Let me guess…most of you are totally turned off by the term “grain free.” You’ve tried grain-free bread before and decided you actually don’t like eating cardboard. I get it. But we have a little secret. And it comes in the form of Grain-Free Everything Bagels that are possibly a gift sent from heaven.
Not even kidding.
I found out a month ago that I have parasites. YUCK. So I’ve been following a strict Paleo diet to reduce inflammation and heal my gut as I get rid of those nasty little buggers. As a foodie enthusiast, this hasn’t been the easiest thing to do…until I found Grain-Free Everything Bagels.
I can’t take credit for the brilliant invention of this recipe…I found it floating around the interwebs on multiple blogs and websites, so I’m not sure who the original creator was, but if you’re out there, YOU SAVED MY LIFE. Can we please go to lunch together and become bestie friends forever? Maybe we can involve friendship bracelets and locket necklaces with a photo of these bagels inside? Ok thanks.
But really you guys, these are absolutely amazing.
We have certain members of our family who are very anti grain-free anything. They love the gluten and the sugar and the grains of all kinds. They strongly dislike anything with the word “Paleo” in it…
My husband may or may not be one of these people… 😉
But the first time I made these Grain-Free Everything Bagels, he took a bite and instantly fell in love. I’ve made these countless times since, and every time he asks me to make extra so he can eat some. If you know sugar-cereal-and-white-bread-loving Patrick, you understand how big a deal this is.
I’ve dipped these bagels in Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup, topped them with scrambled eggs and turkey bacon, made them into open-faced turkey and avo sandwiches and even eaten them cold from the fridge.
THEY ARE THE BOMB.
They’re not as “carby” as your usual bagel. They’re higher in fat because they’re made with almond flour, so they have a rich, almost dessert-like taste and dense texture. Mmmmmm I can’t even. They are sooo good. As soon as I’ve eaten through a batch, I instantly start craving them again.
I use Trader Joe’s “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning, which is just incredible. But you can always make your own “everything seasoning” using the recipe below.
The process to make these can be a bit daunting when you first mix up the dough. It may seem too soft and sticky to become bagels. But trust me…it works. Just follow the directions carefully and don’t feel discouraged if your first batch looks a little wonky. It gets easier with practice! And Paleo or not, you’ll have plenty of practice, cause once you try these, you’ll be making many batches of them. 😉
*NOTE: Recipe revised 8/30/20.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (265 grams) blanched almond flour
- 1 1/4 cup (172 grams) tapioca starch
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 1 egg yolk, beaten
- 2 tsp. poppy seeds
- 1 tsp. white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp. black sesame seeds
- 1 ½ tsp. dried onion flakes
- 1 ½ tsp. dried garlic flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients (except egg yolk) in a large bowl and mix by hand until smooth.
- Mix spice blend together if not using Trader Joe's blend.
- Add 2 tsp. of spice blend to the dough and gently fold into dough until incorporated.
- Fill a large pot half full of water and bring to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, reduce the heat slightly to keep water at a gentle boil.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Wet hands and form each portion into a ball. Flatten the ball just slightly and press your index finger in the middle of the ball and move in a small circle, creating a hole in the middle of the bagel. Repeat with each bagel.
- Carefully drop 2 bagels in the boiling water and wait until they float to the top. Gently remove with a slotted spoon and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat until all bagels have been boiled.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove bagels from oven and brush with beaten egg yolk. Top each bagel with Everything Spice Blend. *It's helpful to do this one bagel at a time...sprinkle the spice blend on right after brushing the bagel with egg yolk so the spices stick.
- Return bagels to the oven and cook for 20-25 more minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10-20 minutes before serving. This allows the center to firm up a bit.
Notes
*We just use Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel spice blend.
*Different almond flour brands can yield different results. We've used Costco's Kirkland Almond Flour and Trader Joe's brand of almond flour, both with great results. Make sure you're using blanched almond flour, NOT almond meal.
91 Comments
These look amazing and I love the ingredients.. I’m going to have a go at making them next week. 💞😁💞
Thanks! They seriously are addicting 😉 Give them a try and let us know what you think!
Tapioca is a grain…
Tapioca is actually grain-free! It’s extracted from the roots of the cassava plant, which is not a grain. Hope that clears up any confusion!
I love these the only issue is that I’m keto now and it has too much carbs with much is the tapioca starch. Any suggestions in place of the starch that isn’t so carbs?
Gigi, I wish I had a good suggestion, but the tapioca starch is what gives these their chewy texture and helps hold them together. I don’t have much experience with keto baking, so I’m not sure what to tell you. But if you do some experimenting and figure out a good keto substitute, we’d love to hear about it!
This might be too much of a change but I was wondering if it would be possible to swap tapioca starch for rice flour?
Hey Scarlet, I don’t think it will work quite as well, because the tapioca starch has a unique binding property to it. But if you try the rice flour, let us know how it goes!
My husband and I made these this morning and that were absolutely delicious!! Thank you! Do you have the nutrition stats by any chance?
So glad you liked them! I just added the nutrition facts at the bottom of the post. 🙂
Love these!!! Wonder how I can make them pumpkin?
I was so excited to try these, but am still new to GF baking. My dough was very shaggy, even after the addition of 1/4 cup more flour. The first two disintegrated in the boiling water, and the rest cracked pretty badly during baking. Any suggestions would be appreciated; I want to get these right. Thanks so much!
Hi Becca! I’m so sorry to hear you had trouble with these! I’ve made them dozens of times and haven’t had any issues but the first time my mom made them, she had a similar problem with hers. The next time she tried making them, they turned out perfectly. So I would suggest making them again and maybe tweaking a couple things. 1) Make sure you’re using “blanched” almond flour. We use the Kirkland Signature brand from Costco and it works really well. 2) Make sure your hands aren’t too wet when forming them into bagels…if they get soggy they will fall apart. 3) Make sure to turn the boiling water down to a very gentle boil…almost a simmer…and don’t keep them in there long. I scoop them out as soon as they float to the top. Hope this helps!! Let us know how your second batch goes and good luck!
can I sub arrowroot flour for the tapioca? I want to try these for my bagel crazy 16 yr old who is gluten free. I have the trader Joe’s seasoning already too!
Andrea, we’ve never made it with arrowroot flour instead, but because it is so similar to tapioca I would imagine it would be fine. No promises though haha. But if you do end up making them with arrowroot, let us know how they turn out!!
I made them with arrowroot last night and they turned out great! Definitely a repeat recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know that the arrowroot works! Glad you liked them 🙂
Do you have the nutritional information available? Thanks!
Ilia, the nutrition facts are posted below the recipe!
These were wonderful!! This was the first time I’ve had bread since I started having food allergies. I’ve tried so many different breads. This was the first that works for my needs.
I did add 1/3cup extra flour the second time I made these because they fell apart too easily. I also subbed arrowroot for tapioca with no problems. Thanks for a great recipe
Janet, We’re so glad you liked the recipe! And that’s great to know arrowroot works too. Thanks for the feedback 🙂
I was thinking of trying arrowroot instead of tapioca. Any modifications needed to do that or did you sub 1:1 tapioca/arrowroot?
I haven’t tried these with arrowroot but I would imagine you could sub it 1:1. Let us know how they turn out!
I just did my first attempt and I can’t get them into the pot of water and once I do trying to get them out they just fall apart what am I doing wrong?
Ashley, I’m sorry they didn’t work for you! They can be a little tricky to get the hang of. I’ve made these a dozen times and haven’t had issues, so maybe using a different brand of flour may do the trick? I use the kirkland brand from Costco. Also, make sure your dough isn’t too wet or dry it will fall apart. Make sure you’re using a large slotted spoon to get them out of the water. I hope we can troubleshoot this for you…they’re so yummy and I want you to be able to try them!
Does it have to be Almond flour or will Gluten Free All purpose baking flour work?
Lee-Ann, this recipe will definitely work best with almond flour. That’s what gives it a rich taste and texture!
This is my standard bagel recipe! The creator is Haley from Health Starts in the Kitchen.
I agree that these have saved my life. BLTs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…. 😅
Yay! I’m so glad you know who the original creator is, Haley must be a GENIUS! These are a definite staple in my diet now. 🙂 Thanks for popping in to say hi!
These look AMAZING and I’m really excited to try them! Just one question: Do you weigh or measure your dry ingredients–specifically the almond flour and the tapioca starch? I know alot of GF bakers insist there’s a dramatic difference and I want to be sure I’m following the instructions as accurately as possible first time out!
Great question! I personally don’t weigh them, just carefully measure. Hope you love them! Let us know how they turn out for you 🙂
Thank you! I’ll definitely let you know!
Hi I’m going to attempt making these. But I don’t have the ingredients for the spice blend. Can I just use some garlic and onion powder to give some flavor? Thanks
They are definitely best with the “Everything Seasoning” but I’m sure they’ll still be delicious with some garlic and onion powder. I’d add some extra salt too. Hope they work out for you!
I actually found some garlic and onion flakes at the store so I’ll use that. I can’t use sesame seeds so hopefully they still taste good without. Attempting them today. I’ll write another comment about how they come out!
I LOVED these! Thank you so much for posting this recipe – my parents who are not even gluten free, much less paleo loved these too. They toast beautifully and were delicious fresh out of the oven too!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you and your parents loved them! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
Hello, I was wondering if you’d tried freezing these. Do they thaw out ok?
I have frozen them before! They are ok after thawing, but definitely best fresh. I found that toasting them after thawing made them better though.
Hello – just made these and they are amazing 😍 do you store in the fridge or at room temperature?
Casi, so glad you like them! I keep mine in the fridge to help them last longer, but after the first day, I like them best toasted!
I just found this and am excited to try them! I don’t see the nutrition facts listed as stated above? Thanks!
The nutrition label is underneath the recipe. 🙂 Let us know how they turn out for you!!
These are delicious! We’ve made them several times and have had great success. The last two times we’ve made them, they baked to the parchment paper and I cannot figure out what I’m doing differently/wrong? Have you tried making these without parchment paper? It’s so frustrating!
Hi Hayley! So glad to hear you like these! That is SO strange…I’ve never had that happen before. I always use parchment paper and don’t have a problem with sticking. I would imagine that they’d get even more stuck if you didn’t use parchment. The only thing I can think of that may help is sprinkling the parchment paper with a little bit of cornmeal to help add a layer between the bagels and parchment. Maybe give that a try?
Sarah thank you so much for the reply. I figured out that I accidentally had been using wax paper! I had run out of parchment and the boxes look almost identical. Gah! Will never make that mistake again. 🙂
This is late to the game … but I once grabbed the wax paper that’s next to the parchment paper by accident and everything stuck. Just a thought!
Oh I just saw you figured it out lol.
These are seriously amazing! I have not had a bagel in 5 years and I felt like I was going to cry eating this. Thank you so much for sharing your glorious creation!!!!!
Yay!!! I am SO happy to hear this. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed them! XOXO
I had to substitute sunflower seed meal for almond meal. Worked great. Can’t wait to do these again, maybe roll or bun size.
Being grain and nut free has given me lots of challenges, but I’m getting really good at substituting.
Thanks so much for a new starter recipe.
That’s good to know that they work with sunflower meal as well! So glad you enjoyed them! It’s true…adjusting to a new diet can be really tricky, but it’s so much easier when you have yummy recipes you actually enjoy. So glad we could help! 🙂
Great blog!!! I’ve made these several times. The first time they also disintegrated into the water. I followed the directions exactly and used the Costco brand of almond flour. Perhaps a video tutorial would help. I also have skipped the boiling part and baked directly on a sheet pan with parchment paper and they tasted great. I still make them but I bake them in an oiled silicone donut pan and they come out great!!!
That’s SO strange that they didn’t work for you the first time. I can’t figure out why that randomly happens for people! But I’m glad you were able to make them work eventually. 🙂
Can you use arrowroot powderinstead of tapioca?
I haven’t ever used arrowroot powder for them, so I can’t say if it will work or not. But if you try it, let us know how they turn out for you!
I’m excited to try. Could you swap the tapioca starch for xanthan gum?
Jillian, I wouldn’t recommend using xanthan gum. I haven’t tried it personally, but I imagine it wouldn’t turn out quite the same.
I just made these and they tasted great. Even the dough smelled amazing. Question for you, is the honey essential to the recipe? I thought mine tasted too sweet and was wondering if I could reduce it or get rid of it entirely? I thought it might be needed as a binder. Thoughts? Thank you so much for the recipe!
I’m glad you liked them! I’ve never tried them without the honey, but I’d imagine they’d be fine without it. Or you could reduce it to 1 Tbsp. If you end up making them again without the honey, let us know how they turn out for you!
Can you recommend a substitution for the egg yolk?
The egg yolk is just for browning the tops and helping the seasonings stick. You could just brush a little water on the tops before sprinkling on the seasoning to help it stick, you just won’t get the golden tops. But they’ll still taste delicious!
I’ve brushed the tops with a little bit of olive oil and a tiny bit more honey to replace the egg and it works great for me!
Good to know! Thanks for the tip 🙂
These look amazing! I’m confused about the nutrition label though. Says 1.4g of fat for one bagel. Seems like it should be a lot more with 3 cups almond flour being used for 6 bagels. 2 TBLS of almond flour is 5g of fat alone. Am I reading that wrong?
Still can’t wait to try these! Thank you!!
Rebecca, thanks for pointing that out. I’m super confused…the original label was totally different, something must have gotten messed up with the code or something. I changed it back to the original and correct label. Hope that helps!
these look AMAZING and i can’t wait to try them. i’ve tried a ton of grain free bagel recipes (being a native new yorker, bagels are practically in my blood), and there are so many disappointing ones. but these just look gorgeous. one question – do you think i could substitute egg replacer or a flax egg for the egg? i have an egg allergy. 🙁
Hope you like them! The egg yolk is just for browning the tops and helping the seasonings stick. You could just brush a little water on the tops before sprinkling on the seasoning to help it stick, you just won’t get the golden tops. But they’ll still taste delicious!
Our first batch is in the oven! We are so excited, they smell amazing! We were wondering if at any point they can be frozen?
Joelle I hope you liked them! I’ve frozen them once they’re cooked and cooled. They’re still good if you thaw and toast them, but definitely best eaten fresh!
I’ve been researching non-dairy bagel recipes for my husband, who is on a special diet. Missing breads has been very hard for him. I came across this recipe that not only had the right ingredients for him but the fact that the bagels are boiled first was a real plus; since it gives the bagels the ultimate chewy experience we get from the regular bagels. Need I say more…..WE LOVE THEM. Thank you for the PERFECT recipe.
So glad you and your husband loved the bagels!!
Oh man, I made these but made them into pretzel bagels because they are my weakness. Just added 1/2 cup of baking soda to the boiling water and cut the everything blend in favour of a bit of coarse salt and onion seeds on top (I didn’t egg wash because I was saving my last few eggs to make ice cream the next day). So good! I’ll probably try the actual recipe next time as well (as long as I don’t get a craving for pretzels again!)
Oooh that sounds delicious!! I may have to try them your way next time I make these 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Made this over the weekend, I did not have tapioca starch so I subbed for corn starch (50% less). Turned out good still, but definitely going to try original recipe next time to see if that changes the texture!
Just made these this morning for the first time. They were easy to make and very delicious. My 7 year old loved them too!
We’re so glad you (and your son) liked them!
Where should I store the bagels?
Store in an air-tight container at room temp. They are best eaten fresh or within a day or so! I like to toast them if I’m eating them past the day I made them.
I’ve made these a couple of times and I love the flavor. But both times I’ve had to add way more flours because the dough was too wet to hold together. I think the issue that a lot of people are having with the dough falling apart may have to do with the fact that everyone measures out their flours differently. Could you possibly add the weight measurements to the flours? I always measure by weight if it is provided because it’s way more accurate. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Hey Shannon, I just added the weight measurements for the flours! Hope that helps. 🙂
I’ve made these twice and both times the taste is great, but I don’t get a good rise. Am I overworking the dough? Or could it be the almond flour I’m using? Thoughts?
It could be the brand of almond flour you’re using. We’ve used Costco’s Kirkland brand as well as Trader Joes and both have turned out great. I also just revised the recipe to include a little more tapioca flour and included the weight of the flours, so hopefully that will help!
I do not see any nutritional facts on the recipe – maybe I’m missing them? I am on WW and need to calculate the points on this – anyone already do that??
Stacie, for some reason they got deleted from the post…I just added them again below the recipe. Hope that helps!
These bagels are amazing! I made them exactly as written with the exception of the seasoning blend. Instead of everything seasoning, I used Bragg’s organic 24 herbs & spice seasoning, and I also topped them with a very small amount of shredded gruyère. Delicious! The recipe itself is wonderful, and I’ll probably make them weekly from now on.
Thanks for sharing!
So glad you like it! And your modifications sound AMAZING. Bring on the gruyere! 🙂
These are so good I could cry!! I made mine cinnamon raisin. I skipped the boiling step and put them in silicone molds as someone else had mentioned. Sooooo good!
I’ve never thought to turn them into cinnamon raisin! That sounds amazing. 🙂
I’ve made these several times with Blue Diamond almond flour and they never really turned out great, appearance wise. This morning I made them with the Kirkland brand almond flour and the dough was much easier to work with and they turned out fantastic. Didn’t have the issue of the dough falling apart in the water like I did with using the Blue Diamond almond flour. So if you’re having trouble with this recipe, try a different almond flour brand.
These are amazing!!! I wonder how I could turn them into pumpkin bagels?