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These cinnamon sugar bagels are a delicious, simple breakfast. Made with flavorful whole grain flour and rolled in cinnamon sugar, these bagels are tasty and satisfying every time.
There’s something so comforting and delicious about cinnamon sugar.
Sprinkled on buttered toast or used to coat cinnamon sugar donuts, it instantly turns a simple treat into something special.
After making onion bagels and chocolate chip bagels, I was itching to try a bagel recipe with cinnamon sugar. It truly is the perfect pairing.
This recipe is especially tasty because it is made with whole grain flour!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Them
- You don’t need a mixer for this recipe! A trusty spoon and a willingness to knead dough is all it takes for homemade bagels.
- Bagels are an easy breakfast and they freeze well, so you can have a quick meal on hand at all times.
- Made without any dairy or eggs, these bagels are vegan-friendly and allergy-friendly!
Bagel Ingredients
- Warm water: Aim for 100-110°F. If it is too cold, the yeast won’t bloom well, and too hot will kill the yeast.
- Active dry yeast
- Whole grain flour: I use freshly-milled whole grain flour for the best flavor. You can mill your own grains or purchase whole grain flour.
- Salt
- Sugar: A little for the bagel dough, some for the boiling water, and of course, a sprinkle for the cinnamon sugar topping!
- Cinnamon: A warm and comforting spice that gives these bagels a cozy flair.
- Baking soda: We’ll boil our homemade bagels in water with baking soda and sugar for that traditional bagel crust.
How to Make Whole Grain Bagels
Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes to activate.
Step 2: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Step 3: Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together. It will be dry and slightly clumpy.
Step 4: Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough for 4-5 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let it rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Step 5: Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles.
Step 6: Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then use your thumb to poke a hole through the center. Gently stretch and rotate the dough to widen the hole to about 1 inch. Set the shaped bagels aside.
Step 7: Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F with two 12-inch skillets inside. While the water is heating, mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon in a small bowl.
Step 8: Once the water reaches a boil, whisk in 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Carefully place 2-3 bagels into the water at a time and boil for 2-3 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Step 9: Remove the bagels from the water and dip one side into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Carefully place them in the preheated skillets, sugar side up. Repeat for the remaining bagels.
Step 10: Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow them to cool before enjoying.
Tips for Success
- If you opt for freshly-milled flour, I highly recommend investing in a good grain mill. Higher-quality mills give baked goods a nice texture, while some mills can produce grainy baked goods.
- Work in batches when boiling the bagels. You don’t want to overcrowd them in the pot of water.
- Give the boiled bagels a shake or let them sit for a minute to remove excess water before dipping in the cinnamon sugar.
- Rise times and bake times may vary because each person’s house temperature and oven are different. Check out the step-by-step photos above and be flexible with the recipe times.
- Feel free to omit the cinnamon sugar and replace it with your favorite bagel toppings. Cheese is always a great choice or you can use everything seasoning like I did in my Greek yogurt bagel recipe.
- Bagels are best eaten with a spread of butter, cream cheese, or nut butter. They are also delicious in eggs in a bagel, though I would skip the cinnamon sugar in that case.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, bagels freeze very well and still taste great. Allow the bagels to cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container. Let the bagels thaw at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before toasting and enjoying.
Boiling bagels in sugar and baking soda water gives them that chewy, shiny outer crust they are known for. It also gives the bagels a nice golden brown color once baked. You can skip the boiling in a pinch, but you might want to brush them with an egg wash so they still have a nice outer crust.
Related Recipes
If you tried these Whole Grain Cinnamon Sugar Bagels or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Whole Grain Cinnamon Sugar Bagels
Equipment
- Large pot
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 4 cups whole grain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 tbsp sugar divided
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp baking soda
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes to activate.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together. It will be dry and slightly clumpy.
- Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough for 4-5 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Return the dough to the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let it rise for 2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then use your thumb to poke a hole through the center. Gently stretch and rotate the dough to widen the hole to about 1 inch. Set the shaped bagels aside.
- Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F with two 12-inch skillets inside. While the water is heating, mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Once the water reaches a boil, whisk in 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Carefully place 2-3 bagels into the water at a time and boil for 2-3 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Remove the bagels from the water and dip one side into the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Carefully place them in the preheated skillets, sugar side up. Repeat for the remaining bagels.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow them to cool before enjoying.
Notes
- If you opt for freshly-milled flour, I highly recommend investing in a good grain mill. Higher-quality mills give baked goods a nice texture, while some mills can produce grainy baked goods.
- Work in batches when boiling the bagels. You don’t want to overcrowd them in the pot of water.
- Give the boiled bagels a shake or let them sit for a minute to remove excess water before dipping in the cinnamon sugar.
- Rise times and bake times may vary because each person’s house temperature and oven are different. Check out the step-by-step photos above and be flexible with the recipe times.
- Feel free to omit the cinnamon sugar and replace it with your favorite bagel toppings. Cheese is always a great choice or you can use everything seasoning like I did in my Greek yogurt bagel recipe.
- Bagels are best eaten with a spread of butter, cream cheese, or nut butter. They are also delicious in eggs in a bagel, though I would skip the cinnamon sugar in that case.
These were so simple to make and turned out perfect! My husband and kids absolutely loved them!
Wonderful! My whole family loves these too!