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You will love these cottage cheese bagels with only three ingredients. You can make them in the oven or the air fryer and eat them as a healthy, savory snack or part of a sandwich at any time of day.

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Cottage Cheese Craze

Cottage cheese has been popular for a while now, it seems. And I love the cottage cheese trend!
You can make cottage cheese eggs, toast, pancakes, pizza crust, and more.
Savory cottage cheese bowls with cherry tomatoes, avocado, and balsamic glaze have been my latest obsession.
So, when I found out that I could make high-protein bagels with just three easy-to-find ingredients, including cottage cheese, I was all in. I’m always looking for a healthy breakfast recipe that will give me and the kids extra protein to start the day. I can’t stop thinking about all the different sandwiches and toppings I want to try with it!

Trying out this recipe for cottage cheese bagels

I’ve seen a lot of high-protein bagels on TikTok that use Greek yogurt, but not many that use cottage cheese. I tried both of them, and the difference in taste and texture was very small. Cottage cheese, on the other hand, has more protein than Greek yogurt!
I also tried this recipe with gluten-free flour and baking powder. They didn’t rise as much as I thought they would, but they were still soft and tasty!
Lastly, I tried a batch of these in the air fryer to make sure they worked and to see how long they took to cook. I recommend preheating your air fryer like an oven for even cooking! They were just as delicious and actually took almost half the time as the oven!
Need a bread recipe? Some of my favorite bread recipes to make are these healthy sourdough buns or pull-apart sourdough dinner rolls.

Why You’ll Love These 3 Ingredient Bagels with Cottage Cheese

Quick: Just mix, knead, roll, and shape before baking. No rising required!
Easy: With three simple ingredients, this recipe doesn’t require a lot of mess or effort.
High protein: Having cottage cheese first thing is a great way to add protein to the day. They have (11 grams of protein per serving), much more than regular bagels.
Make-ahead: Whip up a double batch, slice and freeze them, and pop one in the toaster each morning.
Any time of day: Enjoy them as your breakfast, afternoon snack, or as part of a sandwich. Top them any way you’d like!

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!

Prep and Ingredients

Prep: 10minutes mins
Cook: 25minutes mins
Total: 35minutes mins

1 cup self-rising flour (Note 1)
1 cup full-fat cottage cheese (Note 2)
1 large egg beaten, for egg wash
Toppings: sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, shredded asiago cheese, or poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 375 degrees and move the rack to the top position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the cottage cheese: Put the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender and pulse or blend on high until it is smooth. If you need to, stop and scrape down the sides.
3. Add flour: Put it in 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.

What Type of Flour to Use

This recipe calls for self-rising flour to keep them easy and three ingredients. However, you can use whole wheat flour, all purpose flour or gluten-free flour instead of self-rising flour. Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt to mimic self-rising flour.
I don’t recommend swapping another type of flour, like the almond in this gluten-free pizza crust. That and coconut flour absorb too much moisture, and you’ll have very dry bagels.

Recipe Variations

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 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Different toppings: Sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, shredded asiago cheese, or poppy seeds are just a few ideas.
Spread butter or cream cheese overtop just like you would with traditional bagels.
Make lox, tuna salad, chicken salad, or any of these tasty bagel sandwich ideas.
Spread this Boursin cheese overtop and make a savory turkey sandwich.

Freezing and Storing Tips

Allow the bagels to cool completely and store them in an airtight bag at room temperature (not in the refrigerator, which can make them stale faster) for 3-4 days. Or freeze them immediately for up to 4 months.
Success tip: Be sure to slice them almost all the way through before freezing them so you can toast them from frozen.

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.

Nutrition

This recipe is sponsored by American Dairy Association Mideast. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to brands like theirs who believe in our mission and recipes so we can continue to share free ones with you. Visit their website for dairy nutrition facts, cooking tips and to learn about dairy farming.