The Best Bagels - Vegan & Gluten-Free

My son and daughter are both home from college due to coronavirus, and they told me that they were craving REAL bagels. Because my son is gluten intolerant, I decided to take on the challenge of creating my own version of gluten-free and vegan bagels and let me tell you…my kids were SHOCKED by the result!! And so was I… I had never made bagels before and I must admit that it is so much easier than I thought. It’s also a fun process and satisfying to see the bagels rise and come to life. The best tip to keep the bagels crispy on the outside is to heat the oven to 450 F ahead of time. This will create the crust that makes the bagels so much like “the real deal”! But in this case, both better and healthier!

This is a basic recipe for a plain bagel. Feel free to get creative and add your favorite ingredients to the dough such as olives, jalapeños, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, and whatever topping/seasoning of your choice.

Ingredients: (6-7 mini bagels)

1 3/4 cups warm water

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups gluten-free flour blend ( I used Bob’s Red Mill)

1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder

1 teaspoon salt

For the boiling water:

1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon salt

Toppings (optional):

Sesame seeds

Everything bagel seasoning

Flaxseed meal

Nigella seeds

Sunflower seeds

Olive oil + salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 F

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Take a large bowl and add warm water, pure maple syrup, dry yeast, and olive oil. Mix and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime take another bowl and add the dry ingredients: gluten-free flour blend, psyllium husk, and salt. Mix to combine.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with your hands until you form a dough.

Next, roll the dough into a log and slice to form evenly sized pieces (this part is up to you, however many bagels you want to make will determine the size of your log and slices—I decided to make them mini, so I ended up with ~7 mini bagels). Then, roll each piece of dough into a ball and create a hole with your finger in the center, just like a bagel.

Place the bagels on the baking sheet and cover with a clean towel. Place in a warm place to rise for about 40 minutes.

In the meantime fill a wide pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add pure maple syrup and salt.

Add 2-3 bagels at a time and boil for 30 seconds on each side, then place back on the baking sheet.

Brush the top of each bagel with olive oil and top with your favorite topping.

Bake in the oven for at least 20-30 minutes until golden brown.

Let it cool down on a cooling rack before serving.

Store in a ziplock bag in the fridge or in the freezer and toast before serving.