Stop buying dry bagels! Making homemade and easy gluten-free, vegan bagels is so much better! You get to enjoy them while they’re super fresh, and customize them however you want! These yeasted bagels are boiled and baked to create the best texture, so have fun making them!
If this bagel recipe speaks to you, watch the whole how-to video to guide you along the way. View it once, get the ingredients ready, and then watch it again right before you’re ready to start! If you have any questions, please ask them here in the comments below or directly in the YouTube video comments!
Can’t wait to get your feedback on this bagel recipe—it’s a good one! For a bread dough that doesn’t include xanthan gum, corn starch, legume flour, oil or refined sugar, these bagels are impressive!
NEW details! I tested more variations (yeast-free, GF sourdough) for this bagel recipe. Keep reading!
Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Bagels
Yes, another gluten-free, vegan bread recipe by Fresh is Real! I keep creating them because they are highly requested, and I love developing recipes that people want!
Who doesn’t want a nice soft bagel to enjoy fresh or even toasted with the favourite toppings? These Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Bagels make the perfect sandwich as they don’t fall apart.
Tools
To make this Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Bagels recipe you will need:
- Small bowl(s)
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen scale (if you want to weigh your ingredients)
- Large mixing bowl (clear glass is great)
- Bench/Dough Scraper
- Large pot with lid
- Large slotted spoon
- Flat soup bowl or plate
- Sifter or sieve
- Spoon(s)
- Baking sheet
- Timer
- Plastic wrap, clean tea towel or plate
- Unbleached parchment paper
Boiled & Baked Method
I feel that boiling the bagels first helps to develop the softest crumb. And baking them in a hot preheated oven help increase the rise just a little more.
Again, for a gluten-free, vegan bread bagel that doesn’t have xanthan gum or other not-so-great ingredients, these are pretty darn delicious!
Great for Beginners
Here’s a glance of the simple process to make this easy recipe. It’s a wonderful yeasted dough that is great for beginners!
You can also watch the helpful step-by-step YouTube video below!
YouTube How-To Video
Please watch the recipe video, get your ingredients ready and then watch it again to help guide you while making the bagels.
More Baking Options:
Yeast-Free and Gluten-Free Sourdough Bagels
I tested some variations for this Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Bagels recipe. This post includes the details for the yeasted version because it was the best, in my opinion, and I hope it will be yours too!
If you can’t consume active yeast, or if you would like to incorporate some gluten-free sourdough starter in place of the dry commercial yeast, please continue reading for the results of my boiling and baking experiments.
If you look at the above picture, you’ll notice that the darker ones on the left were boiled and baked. The lighter ones on the right only included baking time, hence the pale colour.
Yeast-Free
The top row (A) did not have active dry yeast but did include some gluten-free baking powder. If you were to try this option, including 4 teaspoons of baking powder would help the texture for sure.
Even though this gorgeous dough mixture did not include yeast (active or wild), it was left to rest for 2 hours. I would recommend doing the same if you were to try it yourself. Giving the dough some time to sit lets all the ingredients bind together a little better for handling and shaping the dough into bagels.
If you follow a yeast-free diet for health reasons, this option is pretty great too!
Gluten-Free Sourdough
The bottom row (B) included some gluten-free sourdough starter. The dough mixture was lovely with the starter, but once boiled and baked, the crumb was tight.
If you’re considering this option, include at least 1/2 cup of active starter. Try to play around with the rising times.
For this test, the sourdough version rose for 2 hours to help with the texture. This option requires more experimentation with rising times.
Ideally, you want to let the dough rise in the bowl for a few hours before shaping them and maybe even a little after you shape the bagels. Next time I would test at least 6 to 8 hours in total.
Boiling & Baking Method
In a pinch, if you can’t boil the bagels first, they will be pretty good if strictly oven-baked.
Keep in mind that boiling them first creates the best texture and amazing darker caramel brown colour. The bagels also look much better when initially boiled. The bake only method creates a drier exterior crust, even when spritzed with a mist of water before baking.
The Best Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Bagel
- #1 – Yeasted (Boiled and Baked)
- #2 – Yeast-Free (Boiled and Baked)
- #3 – Yeast-Free (Baked)
- #4 – Sourdough (Boiled and Baked)
If you can make the yeasted ones first, they create the best gluten-free, vegan bagels. I was pleasantly surprised that all the variations worked.
The yeasted ones are the best fresh and are equally excellent toasted.
All the other yeast-free and sourdough versions were better toasted.
A Bagel Recipe for Everyone
Even though this bagel recipe is free of wheat, eggs, dairy, nuts, peanuts, corn, legumes, refined sugar, oil and xanthan gum—it’s great for everyone!
If you are baking for someone with food sensitivities or allergies, please make sure that all your ingredients are certified gluten-free.
For anyone with a nut or peanut allergy, read the package labels. Each ingredient should clearly say if it was packaged in a facility free of, some or all, top allergens. If you’re not sure, find another brand that includes this information.
Also, if you’re baking for someone that is severely allergic to certain ingredients, it might be best to bake in their kitchen as it will already have dedicated utensils and baking tools.
Questions Before You Start?
The best way to ask your recipe questions is in the comments of this post (scroll to the bottom) or the Facebook group.
The group is a great place to ask allergen-friendly baking questions, get tips, inspiration and share recipes! Join our amazing and friendly Gluten-Free Vegan Baking by Fresh is Real Facebook Group!
More Yeasted Bread Recipes
Below are more yeasted gluten-free vegan bread and baked recipes for you to check out!
To clarify, yeasted means including dry active commercial yeast to a bread recipe.
- Gluten-Free Vegan Bread Machine Loaf
- Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Soft Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
Previously on FiR
If you haven’t seen it yet, I recently updated the ever so popular Buckwheat Sourdough Loaf (picture above) recipe on Fresh is Real.
If you can’t consume regular yeast, this gorgeous sourdough contains beautiful wild yeast.
You can make a natural, gluten-free sourdough starter in the comfort of your own home. It’s pretty amazing and fun!
Recipe: Buckwheat Sourdough Loaf
Did You Make This Recipe?
Once you try this recipe, remember to take a picture and share it with us on Instagram Tag it @Freshisreal_ #freshisreal
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Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Bagels
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (+2-hr rising time)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: +/- 3 hours
- Yield: 8 bagels 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Boiled & Oven Baked
- Cuisine: Plant-Based, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergen-Friendly
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Learn how to make boiled and baked Easy Gluten-Free and Vegan Bagels! With a few key ingredients, you can make delicious soft yeasted style bagels in the comfort of your own home. Get a partner to help— these are fun to make! Watch How-To Video!
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons active yeast (7g)
- 1 tablespoon organic unsulphured molasses*
- 2 tablespoons whole psyllium husk (14g)
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 cup homemade hemp milk (or plant milk)**
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour (120g)***
- 1/2 cup oat flour (50g)
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour (65g)
- 1/2 cup arrowroot starch (60g)
- 1/2 cup potato starch (70g)
- 1/2 cup teff flour (70g)
- 1/2 tablespoon fine grey sea salt (8g)
Bagel Toppings (Optional):
Sesame seeds, sea salt, onion flakes, garlic powder, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts
Everything Bagel Recipe:
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds (white or black)
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon onion flakes or garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Please watch the how-to video before you begin to help you make these bagels.
Step 1
Before you start, make sure to measure (or weigh) all the dry ingredients.
Step 2
Combine the psyllium husk, yeast, warm water and molasses in a medium bowl or measuring cup and gently mix. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Step 3
If you plan to make homemade hemp milk, you can do so now by combining 1/3 cup of hemp hearts (seeds) with 1-1/4 cups of water in a small blender. Blend until smooth and strain (with a nut mesh bag or fine sieve) into a bowl or a 2-cup measuring cup to remove larger leftover bits. You can discard the pulp. Set aside until Step 5. The hemp milk should be nice and white and creamy in texture.
Step 4
Place a sifter overtop a larger mixing bowl—I love using a clear glass bowl when making bread dough. Sift your dry ingredients to avoid little clumps. Remove the sifter and mix the dry ingredients.
Step 5
You can go ahead and mix the yeast mixture (Step 2) before you add it to the large bowl of dry ingredients as the molasses will most likely sink to the bottom. Add the yeast mixture and hemp milk to the dry ingredients bowl. You want to mix everything until all the dry and wet ingredients are well incorporated. We don’t want to leave any dry bits of flour. After a few minutes of mixing the dough by hand, the dough should feel stretchy and sticky.
Step 6
Cover the bowl and let your dough rise in a warm area for 2 hours. The mixture should grow a couple of inches in height or even double in size. Please read Step 7.
Step 7
At the 1.5-hour mark, line a cookie sheet (min. 11×17-in) with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 400° F.
At the 2- hour mark, bring a large soup pot of water to a boil on medium/high heat. Don’t overfill your pot with water, leave some space to accommodate for the weigh of a few boiling bagels.
After the 2-hour rise, transfer the dough from the bowl to a clean, flour-dusted countertop or flat surface. Brown rice or buckwheat flour is excellent for dusting. Dust the dough with some flour as well. Pick up the dough and let it stretch a bit then fold it a few times. You might need to add a little flour in between each stretch and fold. With the help of a large kitchen knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. You can weigh each piece to make sure they are similar in size but it’s not necessary.
Gently stretch, fold and roll each dough piece into a ball. You can dust each piece and your fingers with some more flour to prevent too much stickiness. With a finger poke a hole in the middle of each dough piece. Make sure to stretch the hole enough as the dough will expand when boiled and baked. Watch the how-to video if you need some guidance.
It’s important to note that the size you shape your bagels will most likely remain throughout the boiling and baking step. So if you like a thicker bagel, shape it to be thicker. If thinner flatter bagels are better for you, stretch out the bagel dough to be wider and a litle thinner. Continue to shape each dough ball, while your water is getting hot, and place them on your parchment-lined baking sheet.
TIP: If your water is already boiling you can turn down the heat until you’re ready or turn it off if this step is taking you a little longer.
Step 8
Boiling the bagels is simple and a lot of fun. Before you start, make sure that your water is boiling and place one bagel in the pot of hot water to practice. For the next turn, you can boil up to 3 at a time if you wish (if your pot is large enough). Drop the bagel into the hot boiling water. Be careful it might splash, and the water will be hot! The bagel will most likely sink. Please wait until it floats to the top (about 20-30 seconds). Once it pops to the top, boil each side for 30 seconds. Set a timer; it’s helpful! With a slotted spoon, remove the bagel from the water and return it to the cookie sheet.
TIP: If you are adding seeds to your bagels, doing so while they are hot and wet works well. You can dip each top to a flat bowl or plate filled with seeds, or you can sprinkle each top sparingly if that’s what you prefer.
Step 9
Once all the bagels are boiled and placed on the baking sheet, you’re ready to bake the bagels. Transfer the bagels to your preheated oven and bake them on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Flip each bagel and bake them for another 5 minutes. Remove the bagels from the oven. You can leave them on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool! Once the bagels have completely cooled, go ahead and enjoy one fresh!
Notes
STORAGE TIPS: The bagels will keep on the counter in a plastic bag, glass container or wrapped in a clean tea towel for 1 to 2 days. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days. You can slice them before freezing them if you wish to keep them for longer.
It is important to note that if you want to use psyllium husk powder instead of whole psyllium, please use less. One tablespoon of powder will be enough or else your dough will become a big blob.
*The molasses is what gives these delicious bagels their incredible flavour. If you don’t have molasses or you’re not sure about using 1 tablespoon of molasses, you can reduce the amount to one teaspoon or try using maple syrup for a milder flavour.
**Making homemade milk for this bagel recipe is worth it! Hemp hearts (seeds) are full of nutrients and creates a lovely soft texture for gluten-free, vegan bread. You can consider using store-bought plant milk, but please note that many include gums or other preservatives. I did not test this recipe with different types of plant milk. If you don’t have hemp seeds, try making another kind of seed or nut milk with ingredients you have at home.
***The buckwheat flour I use in my recipes is light in colour, texture and flavour. You can mill GF buckwheat groats if that’s all you have, it works well. Use a small blender or spice/coffee grinder to grind the groats into a fine flour.
Chantal, thanks so much for doing the “heavy lifting” developing GF recipes. I’ve been playing with the sourdough bread recipes and have had success!
Question about this bagel recipe: What do you think if I added baking soda to the water when I boil the bagels? When I made bagels with wheat flour I would add baking soda for texture and look. Is there a downside to this when making GF bagels? THANKS SO MUCH!
View CommentHi Bobbie! The bagel recipe is a great one! I hope you try it! In the yeast-free test for this bagel recipe, I did use GF baking powder which includes baking soda. I did not test adding baking soda to the boiling water. I was too afraid of how the GF dough might react in the water with baking soda. The boiling process works well without baking soda. If you do try it, please come back and let us know how it did. You could always test most of the batch without, and for the last few bagels, add baking soda to your water to test the difference. Take notes and see what happens. Experimenting is the way to go if you’re curious and don’t mind trying! Have fun!
View CommentWe loved making these bagels! Not only were they easy to make with Chantal’s clear instructions, but they tasted delicious! We now make them every week and double the recipe. We sub teff flour for oat just because we didn’t have any around and it worked great.
View CommentHi! I’m thrilled that you made the bagels! They’re so fun to make! And I’m happy that you subbed an ingredient with success! Thank you for your comment and rating!
View CommentHello!
We made this recipe last night, and I loved it.
Just one quick question.
I saw that in your video the bagels sunk in the boiled water and after a little while they float, but mine didn’t sink at all! So, I was not sure how long I had to leave them in the water.
I left them until my heart told me it was right haha
They turned out pretty delicious, anyway!
I am making them again and again!
View CommentHi Angela! Yay! I’m so happy you made the bagels! They are fun to make and even better to eat! As for the sinking/floating part… kind of funny, actually 😉 I feel that a few minutes on each side is sufficient. Thank you for your comment and rating! Ps. Now, I’m hungry for a bagel!
View CommentThese are great but I will say having the ads on the page when I go to print is very very annoying.
View CommentHi Emily! Thank you so much for your feedback! Do you mean the product pictures at the bottom of the recipe card? Let me know, I can take them off! I was trying different product linking methods at one point but I can easily remove them. Chantal
View CommentHi, can I use sugar instead of molasses?
View CommentHi Swati! In this recipe, the molasses helps to create the flavour and a slightly darker colour. It’s not a must to use molasses. You could sub it with sugar if you wish or just leave it out.
View CommentI loved this recipe! I didn’t have arrowroot starch so I substituted it for more potato starch. Mine stuck to the bottom of the parchment so i would recommend maybe spraying the parchment with oil before putting them in the oven. I’d love to see a flavoured dough version!
View CommentThank you so much for trying the GFV bagel recipe and sharing your experience with us! Any suggestions for a flavour you would like? Great job making the bagels, they look so good! (I saw her gorgeous bagels on Instagram 😉
View CommentThis was not a super fussy recipe. I even forgot that the dough should be stickier so I didn’t add any extra liquid, however they turned out perfectly (and I didn’t have to flour my hands or the board). I only measured and did not weigh the ingredients which may have been the reason behind the drier dough. I also live above 5000 ft (~1600 m) and did not adjust for the altitude. They are soft and chewy inside with a nice crust on the outside. I will be making these again!
View CommentHi Krista! I’m so happy that you tried this bagel recipe! Thank you for sharing your feedback with us! It’s greatly appreciated!
View CommentWhat can i replace teff flour with? I have sorghum and millet flours.
View CommentHi! Teff flour helps create the unique flavour and colour but yes, you can replace it with sorghum or millet if that’s what you have. It should be fine for the 1/2 cup. Or increase both the buckwheat and the oat flour by 1/4 cup each.
View CommentQuestion… could I use sourdough starter instead of dry active yeast?
View CommentHi Jennifer! Of course, you can! After you add about 3/4 cup GF sourdough starter to the ingredients, mix everything well and let your dough rise for a few hours in the bowl. Proceed to shape the bagels like in the yeasted version and then consider letting your bagels rise for 1 to 2 hours (maybe more) before boiling and baking them. If not, they will be dense, like in the picture I shared in the post. That picture of the sourdough version was after only 2 hours of rising/rest time for the dough. It wasn’t enough for the naturally yeasted sourdough ones. Does that make sense? They taste good, but they need more time to rise in the bowl and then again after once shaped. Or just try GF baking powder and omit the yeast altogether. That version still needs to rest for 2 hours before shaping, boiling and baking! Let me know what you do decide to try!
View CommentThank you I will definitely keep you posted! I am soooo excited to try. I have another question, I don’t have teff powder, could I omit and use extra brown rice or buckwheat? 🤔
View CommentThis was such an easy recipe. I didn’t have whole psyllium husk so I substituted 1 tbsp psyllium powder instead. They turned out wonderful!
View CommentHi Emily! Thank you so much for sharing your bagel-making experience with everyone! I’m so happy that you tried making this recipe!
View CommentRight now I cannot have oats. Is it possible to substitute in another flour?
View CommentHi Karen! For the 1/2 cup of oat flour, you can replace it with a little extra buckwheat and brown rice flour 😉 Let me know if you do try it!
View Comment