Bagels with Cream Cheese Recipe Morning Staple
There is something profoundly satisfying about a proper bagel. Not the soft, bread-like imposters you sometimes find in supermarkets, but a real, chewy, dense bagel with a glossy, slightly crisp crust. Paired with a generous schmear of cool, tangy cream cheese, it’s a combination that transcends breakfast and becomes an all-day delight. For years, I was convinced that achieving this at home was a baker’s secret, a complex art form best left to the professionals in New York delis. But after much tinkering in my own kitchen, I’ve landed on a method that delivers that authentic texture and flavour every single time.
This is my go-to recipe when I want to make a weekend brunch feel a bit special without spending a fortune at a deli. The process of kneading the stiff dough, watching the bagels puff up in the boiling water, and finally pulling them, golden and gleaming, from the oven is wonderfully rewarding. We’re not just stopping at the bagels, either. I’m also sharing my recipe for a herby, savoury chive and garlic cream cheese spread that takes the entire experience to another level. It’s the little details, like a hint of lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper, that transform a simple spread into something truly memorable.
This bagels with cream cheese recipe is ideal for a lazy Sunday morning, a brilliant bake to share with friends, or even a project to get the family involved with. The shaping part is particularly fun for little hands! Once you’ve mastered the basic technique, you’ll find yourself experimenting with all sorts of toppings and flavourings. Welcome to your new favourite weekend ritual.
Recipe Overview
This recipe will guide you through creating classic, chewy bagels from scratch, followed by a flavourful homemade chive and garlic cream cheese spread. The key to the bagel’s signature texture is a two-part cooking process: a brief boil followed by a bake in a hot oven. I found that letting the shaped bagels rest in the fridge overnight (a cold proof) develops a much deeper flavour, but I’ve included a faster option too. The result is a beautifully dense crumb and a satisfyingly chewy crust, the perfect vehicle for our tangy, fresh cream cheese.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus 1-2 hours proving, or overnight)
- Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
- Total Time: Approximately 2.5 hours (or 1 hour active time with overnight proof)
- Servings: 8 large bagels
- Difficulty: Medium
Why You’ll Love This Bagels With Cream Cheese Recipe
- Authentic Texture and Flavour: We use strong bread flour and a traditional boiling method to achieve that genuine New York-style chewiness that is so often missing from shop-bought versions. The crust is glossy and firm, giving way to a dense, satisfying interior.
- Ready in an Afternoon: While there’s proving time involved, the active hands-on time is minimal. You can have fresh, warm bagels on the table in just a few hours from starting the dough.
- A Wonderfully Flexible Recipe: The toppings are your canvas! Go classic with sesame or poppy seeds, or create your own “everything” blend. The cream cheese is just as adaptable – swap the chives for dill and add smoked salmon, or stir in some finely chopped jalapeños for a spicy kick.
- Great for a Weekend Brunch: There’s nothing quite like the smell of baking bread to gather people in the kitchen. This recipe works beautifully when you want to serve something impressive and homemade for a special breakfast or brunch with family.
- Family Tested: This recipe always gets compliments whenever I make it. My family loves the contrast between the warm, chewy bagel and the cool, tangy cream cheese spread. It’s one of those bakes that disappears almost as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the best results, use a high-protein strong white bread flour, as this develops the gluten needed for that characteristic chew. I always reach for a good quality full-fat cream cheese, like Philadelphia, as lower-fat versions can be watery and won’t give you that rich, luxurious texture we’re after for the spread.
- For the Bagels:
- 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 7g fast-action dried yeast (one sachet)
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 300ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda (for the water bath)
- 1 tbsp barley malt extract or honey (for the water bath)
- 1 medium egg, beaten (for the egg wash)
- Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or flaky sea salt for topping (optional)
- For the Chive & Garlic Cream Cheese:
- 280g full-fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 3 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or grated to a paste
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- A generous grind of black pepper
Marcus’s Tip: Don’t skip the barley malt extract in the water bath if you can find it! It’s a classic ingredient that gives the bagels their traditional malty sweetness and helps achieve that beautiful golden-brown, glossy crust. You can find it in most health food shops or online.
How to Make Bagels with Cream Cheese
The process is broken down into making the dough, shaping, boiling, and baking. While it might seem like a lot of steps, each one is straightforward. We’ll make the cream cheese spread while the bagels are cooling.
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the 500g of strong bread flour, 7g of yeast, 1 tbsp of caster sugar, and 1 ½ tsp of salt. Mix the 300ml of lukewarm water in gradually to form a shaggy, stiff dough.
- Knead the Dough: Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth, firm, and elastic. If using a stand mixer, knead on a medium-low speed for 7-8 minutes. The dough should be noticeably stiffer than a typical bread dough.
- First Proof: Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel or cling film, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape the Bagels: Punch the air out of the risen dough and tip it onto your work surface. Divide it into 8 equal pieces (around 100g each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Poke your thumb through the centre of each ball and gently stretch the dough to form a ring about 4-5cm wide in the middle. Place the shaped bagels on a baking tray lined with lightly floured baking parchment.
- Second Proof (and Optional Cold Proof): Cover the shaped bagels loosely with oiled cling film. For a faster result, let them proof at room temperature for 30 minutes until slightly puffy. For the best flavour, I recommend placing the tray in the fridge to proof overnight (8-12 hours). This cold fermentation really develops the taste.
- Prepare for Boiling: When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Bring a large, wide pan of water to a rolling boil and add the 1 tbsp of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tbsp of barley malt extract. The bicarb helps create the chewy crust, a technique explained well by food science writers like those at Serious Eats.
- Boil the Bagels: Carefully lower 2-3 bagels at a time into the boiling water. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Boil for 1 minute on each side. They will puff up noticeably. Use a slotted spoon to lift them out, allowing excess water to drip off, and place them back on the lined baking tray.
- Bake to Perfection: Brush the tops of the boiled bagels with the beaten egg wash and sprinkle generously with your chosen toppings. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Cream Cheese Spread: While the bagels are cooling, place the 280g of softened cream cheese in a bowl. Add the chopped chives, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together until well combined. For a lighter, whipped texture, you can use an electric hand mixer for a minute.
- Serve: Once the bagels are cool, slice one in half, toast it if you like, and spread it generously with the homemade chive and garlic cream cheese. Enjoy immediately! For a breakfast as satisfying as this, why not try our Maple Pecan Sticky Buns Recipe next weekend?
Tips From My Kitchen
- Temperature Control: Ensure your water for the dough is lukewarm, not hot. Water that’s too hot can kill the yeast, meaning your bagels won’t rise. It should feel pleasantly warm to the touch, like a baby’s bath.
- The Secret Step: Do not skip the boiling stage! This is what sets a bagel apart from a regular bread roll. The hot water gelatinises the starches on the crust, which is what gives it that signature glossy sheen and satisfying chew after baking. I learned that this process, documented since the 17th century in Kraków, Poland, is the absolute key to success.
- Make-Ahead: The overnight cold proof is the perfect make-ahead step. You can shape the bagels the evening before, and then simply boil and bake them fresh in the morning for an effortless special breakfast. The cream cheese spread can also be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Storage: Homemade bagels are best eaten on the day they are made. However, they will keep in an airtight container or bread bin for 2-3 days. They toast beautifully. They also freeze exceptionally well for up to 3 months. Slice them before freezing so you can pop a half straight into the toaster.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large mixing bowl or stand mixer with dough hook
- Baking trays lined with baking parchment
- A large, wide saucepan or stockpot
- Slotted spoon
- Pastry brush
- Wire cooling rack
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-proofing the Dough: If the bagels are left to proof for too long at room temperature, they can over-inflate and will deflate when you drop them into the boiling water, resulting in flat, sad bagels. The cold overnight proof helps mitigate this risk.
- Using Water That Isn’t Boiling: The water must be at a rolling boil when you add the bagels. If it’s just simmering, the crust won’t set properly, and you’ll lose that essential chewiness.
- Using Low-Fat Cream Cheese: For the spread, stick to full-fat cream cheese. Low-fat versions have a higher water content and can become runny and thin when you mix in the other ingredients, failing to give you that thick, luscious spread.
Delicious Variations to Try
Once you have the basic bagels with cream cheese recipe down, it’s so much fun to start playing around. Here are a few ideas that we love in our house.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning: Make your own by mixing equal parts poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion, and flaky sea salt. Sprinkle this on before baking for an intensely savoury crust.
- Sweet Variation: Add 1 tsp of cinnamon and 100g of raisins or dried cranberries to the dough along with the flour. For the spread, omit the garlic and chives and instead mix the cream cheese with 1 tbsp of maple syrup and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Smoked Salmon & Dill: For the ultimate deli experience, swap the chives and garlic in the cream cheese for 2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh dill and 50g of chopped smoked salmon. This pairing is iconic for a reason.
What to Serve With Your Bagels and Cream Cheese
While a bagel with cream cheese is a magnificent thing on its own, you can easily build it into a more substantial meal. Here are some of my favourite accompaniments.
- The Full Deli Platter: Serve the bagels alongside thinly sliced smoked salmon, capers, finely sliced red onion, and fresh tomato slices. Let everyone build their own perfect bagel.
- A Fresh Fruit Salad: A simple bowl of mixed berries, melon, and citrus fruit provides a bright, fresh contrast to the rich and savoury bagel.
- A Good Cup of Coffee: A strong, freshly brewed coffee is the ideal drink pairing for a morning bagel. For a weekend brunch, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice or even a mimosa works wonderfully.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bagels With Cream Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the 500g of strong bread flour, 7g of yeast, 1 tbsp of caster sugar, and 1 ½ tsp of salt. Mix the 300ml of lukewarm water in gradually to form a shaggy, stiff dough.
- Knead the Dough: Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth, firm, and elastic. If using a stand mixer, knead on a medium-low speed for 7-8 minutes. The dough should be noticeably stiffer than a typical bread dough.
- First Proof: Place the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel or cling film, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape the Bagels: Punch the air out of the risen dough and tip it onto your work surface. Divide it into 8 equal pieces (around 100g each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Poke your thumb through the centre of each ball and gently stretch the dough to form a ring about 4-5cm wide in the middle. Place the shaped bagels on a baking tray lined with lightly floured baking parchment.
- Second Proof (and Optional Cold Proof): Cover the shaped bagels loosely with oiled cling film. For a faster result, let them proof at room temperature for 30 minutes until slightly puffy. For the best flavour, I recommend placing the tray in the fridge to proof overnight (8-12 hours). This cold fermentation really develops the taste.
- Prepare for Boiling: When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Bring a large, wide pan of water to a rolling boil and add the 1 tbsp of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tbsp of barley malt extract. The bicarb helps create the chewy crust, a technique explained well by food science writers like those at Serious Eats.
- Boil the Bagels: Carefully lower 2-3 bagels at a time into the boiling water. Don't overcrowd the pan. Boil for 1 minute on each side. They will puff up noticeably. Use a slotted spoon to lift them out, allowing excess water to drip off, and place them back on the lined baking tray.
- Bake to Perfection: Brush the tops of the boiled bagels with the beaten egg wash and sprinkle generously with your chosen toppings. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Cream Cheese Spread: While the bagels are cooling, place the 280g of softened cream cheese in a bowl. Add the chopped chives, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together until well combined. For a lighter, whipped texture, you can use an electric hand mixer for a minute.
- Serve: Once the bagels are cool, slice one in half, toast it if you like, and spread it generously with the homemade chive and garlic cream cheese. Enjoy immediately! For a breakfast as satisfying as this, why not try our Maple Pecan Sticky Buns Recipe next weekend?
Notes
I really hope you give this bagels with cream cheese recipe a try. There’s a special kind of pride that comes from creating these iconic bakes entirely from scratch, and the taste is simply unparalleled. It transforms a simple breakfast into a real event. If you try it, I’d love to know how you get on. Please leave a comment below and let me know what toppings you chose! Happy baking. – Marcus
