Who needs to cook veggies for dinner when you can eat them for breakfast, inside a bagel? Here’s a unique and delicious cauliflower bagel recipe with an odd but interesting main ingredient - cauliflower rice. The method for making these bagels are as straightforward as it gets – just mix everything inside a bowl, let sit overnight in the fridge, shape and cook. The neutral flavor and soft texture of cauliflower rice blend in perfectly with the dough, and the added nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese) adds a good dose of savory, cheesy flavor that makes yummy munchable breakfast treats that are actually more healthy!
Here's why I love this recipe
- A delicious way to incorporate more cauliflower into your diet for better health
- No eggs, milk or butter and vegan friendly!
- The added almond flour gives these bagels a rich, buttery flavor.
- Minimal kneading is required, and you can let the dough rise overnight if you want.
Ingredients Used to Make Cauliflower Bagel
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the baking aisle, or the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Bread Flour - Bread flour is highly recommended for this recipe for the best texture and structure. TIP: For the best texture and chew, use a higher protein bread flour like King Arthur Bread Flour. Please read the note in the substitution section below if using other flours.
- Almond Flour (optional)- I used blanched almond flour, but if you want, you can substitute the almond flour with more bread flour (more details on the recipe card).
Why almond flour? Almond flour is not a traditional ingredient for bagels, but I like adding it for the extra boost in flavor and nutrition. It also produces more tender (easier on your jaws) bagels which my family prefers.
- Instant Yeast - you can find instant yeast in the baking section near the flours. My favorite is SAF Instant Premium Yeast, which works quickly and consistently produces great results. I recommend using instant yeast over active yeast for this recipe since active yeast needs to be activated in water.
- Sugar - I used raw cane sugar, but you can use regular granulated white sugar, or healthier alternatives like coconut, date, or maple sugars. Sugar-free substitutes such as monk fruit sweetener or stevia powder can be used in the filling, but for what goes inside the bread, I would NOT RECOMMEND using sugar-free substitutes since they can cause the bread to not rise properly.
- Salt - Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe.
- Cauliflower Rice – I used frozen cauliflower rice which I quickly defrosted (30-60 seconds) in the microwave, so they were no longer cold. You can also use fresh cauliflower rice, but just make sure there are no larger chunks of cauliflower since they may not cook through the baking process.
More Breakfast Recipes (HERE)
Step by Step Guide
How to Make Cauliflower Bagel
STEP 1
In a clean mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients: the bread flour, almond flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt.
STEP 2
Add the cauliflower rice and nutritional yeast, using your hands or a danish dough whisk to incoporate it into the dry ingredients best you can.
STEP 3
Next, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all ingredients are just combined. No kneading required!
*the bagel dough is supposed to be firm and somewhat stiff, since bagels require a lower water-to-flour-ratio. You can add additional 1-2 Tablespoons of water if there are still dry ingredients, but be sure to add one tablespoon at a time, so you don’t overhydrate the dough.
STEP 4
Loosely cover the dough with a clean wet towel or plastic wrap. Let rise, at a slightly warm place, for 60-90 minutes, until puffy.
STEP 5
After the first fermentation stage, choose ONE of two methods:
For no-knead (overnight) method: gently deflate the dough, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap loosely so that air can escape. Transfer the bowl to the fridge and chill overnight, at least for 8 hours and up to 48 hours.
For kneaded (quick) method: continue to knead the dough by hand or using a stand mixer, until the dough becomes smooth, supple, and pulls easily away from the bowl. The kneading should not take too long (about 3 minutes by hand) since we allowed the dough to relax and hydrate in the previous step.
STEP 6
Gently place the prepared dough onto a floured surface. If you chilled the dough in the fridge overnight, let the dough first come to room temperature (about 3-4 hours) before proceeding to the next step.
Shape the dough into a ball, and divide into 4-6 equal sized pieces
STEP 7
1-2. Roll each dough piece into balls, then poke both of your thumbs through the center of the dough.
3-4. Stretch the dough out using your thumbs, then place the bagels on a parchment lined baking pan
STEP 8
Bring a pot of water to boil. Bring the heat down to medium-hot so that it's gently boiling. Cook the bagel for just 30 seconds on each side.
TIP: If the bagel won't float up to the surface by the end of the 60 seconds, it probably means the bagel needs to proof longer. I usually try this with one bagel first before cooking the other bagels in batches.
STEP 9
Bake the boiled bagels in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are glossy and slightly browned.
STEP 10
Let the bagels cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
Here are some awesome ways you can make this bagel recipe your own 🙂
- Add more flavor! Add 1 ½ tsp of herb seasoning like this seasoning blend instead of the salt.
- Add more texture! Adding chopped nuts, seeds, or dried fruits or oats is a fantastic way to increase the nutrition and flavor in breads, including this one.
- Want to add more fiber? Substitute white whole wheat flour for up to half of the bread flour called for in this recipe. You'll need to add a few more tablespoons of water to adjust the hydration since whole wheat flour absorbs more water than white flour.
More Bagel Add In Ideas:
- Make these bagels healthier by adding a handful of nuts, seeds and old-fashioned oats to add texture and nutrition. Here are some ideas
- Nuts - chopped walnuts, pecans, cashews
- Seeds - poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds or chiaseeds
- Dried Fruit - chopped apricot, raisins, cranberries, dried cherries, candied ginger, citrus zests, etc.
Note on Substitutions
- Unfortunately, gluten-free flours cannot be substituted for bread flour in this recipe.
- If you don't have bread flour, you can also use All Purpose Flour instead. AP flour has less protein than bread flour, so it will yield softer bagels with less chew/ bite.
- As I mentioned in the Ingredients Section, almond flour makes these bagels more flavorful and more nutritionally balanced, but it also makes the bagels less chewy (and more tender). If you prefer a traditional bagel texture, use ¼ cup of bread flour instead of ½ cup of almond flour.
- The almond flour can be subbed with other nut flour like pecan, cashew and walnut flour.
How to Store Cauliflower Bagel
- You can store these bagels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- For longer storage, you can place the bagels in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, toast inside an air fryer or toaster with the filling side up.
Final Tips
- Weigh your flour for the best results. 1 cup of bread flour = 120 grams / 4.23 oz. This is recommended since scooping the flour directly from the bag can pack the flour into the measuring cup, and this means you'll end up with more flour than what's called for in the recipe. If you don't have a kitchen scale, you can measure the flour by spooning pre-sifted flour into the measuring cup, then using the straight end of the spoon to level the flour across the top to sweep off the excess.
Vegan Cauliflower and "Cheesey" Bagel
Ingredients
Bagel Dough Ingredients
- 3 ½ cup bread flour 420 g
- 1 cup almond flour 108 g, or use ½ cup of bread flour for traditional bagel texture. READ NOTES!*
- 2 tsp instant yeast 12 g
- 2 Tbsp sugar 75 g
- 1 tsp salt 6 g
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast , can also use grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cup cauliflower rice 300g , thawed from frozen
- 2 Tbsp water
Instructions
Combine the Dough Ingredients
- Cook the cauliflower rice in the microwave, about 60-90 seconds, until no longer cold. DO NOT DRAIN.
- In a clean mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients: the bread flour, almond flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt.
- Add the cauliflower rice, using your hands or a danish dough whisk to incoporate it into the dry ingredients best you can.
- Next, add the 2 Tbsp of water, until all ingredients are combined. *the bagel dough is supposed to be firm and somewhat stiff, since bagels require a lower water-to-flour-ratio. You can add additional 1-2 Tablespoons of water if there are still dry ingredients, but be sure to add one tablespoon at a time, so you don’t overhydrate the dough.
- No kneading is required at this time. Loosely cover the dough with a clean wet towel or plastic wrap.
- Let rise, at a slightly warm place, for 60-90 minutes, until puffy.
After the First Rise (Choose ONE method below)
- For no-knead (overnight) method: gently deflate the dough, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap loosely so that air can escape. Transfer the bowl to the fridge and chill overnight, at least for 8 hours and up to 48 hours.
- For kneaded (quick) method: continue to knead the dough by hand or using a stand mixer, until the dough becomes smooth, supple, and pulls easily away from the bowl. The kneading should not take too long (about 3 minutes by hand) since we allowed the dough to relax and hydrate in the previous step.
Shaping the Dough
- Gently place the prepared dough onto a floured surface. If you chilled the dough in the fridge overnight, let the dough first come to room temperature (about 3-4 hours) before proceeding to the next step.
- Shape the dough into a ball, and divide into 6 equal sized pieces
- Roll each dough piece into balls, then poke both of your thumbs through the center of the dough.
- Stretch the dough out using your thumbs, then place the bagels on a parchment lined baking pan
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap or clean wet paper towel.
- Let rise for 40-60 minutes, until the bagels look slightly puffed up.
Boil the Bagels
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Bring the heat down to medium-hot so that it's gently boiling.Also, preheat the oven to 350F
- Use a wide slotted spoon or spatula to gently transfer 1 bagel into the water.
- Cook the bagel for just 30 seconds on each side. TIP: If the bagel won't float up to the surface by the end of the 60 seconds, it probably means the bagel needs to proof longer.
- Take the bagel out of the boiling water using a wide slotted spoon or spatula and back to the parchment lined baking sheet.
- Repeat the boiling process for the rest of the bagels.
Bake the Bagels
- Bake the boiled bagels in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are glossy and slightly browned.
- Enjoy!
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