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.
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Wow!!! Just made these from scratch. I was surprised that I could do it. Used the yolks as an egg wash. I can’t wait to get better at it , but it was surprisingly easy. Totally worth the 20 mile drive to Tailormade Nutrition for your flour. Now I want to try the bread mix version. I may even offer to make them next time we have a bagel breakfast at work. For the other gluten/wheat free colleagues.
So impressed for your first time – oh my!!! They look amazing!!!! Your colleagues at work are so lucky if they have you to make those yummy gluten free bagels for them! I can’t wait to see if you make them from my bread mix which you prefer!
~jules
How many grams of egg whites? Can I use pasteurized egg whites? Can whole eggs be used to make an egg bagel?
Thanks,
Nancy
Hi Nancy – you can use pasteurized egg whites instead — follow the package directions for amounts, but typically ~30mL / 30 gr per white. You could use 1 whole large egg instead of the 2 egg whites if you prefer, but if you find the dough is too dry, add up to a tablespoon of extra water to the dough to make up the difference.
~jules
Question on rise time – your recipe doesn’t list a rise time other than to let the formed bagels rise while the water comes to a boil.
I have followed your recipe when making gf pretzels and they proof for 10-15 minutes before getting the water bath.
Should the bagels get something similar ?
Cheers !
Hi Mark, this recipe is so forgiving! I’ve allowed the bagels to rise for 30 minutes; I’ve also been rushed and allowed them to rise only 5-8 minutes or so … it honestly hasn’t seemed to make much difference for me using the quick rise yeast and the boiling step. It won’t hurt a thing to let them rise longer, just be sure to keep them covered loosely so they don’t dry out!
Glad to hear you’ve made the gluten free soft pretzels, too! If you’re comfortable with the 10-15 minutes rise time on those, stick with what’s worked well for you! ENJOY!
~jules
Hi. I’m a little confused by your instructions. If I use this )instead of “dry ingredients”:
1 package NEW in 2022 UPDATED [gfJules® Gluten Free Bread Mix]*(https://gfjules.com/product/gfjules-gluten-free-bread-mix/) with yeast packet
Do I still add “liquid ingredients & extras” ?
Thanks.
This was confusing to me as well. My understanding is that, if we use the new improved bread mix we will then add the liquid ingredients listed as “to add to the mix” and not the ones that include egg whites.
I had to read everything a few times to figure it out. Hopefully I am correct!
Yes Julie! That’s correct! Sorry for any confusion — it’s tough to convey because some folks will have the bread mix that hasn’t been updated yet, some folks will have the new bread mix, and some folks will be baking from scratch! I’ve gone in and combined the “from scratch” ingredients though, so hopefully it’s more clear now!!! Thanks for chiming in! I have a broken collarbone and I’m not typing very well so I’m not on the computer as much at the moment!!!
~jules
Hi Hillary, I’m so sorry for any confusion here. I’ve gone in and re-worked the wording a bit to hopefully clear things up a bit. It’s confusing because the new bread mix has fewer/different liquid additions than using the old version of the bread mix or from-scratch. So, no, you would not add the same liquids that you’d add to the from-scratch version. Hopefully the way the recipe is laid out now makes more sense, but please let me know if you still need more clarification!
~jules
I wanted to try gf bagels for my daughter and decided gf Jules was the way to go! We used your bread mix and followed the exact recipe. They turned out sooo good!! We will make these again.
WONDERFUL!!! That’s so fantastic, Beth! I’m thrilled that you all got to enjoy delicious homemade gluten free bagels! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
~jules
I made these yesterday with an addition of blueberries. I used your flour blend with 1/4 cup millet added instead of flaxseed meal and I used instant yeast. They were nice and risen right out of the oven but fell flat as they cooled and are very dense now. Any ideas on how I could change that? They still taste great but I liked the texture a bit better before they collapsed.
Hi Cristy, how do you measure your gluten free flours? Do you use a scale or cups? Check out this article on measuring flour to see whether maybe the dry ingredients were off here, which could have caused the sinking. Also quick question on the dry milk powder — what did you use?
~jules
I spooned the flour into the measuring cup and leveled off. I used the Great Value instant non-fat dry milk powder.
Hi Cristy, there are a lot of variables with the addition of other ingredients in this from-scratch recipe … I’d love to hear how it goes with more variables controlled by using my Bread Mix (that way only the technique is in play, rather than extra dry ingredients). Would you be open to trying the recipe again using my Bread Mix instead? Bonus: it’s much easier!
~jules
Can these bagels be made with blueberries folded in? If so at what stage would you fold them in? I would use fresh as I know frozen would add too much moisture.
Hi Sarah, yes you can add blueberries (little wild ones would be so pretty dotted throughout!). I would suggest rolling the berries in gfJules Flour first before incorporating, so that they will not stick together and will disperse through the dough. I would fold them in with the final ingredient additions. Post a picture!! I’d love to see them!
~jules
I made gf and egg-free low-carb mock bagels with gfJules flour. This is a simple recipe splattered all over the web with various modifications under different names. I really don’t know who to ascribe the original one to. All I know is that it works well with my WW diet plan. For anyone familiar with it, it is only 2 smart points per bagel. For anyone unfamiliar with the program, that means it’s a very weight-loss friendly recipe that is easy and tastes great!
Recipe:
– 1 cup (135g) gfJules Flour
– 2 tsp gf baking powder
– 1/2 tsp salt (I used Himalayan)
– 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
– Toppings of choice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
Line baking sheet with parchment
Mix dry ingredients.
Add yogurt and mix until well combined and dough holds together.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface, and gently knead until you get a smooth dough.
Divide dough into, roughly 7 or 8 pieces weighing about 2 to 2 1/4 ounces each.
Roll into balls. Flatten each into a disk about 1/2″ tall.
With floured finger, poke a hole in the center, turning until it is about an inch in diameter.
Place on prepared baking sheet.
Add desired toppings.
(Spray lightly with oil or brush on a light egg wash, if desired, so that toppings stick better.)
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (watching closely the last 3 minutes to achieve desired level of puffiness and light to med brown color.)
Remove from oven. Allow to cool a bit before serving and slicing.
Enjoy!
PS – My toppings for this one were garlic and onion powders and poppy seeds)
would it be possible to make these using your pizza crust mix? Thanks!
HI Colleen, great question! I haven’t tried that myself, but I imagine there has to be a way! The pizza crust mix makes a wetter dough, in general, so it would be harder to work with, but perhaps if you followed the mix directions for gluten free calzones instead (less liquid) so the dough was more manageable, then you could shape the dough and continue to boil and bake as written for bagels. Now you have me super curious!!! Let me know if you try it before I do!
~jules
Hi
I just made the gulten free bagels, they didn’t turned out like bagels, but they are still eatable. I learning how to bake,since becoming gulten free. Next time I will try putting the cheese in the dough, To make cheese bagels.
I’m glad you that you’re willing to keep at it — eating the experiments is half the fun! Watch my recipe video for more tips and hopefully that will help for next time, Wendy!!
~jules
Hi! I have not made these bagels yet, and I’m reading these comments and they sound so good! But, everyone says they are using the your bread mix or your flour. I don’t have that I think I have bob’s red mill gluten free flour. Is there something I should add to make it better because I don’t have your flour?
Hi Ava, they really are SO good!!!! I hope you get to try the recipe with my gfJules Bread Mix soon — that makes it SUPER easy — or my gfJules Flour. Either way, they turn out fantastic! Regarding using another gluten free flour, they’re all so very different that it’s hard to say. Check out this article on gluten free flours and compare what you have. If you want the results you read about and see pictured, the only real way to duplicate that is with my gfJules products because the recipes were developed for them, but you can give it a try and see, and if the results aren’t as good as you’d hoped, at least you know how to fix it!
~jules
So happy to have found your website! I have made the bagel recipe twice. Once from scratch and once with the bread mix. will continue to use the bread mix. I do have a question, my bagels are still somewhat tough/chewy. Where am I going wrong? Do you mix the yeast with the warm water beforehand?
Hi Ashley, I’m so happy you found my site, too!!! And so glad to hear you’re loving the gluten free bagels! If the bagels are a bit too tough or chewy, you may need to add slightly more water to the recipe next time — try another 2 Tbs. Another option is to use bubbly liquid like sparkling water or ginger ale and see if you like them better with that instead. If using the quick rise/rapid rise yeast, you do not need to mix the yeast with water to proof it, but if using regular yeast, yes you should proof it first. Let me know how it goes!!!
THANK YOU!!!! I will try that.
Great!! Let me know how it goes!
~jules
Can you make the holes in the bagel like the traditional bagel, by rolling into a ball, sticking your finger in the middle and expanding? I have had other regular bagels when rolled coming apart in the water bath, but never when I use the above method.
Sure Donna, go for it! I don’t have any problems with mine coming apart in the water bath when I score the ends and dab with water, then press together, but if you like your method, then stick with it! Post some pics when you make them next time!!!
~jules
Perhaps I’m getting greedy…could the recipe be altered to allow for pumpkin puree? Trader Joe’s got me hooked on their seasonal gf pumpkin bagels! Any direction is immensely appreciated. I’m itching to try this recipe!
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Coralie, I like the way you think!!! Here’s where I would start: take out the 2 egg whites and replace with 4 Tbs pumpkin puree. Then add pumpkin pie spice — something along the lines of 1 1/2 – 2 tsp, depending on how much you like the spices — and then I would consider a cinnamon-sugar topping (not sure what TJ’s does for the outside of their pumpkin bagels). Anyway, that’s where I’d start and then know you may need to do some delicious, edible tweaking. 🙂 But you must promise to come back and tell me how it goes so I can try it, too!!
~jules
Can’t wait for bread mix!
You’re going to love making these homemade gluten free bagels with my gfJules Bread Mix – it’s so easy and it really makes REAL Bagels!!!!
~jules
I just tried your bagel recipe. It is beyond amazing!
I used an egg wash to help the “everything” goodies to stick. Otherwise, followed the recipe to the letter. The dough was wonderful to work. I used the stand mixer with the paddle…perfect texture. No gooey, sticky GF batter. It came off the paddle and bowl like “real” flour. Making the bagels was fun, and the results are awesome.
But… I live in Canada, and six bagels just cost me $18CAD…ouch.
I’m so excited you enjoyed such success with this gluten free bagel recipe! I’m hoping our continued efforts to bring my gfJules Flour to Canada through less expensive shipping options will pay off — everyone deserves a great bagel!!!!
~jules
Wow! They are just wonderful, tasty bagels! 😋 I’ve made them with your g.f.jules flour by scratch ( this time and the batch was huge!) or I’ve made them with your g.f. sandwich bread mix. I double up my baking sheets in the final baking process ,no need to flip to them after 8 minutes.
Barbra Forbes,I think you can replace egg whites with chia seeds, soaked in water(?).👍
I’m so happy you love them, Janie!!!!!
~jules
Hi, Jules,
I love your flour. All your recipes are a delight to make.
My daughter is both gluten and egg intolerant. Can the bagels be made with any egg substitute?
Thanks
Barbara
Hi Barbara, so happy to hear that, Barbara!! And yes, you can absolutely make these gluten free bagels with an egg substitute. My favorite one to use with my gluten free yeast bread recipes like this one is flaxseed meal and water. It works well with yeast bread recipes – check out the article I’ve linked for you, as it has other egg substitutes for other kinds of recipes as well. ENJOY!
~jules