Cottage Cheese Bagels
These cottage cheese bagels are made with just 3 ingredients, and they’re a delicious, high-protein breakfast! Try this simple recipe when you need a quick and easy snack!

I’ve been making so many recipes with cottage cheese, and I’ve loved how this versatile ingredient can add protein to some of my favorite snacks. So I decided to try using cottage cheese to make bagels, and it worked like a charm! All you need is self-rising flour, blended cottage cheese, and an egg. The egg is just used for an egg wash, so if you want to skip it, you can.

Ingredients & Substitutions
- Self-Rising Flour- If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can use all-purpose flour. Use one cup of all-purpose flour mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Cottage cheese– You can use low-fat or full-fat cottage cheese; either one works great. You can use plain Greek yogurt if you don’t have cottage cheese.
- Egg– This is optional, but using an egg wash on the bagels gives them a nice crust and a golden brown exterior.
- Seasoning– This is optional, but I used everything bagel seasoning to turn these into everything bagels. Feel free to use sea salt and rosemary or other herbs.
How to Make Self-Rising Flour
If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can make your own! The ratio is one cup of all-purpose flour mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. This makes slightly more than one cup of self-rising flour, which is all you’ll need for this recipe.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Bagels






How to Make a Bagel Sandwich
You can use these bagels as the base of a bagel sandwich. Try my breakfast sandwich recipe or top your bagel with a combination of a few different toppings like:
- Cream cheese
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Jelly or jam
- Hummus
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Spinach or mixed greens
How to Make Cottage Cheese Bagels in an Air Fryer
If you want to make these bagels in an air fryer, it’s quick and easy! Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees. Prepare the dough according to the recipe. Then air fry at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before slicing.
Print
Cottage Cheese Bagels
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 bagels 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven or Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These cottage cheese bagels are made with only 3 ingredients, and they’re a delicious, high protein breakfast! Try this simple recipe when you need a quick and easy snack!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese (full-fat or low-fat is fine)
- 1 cup self rising flour, plus more for dusting (see note for substitution)
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Using an immersion blender, traditional blender, or food processor, blend the cottage cheese until smooth.
- Transfer the blended cottage cheese to a bowl and use a large spoon to combine with the flour, until the dough is mixed.
- Divide into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a log and then connect the ends.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg until smooth.
- Brush the bagels with the whisked egg. Sprinkle any toppings you’d like to add.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool before slicing.
How to Store Leftover Bagels
To store cottage cheese bagels, allow them to cool completely, then place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags. Store them at room temperature if you plan to eat them within 1-2 days. For longer storage, slice the bagels, then freeze them in a sealed container or bags for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw them at room temperature or toast them before eating them.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
If you like these bagels, try some of my other cottage cheese recipes! Reader favorites include cottage cheese pizza crust, cottage cheese pasta sauce, cottage cheese overnight oats, cottage cheese macaroni and cheese, and cottage cheese oatmeal. Looking for a way to hide the cottage cheese? Try my macaroni salad, pizza dip, or pesto dip!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I toast my bagels? Yes! Slice the bagels and toast them just like a regular bagel.
- What toppings should I add? When baking the bagels, I used everything bagel seasoning. You could also use sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried rosemary, or flaky sea salt.
- Are bagels healthy? Most bagels are high in carbs and low in protein. But these cottage cheese bagels are only 170 calories each, and they contain 11g of protein! These are great for a healthy breakfast.
Wow, what an amazing 3-ingredient recipe. I am so impressed and love that they are high in protein, too. Thank you for another fun holiday recipe. I love making bread when loved ones come to stay!
I was trying to find a healthier bagel recipe for my picky 3 year old. WHO only likes bagels with butter by the way…these worked! I was skeptical but they are amazing 🤩 thank you! We all love them!
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it! (And as the mom of a 4 year old, I know it’s a huge win to get a kid stamp of approval!)
Has anyone tried making protein bagels with King Arthur’s Gluten Free 1:1 flour? And suggestions or tips?
I used Bob’s Red Mill GF flour. I’ll let you know in about 15 mins, lol!
So good and easy to make! After the egg wash I sprinkled mine with everything bagel seasoning. The only question I have would be storing extras.
Love that they are high protein! I made them with almond flour. Delicious!
These came out fantastic!
Could you add fresh blueberries or even dried blueberries to this recipe? I’m going to try this either way but wondered if these could be added.
Thank you
I’d try dried blueberries just to make sure they don’t add too much moisture to the bagels!
These bagels are absolutely stunning! I love making them to go with soups – so delicious!
Loved these bagels! They have the best texture – just perfect!
Freaking amazing! So easy and so good! Smeared it up with cream cheese!