Whip up a batch of these quick and easy Protein Bagels with Cottage Cheese for breakfast or lunch in less than 30 minutes – they come out perfect!

Protein Bagels with Cottage Cheese

Remember my Greek yogurt bagels? They’re so last year! What’s new? Cottage cheese everything and anything! Cottage cheese is trending this year, and I’ve been using it in everything from my cottage cheese scrambled eggs, cottage cheese lasagna roll ups to savory cottage cheese bowls. These protein bagels are made with just 5 ingredients, plus toppings! You can make them in the oven or air fryer (my favorite way!). I basically swapped the yogurt in my bagel recipe for cottage cheese and it’s worked out beautifully. For extra protein, serve this with egg salad, chicken salad or turn it into a bacon egg and cheese breakfast bagel!

Protein Bagel Ingredients

• Flour: This recipe works with unbleached all purpose flour, whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour mix such as Cup4Cup.
• Baking Powder: For rising, make sure it’s not expired.
• Kosher Salt: Also helps flour rise, I use kosher salt, if you use table salt you make have to cut in half.
• Cottage Cheese: Use 1 cup 2% cottage cheese (I like Good Culture) and strain it in a mesh sieve so it’s thick.
• Egg: 1 large egg or egg white, beaten (to help the toppings stick) If you can’t eat eggs, you can omit and just press them into the dough.
• Optional toppings: If you like a plain bagel, no toppings needed. But if you like seasonings, try this with everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes, etc.

How To Make Protein Bagels

1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well.
2. Strain Cottage Cheese so it’s Thick: Add the strained cottage cheese and mix with a fork or spatula until well combined, it will look like small crumbles. If you don’t strain it well, the dough will be sticky.
3. Knead: Using your clean hands, working in the bowl, knead the dough until it comes together and is smooth, tacky, but not sticky, about 2 minutes (it should not leave dough on your hand when you pull away).
4. Form Into Bagels: Divide into 4 equal balls. Roll each ball into 3/4-inch thick ropes and join the ends to form bagels. (or you can make a ball and poke a hole in the center then stretch it slightly)
5. Egg Wash: Brush with egg wash and sprinkle both sides with seasoning of your choice. 
6. Air Fryer Method: Spray air fryer basket with oil. Transfer the bagels to the air fryer basket in batches without overcrowding and air fry 280F 15 to 16 minutes, or until golden. No need to turn. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting, this step is a must.
7. Oven Method: Preheat oven to 375F. Place parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet. If using parchment paper, spray with oil to avoid sticking.
   Bake on the top rack of the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting, this step is a must.

More Cottage Cheese Recipes: