Delicious dairy-free bagels are so easy to make, it’s impossible to go back to store-bought. They are chewy, filling, and made with just a few simple ingredients. These vegan bagels are boiled for a minute or two to lock in their flavor and then browned in the oven for that irresistible crust.
Ingredients
- Bread Flour: Substitute all-purpose flour if needed, but we do recommend using high-quality bread flour. Bread flour has a higher protein content of 12-14% over the 10-12% of all-purpose flour. More protein means more gluten which gives your bread that beautiful stretch and more structure for a better chew and fluffier bread.
- Yeast: Instant, active dry, and fresh yeast are the three most common in baking. I favor active dry yeast but it requires rehydrating in warm water, ideally warmed to 105 degrees.
- Or skip this step and use instant yeast. Add it directly to your dry ingredients without the need for hydrating. Note that you need 25% less instant yeast than active dry yeast. For example, if you need 1 tbsp active dry yeast, use 3/4 tbsp instant yeast.
- The last type commonly used is fresh yeast. While this is my favorite when it comes to nuances in flavor it does have a shorter shelf life and you need to add twice as much yeast as active dry. Use whichever you have on hand or prefer.
- Toppings: Any topping goes great on these bagels. I have tried poppy seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, bagel seasoning. They were all phenomenal! Try any topping you like. If you try something else, let us know in the comments below.
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, and water until foamy. Let the yeast mixture sit for a few minutes to activate. (if using active yeast you do not need to activate it)
- Add the yeast mixture and oil to the flour and salt and mix for 2-3 minutes. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and bounces back when indented with a finger.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and start a large stock pot of water to boil. Prepare two baking sheets with silicone mats.
- Punch down the dough and knead for another minute. Use a bench knife or sharp kitchen knife to divide it into 8 equal-sized pieces. I use a kitchen scale to accomplish this, but you can eyeball if needed. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
- Roll each piece of dough into a small ball and place them on a cookie sheet. Cover and let them rise for another 10 minutes.
- Take each ball of dough and begin shaping the bagel by making a hole in the center with your hands or the handle of a spoon. Widen the hole to at least 1 1/2-2 inches. The holes will shrink quite a bit in the cooking process.
- Whisk the honey into your pot of boiling water and add the bagels 2-3 at a time so they have enough room. Boil for a minute on each side. Drain them and place them on the baking sheet.
- Brush them with a little dairy-free cream, top them with any desired toppings, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy them fresh!
- Keep them in an airtight bag on the counter for a couple of days or in the fridge for up to a week. These freeze great for up to 3 months. The dough can be frozen as well. Once you punch it down, cover it with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen bagels or dough in the fridge overnight.
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Delicious Dairy-Free Bagels
Delicious dairy-free bagels are so easy to make, it's impossible to go back to store-bought. They are chewy, filling, and made with just a few simple ingredients. These vegan bagels are boiled for a minute or two to lock in their flavor and then browned in the oven for that irresistible crust. They keep well in the fridge or freezer!
Ingredients
- 4 cup all-purpose or bread flour (plus some for dusting)
- 2 tsp active dry or instant yeast
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (substitute white sugar if needed)
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil (plus some for greasing)
- 1 1/3 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp dairy-free cream
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, and water until foamy. Let the yeast mixture sit for a few minutes to activate. (if using active yeast you do not need to activate it)
- Add the yeast mixture and oil to the flour and salt and mix for 2-3 minutes. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and bounces back when indented with a finger.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a clean towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and start a large stock pot of water to boil. Prepare two baking sheets with silicone mats.
- Punch down the dough and knead for another minute. Use a bench knife or sharp kitchen knife to divide it into 8 equal-sized pieces. I use a kitchen scale to accomplish this, but you can eyeball if needed. It doesn't have to be perfect!
- Roll each piece of dough into a small ball and place them on a cookie sheet. Cover and let them rise for another 10 minutes.
- Take each ball of dough and begin shaping the bagel by making a hole in the center with your hands or the handle of a spoon. Widen the hole to at least 1 1/2-2 inches. The holes will shrink quite a bit in the cooking process.
- Whisk the honey into your pot of boiling water and add the bagels 2-3 at a time so they have enough room. Boil for a minute on each side. Drain them and place them on the baking sheet.
- Brush them with a little dairy-free cream, top them with any desired toppings, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy them fresh!
- Keep them in an airtight bag on the counter for a couple of days or in the fridge for up to a week. These freeze great for up to 3 months. The dough can be frozen as well. Once you punch it down, cover it with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen bagels or dough in the fridge overnight.
