These Stuffed Bagel Bombs are made with an easy base homemade bagels dough, stuffed with cream cheese, and baked to perfection! The shiny exterior has the chewiest texture, and the center oozes with cream cheese!
Bagels are such a beginner-friendly recipe because it contains very few ingredients, and they're so easy to make. These Stuffed Bagel Bombs use my Homemade Bagels dough recipe. The base dough only has 5 ingredients, and it's more than likely you already have all these ingredients in your pantry. These bagel bites are so versatile. You can stuff them with whatever your heart desires, and coat them with anything!
These bagel bombs are made with a lean dough. Lean doughs contain few ingredients and no fat - flour, water, salt, honey, yeast. They create crispier outer crusts and are easy to make and beginner-friendly. If you want to try making these bagel bombs with an enriched dough, try using my Brioche Bagels recipe.
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♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Homemade Bagels - Have you ever tried making your own bagels at home? It's a lot easier than you think, requires few ingredients, and so delicious! You'll want to make them every weekend!
Chewy - These stuffed bagel are INCREDIBLY CHEWY. They have the best texture from boiling in the honey bath.
Versatile - These bagel bombs can be stuffed with just about anything! Don't like cream cheese? No problem. Stuff them with whatever your heart desires!
Dairy-free dough - Bagel dough is made using a lean dough, which means it contains no dairy. So if you're allergic to dairy, lactone intolerant, or just don't like dairy, then you can enjoy these without the worry, and just stuff the bagels with something you like.
Crowd pleaser - These bagel bites will be everyone's favorite! They're soooo tasty! Make them for a fun Superbowl party, along with Ranch Crackers & Soft Cheesy Zaatar Pretzels.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Bread Flour - I like using bread flour for an extra chew in the bagels. If you only have all purpose flour, you can use that too. You'll probably need more than the recipe calls for.
- Water - Make sure you use lukewarm water so that it activates the yeast.
- Yeast - I love using active dry yeast, but you can also use instant yeast.
- Honey - I use honey to sweeten the dough a little and to feed the yeast.
- Salt - Make sure to add salt, otherwise your dough will be tasteless.
- Cream cheese - I like using block cream cheese and cutting it up, but you can use the tub as well. You can even switch it out with a different stuffing.
- Seasoning - When taking the process shots, I only had Zaatar on hand, which is amazing with these. I've also used Everything Bagel Seasoning and it's delicious. Use what you have and what you like.
- Water - You'll need 10 cups of water. I made my batch in a smaller pot, so I only used 5 cups of water, but you'll end up boiling smaller batches. Whatever works for you.
- Honey - You'll need honey or barley malt syrup, which is what is typically used to make bagels. I never have barley malt syrup and I never really buy it, so I use honey. If you want to go the traditional route, then pick up some barley malt syrup to use.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale - It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Stand Mixer - I use my stand mixer when I make any type of dough, but these stuffed bagels can easily be kneaded by hand.
Pot - You'll need a large pot to boil the bagel bombs before baking.
Baking sheet - A large baking sheet to bake the bagels.
⇄ Substitutions
Flour - If you don't have bread flour, swap it out with all purpose flour.
Yeast - You can use instant yeast instead of active dry.
Sugar - You can use sugar instead of honey in the dough.
✨ Variations
Cheesy Jalapeño Bombs - Mix cream cheese with chopped up Jalapeño and stuffed the bagel bombs!
Sweet Bagel Bombs - Add chocolate, Biscoff spread, hazelnut spread, caramel, or jams in the bites!
Cinnamon Sugar - Coat the bagel bombs in cinnamon sugar instead of everything bagel seasoning.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
Add honey to warm water and mix until combined. Sprinkle the entire packet of yeast on top and let sit for 10-15 minutes until it activates and becomes very foamy.
Step 2
In a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, salt and honey and mix together, then add the yeast mixture and let the dough hook do the work. Knead the dough for 15 minutes.
🎩Trick: You can speed up the proofing a little by placing the bowl of dough in the warmest spot in your house. I like to preheat the oven to 170° F, then turn off the oven and place the bowl of dough in the oven.
Step 3
Transfer dough to greased bowl and let rise for at least an hour.
Step 4
Divide cream cheese into 14 pieces.
💡 Hint: When dividing the cream cheese, I like to create 14 equal sized balls. It makes it easier to fold the dough around the ball of cheese.
Step 5
Once dough has risen, divide into 14 pieces (I like to use a kitchen scale).
Step 6
Flatten each piece and place one of the pieces of cream cheese in the center.
Step 7
Start folding the edges against each other, then pinch it close and flatten the seam so that the cream cheese doesn't ooze out while baking.
Step 8
Boil 10 cups of water with honey. Drop the bagel bombs in the water bath and let sit for 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 9
Roll in seasoning like everything bagel seasoning, Zaatar, or any other kind you want.
Step 10
Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 425° F.
💬 FAQ
You can store them in a ziploc bag or an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, bake at 350 degrees F. for about 5-10 minutes.
Yes, when you boil the bagels, it creates an exterior crust that keeps its shape and prevents it from rising when baking. It also gives the bagels their texture and shine. If you don't boil bagels, you're not making bagels.
Absolutely! Place them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. When ready to eat, pop them in the oven to warm up for 10-15 minutes or you can place them in the microwave for a few minutes. You can even air-fry them to warm them up.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Don't add too much flour - Start with the least amount of flour and work from there. Let the dough knead for at least 10 minutes before adding flour. Depending on your environment, you may need more flour.
Proof in warm spot - You can speed up the proofing a little by placing the bowl of dough in the warmest spot in your house. I like to preheat the oven to 170° F, then turn off the oven and place the bowl of dough in the oven.
Pinch tightly - Make sure to wrap the dough around the cream cheese and then pinch the ends tightly and flatten them out so that no cheese will ooze out.
Don't over boil - Place the stuffed bagels in the boiling water for only 30 seconds. If you leave them in there too long, the bottoms could open up and the cream cheese will ooze out when baking.
❄ Storage
Refrigerator - Because of the cream cheese, it's best to store in the fridge. Place in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and they'll keep for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven at 350° F for 5-10 minutes.
Freezer - Store any leftovers in the freezer for grab & go. Just reheat in the oven at 350° F for 10-15 minutes. To speed up the reheating, you can place in the microwave for 1-2 minutes before heating in the microwave.
📖 Recipe Card
Stuffed Bagel Bombs
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Stand mixer Optional - you can knead by hand
- 1 Pot One that will fit 5 - 10 cups of water
- 1 Large baking sheet
Ingredients
Bagels Dough
- 1¼ cup water 110° degrees (luke warm)
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3½ cups (420g) bread flour may need more
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoon salt
Water Bath
- 10 cups water
- ¼ cup honey
Filling
- 8 oz. cream cheese
Topping Options
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Zaatar
Instructions
- Activate the yeast - Add 1 teaspoon of honey to warm water and mix until combined. Sprinkle the entire packet of yeast on top and let sit for 10-15 minutes until it activates and becomes very foamy.1¼ cup water, 1 package active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon honey
- Make the dough - In a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with a dough hook, combine flour, salt and honey and mix together, then add the yeast mixture and let the dough hook do the work. Knead the dough for 15 minutes. Transfer dough to greased bowl and let rise for at least an hour.3½ cups (420g) bread flour, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 teaspoon salt
- Shape the bagels - cut the block of cream cheese into 14 equal pieces.Once dough has risen, divide into 14 pieces (I like to use a kitchen scale). Flatten each piece and place one of the pieces of cream cheese in the center and start folding the edges against each other, then pinch it close and flatten the seam so that the cream cheese doesn't ooze out while baking.8 oz. cream cheese
- Water Bath & Bake - Preheat oven to 425° F. & Boil 10 cups of water & honey in a pot. Drop the bagel bites in the water bath and let sit for 30 seconds, then flip and let sit for another 30 seconds. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.OPTIONAL: top with everything bagel seasoning or zaatar. Bake for 20 minutes.Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.10 cups water, ¼ cup honey, Everything bagel seasoning, Zaatar
Paige says
These were SO GOOD! I let the dough rise for a few additional hours. Even my picky daughter loved them. They were worth the work!
Hakima says
Thank you so much for the review, Paige! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Kristin says
Seriously amazed at how easy these were to make! I thought it was going to be more tedious than making bagels, and wow even the most intermediate cook/baker could make these. These were awesome - I'm just disappointed I didn't make more : /
Hakima says
Thank you for such a wonderful review, Kristin! I love how easy this recipe is too, and I always wish I had made more! lol