Fast and Easy Grain-Free Almond Flour Bagel Recipe

This post features my fast and easy gluten-free and grain-free almond flour bagel recipe. These bagels are made with nutrient-dense almond flour and taste incredible! You only need a few simple ingredients to pull off this recipe with flying colors. Don’t like almond flour? Try my 5-ingredient gluten-free bagel recipe instead. It’s made with 1:1 gluten-free flour. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

I love bagels and they are certainly a food that just doesn’t taste the same without the gooey gluten protein.

That said, I happen to think my 5-ingredient gluten-free bagel recipe comes close to mimicking the taste and texture of a good old fashioned bagel. The doughy center, crispy outside, and all-around wonderful texture are there with every bite.

However, I had a few readers inquire if this recipe could be made grain free. I played with the recipe and realized, yes, it can absolutely be made grain free with nutrient-dense almond flour. And the results are incredible if I don’t say so myself!

In this post, I’ll show you how to made this delicious grain-free almond flour bagel recipe using only a few simple ingredients and no gluten or grains.

Step #1: Purchase a Donut Pan

The dough for this grain-free almond flour bagel recipe is sticky and it should be baked in a donut pan. I suggest investing in a nonstick 6-cavity or 12-cavity donut pan if you haven’t already.

Step #2: Gather Your Ingredients

You’ll need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe, including:

• 1 cup almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour)
• 3/4 cups tapioca flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 egg whites, divided
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• Everything bagel seasoning topping or sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes – optional

I tried making this recipe with just almond flour, but the texture wasn’t good. The addition of the tapioca flour was exactly what it needed to get the texture just right, and tapioca flour is grain free because it comes from the starchy part of the yucca vegetable.

Please note I also used the Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning because it tastes great. I tested the seasoning for hidden gluten with my Nima Sensor and it tested a-okay.

Step #3: Create Bagel Dough

To create your bagel dough, you’ll want to first combine all your dry ingredients – almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder and salt – in a large bowl. Whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk 1 egg white until frothy, then add yogurt and mix well.

Add yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and mix well. The dough will be sticky.

Distribute dough evenly into the bagel pan, and then smooth the dough tops with a small spatula.

Lightly brush some of the egg white over the top of each bagel and sprinkle with the Everything Bagel topping or other topping of choice (poppy seeds, onion flakes, sesame seeds, etc.). You can also leave the tops plain.

Step #4: Bake Bagels

Place the bagels in a 400º F preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until tops are lightly browned. You’ll know they’re done when they look like beautiful bagels!

Remove the bagels from the pan and allow them to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before enjoying. Do not allow the bagels to cool in the donut pan or the bottoms may get soggy.

These bagels taste amazing fresh out of the oven. Slice, toast, schmear and enjoy!

Of note, I gave my father a bag of these delicious bagels to take home. He loves bagels. He said he preferred these bagels to my 5-ingredient gluten-free bagels (which I made with 1:1 gluten-free flour vs. almond flour). I was shocked!

I imagine he said this because the almond flour adds wonderful moisture to doughy center, while the tapioca starch adds that elasticity or stretch the dough needed. The combination of flours nets one excellent bagel.

Baking with almond flour definitely adds a nutritional punch to your recipes. You can learn more about baking with almond flour in this article, where I talk about the nutritional benefits of almond flour. I also discuss, in detail, how almond flour can be used as a flour substitute in grain-free and gluten-free baking.

Bagel FAQs

Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about this grain-free and gluten-free almond flour bagel recipe:

Can I use a different brand of almond flour? The results may vary depending on which almond flour brand you use. My bagels had the perfect texture with Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour, but this recipe will work well with other almond flours like Honeyville and Wellbee’s. This recipe is quite forgiving.

Can I use dairy-free yogurt? Yes you can, but with one caveat. The consistency of a dairy-free yogurt – and anything but nonfat Greek yogurt – will be different. I tested this recipe with dairy-free almond milk yogurt. The batter was more sticky and I noticed it stuck to the pan a bit more (had to use a butter knife to pry out the bagels). Make sure you grease your donut pan extra well when using DF yogurt. The texture was much more chewy, but still delicious. A bit less bagel-like in taste and texture, but again, still delicious.

Can I make it egg free Yes, it’s okay to omit the egg. The texture may be slightly different, but it’ll still be good.

Do I really need a donut pan? Yes, you need a donut pan to help these bagels hold their shape when they bake and because the dough is sticky. I highly recommend investing in a nonstick donut pan. For $20 on Amazon, you can get two 6-cavity donut pans. You will enjoy making bagels and donuts – the pans will definitely be put to good use in your gluten-free kitchen.

How do I store the bagels? Store the bagels in a zip top bag or sealed container in your fridge for up to 3 days. I personally enjoy a warm bagel the day I make it, then add them to a bag to freeze. I just zap a frozen bagel in the microwave for a few seconds, then slice, toast and enjoy it with a schmear of butter.

How are the bagels best served? They are best served warm, sliced and toasted. The heat will ensure they get that soft and doughy texture you love. Serve them with butter, jelly, cream cheese, or however you enjoy your bagel. It also makes a great sandwich bread substitute. (Or try my easy gluten-free sandwich bread recipe.)

Additional Recipes

Here are three recipes you can enjoy making with your new donut pan:

5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Bagel

Chocolate-Glazed Donuts

Pumpkin Donuts