In search for a dairy free alternative to fathead dough?! Look no further than these gluten free, paleo and keto bagels with yeast. Soft, chewy and with an awesome taste(i.e. no eggy or cheesy business here!).

Gluten Free & Keto Bagels
With yeast!
These low carb and grain free bagels are pure gold guys! And if you’ve already met my soft ‘n fluffy sandwich bread (or proper cinnamon rolls!), you already know I don’t mess around when it comes to bread.
And these guys right here are no exception. Plus, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how easy it is to whip them up.
p.s. They’re just 3g net carbs per (full-sized!) bagel. Ideal!

The Deets
Because the keto grain free flours do not cook in water, doing a traditional bagel recipe (i.e. boiling them before baking!) unfortunately just isn’t possible. Still, the results are outstanding.
As you well know, bagels are dense and chewy, so you may want to play around a bit with the rising time to get them denser or lighter. Full disclosure, I prefer to do a bit of a longer rise (about 45-50 minutes); they become a little softer, but the taste with the yeast becomes sooo good.
Still, making these paleo and keto bagels is incredibly simple really. But, like with any yeasted bread, it does require you take care of a few details to ensure the best possible outcome.
In my experience, and unlike our staple sandwich keto bread, these low carb bagels don’t collapse much (if at all!) post bake.
You just must ensure your bagels do increase in size substantially while proofing. They can even double if you let them, but they do become a bit fluffier. And note that grain free yeast doughs do require a little extra warmth. For instance, I place my tray on top of my oven as I heat it up (so my tray gets slightly warm and they rise beautifully). But you must ensure you don’t overheat them or you’ll kill the yeast. Think a warm and humid day at the beach, that’s the ideal temperature.

Shape the dough
Wet your fingertips and shape into rounds, poking a whole in the middle and smoothing as much as possible.
Let it rise
Grain free yeast doughs need a little more cuddling. So find a warm spot and proof the dough for 20-60 minutes (less time for denser bagels, more for fluffier ones).

Bake them up!
Brush with an egg white wash (better browning), sprinkle with toppings of choice (you can’t go wrong with Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel), and bake for about 20-25 mins until deep golden.

The Tips ‘N Tricks
The yeast in this low carb and keto bread ensures a wonderful texture and taste. Check out these tips for best results with grain free yeast doughs!
Weigh your ingredients. This will forever be a staple recommendation for any sort of gluten free baking here at gnom-gnom. As aside from leading to less dirty dishes, it will ensure consistent results time and time again. Remember that gluten free (and particularly keto) baking is notoriously finicky, and measuring by cups is anything but accurate. And if you don’t own a baking scale, measure with cups by dropping the ingredients onto them rather than scooping them out (which often leads to overpacking).
Ingredients at room temperature. Self explanatory really, but incredibly important (particularly for the eggs). If you add cold eggs to the mix your bread simply won’t rise much (if at all).
Proof the yeast. This involves mixing dry active yeast with water that’s just warm to touch (between 105-110°F to be precise) and inulin or an actual sugar (think maple syrup or honey) for 7 minutes until foamy. And before you scream sugar (!!) remember that the yeast will feed on such sugar to emit carbon dioxide, so it doesn’t affect the carb count. And yes, this is a scientific fact.
Avoid abrupt temperature changes and air drafts. Like with any yeast bread, you need to cuddle your dough. Make sure it’s able to rest undisturbed in a warm space.
Baking at high altitude? Yup, so am I (Paola here!!). You just need to up the temperature a bit to seal the rise, and just keep an eye out for excessive browning.

The Ingredients & Possible Subs
These bagels do have a few ingredients, but you’ll find that most are staple paleo and keto pantry ingredients. In the list below you’ll find details on several ingredients and possible subs. This is also perhaps the most forgiving recipe in terms of subs out of all the grain free yeast bread recipes on the site!
Almond flour. You truly need a super finely ground almond flour here, as if you use meal your rolls will turn out dense and oily. Super fine almond flour brands include Anthony’s , WellBees and Bob’s.
Now if paleo, or in keto maintenance, you can lighten up the bread even more by substituting part of the almond flour (3-6 tablespoons) with arrowroot flour.
Flaxseed meal or psyllium husk can be used interchangeably in this recipe, and they both need to be re-ground for best texture. You’ll want to use golden flaxseed meal (we use Bob’s), and regrind the flakes in your (very dry!) bullet or blender until finely powdered. Great way to avoid slimy bread. And for the psyllium husk powder, NOW brand doesn’t turn bread purple.
Whey protein isolate ensures a better rise. But since bagels are on the dense side, you can get away with subbing with more almond flour (they just collapse a bit post bake). Keep in mind that this ingredient varies tremendously from brand to brand, and we’ve only tried (and are super happy!) with Isopure’s Zero Carb Unflavored. I’m still experimenting with more subs here, but a few of you reported back successfully back on our soft ‘n fluffy sandwich bread that collagen and hemp pro protein powder worked (I cannot guarantee these subs yet though!).
Xanthan gum. Borrowed from molecular cooking, xanthan gum is the binding agent which makes your toothpaste jelly-like (and your cream cheese, well cream cheese-like). And it’s also the most common gluten-replacer in gluten free baking. And while we do prefer the results with it, you can sub it with flax.

Gluten Free & Keto Bagels (With Yeast!)
Ingredients
For the keto bagels
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons inulin maple syrup or honey, to feed the yeast
- 120 ml water lukewarm between 105-110°F
- 192 g almond flour
- 42 g golden flaxseed meal or psyllium husk, finely ground
- 20 g whey protein isolate or more almond flour (in tablespoons)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum or 1 1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds**
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon kosher salt depending on toppings
- 1 egg at room temperature
- 2 egg whites at room temperature
- 21 g extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Topping suggestions
- 1 egg white lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water, for egg wash
- Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel
Instructions
- Our keto bagels use the focaccia methodology (albeit different ratios), but do check out the video below for deets 'n tricks!
- Add yeast and maple syrup (to feed the yeast, see notes) to a large bowl. Heat up water to 105-110°F, and if you don't have a thermometer it should only feel lightly warm to touch. Pour water over yeast mixture, cover bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 7 minutes. The mixture should be bubbly, if it isn't start again (too cold water won't activate the yeast and too hot will kill it).
- Mix your flours while the yeast is proofing. Add almond flour, psyllium husk (or flaxseed meal), whey protein isolate (or more almond flour), xanthan gum, baking powder and salt to a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
- Once your yeast is proofed, add in the egg, egg whites, olive oil and vinegar. Mix with a whisk or electric mixer for a couple minutes until light and frothy. Add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. You want to mix thoroughly and quickly to activate the xanthan gum, though the dough will become very thick by the end and form into a round.
- Line a baking tray with a baking mat or parchment paper. Wet your hands (so the dough doesn't stick!) and divide the dough into 8 rounds. Smooth the rounds as much as possible and, using your index finger, make an indentation in the center, stretching out the dough until 'bagel shaped'. Cover with a oiled cling film (saran wrap) and place in a warm draft-free space for 20-60 minutes. You want to do 20 minutes for a denser bagel, and 40-60 for a fluffier one (I personally go for the longer rise as the yeast taste develops much more!).
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C while the dough is proofing. And if you're baking at high altitude, you'll want to bake it at 375°F/190°C.
- Brush with an egg white wash (better browning), sprinkle with toppings of choice (you can't go wrong with Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel), and bake for about 20-25 mins until deep golden. Check in on them at minute 10-13, and cover with aluminum foil if needed.
- Allow the bagels to cool completely for best texture, as the bread will continue to cook while cooling resulting in a better crumb. But if you can't hold your horses, at least give it 15 minutes before digging in (the bagels in the pics were cut just 20 minutes after baking).
- Keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple days, giving it a light toast before serving again. These guys also freeze great.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
and some food (for thought) 👁️
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(p.s. we don’t talk about fight club 🪄 )
xo! Paola
Try dried blueberries?
Oh lol I hadn’t thought about those! DEF! Just make sure they don’t have added sugar 😉 xo!
Oh my word! These are seriously the best bread item I’ve made since I dropped out grains & sugar from my way of eating a couple of years ago, and I have tried a few!!! AND my house still smells of yeasty goodness the day after! How I have missed yeast, and sandwich capable bread! Thank you so much! Even my grain eating husband has approved these. 😀
Lol Jane this is so awesome to hear! So happy even he hubby approved them 😉 xo!
I love your year’s bread recipe, and I’m excited to try this too. I just have one question. I use Now brand psyillium husk powder, but it still turns slightly purple. Do you regrind the powder? I thought you just grind it if it’s whole psyllium husks.
Hi Linda! I still regrind my psyllium to get it even finer! A couple of you have reported back since this weekend on NOW turning your breads slightly purple, so I’m not sure if it’s a new batch? I just got some brand new one with different packaging too so we’ll see…
How would your bagel recipe work putting all the dough in a loaf pan to make a bread?
Please search the blog for the sandwich bread instead Ron xo!
Can this be made with blueberries?
I haven’t tried it Jullissia, but it’s on my recipe list to try for the summer so I don’t see why not. My one concern is that the blueberries could leak out too much, but it shouldn’t be a huge issue unless you add too many 😉
You have 6 bagels on your cookie sheet and it says to divide into 8. My bagels are tinny when I divide into 8. Help!
I’m not trying to be a trouble maker, but I can’t find scientific proof that the syrup or honey is eaten up by the yeast. I did find something that said it doesn’t negate the carbs. Will you please post a link about this. I would love to try this, but after being KETO for 2 1/2 years, I am not going to spoil it without research. I’ve tried several goggle searches to verify, but I can’t find anything to back this. Please help. Thank you.
Anita, just use some inulin instead. Yeast LOVES inulin! 🙂 If you happen to use Swerve as your sweetener you’ve basically got it already. Try using some to proof the yeast and see if it works for you.
Anita, just use some inulin instead to proof the yeast. Yeast LOVES inulin! 🙂 I’ve been making my keto yeast bread for a while. I proof the yeast with my sweetener that is about half inulin, and add additional inulin to the dry ingredients to keep feeding the yeast once the dough is made. If you happen to use Swerve as your sweetener you’ve basically got it already. Try using some to proof the yeast and see if it works for you.
Good Lord! Even if the syrup/honey isn’t “eaten up” by the yeast, one bagel has 1/8 of 2tsp! How on Earth could that possibly “spoil” anything? That’s not even enough to kick someone out of ketosis.
These bagels look amazing and I plan to make them in the next day or two. And as how great your recipes are that I have made I’m sure these bagels will be top shelf!!
Do you think these bagels would work as hamburger buns or have you thought about working on such a recipe?
Or do you have a recipe already that I haven’t seen?
Hi Randy! They would work, just do a the longer proofing time so they come out fluffier. Or you can also do the sandwich bread as buns (many readers do, and I prefer that one as well for burger buns).
This one is a bit denser and chewier than the bread, but I’ve made it into olive bread buns too and they’re awesome- you don’t need to toast it (even after a day or two, which is awesome for traveling, office lunch etc). Hope this helped! Xo
Hello. I converted the grams to cups before I saw that I could hit the US measurement. But when I converted I got 1 cup of flour (plus a little extra) for 192 grams. When I hit your US measurement, it says 2 cups of flour. That is quite a bit different. Is it because of the flour being finely ground?
Hi Tamara! That is quite a difference- how did you convert? Almond flour can vary in weight to volume ratio from brand to brand, but not that much. I always suggest to weigh for best results xo
I’m new to this whole Keto thing since it was thrust into my life, so maybe some people already know this, but… I was able to get this to proof up and work in my bread-maker after the first 7 minutes of covering and proofing the water/yeast/honey mix (also in the bread-maker). I did have to double the oil. I then used half the dough for bagels and the other half I rolled out and used as a pizza dough for my first Keto pizza! What a hit! Thanks a bunch for a recipe that works!! Just thought I’d let you know for you or any of your keto readers that have an old bread-maker around that they want to experiment with…
Having to make everything by hand and from scratch is a little overwhelming… it’s nice with this that I can just throw it all in and have multi-purpose dough with this recipe!
Sherry, Can you please give me more info about using the breadmaker? I’m very new at this, too, and I never have any luck with yeast by hand. I use a breadmaker and anything I make with it comes out awesome. However, I am new to this Keto thing, so I’ve never used any of these ingredients for baking. I could use all the help I can get. Thank you so much, in advance.
Have you tried substituting almomd flour for coconut flour?
Yes, unfortunately it doesn’t work (feels wet) xo
No other keto bagel can touch these! They’re AMAZING! Fathead dough is now a thing of the past
Lol Pam this is so awesome to hear!
These bagels are amazing! The absolute BEST recipe I’ve tried yet. Thank you for taking the time to perfect ever recipe that you release. Your cookbook is amazing, your recipes are tasty and fabulous!
Kristina this is so awesome to hear thank you! Also great to hear about the cookbook, so happy you’re enjoying 😉
Paola, you are the queen of keto breads. Any possibility you could come up with a recipe for soft pretzels that is not fathead based?
Lol definitely working on it 😉 have a lovely weekend Kate!
Hi Paola
I wasn’t able to have the Isopure protein powder shipped to Canada. Luckily I was going camping in New York state so I went to a nutrition house there and they had some, unfortunately they didn’t have unflavored:( So I bought the creamy vanilla. Would that work in substitute of the unflavoured?? I sooo want to try your recipes that call for the Isopure protein powder. Thanks in advance.
Hi Lisa! Why don’t you try making the cinnamon rolls first? Since they’re sweet the vanilla flavor should affect much. But in all honesty I haven’t tried the flavored versions myself, so I can’t tell you exactly how strong the flavor is in the final bread. But I don’t think it would be bad for the rolls! xo
Made these yesterday and they came out great! Mine are a little purple because I used what I already had and did not know about the purple problem when I first started buying “flours” LOL They still taste great 🙂
Oh lol yeah! Psyllium can turn funny colors (try the NOW brand), but honestly doesn’t affect the actual outcome (as you mentioned!) so happy you enjoyed them Stacey!
Hi!
Made these today and did everything right even temping my water. But I didn’t get a rise. Full 60 minutes and barely anything….any tips?
Hi Amber! If the yeast proofed alright (the mixture was very bubbly etc), then you likely just needed some more warmth. Try and get your tray slightly warm (I put it on top of my oven for instance). xo!
My bagels turned a dark color I think it may have been the psyllium husk it’s a golden brown color is this unusual?havent tried them yet they are still baking.
Hi Marjorie! Yup, that’s an ingredient that can vary a lot. They should still taste the same (maybe slightly more whole wheat?) xo let me know if you’ve got more qs!
It should be noted in your blog that yeast used in a gluten-free recipe is only for flavor, it will not help the dough to rise. Yeast needs gluten for the rising process to take place.
Hi Sue! There are actually plenty of gluten free breads with yeast out there, and this one actually rises because of the yeast! Check out the pictures in the post, and you can see how the bagels increased substantially in size during proofing. The one difference here is that the breads get most of their rise from the yeast during proofing, and only puff up slightly more during baking with the baking powder 😉 xo!
The Xanthan gum actually stands in for the gluten in this recipe and thus helps the bread rise. You’ll see a lot of gluten-free baking that includes xanthan gum for this reason.
Spot in, Rylie. The egg helps too!
Gluten is structure, not leavening.
Omg Paola you are seriously an angel. You have answered my bagel prayers. These sound amazing! I’m literally going grocery shopping for the ingredients right now. Thank you so much for this recipe. You’re so wonderful and I’m grateful for all your incredible recipes.
What is the difference between “Whey Protein Isolate” and the Whey Protein available in the bins in my Health Food store or Co-op. It doesn’t have the word Isolate on it. Can I use this instead?
I’ve used whey concentrate and it works fine. I’m sure whey isolate is better as the author has stated but I already bought the tub so I might as well use it. I’ve used flavored Isopure in the past and to me it tastes too chemically (the added vitamins+minerals) so I’ll be looking at a different brand or checking out the ingredients prior to ordering.
Paola these are AMAZING! I just replicated your cream cheese and smoked salmon bagel and I might have just died and gone to heaven because these can’t be keto 🙂
OMG this recipe just came in time! I was searching for low carb bagel recipes for a long long time because everything I found was made of fathead dough and I didn’t want to make anything with fathead dough! (Not a fan of any type of cheese…). I am going to try this after I come back from my vacation. :). Thank you for your awesomeness!!
Enjoy your holiday Carrie and hope you love them ;)!
Can I substitute egg white protein powder inplace of whey protein isolate?
Unfortunately no Julie. I tried egg white protein when I was first experimenting with the sandwich bread and it did nothing. If whey protein isolate is a no, I would just do more almond (like in the focaccia). Comes out a bit more dense (arguably more bagel like?), so both versions here are just as good. xo!
I buy Almond Flour at Costco, it’s their own Kirkland brand. The super fine brands you mentioned are more costly but if it is very important to use them, I’ll look for a good price and order it.
I get you completely as with all the experimenting I do, I’m always looking for a bargain (and here in Mexico it’s twice as expensive!). Check out amazon or iherb.com (they do loyalty shopping and have sales every so often!) xo!
I use the Kirkland almond flour for her bread (almost the same recipe) and it works great! Getting ready to try the bagels for the first time
I don’t wanna fudge it up, so I’ll still proof it. Better safe than sorry!
By the way, I got your summer cookbook and I love it.
Thanks for your reply. 😉
Yeah I would proof it even if just the first time (you can rebel as you get the hang of the dough ;)!). And thank you for buying the book Ally, so awesome you’re loving it!
Hello, I have a question about Almond Flour. I understand that super-fine almond flour by Anthony’s, WellBee’s or Bob’s, is preferred. If I don’t have those brands though, can I take what I have and put it in my food processor to make it finer?
Which almond flour are you using Stephanie? It’s been my experience that (most unfortunately!) fine almond flour can’t quite be achieved at home. If it’s a must you can try and sieve it and just use the finer part?
Oh.my.goodness. You are making all of my keto dreams come true. When I commented on your Instagram awhile back, asking you to tackle bagels, I didn’t believe that in this life you could possibly pull it off — I thought bagels were the impossible! And yet, here we are.
I am so excited to try these. TONIGHT! I must make these tonight.
I’ve been getting all of my friends hooked on your recipes…..and I have about 8 of my favorite Gnom Gnom recipes stuck to my fridge with a magnet, I make them so often!
You are amazing.
Thank you thank you thank you for spreading the gnom-gnom love Nicole (and LOL on your fridge, I’m SO honored!). And well, completely proper bagels (with boiling!) are impossible with the keto flours, BUT I’m pretty sure you’ll love these 😉 xo!!
I’d love to make this. But I have instant yeast that doesn’t need proofing. Do I still add the water and sugar/Maple syrup to the dough, and at which point?
Hi Ally! I would still use it as you do with the active dry yeast, as I find that the grain free doughs with yeast need a little extra help. But if you’re feeling brave (and are positive that your yeast is in full-function!), you can just mix the yeast with the dry ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe the same (mixing the warm water with the eggs etc then adding in the flours) xo!
This has got to be the first recipe for non-fathead keto bagels right?! I did an extensive search a few months back and they all had mozzarella dough… yuck its like eating a brick of cheese that just sits in your stomach forever. I was also gaining weight when I was eating fathead everything… bless you girl!
Oh I get you on fathead… I mean I totally wish I could stomach that amount of cheese (for fondue lol!). And yup, I do think gnom-gnom in general has the first keto yeast breads in general 😉 xo and thank you for the blessings! Always cherish them!
Looks amazing, as usual! Would it be ok to bake the dough in a silicone donut pan for shaping, or is that not recommended?
Hi Tiffany! I haven’t tried in a silicon pan, but I have tried in my metal donut pan and that was fine (not much of a difference in terms of shape tbh). So I don’t see why not! xo!
Hi Ms. Gnom Gnom!
I’m baking the bagels for the second time tonight! This time they doubled in size, and they look so pretty with TJ’s Everything But Bage. This recipe is the third one I’ve tried from your inspirational website. The first was the super pliable tortilla, and the second was the suppppper fudgy brownies! Keep ’em coming!
20 LBS Down!