Cream cheese, lox, peanut butter, plain, sammie, toasted (or not!) … have it your way!
Have you used one of my mixes or flour to make something exciting? Drop a comment and a photo on this or any recipe — I’d love to hear all about it!
P.S. Many thanks to Roberta T. for sending me her picture and basic recipe for making gluten-free bagels using my original gfJules Bread Mix. She certainly inspired this recipe!
Even Easier Method for Making Gluten Free Bagels
And if you’re looking for a super easy way to make this super easy recipe, I’ve found these great bagel maker molds from Lekue that make the whole process nearly hands off!
Simply press each gluten free dough ball down on top of one of these silicone molds and then boil the bagels ON THE MOLD, then bake them ON THE MOLD directly on the oven rack — no pan. They come out so crispy and you don’t even have to flip the bagels — yay!
Easy Gluten Free Bagel Recipe
Easy Gluten Free Bagel Recipe
These gluten free bagels are REAL bagels! Real bagel texture, real bagel flavor and they're really not so hard to make. This recipe will become your new favorite gluten free bread recipe; you may want to double it and be sure to always have some of these gluten free bagels on hand in the freezer at all times!
Ingredients
From Scratch Recipe:
- 3 cups (405 grams) gfJules® All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
- 1/4 cup (35 grams) gfJules® Gluten Free Multigrain Baking Flour) OR flax seed meal
- 1/4 cup dry milk powder, dairy or non-dairy (e.g. Coconut Milk Powder) OR (35 grams) gfJules® Gluten Free Multigrain Baking Flour OR almond meal
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast (e.g. Red Star® Quick Rise)
- 2 egg whites, room temperature (or egg substitute like 4 Tbs. aquafaba)
- 3 Tbs. honey OR maple syrup OR agave syrup
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbs. warm water
- 1 Tbs. baking soda (preferred) OR salt (for the boil)
- toppings like sesame seeds, coarse sea salt, etc.
OR
- 1 package gfJules® Gluten Free Bread Mix*
Ingredients to add to gfJules Bread Mix
- 2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast (e.g. Red Star® Quick Rise)
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or other mild oil)
- 2 egg whites, room temperature (or egg substitute like 4 Tbs. aquafaba)
- 3 Tbs. sugar (35 grams)
- 1 Tbs. baking soda (preferred) OR salt (for the boil)
- toppings like sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc.
Instructions
- Whisk liquids together in a large mixing bowl.
- If baking from scratch, whisk all dry ingredients together in another bowl. Add either whisked dry ingredients or gfJules Gluten Free Bread Mix and yeast into the large bowl with liquids, beating on low speed of your mixer using paddle attachment, or mix with a wooden spoon, by hand.
- Continue to mix until dough comes together easily and is firm but not tough. If you find that the dough is tough or too firm and very resistant when pulled apart, mix in more water, two tablespoons at a time until the dough is able to be shaped easily but is not too sticky, loose or wet. It should not be resistant like taffy, it should be pliable and soft, but be able to hold its shape.
- Prepare a clean counter or pastry mat by lightly dusting with gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. Separate dough into 6 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece out gently into a ball and poke a hole in the center with your thumb, OR roll into a log 9 inches long and bring the ends together by scoring with a fork and wetting the ends with your finger before pressing together and smoothing. Alternatively, use Lekue Bagel Molds and there will be no need to flip the bagels during the bake.
- Spritz with water to keep moist, then cover with cling wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place while bringing water to a boil.
- Prepare a large pot of water by adding 1 tablespoon baking soda and turning onto high flame/heat.
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Once water is at a full boil, gently drop bagels in, only boiling as many at one time as can boil without touching. Boil on each side for 30 seconds, then flip. Remove with a skimmer or slotted spatula and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet sprinkled with gfJules Flour to keep help absorb excess water and keep from sticking. Repeat with remaining bagels.
- If this process takes more than a few minutes, mist the bagels with water while waiting to boil or waiting to bake so that the dough doesn’t dry out or harden.
- Sprinkle tops of bagels with any desired toppings.
- Bake for approximately 8 minutes, then flip and bake for another 8 minutes. If desired, brush with egg wash of mixed egg + 1 Tbs. water after flipping to give bagels "sheen." Bagels are done when lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out dry or with dry crumbs attached.
- Makes 6 bagels. These stay soft on days 1-2 and are better toasted or warmed thereafter.
Notes
*Once cooled, slice and freeze (store in freezer bags) to have on hand any time you'd like to have a bagel!
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Nutrition Information
Yield 7 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 314Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 0mgSodium 736mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 5gSugar 18gProtein 9g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
And pin it for later!
Can I refrigerate the dough prior to boiling and baking like the day before.
I have Celiac disease and have been trying to find a decent bagel for a while now. These are way better than decent! These are the real deal! My wife loved them as well. Very chewy like a real bagel should be. Way better than store bought gluten free bagels. I just need to make the hole smaller…mine look like donuts with a large gaping hole…not good for a bagel and egg sandwich:)
Hi Stu, what a great report back on these gluten free bagels! So happy to know you made them and loved them and are planning on making them again! The hole in the middle comment made me laugh! 🙂 They are chewy like a bagel should be – no sense in wasting time or money on those “fake” gluten free bagels any more when you know you can have the REAL deal now!!! ENJOY!
~jules
OMG! I just took a batch out of my oven and they looked and smelled so good that I couldn’t wait to taste. These actually have the look and feel of a real bagel. I can’t wait to eat one with my breakfast in the morning. The dough was a little sticky to work with so I just added some more flour and that did the trick. Even my gluten eating son was begging for a taste!
That’s the ticket! So happy to hear you (and your son!) are loving the bagels, Debi! They’re one of my favorite gluten free recipes on my site, actually. I really missed a good bagel until this recipe. It’s surprising how easy this recipe really is and how darned good it is!!!! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Congrats on your Bagel WIN!!!
~jules
I’ve had celiac since I was 2 years old and I’ve never had a real bagel. I could still taste how dry and hard most bagels were, so I bought your flour and made cheese bagels with your recipe. They’re the best bagels I’ve ever had. Even better than from a local bakery. My dad eats gluten and he said they tasted like real NY bagels and he wants me to make more with regular flour so he doesn’t take all mine haha
Oh Julia, you have no idea how happy this review made me! This is exactly what I want for everyone! Don’t we ALL deserve a great bagel?? So happy you made them and so happy you (and your dad) loved them! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Happy gluten free bagel baking!!!
~jules
My bagels were a bit too dry when I went to put them in the water and possibly too big cause they broke apart before I got them in the water so turned out more like bagel sticks. I tried to keep them damp but maybe I left them rising too long?
Hi Bekah, nothing wrong with gluten free bagel sticks! But I get your point. If they were too dry, that would be a problem, and if they rose too long and were too large, they might have broken apart. How were they once baked? Did they have the right texture? If they turned out well in the end, but weren’t pretty, then I would just revisit your technique in shaping and maybe stop the rise earlier; if they were not the right texture or were too dry once baked, however, then we need to walk back further in the recipe and see what might have happened. If they were indeed so dry that the dryness of the dough caused them to break apart in the boiling water, then yes, the dough was too dry. I always look at my doughs — no matter what kind — before taking out of the bowl, and see if they’re moist enough to pass the “squeeze test.” If I can squeeze the dough and it will hold together to form a cookie or a log or a bagel … without crumbling, then it should be good to go. On the other hand, if it’s too crumbly to hold together easily at that point, or if it’s resistant or tight, then it needs more liquid. It shouldn’t be difficult to roll out the dough or make the log/bagel. So maybe that was the problem, but luckily, it’s easily fixed next time!
~jules
So proud that I just made bagels for the first time!! The recipe worked beautifully and they came out perfect! My husband who is lucky enough to eat regular bagels thought they were excellent . The video was helpful and made the process less intimidating.
Hi Joyce, so happy for you! Isn’t it empowering to be able to make something so (on its face) intimidating as bagels?! I felt the same way when I made them for the first time! Now I love making gluten free bagels because they’re so good, but also because I truly feel a sense of accomplishment when I’m done. They’re so much better than any store bought gluten free bagel and even our non-gluten-free family members love them (though sometimes it’s hard to share!). Congratulations on your success! Thanks so much for leaving me a note to let me know how it went. May all your gluten free baking be so happy!!!
~jules
Nope…too dense and heavy and lacking on the flavor.
Also, the missing step: combine the honey/egg mixture with flour before adding warm water. Found this step on the lengthy video.
I like Jules recipes, but this one is not great. I did not use her flour mix. Maybe that’s the issue.
Hi Ann, if you’re using a different gluten free flour blend you’ll always have different results, particularly density and texture. Check out this article on gluten free flours and blends for a more thorough explanation. I do hope you get to try it again with my gfJules Flour or my gfJules Bread Mix because these gluten free bagels are really so delicious! You deserve a great bagel and I know you’ll love them!
~jules
Yeah that’s because you didnt use her flour, I have used many brands of flour and nothing compares.
Hate to say it, but you’re right. The flour is the secret.
I couldn’t believe how it worked up in the stand mixer.
Hi Henk, I’m so glad to hear that you found making these gluten free bagels FUN! That’s what I love to hear! And that the dough behaved like real flour with awesome real bagel results! We are working hard to get the costs down for our friends in Canada so that everyone can enjoy such great gluten free baking. Did you order my gfJules Flour off Amazon.ca?
~jules
I’m probably not the only one who tries to let the craving pass……Bagels have been on my mind over 2 weeks and I finally gave in. The recipe was not complicating at all but every time I bake using rapid yeast my end result is very dense and not at all fluffy. I made sure it was fresh and in date. How can I improve or resolve this? I hate spending precious time and money and have something I am forced to eat so it doesn’t go to waste.
Hi Danielle, did you use my gfJules Bread Mix or did you use my recipe and buy your own yeast? You can always try proofing the yeast first to ensure it really is still very active, and if you feel there is a problem with the quick rise yeast, simply use regular yeast and let it rise longer than this recipe calls for. In terms of the density of the end product, it will be dense for sure if the yeast doesn’t rise, but otherwise, it shouldn’t be any more dense than a traditional bagel. Was the dough very tight or was it loose? If it’s too dry or tight, the dough won’t be able to stretch and rise either, so that might be it. Tell me a bit more about the ingredients and the texture of the dough and I’ll do my best to help!
~jules
Hi…I have fructose malabsorption and can’t have honey or agave. Would something else work?
I’m not an expert on fructose malabsorption, but the liquid sweetener options that would work well (other than honey or agave) include coconut nectar, date syrup or maple syrup. I hope one of those works for you!
~jules
Can I do a cinnamon crunch like Panera bread? I really miss bagels now that I’m gluten intolerant and these were my favorite. When would you put the cinnamon crunch on ? I use your flour AWESOME. Made snickerdoodles and chocolate chip everyone said they were great. Thank you
Hi Cora, so glad everyone loved the cookies you made with my gfJules Flour!! That’s a great win – congrats!!!
I’m not familiar with a cinnamon crunch bagel. I’m assuming it’s a topping? If so, you’d put sprinkle it on the wet bagels before baking, after they’re boiled. Hope that helps you enjoy them again soon!
~jules
I used an egg wash (one of the left over yolks, stirred with a couple of tablespoons of water, and brushed on after the boiling water bath, then put on th sprinkles. Worked great.
I was really excited about this recipe – and am still hopeful for my next attempt – but after a short cooling period, I tried to slice one of these bagels in half. It broke into pieces and sort of crumbled a bit.
It had a decent chew, which I appreciated very much, but the overall feel was a bit grainy.
Any ideas about what may have gone wrong?
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Patti, thanks for writing in and I’m happy to help you however I can. Were you using my gfJules Bread Mix or my gfJules Flour and baking from scratch?
~jules
could I make these with almond flour?
Hi Tara, no I don’t think so. Almond flour is COMPLETELY different from my gfJules Flour blend, which behaves much more like wheat flour in recipes. Check out this article comparing gluten free flours for more information. Using almond flour instead will just make it dry and heavy — I think you would be very disappointed.
~jules
I am surprised that this recipe does not allow the dough to rise. I always thought that when yeast is used it has to proof. By the way I love your recipes, thank you,!
Hi Esther, so glad you’re loving my recipes!!!
Regarding the rise on these bagels, you can absolutely let them rise, but using the quick rise yeast and accounting for the fact that the dough should be a bit more dense than regular sandwich bread, there isn’t a rise necessary like there would be with other breads. That being said, I’ve allowed the bagels to rest and rise first and they do turn out quite nicely that way as well. Enjoy!
~jules
I’m confused as to what I was supposed to do with the egg whites? It doesn’t say anywhere to add them…
How would you make these if you have a bagel pan?
Hi Hope, just put the dough in the bagel pan and smooth the tops with a wet rubber spatula, then bake as directed with the pan, or follow my directions for the bake and let them rise, covered, for about 20-30 minutes first. I might also spray them with some water before baking and if you have a convection setting on your oven, bake at 400 on convection, rather than 425 static. Enjoy!
~jules
Would like to know which kind of gf flour or flour mix to take when access to your brand is not available, please? Thank you
Hi Amyah, where do you live? If you’re in the States or Canada, you can order on-line for delivery anywhere. If elsewhere, check out this article on gluten free flours.
~jules
Wow !!! I have a a lot (too many 😉 both glutenfull and gluten free bagels, these were soooo good !
Thank you Jules !
Tamie
YAY! I love when a bagel lover tries this recipe and reports back that they meet with their approval. We all deserve a great bagel, ya know?
~jules
So authentic you’d fool a New Yorker? That’s a big claim! Especially since New York styled bagels are made with High Gluten flour and usually requires 2 hour preferment , not to mention an over night proofing… it’s a process that gives a bagel its flavor ????. I guess it’s different with glutem free process. BUT according to a chef I watched, usually the reason why people are gluten intolerant is because some breads aren’t fermented correctly…. perhaps you can look into this too! And then , you can make REAL bagels! ❤️❤️
Hi Sonia, I’ve always heard what makes a NY Bagel so yummy was because of the water! 🙂
With gluten-free, there is a lot less manipulation of the dough and no need for over-night proofing, but it’s certainly fine to do, if you’d prefer a longer, cold-proofing step. The issue about fermented and sourdough bread being gluten-free is a minefield. It’s not safe for anyone who is celiac to eat gluten containing bread, even if it’s been fermented or made with sourdough, but there are lots of people who will tell you otherwise. Experts agree, however, that it is unsafe and do not recommend anyone with celiac trying to eat regular bread made with sourdough. I hope that helps!
~jules
Hi. I love bagels but am now gluten free and low carb — the rules from my doctor who is helping me get my health together.
So it’s importment for me to know the net carb count if one bagel. Is there any way to figure that out? I see there are no numbers for calories etc. am I looking in the wrong place?
Thanks so much for any help
Hi Diane, I don’t have the nutritionals run for all my recipes. Unfortunately, since I’m the one creating and posting the recipes, it’s just too much for me to also run the nutritionals as well. If you’re using my gfJules Bread Mix, though, you can easily find those nutritional numbers on the product page and then plug that information into a nutritional counter yourself. I hope that helps!
~jules
Thanks, Jules! I used your bread mix and despite never having made bagels before, these came out delicious. I made 8 instead of 6 and used one Tbsp of pure maple syrup and one Tbsp of honey. My daughter is GF and she’s pretty picky with breads. She ate a whole one which is a great sign! I have a few improvements to make now that I know what I’m doing. But offhand, this was a perfect start to a Sunday morning. Thank you for all you do.
Oh Jodi that makes me SO happy to hear! I know picky bread eaters, and they all seem to love this bagel recipe with my bread mix. I’m so happy you’ve found something that she will be happy to eat! I’d love to know the tweaks you devise as you bake these again, so keep me posted!
~jules