Plant Based Bagels Recipe and Video

This Plant Based Bagels recipe yields the perfect chewy New York Style Bagel. Make the best vegan bagels at home!

Attention Bagel Lovers: Although this recipe is named "Plant Based Bagels" it is my normal New York Style Bagel recipe I have been using for over 15 years. I hope all bagel lovers (vegan and non-vegan) will try this recipe to make delicious homemade bagels. These bagels have a chewy exterior and a soft and delicious interior. 

My dad was born and raised in New York City and I spent most of my childhood living in New Jersey (visiting the city often), and these bagels have gotten the approval of all my dad's family and countless neighbors (some of which have ties to NYC as well). 

New York style bagels are a popular type of bagel that originated in New York City. They are known for their crispy crusts and chewy, dense interiors, and are boiled before being baked to achieve their distinctive texture.

If this is your first time making bagels, this recipe is for you. Follow my step-by-step pictures and watch my tutorial video to learn how easy it is to make incredible bagels at home!

If you have an active sourdough starter, try these New York Style Sourdough Discard Bagels. They still use yeast, but the discard gives it a little additional flavor!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• They have a chewy texture and a delicious flavor.
• Making your own bagels is easy, especially with the step-by-step pictures and video tutorial!
• You control the ingredients and can get creative with your toppings and make them your own.
• These homemade vegan bagels are better than  Einstein Bros, Dave's Killer Bread and Thomas' Bagels.

Recipe Ingredients

Here is the ingredient list for these delicious vegan bagels. Check out the substitutions below!

Water for incorporating all the ingredients. 

Instant Yeast allows the bagels to rise. My favorite is SAF Instant Yeast. 

White Sugar helps the bagels to retain moisture and feeds the yeast. 

Salt enhances the bagel flavor.

Bread Flour has a higher protein content than regular flour which creates a chewier bagel.

Optional Toppings:

There are so many different options for bagel seasoning. Try one (or more) of the following vegan bagel toppings! Or leave off the toppings for a plain bagel.

• Everything Seasoning
• Sesame Seeds 
• Poppy Seeds
• Dry Onion Flakes

​I've listed a few more bagel variations below including cinnamon raisin bagels and chocolate chip bagels.

Substitutions

• All Purpose flour can be a substitute for bread flour. It won't give the exact same results, but it will still produce delicious bagels.
• Active Dry Yeast can be a substitute for Instant Yeast. You will want to proof the yeast in the warm water before adding the rest of the ingredients. 

How to Make Vegan Bagels

Here are some quick visual instructions on how to make vegan bagels. The full recipe with ingredient measurements and video tutorial is in the recipe card below.

Add the warm water to the mixer with the dough hook attached. Add the dry ingredients (except for the last ½ cup of flour).

Knead the dough until it comes together. Feel the dough and check how sticky and dense it feels. You want the dough to feel firm and not stick at all to your finger. Try to add the last ½ cup of flour.

Pro Tip: If your mixer is having a hard time incorporating the flour you can take the dough out. Knead it by hand with the extra flour and then put it back into the mixer to finish kneading. 

Place the bagel dough in a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size. 

Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 equal sized pieces. Flour the counter where the bagels will rest.

There are two methods to shape the bagels. I prefer to use method 1. It would be a good idea to watch the video in the recipe card as well.

Method 1: Roll the piece of dough into a "snake." Bring the two ends together under your palm and roll the ends together applying pressure to the dough ends.

Method 2: You can roll the piece of dough into a tight ball and stick your finger through the center to make a hole and then use your fingers to gently stretch the hole.

Place the bagels on a floured surface to rest (do not cover them). While they are resting, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bring a large pot of water and sugar to a boil. Also, put parchment paper or silicone baking mats on two sheet pans. Gather all your bagel toppings such as sesame seeds, everything seasoning, dried onion flakes etc.

The bagels should have slightly puffed up and smoothed out. 

Gently Add 2-3 bagels at a time to the boiling water top side down. Boil for 30 seconds and flip and boil for another 30 seconds. 

Fun Fact: The boiling process is what gives the bagels their chewy crust.

Lift the bagels out of the water using a slotted spoon or spatula (allowing the water to drain) and place them on the parchment covered baking sheet. Add the toppings immediately after taking them out of the water bath. 

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and rotate the pans after about 15 minutes (this helps the toppings from burning). Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the bagels are all golden brown. 

Allow the bagels to cool before slicing them. If you love a chewy bagel you will love these!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Add the toppings right after taking the bagels out of the boiling water. The toppings will stick to the wet bagels if added right away. This helps you to avoid using an egg wash.
• Use a couple of drops of water to help shape the bagels if the dough isn't sticking together.
• Using a Silpat Mat or good-quality parchment paper is a must because the boiled bagels will easily stick to the pan.
• If your dried onion flakes are burning, try lowering the oven rack away from the heating element. You can also soak the onion flakes in water before adding them to the wet bagels to help prevent them from getting too dark.
• A good bread knife is a must for these chewy New York-style bagels!

What to Serve with Bagels

These fluffy bagels are perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whether you are avoiding dairy products or you are on a vegan diet try some of these vegan bagel options for toppings. 

• Vegan Cream Cheese 
• Vegan Butter
• Red Onion or Sweet Onion
• Fresh Tomato
• Fresh Dill
• Fresh Avocado
• Hummus
• Peanut Butter

If you consume animal products here are some traditional toppings. 

• Cream Cheese
• Butter
• Lox (Smoked Salmon)
• Pizza Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese and Pepperoni
• Egg, Bacon and Cheese 

Storage

• Storage: After the bagels have fully cooled, store the bagels in a sealed bag for 3-4 days. They do not need to be refrigerated. 
• Freezing: These bagels freeze really well. Slice the bagels in half and put them back together. Try to squeeze as much air out of the freezer back and double back them. Frozen bagels are best toasted once they are thawed. 
• De-Thaw Slow Method: Take the bagels out of the bag and thaw them on the counter. Once they have thawed, use a toaster to toast them. 
• De-Thaw Fast Method: Take a bagel out of the bag. Carefully use a fork or butter knife to pry the sliced bagel in half. Lay the open bagel on a plate and microwave it for 30 seconds and then toast it in a toaster. 

Variations

Try some of these other bagel flavors, including some sweet bagels. 

• Whole Wheat Flour Bagels: Substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour for 1 cup of bread flour. It is difficult to get fully whole wheat bagels chewy like a New York Style bagel.
• Cinnamon Raisin Bagels: Add an extra 1 tablespoon of sugar to the dough, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ cup of raisins.
• Chocolate Chip Bagels:  Add an additional 1 tablespoon of sugar to the dough. Add ⅓ cup of mini chocolate chips (vegan if needed) after the rise and before shaping the bagels.

Frequently Asked Questions

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📖 Recipe

Plant Based Bagels Recipe and Video

This Plant Based Bagels recipe yields the perfect chewy New York Style Bagel. Make the best vegan bagels at home!

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: New York Style Bagels, Plant Based Bagels

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Rise Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 8 bagels

Author: Jen Talley

Cost: $3

Equipment

• 1 Bosch Mixer (or KitchenAid)
• 2 Sheet pans
• 1 parchment paper or
• 2 silpat mats

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (454 grams)
• 1 tablespoon yeast (9 grams)
• 2 tablespoons white sugar (25 grams)
• 2½ teaspoons salt (15 grams)
• 5¾ cups unbleached bread flour (720 grams) (start with 5¼ and wait to add the last ½ cup of flour)

Instructions

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, salt, and 5¼ cups of flour (wait to add the last ½ of flour).
• Begin to knead the dough. It may take some time to mix well because there is a lot of flour. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup of flour until the dough isn't sticky anymore and it feels very dense.
• Knead for about 9 minutes using a Bosch mixer and about 12 minutes using a Kitchenaid mixer.
• Place the dough in a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
• Punch down the dough and cut it into 8 equal-sized pieces. Dust your counter with flour and place the shaped bagels onto your counter.
• There are two methods to shape the bagels (see video & post pictures).

  Option 1: Roll the piece of dough into a "snake." Bring the two ends together under your palm and roll the ends together.

  Option 2: You can roll the piece of dough into a ball and stick your finger through the center to make a hole and then use your fingers to gently stretch the hole.
• While your shaped bagels are resting (you do not need to cover them).

  1. Fill a large pot with water and add the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bring the pot of water to a gentle boil.

  2. Arrange the oven racks to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.

  3. Line two pans with parchment paper or Silpat mats.

  4. Get your toppings ready.
• By the time the water begins to boil the tops of the bagels should be a little smoother and puffier. Gently lift a bagel and place it into the boiling water top side down. I can fit 3 at a time into my pot of boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds on each side. Remove them with a large slotted spoon or spatula. Place them gently on the parchment paper. Immediately add toppings (if desired) as soon as the wet bagels come out of the water.
• Put the first pan in the 400° oven as soon as it is full. Follow with the second pan as soon as you finish boiling the rest of the bagels.
• After 15 minutes swap the pans. Put the pan from the bottom on the top rack and put the pan from the top on the bottom rack. Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Make sure your bagels have started to brown nicely before taking the out of the oven. The dough is dense and if you take them out too early it will still be a little gummy in the middle. Let them cool before slicing.

Video

Notes

Tips:

• Add the toppings right after taking the bagels out of the boiling water. The toppings will stick to the wet bagels if added right away. This helps you to avoid using an egg wash.
• Use a couple of drops of water to help shape the bagels if the dough isn't sticking together.
• Using a Silpat Mat or good-quality parchment paper is a must because the boiled bagels will easily stick to the pan.
• If your dried onion flakes are burning, try lowering the oven rack away from the heating element. You can also soak the onion flakes in water before adding them to the wet bagels to help prevent them from getting too dark.

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• Storage: After the bagels have fully cooled, store the bagels in a sealed bag for 3-4 days. They do not need to be refrigerated. 
• Freezing: These bagels freeze really well. Slice the bagels in half and put them back together. Try to squeeze as much air out of the freezer back and double back them. Frozen bagels are best toasted once they are thawed. 
• De-Thaw: Slow Method: Take the bagels out of the bag and thaw them on the counter. Once they have thawed, use a toaster to toast them. Fast Method: Take a bagel out of the bag. Carefully use a fork or butter knife to pry the sliced bagel in half. Lay the open bagel on a plate and microwave it for 30 seconds and then toast it in a toaster.