Cottage Cheese Bagels (Air Fryer or Oven!)
, Published Mar 26, 2025
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Can you believe these Cottage Cheese Bagels use just two ingredients? They are so easy and quick to make, high in protein thanks to the cottage cheese and taste amazing!
Two ingredient recipes are frequently clever but not particularly tasty. Well, prepare to be amazed (as I was) because these two-ingredient cottage cheese bagels not only look the part, they actually taste good!
As you know I have been more than a little obsessed with cottage cheese lately – what with cottage cheese pancakes, bread, breakfast bake, frittata and more!
Two ingredient bagels and flatbreads are not a new phenomenon, but they are usually made with Greek yogurt. Cottage cheese bagels work on exactly the same principle but are even tastier and higher in protein.
And unlike regular bagels which are made with yeast and require a lengthy and somewhat intimidating process, cottage cheese bagels are incredibly simple, quick and easy to make. Even complete newbies will get good results and there’s no waiting for the dough to rise. You simply mix, shape, boil and bake!
Cottage Cheese Bagel Ingredients
As promised you only need two: cottage cheese and self-rising flour. Let’s take a look at what each ingredient brings to the table.
- Cottage cheese: this fresh curd cheese is creamy, tangy and a tiny bit salty. The lactic acid in the cheese reacts with our second ingredient to create a bouncy dough that’s practically magic.
- Self-rising flour (self raising in the UK): this flour is enriched with baking powder and a little salt. Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar which react with moisture, the lactic acid and heat to create carbon dioxide bubbles giving our bagels their rise.
How to make Cottage Cheese Bagels
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Blend the cottage cheese
- First you will need to blend your cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until it has a completely smooth texture. I added two tablespoons of water to help blend my cottage cheese as it was quite dense.
Make the dough
- Add the blended cottage cheese and self rising flour to a mixing bowl and briefly beat together with a hand mixer fitted with dough hook. Stop mixing when you have a shaggy dough.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured worktop until smooth. Form into a ball and cut into four equal portions. Keep any dough you are not using straight away covered with a clean towel.
Shape the dough
- Roll each dough piece into a ball and flatten to form a disk 8cm / 3 inch in diameter. Use a small round cutter (or the bottom of a piping tip) to cut a small hole in the middle.
Boil the bagels
- Bring a large pot or wok of water to the boil. Carefully lower the bagels into the pot (don’t crowd them – you may need to do this in batches) and boil for about a minute, using a chopstick to gently flip them over halfway through.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the boiled bagels onto baking paper and immediately sprinkle them with any toppings you are using. You don’t need to use egg wash, the moisture from the water will help all the toppings stick!
Bake in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C and bake the bagels for 25-30 minutes, flipping them over halfway through baking. Cool the bagels for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Bake in an air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°). Place the bagels directly on the air fryer basket (or use a silicone liner) and bake for 15-17 minutes, flipping them over halfway through so that they bake evenly. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Storing and Freezing: Cottage cheese bagels are best eaten when freshly baked. You can however freeze them for up to three months. Slice cooled bagels in half and wrap with a layer each of plastic wrap and foil. You can pop them in the toaster oven and cook from frozen.
- Why boil the bagels? This water bath method is used in traditional bagels giving them their shine and unique chewy texture. You can also add a teaspoon baking soda to the boiling water (a method used when making pretzels) – this makes the water more alkaline and gives them a deep brown color. You can skip this step if you like, but it really makes these cottage cheese bagels more chewy and much more like traditional bagels!
- Make self-rising flour: If you can’t get hold of self rising flour you can easily make your own. Simply sift one cup (130g) of all purpose flour with 1 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Can I use low fat or fat-free cottage cheese? Yes! I have made this recipe with all types of cottage cheese. The only thing to be on the lookout for is how creamy or dense your brand of cottage cheese is. We want the blended cottage cheese to have the same consistency as thick yogurt so if it is really thick you may need to add some water.
- Topping suggestions: you can use any type of seeds that are used on bagels such as poppy, sesame, pumpkin and so on. Flaky salt or cracked pepper are another great option. Avoid herbs or anything that burns easily.
Serving suggestions
These cottage cheese bagels are perfect for slicing and topping with cream cheese, smoked salmon, butter, jam – you name it! They make a great sandwich too, my faves being pesto and fresh mozzarella or fried egg and ham.
More cottage cheese recipes
Pancakes
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Bread, Muffins, Donuts and Pastries
Cottage Cheese Bread
Slimming
Cottage Cheese Frittata
HAVE YOU MADE MY COTTAGE CHEESE BAGEL RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day! If you have any questions, message me on Instagram and I will do my best to answer them quickly.
Cottage Cheese Bagels (Air Fryer or Oven!)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the bagels
- 1 cup (220g) cottage cheese full fat or low fat
- 1 cup (130g) self rising flour plus extra for dusting
Toppings (optional)
- poppy seeds
- sesame seeds
- everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
Blend the cottage cheese
- First you will need to blend your cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until it has a completely smooth texture. If your cottage cheese is thick, you will need to add a little water (1-2 tablespoons) to facilitate the blending. You want the same consistency as yogurt.1 cup (130g) self rising flour
Make the dough
- Add the blended cottage cheese and self rising flour to a mixing bowl and briefly beat together with a hand mixer fitted with dough hook. Stop mixing when you have a shaggy dough.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured worktop until smooth. Form into a ball and cut into four equal portions. Keep any dough you are not using straight away covered with a clean towel.
Shape the dough
- Roll each dough piece into a ball and flatten to form a disk 8cm / 3 inch in diameter. Use a small round cutter (or the bottom of a piping tip) to cut a small hole in the middle.
- Gather the dough from the bagel holes to create the final bagel. Poke a hole through the center the dough ball with your finger and gently stretch the center until the hole is about 1 inch in diameter.
Boil the bagels
- Bring a large pot or wok of water to the boil. Carefully lower the bagels into the pot (don’t crowd them – you may need to do this in batches) and boil for about a minute, using a chopstick to gently flip them over halfway through.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the boiled bagels onto baking paper and immediately sprinkle them with any toppings you are using. You don’t need to use egg wash, the moisture from the water will help all the toppings stick!poppy seeds, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning
Oven Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C and bake the bagels for 25-30 minutes, flipping them over halfway through baking. Cool the bagels for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Air Fryer Baking Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°). Place the bagels directly on the air fryer basket (or use a silicone liner) and bake for 15-17 minutes, flipping them over halfway through so that they bake evenly. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Storing and Freezing: Cottage cheese bagels are best eaten when freshly baked. You can however freeze them for up to three months. Slice cooled bagels in half and wrap with a layer each of plastic wrap and foil. You can pop them in the toaster oven and cook from frozen.
- Why boil the bagels? This water bath method is used in traditional bagels giving them their shine and unique chewy texture. You can also add a teaspoon baking soda to the boiling water (a method used when making pretzels) – this makes the water more alkaline and gives them a deep brown color. You can skip this step if you like, but it really makes these cottage cheese bagels more chewy and much more like traditional bagels!
- Make your own self-rising flour: simply sift one cup (130g) of all purpose flour with 1 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Can I use low fat or fat-free cottage cheese? Yes! I have made this recipe with all types of cottage cheese. The only thing to be on the lookout for is how creamy or dense your brand of cottage cheese is. We want the blended cottage cheese to have the same consistency as yogurt so if it is really thick you may need to add some water.
- Topping suggestions: you can use any type of seeds that are used on bagels such as poppy, sesame, pumpkin and so on. Avoid herbs or anything that burns easily.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
