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If there’s one thing people tend to miss on a keto low carb diet plan, often times it’s bread. And there are lots of low carb bread recipes on the blog (have you tried the 2-minute low carb English muffins, keto cloud bread, 4-ingredient almond flour biscuits and fluffy white paleo keto bread?!)… but none of them have that chewy bagel quality. I’m hoping that these keto low carb bagels with almond flour fathead dough will fill that void.

(Speaking of filling voids, don’t miss the keto chaffles trend. These waffles can be made sweet or savory, and are super hot in the keto community right now!)

These are probably my favorite way to use fathead dough, though it’s hard to choose just one.

Fathead Dough for Bagels

Creating a low carb bagels recipe has been on my list of plans for months. At first, I entertained the idea of a paleo version with psyllium husk powder – similar to this low carb bread recipe.

I tested the psyllium keto bagels recipe several times. It was difficult to find a balance between having the chewiness you want in a bagel, avoiding the gummy texture that too much psyllium creates, and preventing cracks if you don’t use enough.

Eventually, I convinced myself that the bagels were “good enough”. Despite a nagging feeling that they still weren’t “quite right”, I decided I would post them. I had the pictures ready and everything.

But then I made this fathead pizza crust. And, oh my goodness… you guys, I fell in love. I knew I had to use it to make fathead bagels, too!

The Best Gluten Free Bagels

I couldn’t help but wonder, if mozzarella dough creates such an amazing chewy pizza crust, what other chewy low carb bread recipes could it be used for? I instantly thought of the bagels I’d been struggling to perfect.

Not to mention at least half a dozen other ideas that popped into my head. (I’ll be sharing them with you throughout the year!)

But first, the keto low carb bagels!

When I thought about it, I realized I do already have one gluten-free bagels recipe using coconut flour and mozzarella – these zucchini bagels. But, with the zucchini, only a little mozzarella, and no cream cheese, those are still pretty different from a fathead dough.

Since the other ones were made with coconut flour, I decided make this version into almond flour bagels. I also tried to make them into a fathead bread, but so far that recipe is still in development.

In the meantime, I’m pretty sure these are the best gluten-free bagels ever…

Texture & Toppings for Low Carb Bagels

After playing with the ingredient ratios a bit, these beautiful, golden low carb bagels were the result. And, I am now a firm believer that when it comes to a chewiness, mozzarella fathead dough totally trumps psyllium dough.

Both the flavor and texture is so much better!

The fathead dough for these gluten-free bagels has a bit less mozzarella compared to a traditional Fathead pizza dough. They also have baking powder added to help them rise.

These keto bagels will only work if you mix the dough very well. It needs to be completely uniform, without pieces of almond flour separate from areas of cheese. You may need to knead, reheat a little, and knead some more to accomplish this.

Other options to make it easier include a hand mixer, stand mixer, or food processor. Chilling the dough can also help if it’s still too sticky to work with even after mixing well.

I topped my bagels with a light sprinkle of sesame seeds, but feel free to use any toppings you like. Or use none at all, if you want simple.

(Update: I’ve had lots of people tell me that Everything But The Bagel seasoning is ah-mazing. After trying it, I have to say I agree!)

Either way, they’re puffy, fluffy, and chewy – just like a real bagel. I’ll consider that a success!

Tips & Tricks for Fathead Keto Bagels

I love seeing all your pictures of these keto bagels on Instagram and in our Facebook support group! For the most part, it looks like many of you love fathead bread as much as I do.

For anyone having trouble, I want to help! So, below are a few of my best tips for making these low carb bagels.

Handling Sticky Fathead Dough

This is the most common issue. It gets worse if the temperature in your home is warm, or if your hands are very warm/hot. These tips can help with this:

Chill the dough. Popping the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes will make it less sticky. Cover your hands in oil. This is my favorite trick. Wash your hands first if they are already sticky, then add a little oil (I like neutral avocado oil) and you can work with the fathead dough much more easily. Make sure the dough is actually mixed well. The fathead dough is a lot more sticky before it’s completely uniform. If the cheese starts to solidify before the dough forms, you may need to reheat gently for a short time to soften it again. Don’t over heat to avoid cooking the egg. Once it’s warmer, knead and squeeze rapidly between your fingers to try to get it uniform. After that you can try tips 1 and 2 above before forming the bagels.

Using a Food Processor or Stand Mixer

If kneading the fathead dough manually is too difficult, make it easier by using a stand mixer or food processor! Both will work fine.

On a food processor, use either the dough blade or the S knife blade. When you add the cheese, push it down toward the blade to help the dough form.

I find that I now use my food processor more often when making fathead dough. However, when I do, using oiled hands or chilling the dough seems to be more important than when I did it by hand.

Keto Bagels Not Cooking Through

I haven’t heard this too often, but there have been a few reports of the keto bagels browning on top and remaining raw inside. Usually this might happen if the bagels are made too thick or your oven temperature runs a little hot.

The inside does continue to cook a little as they cool down. I recommend letting the low carb bagels rest for a bit to cool a little before eating them right away.

If you have this problem despite this tip, you can try covering the top with foil and continuing to bake the bagels for a few extra minutes. If you know your oven runs hot, you can try a slightly lower temperature and either the same or slightly longer cook time.

Low Carb Bagels Not Rising Properly

This issue is the hardest to troubleshoot, but usually not a deal breaker. Sometimes the keto bagels just spread instead of rising.

Unfortunately, it’s not always avoidable. One culprit to double check is your baking powder – make sure it’s extra fresh.

Other than that, form your bagels fairly tall and leave a large hole, because they will expand both upward and sideways. Leave plenty of space between them, too.

Finally, don’t worry too much about this. Even if they spread more than you planned for, I promise that these are going to be amazingly delicious keto bagels!

Stand Mixer – This stand mixer will work great if you don’t want to knead the dough by hand.

– This stand mixer will work great if you don’t want to knead the dough by hand. Baking Sheet – This is by far my favorite baking sheet to use in the kitchen.

– This is by far my favorite baking sheet to use in the kitchen. Parchment Paper – Using parchment paper to line your baking sheet will prevent sticking.

Keto Low Carb Bagels Recipe with Fathead Dough - Gluten Free:

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