These 3-ingredient cottage cheese bagels will be your new obsession. Make them in the oven or the air fryer and enjoy them as a healthy, savory snack (or part of a sandwich) any time of day!
Preheat the oven to 375 and position the rack to the top position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Blend cottage cheese: Place the cottage cheese in the food processor or blender and pulse or blend on high until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Add flour: Transfer it to a medium bowl and add the flour. Mix until completely combined and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface and knead the dough 8-10 times, until smooth. Add more flour to the work surface as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.
Shape and season: Roll the dough into a ball and divide it into 4 equal balls. If you want them to be the exact same size you can weigh out each piece of dough to approximately 80g. Roll each ball out into a 6-7-inch rope, about 1-inch thick. Join the ends to make a circle and pinch the seam tightly to seal. Brush the tops with a beaten egg and top with your seasoning of choice.
Bake
Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Bagels stay fresh in an airtight container at room temp for up to 4 days.
Air Fry
Preheat the air fryer to 350 for 5 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray and air fry for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.
Notes
Flour. For gluten-free bagels, use 1 cup of a quality gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum (I tested this with King Arthur’s). Mix it with 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.Cottage Cheese. A full-fat cottage cheese is best. The consistency of the dough will depend on the type of cottage cheese you use and the brand you use. Regular Flour. If you don't have self-rising flour, you can follow the same instructions as the gluten-free option, but use all-purpose flour.Greek Yogurt. I've also tested these with plain Greek yogurt with great success!Sticky Dough. The consistency of the dough will depend on the type of cottage cheese used and the brand. I love Good Culture Full Fat Cottage Cheese. How you measure your flour also plays a role. Make sure you're measuring correctly with the spoon and level method, or weigh it for best results. Continue to add flour a Tablespoon at a time until it's no longer sticky and knead the flour well into the dough on the work surface.