Blueberry Bagels
Shake up your breakfast routine with our six-ingredient Blueberry Bagels! Use either fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe and enjoy thick and chewy bagels for days. These freeze well too!
Chewy Blueberry Bagels
After loving our New York Style Bagels, I decided I needed a blueberry version. This recipe was simple to develop after testing my original recipe four days straight! The key to a great bagel is to use more bread flour than you think you’ll need (the dough needs to be stiff) and boil the dough for two minutes.
Blueberries are probably my favorite fruit flavor so these are right up my alley. The purple dough gets baked to a golden brown on the outsides but you get a surprise purple flavor in the insides. Pretty AND delicious!
Craving more blueberry? Try our Blueberry Zucchini Muffins, Blueberry Lemon Pancakes, Blueberry Mocktails, or Blueberry Ice Cream Recipe!
Why We Love This Recipe:
- ONLY SIX INGREDIENTS – Simple ingredients (easily found in your local grocery store) are required for these fresh bagels. Say hello to the most delicious bagels ever!
- THICK AND CHEWY – Make your own bagels and experience the unbelievably chewy texture. An easy breakfast you can be proud to serve to family and friends.
- BLUEBERRY FLAVOR – These homemade bagels have delicious blueberry flavor without artificial flavors or colors.
- FREEZES WELL – We love keeping a large stash of fresh bagels in the freezer at all times. Great for a quick breakfast or as a gift for a friend.
Ingredients Used:
This blueberry bagel recipe uses just six ingredients (plus honey and water necessary for boiling).
- Blueberries – While I used frozen blueberries, you could use fresh ones instead.
- Sugar – Divided (a little to activate the yeast and the rest to sweeten the blueberries)
- Yeast – I always use active dry yeast.
- Water – Warm the water to between 100-110 degrees f.
- Bread Flour
- Kosher Salt
You’ll also need a pot of water to boil the bagels plus some honey (or brown sugar or malt syrup).
How to make Homemade Blueberry Bagels:
NOTE: I prefer to use a kitchen scale to measure the water and flour for this recipe (because it is easy to add too much or too little).
Step 1
Cook the blueberries. Add the frozen blueberries and three tablespoons of sugar to a small saucepan. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, using a fork to mash the blueberries and stirring as you go. Remove blueberry mixture (about 183 grams) to a bowl and let cool slightly.
Step 2
Activate the yeast. In the bowl of a large standing mixer, add the yeast, one tablespoon of sugar, and some warm water (heated to between 100-110 degrees f). Let sit for 15 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and a little foamy on top.
Step 3
Add blueberry mixture. Then stir the slightly cooled blueberry mixture into the foamy yeast.
Step 4
Add remaining ingredients. Attach the dough hook attachment to the mixer and add about half of the bread flour and salt. Start mixer on low and continue adding flour as needed. The dough should be very firm and not sticky.
Step 5
Add dough to bowl. Add some canola oil to a large bowl. Then gently remove the blueberry dough into the bowl and form a nice smooth ball with your hands. I normally grab some dough from the outside and push it inwards toward the middle of the dough, repeating on all sides.
Step 6
Let dough rise. Place a clean dish towel on the bowl and place in a warm place (at room temperature) of your kitchen. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes to an hour (depending on climate etc).
Step 7
Divide dough. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 10 equal shapes (about 115 grams per bagel).
Step 8
Make bagel rounds. Use your hands to form small bun-like shapes but don’t flatten them. Place them on a sheet pan prepped with cooking spray and let rest for five minutes.
Step 9
Add holes. Use your index finger and poke a large hole in the middle of each dough ball. Then gently stretch the dough to make the hole about an inch wide. Place bagel shapes back on the baking sheet and let rest again (for about 20 minutes).
NOTE: The hold will shrink as the dough sits and that’s ok. Don’t keep stretching the dough because it will become overworked and won’t rise as well.
Step 10
Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees f. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 11
Prep water bath. Fill a large pot (I use our Dutch Oven) to about 2/3 full. (Make sure you have plenty of water in the pot.) Add the honey (or use brown sugar or barley malt syrup) to the large pot of water, stir well, and bring the water to a rapid boil.
Step 12
Boil bagels. Add 2-3 bagel shapes (don’t crowd the pan) to the boiling water. They should float to the top. Let the shapes boil for about one minute and then flip to the other side and let boil for another minute. Use a slotted spoon (or a fine mesh sieve) to remove one bagel at a time, shaking off excess water as you go. (I use some paper towel and tap the sieve on top to help remove water.) Set bagels on the prepared baking sheets.
Continue boiling bagels until all are boiled. Also, you can add an egg wash for these but it’s not necessary.
NOTE: You’ll notice that the water in the pot (for boiling) will become dark. That is the blueberry juices and it is normal.
Step 13
Bake. Bake the bagels in the preheated oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown on top. You’ll need to bake about five bagels at a time.
Step 14
Cool. Transfer baked bagels to a wire cooling rack. Let cool.
Storing and Freezing Bagels:
- Store bagels for a day or two on your countertop (stored in a plastic bag or airtight container).
- Bagels freeze very well for up to 3-4 months. I recommend wrapping each bagel in cling wrap and then placing them in a large freezer bag.
How to serve Blueberry Bagels:
- Add a big smear of cream cheese (we love a combo of regular and blueberry cream cheese).
- Add peanut butter and jelly.
- Toast a blueberry bagel and add butter.
Other Breakfast Treats:
- Scones – Try our Chocolate Chip Scones, Lemon Poppy Seed Scones, or Maple Pecan Scones.
- Cinnamon Rolls – How about some Homemade Cinnamon Rolls or a Cinnamon Twist Roll?
- Pancakes – We love our Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes, Blueberry Lemon Pancakes, or Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes!
- Savory – Try our favorite Omelette Casserole or Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, you can substitute instant yeast for active dry yeast. Use the same quantity, but you can skip the proofing step and mix it directly with the dry ingredients.
Yes, either fresh or frozen blueberries are fine to use in this recipe. Just note that the grams may change when you add the mixture to the yeast. So then the flour may need to be adjusted just slightly.
The boiling step sets the crust and gives the bagel its signature chewiness. I recommend boiling each side for one minute.
Yes, bread flour is a high-gluten flour that helps to achieve a chewy texture. I don’t recommend any other type of flour (including all-purpose flour).
Rising allows the yeast to ferment, producing carbon dioxide for a light texture. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, depending on many factors including climate and temperature in your house.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Blueberry Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup blueberries – fresh or frozen
- 1 ½ Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups warm water (354 grams) – 100-110 degrees F
- 5 cups bread flour (570 grams)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook the blueberries. Add the frozen blueberries and three tablespoons of sugar to a small saucepan. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, using a fork to mash the blueberries and stirring as you go. Remove blueberry mixture (about 183 grams) to a bowl and let cool slightly.
- Activate the yeast. In the bowl of a large standing mixer, add the yeast, one tablespoon of sugar, and some warm water (heated to between 100-110 degrees f). Let sit for 15 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and a little foamy on top.
- Add blueberry mixture. Then stir the slightly cooled blueberry mixture into the foamy yeast.
- Add remaining ingredients. Attach the dough hook attachment to the mixer and add about half of the bread flour and salt. Start mixer on low and continue adding flour as needed. The dough should be very firm and not sticky.
- Add dough to bowl. Add some canola oil to a large bowl. Then gently remove the blueberry dough into the bowl and form a nice smooth ball with your hands. I normally grab some dough from the outside and push it inwards toward the middle of the dough, repeating on all sides.
- Let dough rise. Place a clean dish towel on the bowl and place in a warm place (at room temperature) of your kitchen. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes to an hour (depending on climate etc).
- Divide dough. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 10 equal shapes (about 115 grams per bagel).
- Make bagel rounds. Use your hands to form small bun-like shapes but don't flatten them. Place them on a sheet pan prepped with cooking spray and let rest for five minutes.
- Add holes. Use your index finger and poke a large hole in the middle of each dough ball. Then gently stretch the dough to make the hole about an inch wide. Place bagel shapes back on the baking sheet and let rest again (for about 20 minutes).NOTE: The hold will shrink as the dough sits and that's ok. Don't keep stretching the dough because it will become overworked and won't rise as well.
- Prepare for baking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees f. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Prep water bath. Fill a large pot (I use our Dutch Oven) to about 2/3 full. (Make sure you have plenty of water in the pot.) Add the honey (or use brown sugar or barley malt syrup) to the large pot of water, stir well, and bring the water to a rapid boil.
- Boil bagels. Add 2-3 bagel shapes (don’t crowd the pan) to the boiling water. They should float to the top. Let the shapes boil for about one minute and then flip to the other side and let boil for another minute. Use a slotted spoon (or a fine mesh sieve) to remove one bagel at a time, shaking off excess water as you go. (I use some paper towel and tap the sieve on top to help remove water.) Set bagels on the prepared baking sheets.
- Continue boiling bagels until all are boiled. Also, you can add an egg wash for these but it's not necessary.
- Bake. Bake the bagels in the preheated oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown on top. You'll need to bake about five bagels at a time.
- Cool. Transfer baked bagels to a wire cooling rack. Let cool.
Notes
- I prefer to use a kitchen scale to measure the water and flour for this recipe (because it is easy to add too much or too little).
- NOTE: You’ll notice that the water in the pot (for boiling) will become dark. That is the blueberry juices and it is normal.
- Store bagels for a day or two on your countertop (stored in a plastic bag or airtight container).
- Bagels freeze very well for up to 3-4 months. I recommend wrapping each bagel in cling wrap and then placing them in a large freezer bag.
How to serve blueberry bagels:
-
- Add a big smear of cream cheese (we love a combo of regular and blueberry cream cheese).
- Add peanut butter and jelly.
- Toast a blueberry bagel and add butter.
Six ingredients and tastes amazing. I love the blueberry flavor!
Amen!