If you are reading this, then CONGRATULATIONS because you just found your new favorite bagel.
I say this with a little humor, while also being so so so serious about that statement because these puppies are gonna rock your bagel making world after you try them!
As a bagel lover with a sweet tooth, I dreamed this recipe up after hearing about Taylor Swift’s famous confetti cake sourdough loaves and thinking that my equivalent to a loaf of sourdough was most definitely a beautiful spread of bagels with cream cheese, and that I am much more of a cookie person than a cake person. Sugar Cookies are simple but genuinely one of my favorites, so pairing two things I loved just had to make sense — right?? Right!
And not for the weak of heart, these go all in on that concept. I held nothing back. Whereas my typical would be to go a healthier route, I wasn’t gonna mess around with this being deemed “healthy”, especially since I was making them for the holidays. If life is a balancing act, then I can have a gorgeous bagel pastry for breakfast and a salad + protein for lunch and love every second of every bite between the two.
Something I want to mention before hopping full on into this recipe — Don’t be like me and add the sprinkles to the dough itself. You see, I made homemade sprinkles and then thought that would be great to add to the dough. And while it didn’t mess them up and everything turned out just perfectly, it did impact the really smooth bagel dough I was set to have, and will have the next time I make it! Leave the sprinkles for just adding to the top, should you choose. I promise they will still look darling!
These will bake up darker than your typical bagel, but don’t be worried, its a normal aspect to this recipe since we add a sugar cookie style crust to the top with lots of sugar and butter. If you are getting worried that they are baking a little too dark before they are ready to come out of the oven, then feel free to tent it with some aluminum gently laid over the top, that will do just fine to keep it from burning. You can also swap the temperature from 425F down to 400F if you are really concerned and need them to look picture perfect; you will get the same level of rise but with a little less browning that way! I wouldn’t go much lower than that though in the baking process.
But okay, yay! Enjoy your jackpot find, and tell me what you think because I need to know that you are just as obsessed with these as I am! 🙂 Find me on @herbyeater with a quick DM. 🙂
Sugar Cookie Bagels
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook (optional, but recommended)
- Large Pot
- Baking sheet
- parchment
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
Bagel Dough
- 1 cup warm water about 105°F
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Boil Bath
- 8 cups water
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp baking soda
Sugar Cookie Topping
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar (or more cane sugar mixed with Vanilla Extract)
- Optional: sprinkles
Instructions
- Add warm water, instant yeast, cane sugar, and brown sugar to a bowl. Stir. Add melted butter, vanilla and almond extracts, bread flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead by hand for 8 minutes or in a stand mixer for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should feel soft but not sticky; add a tablespoon of flour if needed.
- Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour or until doubled.
- Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a tight ball. Poke a hole through the center with your finger and gently stretch to form a bagel shape.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Bring water, brown sugar, and baking soda to a boil. Boil bagels 30 seconds per side. Transfer to the baking sheet.
- While warm, brush the boiled bagels with melted butter. Mix cane sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla sugar. Sprinkle generously over each bagel.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden, shiny, and crackly with a sugar-cookie crust.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.