Get into the fall spirit with these soft and chewy pumpkin bagels! They're yeast-free, filled with pumpkin spice flavor, and made gluten free. Topped with a cinnamon sugar topping, these delicious bagels make the best breakfast item everyone will love!
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Whether it's smothered in cream cheese, melted butter, peanut butter, etc., it's hard to pass up a batch of fresh bagels. While picking up bakery style bagels is one of my favorite weekend morning activities, you can also easily make the soft and chewy bakery staple right at home in no time!
These aren't just any homemade bagels though. These pumpkin spice bagels are based off my popular gluten free everything bagel recipe but with a little fall flavored twist. The moisture of the pumpkin actually makes these bagels even softer! You don't have to be a pumpkin lover either, just a little is used with pumpkin spice to add some subtle pumpkin flavor.
Check out my gluten free and vegan pumpkin cinnamon rolls and my vegan chai scones for more fall baking treats!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cassava flour - This is my go-to gluten free flour for anything dough related. I use it in my pumpkin biscuits and my almond milk crepe recipe.
- Tapioca flour - Used to add some fluffiness to the bagels. Swap with arrow root starch if desired.
- Pumpkin - Make sure to use real pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient on the back of the can should be pumpkin.
- Eggs - These help bind the dough together and ensure the bagels rise in the oven.
- Coconut sugar - Just a little is used to provide subtle sweetness to the bagels. Substitute with white sugar or light brown sugar if needed.
- Butter - Melted butter is used to add some moisture to the dough and create chewy bagels. Use melted coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil instead if desired.
- Pumpkin pie spice - A fall baking staple! Use ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves to make your own if you want.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Bagels
You will need a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer with the paddle or dough attachment to make the bagel dough. Make sure you have a clean flat surface to work with the dough and a pot to boil the bagels before baking them in the oven.
Step 1 : Mix the dry ingredients. In your large bowl, add the cassava flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, and pumpkin spice and mix to incorporate.
Step 2 : Add the wet ingredients. Next add the pumpkin puree, eggs, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and melted butter. Mix well into the flour mixture until a large ball of sticky dough forms. It's best to do this with a paddle or dough hook attachment if using a stand mixer.
If mixing the dough by hand, use a wooden spoon until the dough begins to form. Then transfer the dough to a flat lightly floured surface and begin working the dough into a smooth ball.
Step 3 : Form the bagels. This recipe will make 4 large bakery style bagels or 6 regular-sized bagels. Slice the ball of dough in half and then each half either into thirds or just in half again for larger bagels.
Take a piece of the dough and roll it in between the palms of your hands to form a ball. Then press down slightly to flatten it out and use your thumb to create a hole in the center of each ball. Repeat this process with all the dough pieces.
Step 4 : Boil the bagels. This part seems odd but it's entirely necessary. This is what gives the bagels an extra chewy texture on the inside.
Fill a large pot of water a little over halfway full with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and slowly lower a bagel into the boiling water with a slotted spoon and allow it to boil until it floats to the top. This can take about 20 - 40 seconds. The longer the bagels boil, the chewier they will be.
Transfer the bagels to a baking sheet with parchment paper once they are done boiling.
While the bagels are boiling, mix together the pumpkin pie spice and coarse cane sugar in a small bowl.
Step 5 : Bake! Brush each bagel with a quick egg wash (optional), and sprinkle the pumpkin spice sugar mixture on top of each bagel. Bake the pan in the oven until the bagels look fluffy and golden brown and bounce back when you touch them. Keep in mind, these bagels will be chewy and very soft right out of the oven. The exterior will harden a little a get crispier after the bagels come to room temperature.
How to Serve
These pumpkin bagels are best served about an hour after they have come out of the oven. This is when they will be the chewiest and freshest. I also like to slice them open and pop them in the toaster for a minute or two right before enjoying so the edges get even crispier.
Here are a few spread options to add to your bagels:
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Apple butter
- Pumpkin butter
- Honey
- Pecan butter
How to Store
These sweet bagels are best enjoyed fresh, the same day they were baked. However, if you have a few left over you can store them in an airtight container out on the counter. They will keep for a day or two but will lose some of their chewiness with time.
When ready to enjoy, warm the bagels up in the microwave for a 15 seconds to soften them up.
Expert Tips
- Form equal-sized bagels. When cutting the dough, make sure to slice them into equal pieces so they require the same amount of time to bake in the oven.
- Don't skip the boiling part! I know it seems unnecessary but this is what gives the bagels that crispy outer layer so the middle stays nice and soft.
- Be careful not to over bake. The bagels will look shiny and very soft in the oven. As they cool down the outside will harden up a bit and get crispy.
- I highly recommend toasting the bagels when ready to enjoy! This will give them a little bit of a crunch around the edges, just like at the bakery.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need to boil the bagels before baking them to ensure a soft and fluffy inside. This allows the outer layer of the bagel to get crispy so the inside remains chewy.
Yes, swap the melted butter for dairy free butter or use meted coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil.
Check out these recipes for more pumpkin recipes:
PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!
Recipe
Pumpkin Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup cassava flour
- ¾ cup tapioca flour
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ⅓ cup pumpkin
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoon butter - melted
- 2 tablespoon almond milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment or dough hook, add the cassava flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and pumpkin spice. Mix well to incorporate.
- Add the pumpkin puree, eggs, melted butter, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla to the bowl and gradually mix into the flour. If using a stand mixer, keep the speed on low. If mixing by hand, use a wooden spoon to mix until the dough get’s too thick to easily mold. Then transfer the dough to a clean flat surface and continue to work the flour into the dough until a large ball forms.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the dough in half. Then slice each hand either in half, if making 4 large bagels, or in thirds, if making 6 smaller bagels.
- Take a piece of dough and roll it in between the palms of your hands into a ball. Use your thump to poke a hole in the middle to form a bagel shape. Repeat this process with the remaining dough pieces.
- Boil a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, drop the temperature to medium-high and drop the bagels into the pot with a slotted spoon (don’t overcrowd the pot, I did 2 at a time). Allow the bagel to boil in the pot for 20 - 40 seconds until it floats to the top. The longer it boils the chewier the bagel will be.
- Transfer each boiled bagel to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each bagel with an egg wash (or use melted butter or oil).and sprinkle each one with the pumpkin spice sugar mixture. Bake in the oven for 14 - 18 minutes until the bagels have risen and bounce back when you press the bagel. The bagels will be very soft and may look wet when you pull them out of the oven. The exterior will get crispier as they cool down and the sugar will crystalize on top.
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