Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- Bread flour 4 cups (500 g)
- Warm water 1 1/4 cups (300 g, 105-110°F)
- Instant yeast 2 1/4 tsp
- Brown sugar 2 tbsp; ground cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp; fine salt 1 3/4 tsp
- Optional dough flavor: barley malt syrup or honey 1 tbsp
- Boil: water 3 qts, honey 2 tbsp, baking soda 1 tbsp
- Egg wash: 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk
- Streusel: granulated sugar 1/2 cup, light brown sugar 1/4 cup, turbinado sugar 2 tbsp (optional), all-purpose flour 1/2 cup, cinnamon 2 1/2 tsp, salt 1/4 tsp, melted butter 6 tbsp, vanilla 1 tsp
- Sweet cream cheese: cream cheese 8 oz, powdered sugar 1/3 cup, honey 1 tbsp, vanilla 1 tsp, milk or cream 1-2 tbsp, pinch salt
Do This
- 1. Mix flour, cinnamon, salt; add warm water, yeast, brown sugar, and optional malt. Knead 8-10 minutes until smooth.
- 2. Rise covered until doubled, 60-75 minutes.
- 3. Make streusel; chill 10-15 minutes. Beat sweet cream cheese; chill.
- 4. Divide dough into 8, shape into bagels (holes ~2 inches).
- 5. Proof 20 minutes while heating oven to 425°F and bringing boil (water + honey + baking soda) to a simmer.
- 6. Boil bagels 45 seconds per side; drain well.
- 7. Egg-wash tops, pile on thick streusel, bake 18-22 minutes until deep golden and caramelized. Rest 10 minutes; serve warm with sweet cream cheese.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Kettle-boiled dough for a true bagel chew and glossy crust.
- Thick cinnamon-sugar streusel bakes into a crunchy, caramelized cap that shatters.
- Warm, bakery-style results at home with everyday ingredients.
- Sweet cream cheese spread balances the spice and crunch perfectly.
Grocery List
- Produce: None
- Dairy: Unsalted butter, cream cheese, milk or cream, 1 large egg
- Pantry: Bread flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, turbinado sugar (optional), powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, fine sea salt, instant yeast, honey (or barley malt syrup), baking soda, vanilla extract
Full Ingredients
Bagel Dough
- Bread flour: 4 cups (500 g), spooned and leveled
- Warm water: 1 1/4 cups (300 g) at 105-110°F
- Instant yeast: 2 1/4 tsp (7 g)
- Light brown sugar: 2 tbsp (25 g)
- Fine sea salt: 1 3/4 tsp (10 g)
- Ground cinnamon: 1 1/2 tsp
- Optional: barley malt syrup or honey: 1 tbsp for dough flavor
Kettle Boil
- Water: 3 quarts (12 cups)
- Honey: 2 tbsp
- Baking soda: 1 tbsp
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- Milk or water: 1 tbsp
Cinnamon Crunch Streusel
- Granulated sugar: 1/2 cup (100 g)
- Light brown sugar: 1/4 cup (50-55 g), packed
- Turbinado sugar: 2 tbsp (optional, for extra crunch)
- All-purpose flour: 1/2 cup (60 g)
- Ground cinnamon: 2 1/2 tsp
- Fine sea salt: 1/4 tsp
- Unsalted butter: 6 tbsp (85 g), melted and slightly cooled
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
Sweet Cream Cheese
- Full-fat cream cheese: 8 oz (225 g), softened
- Powdered sugar: 1/3 cup (40 g)
- Honey or maple syrup: 1 tbsp
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
- Milk or cream: 1-2 tbsp, to loosen
- Pinch of fine salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix and knead the cinnamon bagel dough
In a large bowl, whisk bread flour, cinnamon, and salt. In a stand mixer bowl (or another large bowl), stir warm water with yeast, brown sugar, and optional malt or honey. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until a rough dough forms (1-2 minutes). Increase to medium speed and knead 8-10 minutes (or knead by hand 10-12 minutes) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and just slightly tacky. If needed, dust in 1-2 tbsp flour at the end to reduce stickiness, but keep the dough firm.
Step 2: First rise
Shape the dough into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size, 60-75 minutes. While it rises, line two sheet pans with parchment.
Step 3: Make the cinnamon-crunch streusel and sweet cream cheese
Streusel: In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar (if using), flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in melted butter and vanilla until clumps form. Pinch into large pebble-sized clusters. Spread on a plate and refrigerate or freeze 10-15 minutes to firm.
Sweet cream cheese: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, honey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Add 1-2 tbsp milk or cream to reach a spreadable consistency. Cover and chill.
Step 4: Divide and shape the bagels
Turn the dough onto a clean surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces (about 100-110 g each). Shape each piece into a tight ball. Poke a hole through the center with your thumb, then gently stretch and spin to a 2-inch opening (the hole will shrink during proofing and baking). Place on the parchment-lined pans, spacing well.
Step 5: Proof and preheat
Cover loosely and let the shaped bagels proof until slightly puffy, 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Bring 3 quarts water to a gentle boil in a wide pot; stir in 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp baking soda. Whisk the egg with 1 tbsp milk for egg wash.
Step 6: Kettle-boil the bagels
Reduce the water to a steady simmer. Boil 2-3 bagels at a time for 45 seconds per side, turning carefully with a slotted spoon. Drain well and return to the parchment-lined pans. Boiling gives that glossy, chewy crust.
Step 7: Crown with streusel and bake
Brush the tops lightly with egg wash. Mound a thick layer of chilled streusel on each bagel (2-3 tbsp per bagel), pressing to adhere and covering the entire top surface. Bake at 425°F for 18-22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway, until the bagels are deep golden-brown and the streusel is caramelized and crisp. If the topping darkens too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 3-5 minutes. Bagels are done when they reach about 200°F internally and feel set.
Step 8: Cool briefly and serve warm
Cool on the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack for another 5 minutes. Serve warm with generous swipes of sweet cream cheese. The cap should shatter with each bite over a pleasantly chewy interior.
Pro Tips
- Weigh ingredients for best consistency; bagel dough should be firm, not sticky.
- Chill the streusel so it bakes into distinct crunchy clusters instead of melting.
- Press streusel firmly onto egg-washed tops so it adheres through baking.
- Use honey and baking soda in the boil for a glossy, deeply colored crust.
- If shaping by the rope method, roll each piece into a 10-inch rope, overlap ends by 1 inch, and seal with a few firm rolls under your palm.
Variations
- Maple-Pecan Crunch: Add 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans to the streusel and swap honey for maple syrup in the cream cheese.
- Cinnamon Raisin: Knead 3/4 cup plump raisins into the last minute of mixing. Keep the streusel as written.
- Vanilla Glaze Drizzle (optional): Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 tbsp milk and 1/4 tsp vanilla; drizzle over cooled bagels.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Same-day: Keep bagels loosely covered at room temperature up to 24 hours; re-crisp in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes or slice and toast. Make-ahead: After shaping, refrigerate covered for 8-18 hours. Boil straight from cold, top, and bake. Freeze baked bagels: Cool completely, wrap individually, and freeze up to 2 months; thaw at room temp and warm at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Streusel can be made and frozen up to 1 month. Sweet cream cheese keeps 5 days refrigerated.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate per bagel without spread: 430 calories; 9 g fat; 78 g carbs; 10 g protein; 470 mg sodium; 24 g sugars. With 2 tbsp sweet cream cheese, add about 120 calories and 6 g fat.
