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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Recipes

    Published: Feb 1, 2023 · Modified: Jan 8, 2024 by Petra · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Homemade Onion Bagels Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These Onion Bagels have a chewy interior and a crispy and golden exterior! This is an easy fool-proof recipe, packed with tips and tricks for the perfect homemade bagels! Naturally vegan.

    Onion bagels on a baking sheet layered with parchment paper next to a white bowl filled with cream cheese.

    There is nothing quite like biting into a warm homemade bagel smothered in cream cheese.

    The chewy texture and crispy crust do something to my brain, and I feel like I can eat 10 of them in a row.

    Onion bagels are made with what is called "lean dough". Meaning, that unlike vegan cinnamon rolls or homemade naan where you have some type of fat in the dough, bagels don't have any fat.

    This results in chewy and dense, yet fluffy bagels with a golden brown crust. You can thank me later!

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make This Onion Bagels Recipe
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQ
    • Bagel Topping Ideas
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage
    • Similar Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • A true New York bagel! This recipe goes through all of the steps needed for making New York-style bagels- proofing the dough, boiling the onion bagels, and then baking them.
    • Easy to make and budget-friendly. I know this recipe sounds fancy, but it's SO easy to make, even if you're new to baking! It also uses pantry staples and no fancy ingredients are needed.
    • Naturally vegan. No egg wash or egg yolks are needed! This recipe is naturally vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, and egg-free.

    Ingredients

    Gathered ingredients for making our onion bagels with text overlay on each ingredient.
    • Bread flour: You'll need strong bread flour with at least 12% protein. This is what makes the bagels chewy.
    • Active dry yeast: This is what makes the bagels rise and be soft and fluffy.
    • Warm water: Your water must be lukewarm (around 100-110ºF), and not hot. Hot water will kill the yeast the dough won't rise.
    • Sugar: A little bit of sugar helps feed the yeast, which will activate it and help the dough rise faster.
    • Onion powder: For adding a sweet and savory onion flavor. You can also use garlic powder for a stronger hint. OR skip to make plain bagels.
    • Salt: For enhancing the flavors of the onion bagels.
    • Toppings: I like to use everything bagel seasoning, but you can also use sesame seeds only.

    See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

    How to Make This Onion Bagels Recipe

    Step 1: Make the dough

    First, bloom the yeast. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. At the yeast and whisk until it dissolves. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy on top.

    In the meantime, in a large mixing bowl, measure the flour and stir in the salt and onion powder.

    When the yeast is ready, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients. (If you don't want to mix the dough by hand, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook).

    Bloomed yeast in a small white bowl.
    Dry ingredients and wet ingredients mixed in a large mixing bowl.

    Using a fork, mix until the dough becomes sticky so that you can't continue with the fork anymore.

    Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and transfer the dough. Knead for 5-6 minutes, or until it becomes smooth, elastic, and soft.

    Bagel dough in a bowl.
    Two hands kneading dough on a kitchen countertop.

    Step 2: Rise the dough

    Grease a large bowl with some oil and transfer it there. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Set it aside in a warm place for at least 60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. If it's a particularly cold day, put the bowl in the oven and turn on the light.

    After rising, lightly punch down the dough to release air. Then, knead for 1-2 minutes, or until it forms a smooth ball again.

    Kneaded dough resting in a large bowl.
    Proofed bagel dough in a mixing bowl.

    Step 3: Shape the bagels

    Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into 8 balls.

    Using your thumb, poke a hole in the middle of each ball. Then, use 2 fingers to widen the hole to about 1.5-2 inches. Cover with a towel and let the bagels rise for around 10 minutes, while you prepare the water bath.

    Eight dough balls on a kitchen countertop.
    Four unbaked bagels on a white plate.

    Step 4: Water bath

    Fill a large pot with water and honey or maple syrup (or barley malt syrup) and stir. Bring to a boil.

    Drop the bagels into the water, as many as you can comfortably fit (I fit 3), and boil for 1 minute on each side. Then, take them out of the water and sprinkle them with your toppings.

    Step 5: Bake

    Bake onion bagels in a preheated oven to 425ºF (220ºC) for 20-22 minutes. or until golden brown. Let them cool on a wire rack, then serve!

    Unbaked bagels topped with everything bagel seasoning on a baking sheet.
    Onion bagels cooling on a wire rack.

    Expert Tips

    • Test your yeast before starting. It's super important to make sure you're using fresh yeast. To test that, In a bowl, mix 1 teaspoon sugar with ½ cup lukewarm water until dissolved. Add two teaspoons of active dry yeast and mix that as well. Set it aside for 10 minutes. If the yeast is active and fresh, it should expand and become foamy and bubbly. If not, it's expired and you'll need new yeast.
    • Use lukewarm water to activate the yeast. Cold water won't activate the yeast and hot water will kill it. Make sure your water is between 100-110ºF (38-43ºC).
    • Use a digital scale. It's essential to be as accurate as possible with the measurement when making yeast dough. If you're using cups to measure the flour, it's easy to end up adding more than needed, which will result in dry and tough bagels.
    • Give the dough enough time to rise. This is important to end up with fluffy onion bagels that have air pockets inside. If the dough has not risen properly, the result will be flat.

    FAQ

    Can I use all-purpose flour to make bagels?

    Yes, but I don't recommend it. The bagels won't be as chewy and may turn out flimsy.
    A good alternative would be to use all-purpose flour, as well as 2 tablespoon vital wheat gluten to add more protein.

    Can you freeze these onion bagels?

    Yes, these bagels freeze very well. Just let them cool to room temperature, then freeze them in a zip-log bag or an airtight container for 3-4 months.

    Do you have to boil bagels before baking?

    Yes! Boiling bagels is essential if you want them to have a crispy exterior. What boiling does is cause the starch on the exterior of the bread to gel, which then creates a crispy crust in the oven, while keeping the inside chewy.

    Can I make the dough ahead of time?

    Yes, you can make the dough up to 24 hours ahead of time. After you knead the dough, transfer it to a greased bowl and store it in the coldest part of your fridge. When you're ready to bake, let the dough come to room temperature for at least 1 hour, then shape.

    Can I use instant yeast?

    Absolutely! This will cut down the rising time in about half. The only thing to keep in mind is that using instant yeast makes it very easy to over-proof the dough, which means that it has fermented more than necessary.

    Bagel Topping Ideas

    I like to think about these onion bagels as a vehicle for fun toppings. Here are some of my favorite things to add as a topping.

    • Plain butter with sea salt
    • Homemade cream cheese
    • Vegan sunflower cream cheese
    • Lemon dill hummus hummus
    • White bean hummus
    • Blended cottage cheese
    • Vegan chicken salad
    • Chickpea egg salad
    • Homemade guacamole (minus cilantro)
    • Peanut butter and jelly
    • Sliced avocado
    • Mozzarella, pesto, and tomatoes
    • Nutella with banana slices
    • Nut butter and granola
    A bagel filled with cream cheese and cut in half.

    Serving Suggestions

    Paired with salads and soups like our risoni salad or dairy-free potato leek soup.

    And if you have any leftover onion bagels that are dry, don't throw them away! Make this everything bagel Panzanella salad.

    Storage

    Let leftover onion bagels cool to room temperature then cover them tightly with plastic wrap or transfer them to an airtight container.

    Store at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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      Naan Recipe without Yogurt (Vegan)
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    📖 Recipe

    Onion bagels on a baking sheet layed with parchment paper next to a white bowl filled with cream cheese.

    Onion Bagels Recipe

    These Onion Bagels have a chewy interior and a crispy and golden exterior! This is an easy fool-proof recipe, packed with tips and tricks for the perfect homemade bagels! Naturally vegan.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: Polish-Jewish
    Prep Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 bagels
    Author: Petra
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 tsp (9 g) active dry yeast
    • 1 ½ tbsp (19 g) granulated sugar
    • 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) warm water
    • 3 ½ cups (440 g) bread flour plus more for sprinkling
    • 1 ½ tsp (6 g) salt
    • 1 tablespoon onion powder
    • ¼ cup (60g) honey or maple syrup if vegan  (or barley malt syrup)

    Optional toppings

    • everything bagel seasoning optional; or use a mix of sesame seeds and poppyseeds
    Step-by-step imagesScroll back to find detailed recipe photos!

    Instructions

    • First, bloom the yeast. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. At the yeast and whisk until it dissolves as well. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy on top.
      2 teaspoon (9 g) active dry yeast, 1 ½ tablespoon (19 g) granulated sugar, 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) warm water
    • In the meant time, in a large mixing bowl, measure the flour and stir in the salt and onion powder. When the yeast is ready, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients. (If you don't want to mix the dough by hand, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook).
      3 ½ cups (440 g) bread flour, 1 ½ teaspoon (6 g) salt, 1 tablespoon onion powder
    • Using a fork, mix until the dough becomes sticky so that you can't continue with the fork anymore.
    • Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface and transfer the dough. Knead for 5-6 minutes, or until it becomes smooth, elastic, and soft.
    • Grease a large bowl with some oil and transfer the dough. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Set it aside in a warm place for at least 60 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. If it's a particularly cold day, put the bowl in the oven and turn on the light.
    • After rising, lightly punch down the dough to release air. Then, knead for 1-2 minutes, or until it forms a smooth ball again. Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into 8 balls.
    • Using your thumb, poke a hole in the middle of each ball. Then, use 2 fingers to widen the hole to about 1.5-2 inches. Cover with a towel and let the bagels rise for around 10 minutes, while you prepare the water bath.
    • Preheated oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Fill a large pot with water and honey or maple syrup (or barley malt syrup) and stir. Bring to a boil.
      ¼ cup (60g) honey or maple syrup if vegan 
    • Drop the bagels into the water, as many as you can comfortably fit (I fit 3), and boil for 1 minute on each side. Then, take them out of the water and sprinkle them with your toppings.
    • Bake onion bagels for 20-22 minutes. or until golden brown. Let them cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, then serve!

    Notes

    Overnight Instructions
    You can make this dough up to 24 hours ahead of time. After you knead the dough, transfer it to a greased bowl and store it in the coldest shelf of your fridge. When you're ready to bake, let the dough come to room temperature for at least 1 hour. Then shape the bagels and continue with the instructions in the recipe card.
    Storage
    • Fridge: Let leftover bagels cool to room temperature then cover them tightly with plastic wrap or transfer them to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
    • Freezer: Let them cool to room temperature, then freeze them in a zip-log bag or an airtight container for 3-4 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bagel | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.5g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 444.4mg | Potassium: 74.3mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 2.7g | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 12.2mg | Iron: 2.5mg

    Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.

    Tried this recipe?Leave me a rating and a comment telling me how it went. Or tag me at @sunglowkichen and hashtag #sunglowkitchen on Instagram!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jenny says

      October 25, 2023 at 5:59 pm

      Where is the liquid in this recipe? You can't make a dough with just vegetable oil, and moisture from onions.

      Reply
      • Petranka says

        October 27, 2023 at 10:29 am

        Hi Jenny! The recipe card states that you need 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) of warm water. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    2. Sophi says

      February 25, 2023 at 1:54 am

      5 stars
      Delicious!

      Reply
    5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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    Hi, I'm Petra!

    I'm a professional chef and a certified nutritionist! Sunglow Kitchen is all about easy vegan and vegetarian recipes that anyone can make at home, even if you're a beginner. Learn more about me here!

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