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If glutinous, New York-style bagels have become a “thing” of your past, then I’m here to make them a part of your future. Say hello to The Best Ever Paleo Everything Bagels – a fluffy, New York-style bagel that is not only gluten-free, but also grain-free, refined sugar-free, and yes, Paleo-friendly. It’s time to welcome bagels back into your life, and this recipe is the perfect way to do it!
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Friends, I am SO excited to present you with the BEST paleo bagels ever. Back when I was living in New York during my undergrad years, I LIVED off of New York bagels. There wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t go over to my local bodega and grab a fluffy, yeasty, everything bagel, smother it with scallion cream cheese, and head out to class. Looking back, it may be one of my favorite memories from my college years. Isn’t it so funny how so many of our core memories revolve around food?
However, these days, you’ll seldom find me with a typical bagel in-hand. Not because I’m opposed to eating them every now-and-then (I’m not!) but because they aren’t the most nutrient-dense breakfast around. Plus, I don’t know about you, but all of the gluten from the bagels tends to make my tummy unhappy. So, while I enjoy them as a treat, they’re not the breakfast for me, anymore.
So, I set out on a mission to make a healthier, better-for-you, gluten-free bagel. And after MANY days of trial-and-error: I did it. This recipe ended up being adapted from my friends @paleoglutenfreeeats, and it may just be the best gluten-free bagel recipe ever. There, I said it. 😉
Plus, while this recipe is for an “Everything” bagel, you can truly customize the toppings to your liking. I love doing sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon sugar, or even just eating them plain. Feel free to get funky and creative with the toppings – the world is your oyster!
Can This Recipe be Made Vegan?
Unfortunately, in order to make these bagels, you DO need to use the eggs. This is not a recipe where you can substitute the eggs for flax seeds – it just won’t turn out the same. Just follow the directions (and the video below), and you’ll get a perfect result, every time. Guaranteed.
How to Make the Perfect Paleo Bagels Every Single Time
In order to make sure you make perfect bagels every single time, watch the video, and then watch it again. The video shows you, step by step, how to make these, so that you achieve a perfect result. For instance, if you find that your dough is wet/sticky, after following the instructions and doesn’t look like the video, add in a few more tablespoons of cassava flour. Don’t be upset, just roll with it! Why could a discrepancy happen? Who knows. This is a more complex recipe with a lot more moving parts than my other recipes. What I am trying to tell you, is to simply trust the process, and don’t worry about messing it up. I promise, if you follow the directions, you won’t mess it up.
And, if you can’t seem to get the perfect bagel shape, WHO CARES? Make them again! Like all things in life, it takes a little practice and repetition!
What You Need to Make the Best Deli-Style Paleo Bagels
To make these perfect bagels, you need just SEVEN simple ingredients. It truly does not get any easier than that! So let’s get started.
- Cassava flour: the secret sauce to this recipe is the cassava flour. Cassava flour comes from a plant, making it the perfect paleo (and AIP) flour. It also produces a texture that is just like a New York deli-style bagel. Don’t believe me? Try it!
- Arrowroot flour: You can interchange arrowroot flour with tapioca flour or corn starch. I tend to avoid corn starch because corn happens to be the most GMO crop in the U.S., but hey, if that’s all you’ve got, use it.
- Eggs: You need to use 4 eggs in this recipe, and please, for the love of God, don’t try to substitute it for flax eggs.
- Olive oil: The original recipe calls for the use of palm shortening. So if that’s what you’ve got on hand, use it. I tend to avoid palm oil mostly for ethical reasons, but there is some palm oil that is sustainably sourced, so just pay attention to that. Or, do as I say and use olive oil. The olive oil provides a subtle taste so that these bagels don’t taste like you are eating a ball of dough.
- Maple syrup: I love using maple syrup in this recipe because it’s not as overpowering in flavor as honey. But feel free to use honey if that’s all you’ve got.
- Baking powder: The baking powder is what is going to make these babies rise, so don’t skip it.
- Everything But The Bagel Seasoning (or poppyseed or sesame seeds or dried onion): I am obsessed with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, but damn, I made these bagels using poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and even dried onion. All I can say, is DAMN. So good. Use your imagination and enjoy!
How to Make the Perfect Paleo Bagels, Every Time
Start by preheating your oven to 350 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Then, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
Next, in a blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients, except for your toppings (the EBTB seasoning, seeds, etc.) Then, blend/process until a dough forms, then transfer it to a bowl and use your hands to make a ball. If it’s super sticky, add a little more cassava flour. Then, break the dough apart into 4 equal parts.
One the water is boiling, make a bagel shape with each ball of dough, and gently drop it into the water. Once the bagels float to the top of the water (about one minute), gently lift it out and transfer it to the baking sheet. Next, whisk an extra egg, and use a brush to brush the top of each bagel, generously.
Sprinkle each bagel with your topping of choice and bake for 23-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! And, since I practically live on Instagram, tag me in your creations so I can see them and repost on my IG stories. Enjoy! xx
Meet the most perfect-ever Paleo bagels…EVER! These gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo friendly bagels taste better than bagels you’d get from a NY-style bagel shop. You need them in your life. The best part? You can totally customize this recipe with different toppings, such as Everything But The Bagel Seasoning, sesame seeds, poppyseed, dried onion, and more! I can’t wait to see your creations and hear what you think. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cassava flour (I used Ottos Cassava Flour)
- 1 cup arrowroot flour
- 4 medium eggs (+ 1 extra for an optional egg wash)
- ¼ cup olive oil (or palm shortening)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (sub for a nut milk for a keto option
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch sea salt
- Trader Joes Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (or poppyseeds or sesame seeds or dried onion)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water.
- In a blender or food processor, add all of the dough ingredients except for the EBTB seasoning.
- Once combined, transfer the dough from blender to a medium bowl, and use your hands to form a ball.
- Then separate the dough into four equal parts.
- Once the water is boiling, form four bagels and gently drop them in the water. Note: the shape of the bagels doesn't need to be perfect – relax!
- Once each one bagel floats to the top (about one minute), carefully transfer it to the baking sheet.
- Whisk the extra egg, then use a brush to brush each bagel with the egg wash. The egg wash is optional, but it makes the bagels get lightly crunchy and browned on top.
- Add the EBTB seasoning (or seasonings of choice).
- Bake 23-25 minutes. ENJOY!!!!!!
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see what you made – tag @kalejunkie
in your posts and I’ll re-share!
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WHAT DID YOU THINK?
Rate + Review
This worked exactly as written, thanks! I get to be included in bagel breakfast days now.
I’ve made these twice. Both times the dough was too sticky to shape and I had to add more cassava flour. I only have large eggs so cut down to 3 eggs the second time. I live in a humid climate and suspect that’s impacting the results. It’s a finicky recipe but worth figuring out because they are the best paleo bagels we’ve had.
Oh no! It sounds to me like maybe the humidity is contributing to the issues with the dough. I hope that you’re able to figure it out though and please let me know what ends up working for you!
Unfortunately these did not work at all. Wasted 8 eggs and almost an entire bag of cassava flour trying to make these twice – does the brand of cassava flour make a difference? The look nothing like the video (I watched it several times) I want to love these any help would be appreciated
The dough is dense and crumbles when I try to mold the bagels. Made the shapes work the first time but they are so so dense and heavy.
Thanks for the recipe! The arrowroot tends to create some gummy-ness — how do you manage this?
Thank you!
Hi! If you’re concerned about the gumminess you can always use corn starch instead!
I love, love, love these bagels!!!! They are phenomenal!!! But I’m curious, do you know how many calories in one (1) bagel?
Woohoo! I am thrilled you love this recipe, Noemi! Unfortunately I do not provide nutritional information for my recipes, and you can read more about why, here: https://kalejunkie.com/why-i-decided-not-to-include-nutrition-information-on-my-blog/
I made these, and the dough was amazing to work with. The bagels looked phenomenal. Then, when I cut into them, the insides were completely raw! I even left them in the oven for nearly 40 minutes because I could tell it wasn’t cooking through. I finally thought they were done, but then nothing. What am I doing wrong??! I welcome your tips- the recipe seemed divine until the cutting!
Oh no! Did you follow the video, Logan? Perhaps you need to try a slightly higher oven temp – every oven is different!
Hi!! I was wondering if there was a way I could use a donut pan to make these?
Hi Shea! Unfortunately these don’t turn out the same with a donut pan.
Hello,
First of all, I love this recipe! It’s so good to have bagels again! I like to put various seeds on top, or mix some cinnamon and raisins into the dough (yum!). I was wondering if it would be possible to make them ahead and freeze them? I make cassava flour yeasted bread, and I slice it and freeze it. I just toast it in the oven to defrost, and it’s just like fresh-baked. Do you think I could do a similar thing with these bagels, if I cut them (fully cooked) in half and freeze them? Thank you!
Hi Brianna! Thank you so much for making this recipe, and for leaving such a kind review. It warms my heart to hear how much you love this recipe! You can absolutely freeze these bagels and defrost them, yes 🙂
I forgot to add – my dough was too sticky so I added a bit of chickpea flour to it to help it not stick to my hands. I had used a little more cassava and a little less arrowroot than the recipe called for, just because i didn’t quite have enough arrowroot to make a full cup. This might be why it was sticky. The chickpea flour added in (less than 1/4 cup for the whole batch) worked in great and the flavor was YUMMY.
I’m so glad you found a solution that worked for you, Debbie! Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m impressed! My 8yo who has been turning up his nose at all gluten free substitutes gobbled up this bagel. Thank you so much! <3
YAY! I LOVE to hear that, Debbie! Thank you so much for making this recipe, and for leaving the kindest review!
Would this recipe still work ok using large eggs instead of medium? I’m hoping to make these for Mother’s Day.
Hi Katie, depending on the size of your eggs you may want to reduce the amount you’re using!
Are you able to replace the arrowroot flour with tapioca flour?
Hi Beverly! Unfortunately this recipe has not been tested with arrowroot flour, so I cannot guarantee that these bagels will turn out the same. However, you are welcome to try it out, and please let me know how it works for you!
I am new to gluten free so tried these. They are very easy and the taste is great. I have a question though, (they are a little dry even with avocado on top) Should I add extra olive oil in the batch or do you have any suggestions to make them a little more moist? Thank you for the recipe. I will definitely make again.
Hi Jennelle! I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe. You can try adding a little extra olive oil, or add some butter on top of them! In general gluten-free baked goods tend to be a little dryer than conventional baked goods, but adding a little more liquid in should do the trick. I hope this helps!
My 9yo daughter made these for our “breakfast for dinner” tonight. She subbed in garlic flavored olive oil and we are all in love. She had so much fun that she is thinking about making bagels as a job. 😊
Thank you!
Aww, I love hearing that, Amanda! That is so sweet, and I’m so glad she had such a good time making them!! Also, garlic olive oil sounds delicious in this recipe. Thank you so much for your review, you’ve made my day!
Hi ! I finally made these bagels and with a little more practice they will be a win !! I followed the directions but failed to read the tips prior to 🤦♀️ So mine was super liquidy until I just started dumping cassava flour into it to form a dough !! I did also separate mine into smaller bagels instead of large ones and it worked well. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe !!
I’m so glad you were able to get it to work. Jami! Thanks for your review!
These were so easy to make and so delicious. I have these on my baking rotation
I’m so happy to hear that Vivian!! Thank you so much for your review!
My partner and I made a morning date out of making these, and wow, were they so fun and yummy to make! We also paired them with smoked salmon and dairy free cream cheese. Yum!
Wow, what a fun morning date!! That sounds so fun, and absolutely delicious, Hannah! xx
After trying so many gluten free options that just don’t satisfy, I’m so happy to have this recipe in my life! The bagels are so easy to make and soft with the perfect amount of chew. My hubs and I have done egg and avocado sandwiches, strawberry rhubarb and almond butter open faces, and shredded chicken lunch sandwiches. Thanks for putting all the work into figuring this one out!
That sounds so delicious, Sage! I love how well this recipe fits into your life! Thank you so much for the sweet comment!
I can’t even believe I just made bagels nor can I believe how easy that was!!!!! Girl these are sooooo good, a definite new staple in the rotation! YUM
Yay! So happy you loved them, Amanda!! Thank you so much for your review!
These are SO SO good! They literally taste like an actual unhealthy bagel! (I’ve had people who eat regular bagels say so!) Since the recipe has been published I make them on a weekly basis! Yes, I absolutely love them 😂😋
Haha aww I love that!! That makes my heart so happy! Thank you so much Esti!
Sorry just saw this now Will be making this soon do you have a recipe for everything bagel seasoning as i dont have traderjoes in Singapore perfect for my office snacks will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Thank you so much Ramya! I hope it all works out for you!
Is the arrowroot flour the same as arrowroot starch?
Thanks
YES! Enjoy this recipe!
So I feel very stupid. This is my second recipe of everything bagels that comes out way too wet! What am I doing wrong? I followed the ingredients to the tee and it was still messed up please help!
Hi Veronica! You are definitely not stupid! But did you watch the video? The video will show you what the texture of the batter should be like. If that happens, it could be because your eggs are too large. But this is one of my most popular recipes, so I know it works perfectly, it might just take you a few tries. You can also add more cassava flour as needed, so that it becomes a thick dough.
Omg these are so good and so easy to make! Can’t wait to make them again
YAY! I am so happy you enjoyed them!!! One of my favorite recipes!
I was looking to make a bagel biscuit and decided I needed to see if there was a cassava flour recipe. I am so glad I did. These are the best grain free bagels I have made or had in over 10 years. I really missed the texture and chewy ness of a really good bagel. These are amazing. I will be using cassava for so much more. Thank you.
I’m so so so glad you gave this recipe a try! I love these bagels too!!!!
I’m going to be brave this week and try to make these! Question, can I just use bread flour? Are ratios and instructions the same?
No. Only cassava flour 🙂
Hi! Nope you have to use cassava flour for this recipe! 🙂
How do you store these?
Can you sub flax egg or another egg replacer? Allergic to eggs. Thanks!
Disaster…super sticky dough, could only form into globs. Can sub as a dinner role but nothing remotely bagel-like about this recipe.
These are DELICIOUS! It takes a little extra effort to make them "look" like traditional bagels. Most times I make these I do not put in the effort and just make them into messy circles & I could care less because they taste AMAZING & the texture is 100%
Hi! So sorry you had that experience. It’s a recipe tested a ton and made by hundreds! If the dough is sticky, just add more flour and adjust. Promise it works perfectly. I also have a video if you’d like to see 🙂
This recipe is a keeper. The bagels were really easy to make and so delicious. I also followed some of the tips from earlier reviews: 1- Made these on a stand mixer. 2- Grease your hands with olive oil or coconut oil before shaping to make the dough easier to handle. 3- Form a flat disk and stick your fingers in the middle to create the bagel holes. Dividing the dough into 4 results in a really large individual portion. Next time, I’ll divide the dough into 6-8 bagels. These bagels also freeze well. I wrapped each bagel in parchment paper, then in saran wrap for freezing. No need to thaw, just bake in pre-heated 400F for 15 -18 mins.
hey, just a heads up if you’re subbing olive oil for the shortening. you WILL need to add at least 1/2 cup of EACH flour, as you’re subbing a liquid for a solid. the dough will still be soft and sticky, but if you grease your hands, you can get a bagel-ish shape. i hope this helps anyone who is stuck with a batter instead of a dough!
These were so hard to make!! The dough was incredibly sticky and I was only able to form about one of them to look normal. Is there any advice you can give for less sticky dough? These ingredients are expensive.
Just made these and they were great. But TBH the blender method was a pain… everything was so sticky and glibly it couldn’t mix. My experience. Will make again but in a mixer. Thanks!
Quick question do I mix the eggs in the digg mix?
Also how do I make egg wash?
I was new to making any kind of bagels but these turned out wonderful. Great recipe!
That means the world to me. So happy!
Hi! My dough came out super wet and sticky so was unable to manipulate into balls. Is there a special order I should be placing ingredients into the blender? Any tips on what I might have done wrong would be so appreciated!
If you rub a little palm shortening on your hands before you mold the dough it works really well! i’m sure olive or coconut oil would work too. I had the same issue 🙂
These were pretty easy to make and delish! I found if I roll each piece into a ball then poke a hole in the middle with my finger and spread it out a little before dropping into the boiling water, the bagel turned out perfectly 🙂
any substitute for cassava flour?
The recipe says to put everything in the blender- is that correct or is it supposed to be mixer??!
Hi Erica, yes in a blender. If you have a mixer, that’s great too.
Is there a substitue for the flour?
Shaping into bagel shape was near impossible…but baked texture and taste are very nice!
I’ll be making these again and work harder to make better shape!
Would so love a video of this recipe! Seems simple…but also tricky :-/ They look amazing!
Do you know the nutrition facts of one of these bagels?
How much nut milk do you think to sub for the maple syrup?
What’s EBTB seasoning… I don’t see this in the recipe???
It’s everything bagel seasoning, you can buy it at Trader Joe’s or even Publix I think!
Could you sub flax eggs here?