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.
I have somehow GOT to figure out how to make these work in my air fryer. Waiting for our house to be built put us in a new rental and it has the craziest oven. Opened door touches the floor?!?! I’d have to lay on my stomach if I used it/had to clean it. These look fabulous! I’ll let you know my results. Your recipes are my all-time favorites ❤️❤️
Can aquafaba be subbed for the eggs? Allergic.
Read through everything including every comment. Out of a couple of the ingredients but will pick them up tomorrow at a health food store in a much larger city & try them Fri or Sat. I didn’t see it mentioned, but I read somewhere a long time ago that you can turn your empty dryer on for a few minutes then turn it off and place what you want to side inside. Open the door only after the suggested rising time and you should be pleased. I used this method on cinnamon rolls and hamburger buns without fail. Plus, it frees up the stove to allow for exact baking temperature when the dough comes out of the dryer.
Hi Paola,
I used to make a yeasted waffle (Marion Cunningham) and wanted to have a go at a keto version. Do you think I could use a similar technique here – proofing yeast and then proceeding with a keto waffle recipe?
The yeast in the traditional one made it crispy and lent that undeniably yummy yeasty taste.
Thanks!,
Linda
Read through everything including every comment. Out of a couple of the ingredients but will pick them up tomorrow at a health food store in a much larger city & try them Fri or Sat. I didn’t see it mentioned, but I read somewhere a long time ago that you can turn your empty dryer on for a few minutes then turn it off and place what you want to side inside. Open the door only after the suggested rising time and you should be pleased. I used this method on cinnamon rolls and hamburger buns without fail. Plus, it frees up the stove to allow for exact baking temperature when the dough comes out of the dryer.
can i use the bob’s red mill organic whole ground flaxseed meal to replace the golden flaxseed meal?
They’ll come out more dense (unfortunately!). Golden flaxseed meal (reground!) truly works best! xo!
Does it matter if I use instant dry yeast vs active dry yeast? It’s what I have in my pantry.
I wouldn’t think so. You just don’t have to bloom the instant stuff. You could just go ahead and add it to your dry ingredients, introduce the wet, mix, shape, proof, bake, enjoy bagels! Just my hunch at least 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times, but both times when I mixed the dry ingredients with the wet, my dough was way too wet, so I had to add more almond flour, probably another cup, so my bagels didn’t rise too much. But… they were still really good, just a little flat… I followed the recipe to the tee. Any ideas what I did wrong?
Oh no I’m sorry to hear! Any chance you’re using extra large eggs SG? What brand of Xanthan gum? I’m asking because if you didn’t make any subs, it likely is that you’re using a different ingredient xo!
SG, Did you weigh or measure the ingredients?
Love these!! They definitely itched that bagel itch I’ve had since starting Keto. Have you tried boiling them after rising like traditional bagels to get that chewy outside?
I made these yesterday and they came rose wonderfully and bake great, but the yeast taste is quite strong. Is there something that I can add/adjust to mask the yeast taste? Thank you!
Hi Michelle! Yeasts can vary quite a bit from brand to brand, so feel free to decrease the amount a tad next time 😉 xo!
If you are using inulin powder do you mix it with water first then add to the yeast?
What is inulin maple syrup? Or is it just inulin powder?
Best keto bagel recipe that I’ve tried so far! Tastes like a whole grain bagel. Kudos to you for coming up with this recipe! So easy too!
Is there any substitute for the cider vinegar? I have interstitial cystitis and cant tolerate it.
Thank you
I have an eye for spotting good recipes. Your site is PACKED with them!!!
A suggestion. Have you tried letting your dough rise in a bowl once or twice before shaping and final proof, punching down after each rise? It would give the yeast more time to develop flavour and would give you more control over the time of the final rise.
Would love to hear your thoughts. =)
How did they turn out with letting it rise twice
I just made these and OMG…. I won’t have to worry about missing traditional bagels again! Thanks Paola!!!
My absolute pleasure Danielle, so awesome to hear! xo!
Looks great, a question: what do you mean by “or more almond flour in tablespoons” as a replacement for whey protein which I don’t have?
Thanks
Hi Maria 🙂 I understood the comment to mean if you’re using almond flour instead of whey, add it by tablespoons…maybe one at a time until the dough gets thick and forms a round, in step 4? Hope thats right! 🙂
I tend to second guess most every breath, so I use my meat thermometer to ensure the water added to the yeast is the right temp…and it works perfectly every time! 🙂 Thanks so much, Paola…you’ve made low carb SUCH a gift…instead of a “diet”!
I absolutely LOVE these bagels! I make a batch (plain or blueberry or sometimes both, if I have to share!) every weekend!
I’ve never gotten them to rise as much as they do in the picture – I’m still “learning” yeast. But they taste wonderful! So easy to make.
I bought both cookbooks and I’m working through the recipes.
Thank you so much for your support!! I would just try and play with a warmer temperature during proofing 😉
Can you let me know if flaxseed or psyllium husk is better, or what difference does it make? If I use the flaxseed, will the bagel be purple (I noticed you said psyllium husk would prevent purpling).
Also, what are the differences to be seen between using Whey isolate powder vs more almond flour?
Thank you! Excited to make these!
Hi Catharine! Just follow the recipe as stated, as all ingredients serve their purpose and substituting doesn’t give the exact same results. Certain brands of psyllium turn breads purple, golden flaxseed doesn’t. xo!
The recipe as written actually isn’t clear on flaxseed meal or psyllium husk powder. In the ingredients flaxseed is listed first, but in the written instructions psyllium is listed first! So both seem to be possible substitutions. Which is actually what you prefer to use in this recipe? Thanks!
If the eggs,are 2 different ingredients.eggs then whites. Do i whip the egg whites. Or just crack 2 rm temp eggs and put in the bowls.
You need one whole egg plus 2 whites.
Is Whey isolate the same as Whey protein powder?
If it reads isolate yes
These turned out gorgeous, divine smelling and looking like real bread! On to the taste test- oh holy man! So so incredible it’s hard to believe! Thank you for your effort to make these for us, you are my hero Paola! I have your cookbooks but you NEED, no, DESERVE a physical book!
I can’t use almond flour. Would this work if I sub the almond flour with oat fiber and coconut flour?
Try sunflower seed flour…
Turned out great! Thank you.
My pleasure!
Oh, yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm . . . I finally have something to slather butter on. I put off making these for a while because I was a bit scared. Ha! I laugh in the face of my fear now. I actually used a doughnut pan and they were great. I ate two and now I want to curl up and have a nap . . . .I feel like the cat that got the cream. Thank you, Paola. x x x x
I use a donut pan too! These bagels rock!
These were great! We proofed for nearly an hour. They came out a bit bland, so the everything seasoning was definitely nessesary.
The size: they came out small, like mini bagels. But we thought they were perfect. The finger hole in the middle didn’t need to be more than the diameter of a thumb.
WOW! I just made these bagels and they are so good. I followed the recipe/directions exactly (also let me dough rise for 60 minutes). These are fluffy and not eggy at all. I ran out of TJ’s bagel seasoning so I added Italian seasoning instead. I let them cool like instructed, and then toasted it and had one hell of a sandwich! Thanks so much for this amazing recipe. DELISH!!
I made these today. They are wonderful!!! Thanks for all your work.
I made these exactly as written using the flax instead of psyllium. I used 1/2 tsp salt. My baking powder was aluminum free.
They rose perfectly (I set my oven to the lowest temp while I mix ingredients and once it hits the temp I turn off and then place in the warm oven to rise. I did the rise for the full 60 minutes.
They are great but I think they have a slightly too strong yeast flavor that ends with a bitter note. I am going to try with half the amount next time. I am also going to up the salt to the 3/4 tsp and add 1 tsp powdered sweetener because I think they are bland and missing that slightly sweet note wheat has. It will not make them sweet but maybe add flavor and cut the bitterness of yeast.
It is amazing to be able to eat a yeast raised low carb product. The yeast flavor is too strong to eat plain but is masked in a sandwich or with cream cheese. It is GREAT to be able to eat a low carb bread not made with tons of eggs and cheese.
Thank you for all your hard work creating these recipes.
The bitterness you’re getting may be from the flaxseed! I make these with psyllium powder and love them! I did end up using half the amount of yeast the first time I made them because I was almost out of yeast, and they were good but a little denser than I like! Toasting helped, of course.
So these are better than any other grain-free bread recipe I’ve tried. The texture is pretty good. However, while they aren’t eggy, they also don’t taste like much. I think I might try to make cinnamon raisin bagels or some other flavor that involves more seasoning in the dough itself to see if that helps.
Paola, made your pizza crust last week and it was fab. So i needed to try thr bagel recipe too. OMG!!! I have found my slice of keto heaven in these bagels. I made them Sat a.m. in time to have bagel, cream cheese, salmon and capers for lunch. I seriously almost cried…I have not had a bagel since MAY last year!! These are a game changer!!!!