Do I need to blend the cottage cheese for these bagels?

Nope! I tested both ways and there’s hardly any difference. Blending gives you a slightly smoother exterior, but unblended works fine and saves you from having to wash a blender.

Can I use low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese?

You sure can, both full-fat and low-fat cottage cheese work well. The full-fat version gives you a slightly richer texture, but the difference is minimal. I usually use low-fat cottage cheese as it's what I tend to have on hand.

Can I make the cottage cheese bagels in the air fryer?

Absolutely! Using the air fryer is my favorite way to cook them because it takes just NINE minutes. You don't need to flip them and you'll get a gorgeously golden crust. The oven works great too, but you'll need to allow a little extra time.

Can I freeze the cottage cheese bagels?

They freeze BEAUTIFULLY. Let them cool, then slice them and store them in ziplock bags. You can then easily defrost them right in the toaster when you need them.

Could I double the recipe?

It doubles really well - I often do this if I'm making a batch to freeze.

Can I use gluten free flour for these cottage cheese bagels?

Yes! Just use a good 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum to make sure the dough is easy to work with, and you might need to add a bit more flour to help the dough come together. I recommend starting with the same amount and then adding a little more if the dough feels too sticky. The dough will be slightly softer, so be gentle when shaping, but they still bake up beautifully (especially in the air fryer!)

Quick No-Blend Cottage Cheese Bagels (High-Protein)

Description

You only need TWO easy-to-find ingredients to make incredible, high-protein cottage cheese bagels in less than 30 minutes. No need to blend your cottage cheese if you don’t want to! Cook them in the air fryer for maximum speed, or in the oven if you prefer.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour (approximately 180g), or use all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 cup cottage cheese (approximately 250g), blended or unblended
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, whisked (for the egg wash if you're not boiling the bagels)
Toppings of your choice (everything bagel seasoning, pickled jalapeños and grated cheddar, sesame seeds, chili crisp, za'atar or even cinnamon sugar are great ideas)

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Instructions

Mix the dough. Add 1¼ cups self-raising flour (or all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder), 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup of cottage cheese to a mixing bowl. Stir with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then knead with your hands in the bowl until it comes together.
Divide the dough. Set the dough on a lightly floured surface. Slice it into four (roughly) equal pieces. If you have a scale, they should weigh about 105g each. Use your hands to shape the dough pieces into balls.
Form the bagels. Use your finger to poke a hole in the center of each ball, then gently stretch it into a bagel shape. Make the holes a little larger than you’d expect – they’ll puff up during cooking. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
Boil the bagels (optional). I like to do this when I have time – it gives the bagels a more authentic, chewy texture. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then drop the bagels into the water. Depending on the size of your pot, you might need to do this in stages (I usually do two at a time). Let them boil for about 1 minute, then flip them over and boil for another minute. They should float to the top. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove the bagels from the water and place onto a board or tray.
Top the bakes. If you’ve not boiled your bagels, brush them with the whisked egg, then sprinkle on your toppings. If you did boil them, skip the egg wash and top them straight after boiling, while they are still damp.
Cook the bagels. Air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F/200°C (just run it empty for 2 minutes). Place your topped bagels into your air fryer and air fry for nine minutes until lovely and golden. Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C. Place your topped bagels onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, then pop them into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until deeply golden all over.
Slice and serve. Let the bagels sit for at least 10 minutes before you slice into them if you can – they can be a little gummy if you slice them straight away. Fill with whatever you’d like, and enjoy.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: I normally use non-fat cottage cheese when I make these and it works perfectly fine, but regular cottage cheese is perfect too. If you want to whip or blend your cottage cheese for the bagels, just blitz it in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy, or you can sometimes find whipped cottage cheese at the grocery store.

BLENDED VS UNBLENDED COTTAGE CHEESE: Most recipes I’ve seen use blended or whipped cottage cheese in bagels, but in my testing, I found it hardly made any difference to the finished bagels, which was an immediate win. The dough with unblended cottage cheese was a little more crumbly, but it cuts out a semi-annoying step and means you don’t need to wash up a blender.

BOILING VS EGG WASH: Boiling the bagels before cooking them does give you a more authentic, chewy texture, but it’s really not essential here if you don’t want to do the extra step.

AIR FRYER VS OVEN: There is no denying that it’s SO much faster cooking the bagels in the air fryer. It takes just nine minutes, as opposed to 25 to 30 minutes in the oven. You also only need to preheat the air fryer for a minute, whereas the oven will take a lot longer to come up to temperature. The oven is better if you’re making a big batch. So if you have an air fryer, I recommend using that, but the oven works perfectly too.

AIR FRYER TIP: Most air fryers don’t have a dedicated preheat setting, so just set it to 400°F/200°C and run it for 2 minutes before adding the bagels.

TOPPING IDEAS: A classic is everything bagel seasoning, but I love jalapeño cheddar. Just sprinkle grated cheddar cheese onto your bagels, and place a couple of fresh or pickled jalapeños on top. A drizzle of chili crisp oil is excellent too, as is za’atar, sesame seeds or parmesan.

FILLING IDEAS: A big schmear of cream cheese is a given, but if you’re looking for a few jazzier ideas, you could try making these chopped chicken Caesar bagels, spread them with whipped spicy cottage cheese for more protein, everything bagel dip (a copycat of the viral one from Trader Joe’s), green goddess dip or layer on hot honey harissa halloumi.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Category: baking
Method: air fryer
Cuisine: american

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bagel
Calories: 209
Sugar: 1.8g
Sodium: 564.7mg
Fat: 1.1g
Saturated Fat: 0.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 36g
Fiber: 1.2g
Protein: 12.4g
Cholesterol: 2.5mg