Name: High Protein Bagel Bites
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: ½ cup + 4 teaspoons vital wheat gluten; ½ cup + 2 teaspoons all purpose or bread flour; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoon baking powder; 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar; ½ cup water; 5 tablespoons vegan cream cheese (divided); 2 to 3 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning

these high protein bagel bites are not only so easy to make but pack in 37g protein for 4 of them! delicious little bites that are filled with vegan cream cheese and perfect for taking on the go.

high protein bagel bites cross section with vegan cream cheese

the inspiration

Last year I started making high protein bagels. They have quickly become one of my most popular recipes and for good reason. The bagels are delicious, easy to make, and high in protein. So, I figured it was time to add to our protein bagel family.

These protein bagel bites are the perfect size to just pop in your mouth. Aside from being a bit time consuming to just roll them up they are very easy to make. They are also great for meal prep and taking them on the go.

Bagel bites really became popular a few years ago when a company called Bantam Bagels came out with them. While I love the idea of a bagel or a bagel bite I also like to try to get in a decent amount of protein. So, this recipe is the best of both worlds.

ingredients for high protein bagel bites

the ingredients

Vital Wheat Gluten: the main base of our recipe. Vital wheat gluten is the protein that is found in bread. So, of course if you are gluten free or celiac then unfortunately this recipe isn’t for.
Bread Flour/All Purpose Flour: to balance out the vital wheat gluten and give this a more bready feel we need either bread flour or all purpose flour. Either one will work well here. People have also told me they have made the bagel recipe using spelt flour, whole wheat flour, and other flours so you can scroll the comments on the blog post if you’d like to check out what everyone else has used.
Baking Powder: we need this to give rise to our bagel bites.
Salt: to add a bit of flavor and saltiness of course.
Water: this will help to turn all of our dry ingredients into a dough.
Apple Cider Vinegar: the apple cider vinegar helps to also give rise to the dough. You can also use white vinegar.
Everything Bagel Seasoning: this is used to coat the outside of the high protein bagel bites. You can also use sesame seeds, dried minced onion or garlic. Any toppings for your bagels you like!
Vegan Cream Cheese: we will use vegan cream cheese as a filling inside of the high protein bagel bites. You can use any flavor or type. I am partial to Kite Hill chive vegan cream cheese. You can also use my homemade recipe which is very easy to make and add your own flavors to.

where does the protein come from?

The main contributing source of protein is our vital wheat gluten. I was first introduced to vital wheat gluten when making seitan of course. Prior to that I never made anything with it.

However, I have learned that not only is good for making seitan with it is also great for adding into breads and cakes! The crazy thing is that ¼ cup (30g) vital wheat gluten is 23g plant protein and 120 calories. Also, despite having the name gluten in it there are very few carbs as well 4g carbs per serving of vital wheat gluten. A little bit is also coming from the flour and vegan cream cheese.

the dough

The dough for these high protein bagel bites is so easy to make. All you need to do is first combine the dry ingredients. Then, you will add in the wet ingredients and mix it all together to form a dough.

You do not need to knead or boil this dough. Once it has been formed you are ready to divide it into dough balls! This recipe is so easy and the dough will come together with very minimal work.

I divided the dough into 8 and I felt that was the perfect size. When the dough bakes it will puff up. So, even if you are thinking they look a little small don’t worry! They will get bigger. If you want the dough to be perfectly even be sure to use a kitchen scale. Otherwise, you can just eyeball it.

making the high protein bagel bites

Once you have made your dough balls it is time to flatten them. Again keeping this recipe very easy all you need are clean hands! The dough shouldn’t stick to a cutting board or surface but if you are finding it is you can always sprinkle a little flour or vital wheat gluten.

Use the palm of your hand to flatten the dough out to be about a 4 to 5 inch circle. The dough does have a bit of a tendency to shrink back in size due to the vital wheat gluten.

Once you have flattened the dough scoop about 2 teaspoons of vegan cream cheese into the center. Then, fold up the sides to cover the vegan cream cheese and roll into a ball. If you have any holes in the dough do not worry. The dough will bake around it as long as they are giant holes. I had a few holes in some of mine and everything was okay!

baking the high protein bagel bites

After you have rolled them up into little balls you can then coat them in the everything bagel seasoning. Just roll them around in the seasoning and it will stick.

Then, place all the rolled out bagel bites onto a lined baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes at 425°F.

Once they come out they will be the cutest little high protein bagel bites you ever saw!

high protein bagel bites before being baked

why you’ll love this recipe

If you’ve enjoyed the high protein bagel recipe you are absolutely going to love these high protein bagel bites. They are great for meal prep, taking on the go, and fun to customize.

The high protein bagel bites are of course perfect for breakfast or brunch. However, they also make such fun little snacks I think kids would love these.

I love how easy they are to make and all the protein they pack in without needing to use dairy products like greek yogurt or cottage cheese. You also don’t need any dairy-free yogurt or tofu!

flavor variations

There are many ways to play around with the recipe! You can use a different vegan cream cheese flavor or add something you like to a plain vegan cream cheese. Feel free to play around with the seasonings you put on the outside!

I also think it would be fun to fill these with hummus! I wouldn’t recommend using vegan butter as I feel it would most likely just melt inside.

If you wanted to add in flavor to the dough you can try using some dried herbs. You can also make it sweet with organic sugar and ground cinnamon. So, really feel free to play around with the recipe.

high protein bagel bites faq

Is this recipe soy free? Yes.
Is this recipe nut free? Yes.
Is this recipe gluten free? No, and unfortunately there isn’t a substitute for the vital wheat gluten in this recipe.
How long do these last? Up to 3 days in the fridge. You can reheat in an air fryer, oven, or microwave.
Can I freeze these? I didn’t try but I think it should be fine! Reheat in air fryer or oven.
How does this recipe have protein? Thanks to the vital wheat gluten! A little bit from the vegan cream cheese and flour as well.

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