Best Grain-Free Bagels - Low Carb, Gluten Free & Delicious

Tonight I am finally sharing my bagel recipe. I began working on it last summer...1 year ago (June 2017). I have been tweaking it and have made at least half a dozen different recipes, tweaking each one. I didn't just want it to taste good, because honestly, all the versions I made actually tasted good.

I kept tweaking it, not only for texture but just as important for me was to make a recipe that wouldn't be so frustrating to make for the average person that wasn't a "baker" or who maybe wasn't used to handling regular dough. In the first 4 versions I made, I rolled the dough into ropes with my hands and formed each bagel. I found it to be messy because this dough doesn't have the same elasticity that dough made with wheat and yeast has. I feared it would make some of you break out all of your bad words (not that I know anything about that) both at me and at the dough. And you certainly wouldn't be excited to make them again. With each of my 6+ versions, I not only tweaked the ingredients but used different pans to see how they baked. Also, when you look at the recipe...just so you know, the teaspoon of apple cider vinegar that is added can not be tasted at all. It is there to react with the baking soda to help lighten the dough. You can make plain bagels, or top with grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese for cheesy bagels or my favorite, add sesame seeds. You could make "everything bagels" or even poppy seed.

One more thing. I have made this recipe 3 times, to use different pans/methods to bake. I made them on a parchment lined baking sheet and they are good but they spread more and are thinner (but just as delicious). I made them in my deeper USA Pan 6-well mini-cake pan and they are good but it contains them so much that they are thicker, and closer to hamburger buns. My favorite result was using my Chicago Metallic Professional 6-well muffin top pan. The reason I preferred this pan was it has the shallow wells that help contain the spread, but since it doesn't have deeper wells, it allows them to spread a bit and brown and it produced a not too thick/not too thin bagel that could be sliced in half more easily. These bagels are not the 1-1/2" to 2" thick bagels of your wheat eating days. But you will find them very satisfying and delicious. I hope you give them a try and let me know what you think. Check out the recipe and photos below. Enjoy!

Grain-Free Bagels

INGREDIENTS:

10 ounces (2-1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella

3 ounces brick style cream cheese

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup PLUS 2 Tablespoons (6 Tablespoons) ground golden flax seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds or 2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a 6-cup nonstick muffin top pan with olive oil. Alternatively you can line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (bagels will spread out more and be thinner). 

Place mozzarella and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Heat cheese in microwave on high for 45 seconds; stir and heat an additional 45 seconds or until a hot melted mass of cheese is formed; blend well, folding with a rubber spatula. 

While cheese is melting in microwave, in a separate medium bowl, combine almond flour, ground flax, salt, baking powder and baking soda; whisk until blended. In a separate small bowl, beat egg and vinegar together; set aside. Add flour mixture to bowl of hot melted cheese (make sure cheese is hot before adding flour mixture; return to microwave for 10 to 15 seconds or till hot). Working quickly, fold dry mixture into melted cheese using a rubber spatula until dough begins to come together and cheese and dry ingredients are combined; add egg/vinegar mixture and continue folding into dough until combined. The texture of the dough will begin to become light and airy. Continue folding mixture until thoroughly combined. 

Divide into 6 even pieces (I cut it into wedges in the bowl with a knife). Very lightly oil or wet hands to prevent dough from sticking. Scoop each section of dough with a spoon; using your hands, form dough into a large meatball shape, then pat to flatten into a burger shape approximately 1-inch thick in the palm of your hand (if desired lightly press dough patty into a shallow bowl lined with sesame seeds). Using your index finger of your other hand, poke a hole in the center of the dough patty, wiggling finger in a circular motion until a smooth hole forms in the center. Place in muffin top well and repeat until all six are formed. (If using a parchment lined baking sheet, space bagels about 2 inches apart; sprinkle with sesame seeds or grated cheese, if desired). 

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven to reopen bagel holes by using the tip  of a handle from a wooden spoon, dipped in olive oil, using a circular motion to reopen the holes. Reduce oven temp to 375 degrees and return bagels to oven and bake for an additional 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool in pan 5 minutes; carefully remove to a wire cooling rack to cool. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice in half; spread with butter or cream cheese as desired.

*Note: If blended dough is too soft to handle, allow to cool for a minute or two to firm up a bit before shaping into bagels. If bagels begin to brown unevenly, rotate pan half way through for more even browning.