Bagel Bombs have been popular for a while and I've been incredibly curious about them! I live in NYC. We're known for our bagels and yep, they are as delicious as you'd imagine BUT I can't find a dang vegan bagel bomb. A bagel bomb is a normal bagel dough but it is shaped in a ball FILLED with cream cheese. I just assumed it couldn't be done. Maybe a vegan cream cheese just won't hold up! Well, I was wrong and I am thankful because these Vegan Bagel Bombs are well, bomb. I cringed writing that. But I'm just going to go with it.
These are freezer friendly which makes breakfast easy! Just thaw overnight then warm them up for a few minutes in the oven and done. These might seem hard to make but it's really easy! All right, let's get busy!
What You Will Need For These Vegan Bagel Bombs
Kitchen Essentials:
A stand mixer with a dough hook is a helpful tool when making bread. But please note that this can be done by hand. To do so, simply knead the dough by hand.
Main Ingredients:
- All Purpose Flour
- Instant Yeast
- Vegan Cream Cheese
- Dried Herbs & Green Onion
Substitutions:
I don’t recommend making any substitutions to the dough itself. This recipe was tested multiple times and this was the best outcome. But the topping is up to you! I used a pre-made everything bagel seasoning and then some with onion but you can make these poppyseed, sesame, garlic, etc! Same goes for the cream cheese. Keep it plain or add more stuff to it!
Products I Used:
- Vegan Cream Cheese: I only recommend Tofutti. Tofutti is oil based but contains tofu so it holds up when placed in the oven. But if you go with an oil based cream cheese like Violife, it'll be an oily mess.
- Dried VS Fresh Herbs: I used dried simply because that's what I had on hand and it was delicious. You can use dried or fresh.
- Bread Flour: You can substitute this with all purpose flour but bread flour is better texturally speaking.
- Instant Yeast: Instant yeast can be added straight in to the dry ingredients so I use instant simply for convenience. But you can use active dry yeast as well but be sure to activate it first.
How To Make The Best Vegan Bagel Bombs Every Time
Spoon and level off the flour! I can’t recommend this enough. Be sure not to over measure the flour or the dough will be dry and you’ll end up with tough dough. Don’t scoop the flour out of the container or bag with your measuring cup, simply spoon the flour in to the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Do not pack the flour in to the cup or bang the cup on the counter. This will make the flour settle and you’ll end up with too much flour.
I always use and recommend instant yeast because you can add it straight to the dry ingredients and skip the extra step of activating it. If you want to use active dry yeast, go ahead but don’t forget to activate it. The most important part of yeast is the liquid temperature. Make sure the water is between 120F-130F or you yeast will either die or never activate. I highly recommend using a thermometer when making bread.
More Bread Recipes You Might Like:
- Garlic Parmesan & Herb Star Bread
- Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Star Bread
- Vegan Cheese Stuffed Naan Bread
- Vegan Garlic Knots
If You Make This Recipe:
Tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I would greatly appreciate if you share your review in the comments below. Don’t forget to add if you made any fun substitutions. Thank you!
Recipe
Vegan Bagel Bombs
Ingredients
Bagel Dough:
- Packet of Instant Yeast 2 ¼ tsp
- 1 ½ tablespoon Organic Sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- 4 cups Bread Flour
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 ½ cups Warm Water heated between 115F-130F
- ¼ + 1 teaspoon Brown Sugar for boiling water + "egg" wash
- 1 ½ tbsps Plant Milk for "egg" wash
For the Filling:
- 8 oz container of Vegan Cream Cheese highly recommend Tofutti
- 2 tbsps Green Onion
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Dill
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Pinch of Black Pepper
- Pinch of Salt
Toppings:
- Everything but the Bagel Seasoning optional
- Dried Onion Flakes optional
Instructions
- Bagel Dough: In a stand mixer, attach the bread hook. Add the bread flour, the packet of instant yeast, 1 ½ tbsps of sugar, and salt. Mix well on low.
- Slowly add in the olive oil and the water.
- Turn the speed up and beat the mixture until the dough comes together and is sticky but doesn't stick to your hands.
- Turn the dough out on to a clean and lightly floured surface. Knead for a few minutes until you have a smooth dough. Lightly oil the bowl and return the dough.
- Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, punch the dough to release the air. Let rest for 10 more minutes.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese: In a medium sized bowl, mix the cream cheese with a spatula until soft. Add in the green onion, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Line a baking tray with parchment. Portion out the cream cheese in to 16 tablespoon sized balls. Place on parchment lined baking tray and pop in to the freezer.
- Make the Vegan Bagel Bombs: Preheat oven to 425F
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and add ¼ cup of Brown Sugar.
- Prepare your vegan "egg" wash by mixing non-dairy plant milk and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar together. Set aside. Prepare your toppings of choice. I chose to use dried onion flakes and everything seasoning.
- Divide the bagel dough in to 16 even pieces.
- Roll each piece in to a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand. Add 1 tablespoon of the frozen cream cheese in the center of the flattened dough. Pinch the edges together and roll in to a ball again. Make sure it's completely sealed so no cream cheese comes out while boiling or baking.
- Continue until all 16 bagel bombs have been filled with cream cheese.
- In batches, add the bagel bombs to the boiling water for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Flipping halfway. Remove from water and place on a parchment lined baking tray. Immediately brush the boiled bagel bomb with the "egg wash" and sprinkle on the topping of choice.
- Continue until all bagels have been boiled, brushed, and sprinkled with toppings. Make sure you leave a bit of room in between each bagel bomb.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool before digging in!
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