3 Ingredient Bagels

3 Ingredient Bagels are a quick, delicious, and protein-packed breakfast option. These are made with Greek yogurt, flour, and baking powder, no yeast, no kneading, no boiling. They have a great chewy texture, are delicious, a feel-good treat, and so quick to make.

I’m super impressed with these bagels. Just three base ingredients, and some additional optional flavor ingredients. They offer a variety of flavor options that I’ll talk about in the post. I also love that they’re nice and healthy and full of protein from strained Greek yogurt. And, you can bake them in the air fryer or the oven (I have instructions for both).

This recipe was my number one most popular recipe that I published in 2025. Come see all the Most Popular Recipes of 2025.

Easy homemade bagels

I’m totally in love with these bagels. Nice chewy texture. Easy to make. And a great flavor. A little bit of tang from the yogurt. Even my yogurt-adverse husband liked these.

Flour

I like that these bagels call for regular all-purpose flour. It’s an ingredient most every kitchen has, and it helps provide structure for the dough.

Want to swap the AP flour for another kind? Sure, try bread flour for a chewier texture, or use gluten free 1:1 flour in these.

They can also be made with self-rising flour instead of AP flour – you’ll just want to change the amount of the baking powder to ½ teaspoon baking powder instead of 2 teaspoons, and leave the salt out.

Greek yogurt

I had some leftover Greek yogurt from when I made the Everything but the Bagel Dip and I had lots of seasoning. So, these bagels seemed a natural thing to make!

The protein packed Greek yogurt gives these bagels their tender chewy texture, and a nice tangy flavor. Use any plain thick strained yogurt you want – full fat, low fat, non-fat, even Icelandic yogurt. You can even swap the yogurt for blended cottage cheese (and you know I’m a fan of cottage cheese!). You can even use blended silken tofu in place of the yogurt.

You’ll notice that I used nonfat Greek yogurt here. Nonfat dairy products will typically have more protein than their full fat counterparts. This is because producers often add milk solids to non-fat dairy products like skim milk, yogurt, and ice cream. These added milk solids come in the form of non-fat milk powder, which is easily incorporated into the dairy product. This is to enhance the texture and mouthfeel, essentially restoring some of the richness that’s lost when fat is removed, even though the product remains non-fat.

In addition, when the fat is removed from dairy to create lower-fat products, the remaining liquid is more concentrated with the milk proteins, making the protein percentage higher relative to the overall volume.

If there’s liquid on top of the yogurt, drain it before you measure it out.

Baking Powder

The baking powder is the leavening agent in these, giving them a soft and airy crumb. Be sure to use aluminum free baking powder for the best taste. Want to read more about baking powder, check out my baking tips.

Salt 

The salt is an optional ingredient, which I love for people who are on a low-sodium diet. But I do recommend adding it for the best flavor. Breads benefit greatly from salt.

Egg wash

The beaten egg is for brushing on the bagel. Not only does it help the seasonings stick to the bagel, but it makes the top of the bagel a really pretty shiny golden-brown color. If you want the bagels egg-free, you can also use milk or cream as the wash.

How to make

You’ll make the dough by mixing the flour, baking powder, yogurt, and salt (if using) in a large bowl. It’ll make a sticky crumbly dough. Don’t over mix (over mixing can make the dough tough), and don’t worry if it isn’t the prettiest dough you’ve ever seen.

Knead it a few times with your hands to bring it together. Mix just until everything comes together.

If the dough is too soft, add a little more flour, but just add a small amount, about 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, add a little more yogurt. But keep in mind the dough is soft and sticky, and these bagels are rustic.

Coat your hands with a little flour as you work to keep the dough from sticking to them.

Shaping

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll into balls, then roll each ball into a log, about 8 inches long, and form a circle. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Alternatively, you can shape the bagels by rolling each of the 4 pieces of dough into a ball and use your finger to poke a hole through the center. Gently stretch out the center hole to be about 1” wide opening and shape the dough into a bagel shape.

The bagels expand when they bake so make sure they have plenty of room, about 2 inches apart, or they’ll stick together.

You can also wet your hands and smooth out the dough with damp hands after it’s shaped.

Brush each bagel with the beaten egg for the egg wash. This is an optional step, but it makes a really pretty shiny, golden crust. Sprinkle with your favorite bagel toppings and seasonings, like Everything but the Bagel Seasoning.

Oven directions

Bake on parchment paper or Silpat that’s been sprayed with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray on a baking sheet until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Air fryer directions

Gently place the formed bagels in the preheated air fryer basket (they can be placed on parchment paper liners if desired), leaving enough room between the bagels for the to expand, about 2 inches apart. Don’t crowd the air fryer. Cook the bagels in batches.

Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking, until they are golden brown and cooked through.

Remove the bagels from the air fryer and let them cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting and topping them. 

Can I make these ahead?

Yes, these are great for making ahead. The cooked bagels can be stored (see storage below).

You can also make the dough ahead and bake it up as needed (like maybe one hot and fresh air fryer bagel at a time if you want).

Keep the dough in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want to shape the bagels ahead of time, store them flat with parchment paper in between each one. Baking time may take a little longer with cold dough.

Storage

Let the cooked bagels fully cool before storing them in an airtight container or zip top bag. Store them at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for a week. They can also be frozen for longer storage, up to 6 months. I recommend slicing them before you freeze them so they’re easy to toast.

Simply reheat in the oven, toaster oven, toaster, or air fryer.

But, how do they taste?

These are so good. Very similar to store-bought bagels. Chewy texture. Tangy flavor. And these are so much easier than traditional bagels. The slight difference between these and a traditional egg bagel recipe is made up for by how easy these are, and how much more protein they have.

I’ve made them into the most amazing Loaded Stuffed Bagels too!

Serving suggestions

Toast them up and spread with your favorite cream cheese or butter. Try my garlic herb cheese spread, creamy feta cheese spread, Strawberry Almond Cream Cheese, or strawberry balsamic goat cheese spread.

Top them with smoked salmon, sliced red onion, and fresh dill.

Turn them into a breakfast sandwich with eggs and cheese. My favorite breakfast sandwich has avocado, pesto cream cheese, and egg on it.

Make a pizza bagel with pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and your favorite toppings.