3-Ingredient Stuffed Bagel Bites

These new 3-Ingredient Stuffed Bagel Bites are going to get me run out of New Jersey! Around here it's a residency requirement to love bagels, and we also run on Dunkins, but since I've stopped buying donut shop stuffed bagel minis, and making them at home, I might be in trouble!

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If you love Dunkin Donuts cream cheese filled bagel minis, you are going to lose your mind over my 3-Ingredient Stuffed Bagel Bites. Made with a simple dough, and full of luscious cream cheese, they require no yeast, no boiling, and can be in your mouth in less than an hour, for a fraction of the cost!

We start with a version of the two ingredient dough that I used to make my quick and easy english muffins, my chewy bagels, and my yogurt flatbread. Then you fill them with balls of cream cheese, add toppings if that's the vibe, and bake them to a golden brown.

❤️ What you'll love about these bite-sized cream cheese filled bagels

• Simple - With just a few ingredients, and no need to wait for yeast to do its job, this is the perfect recipe for busy mornings and novice bakers.
• Great bagel texture - The combo of self rising flour and Greek yogurt creates a dough that bakes up soft and chewy, just like your favorite bagels.
• Customizable - You can leave these plain, or use your favorite bagel toppings; everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and pretzel or flaky salt are my favorites! 
• Portable - No more balancing a cream cheese bagel on your lap while driving. This copycat bantam bagels recipe is perfect for an easy breakfast, to pack for lunch, or for on-the-go snacking. 
• Air fryer friendly - Set your air fryer to 330°F. Spray the inside of your air fryer with nonstick spray and place a dough ball, seam side down, in basket. Air fry for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove bagel bites from the basket, and cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

SO much to remember to pick up at the mega market. Need to borrow a pen so you can write it all down?

See recipe card below for quantities.

NOTE ABOUT GREEK YOGURT

It’s very important that you use a thick Greek yogurt for this recipe. I've used Stonyfield and Cabot, as well as my local store brand, and they all work well. If you use plain (non-Greek) yogurt or your yogurt is runny or has excess liquid in it, it will probably make the dough too sticky, so be sure to allow any visible liquid drain off before measuring out your yogurt. 

It's always easier to start out with a drier dough and add more liquid to hydrate it than the other way around. If your dough looks dry, add more yogurt, one tablespoon at a time, up to ¼ cup, until it comes together as shown in the instructions below. 

What is self-rising flour?

Although similar to all-purpose flour, self-rising flour already contains baking powder and salt, eliminating the need to add either of these ingredients to your recipes. This means you can make light and fluffy muffins, pancakes, waffles, and even old fashioned biscuits quickly and easily.

Making your own self-rising flour

Self-rising flour is quite common in the American South, where we use it to make cornbread and biscuits, and just about everything else. But apparently not everyone keeps self-rising flour in their pantry.

If you don't have self-rising flour, you can make your own. For every cup of self-rising flour that you need, combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour (120 grams) and add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder (7.5 grams) and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt (1.5 grams). If you don't have kosher salt, you can use ¼ teaspoon of table salt. 

For a more classic bagel chew, you can also make your own self rising bread flour, using the same measurements.

Substitutions

Perfect just the way they are, sometimes you have a dietary restrictions that call for a pivot. Here's a few you can make this recipe work for you:

• Gluten-free - Try using a one-to-one gluten-free flour in place of the self rising flour, and adding baking powder and salt to it, as described above.
• Dairy free - To make dairy free, and vegan, stuffed bagel bites, use thick vegan yogurt in the dough and fill them with vegan cream cheese. Also, skip the egg wash and brush your bagel bites with plant based milk, aquafaba, olive oil , or even spritz lightly with nonstick cooking spray before adding any toppings.

Variations

Play with your food. All the cool kids are doing it.

• Flavored - There are a few flavored cream cheeses out there on the market, from fruit flavored, to herb filled. Just make sure to use brick cream cheese, not the kind in a tub, which melts away during baking.
• Sweets for your sweeties - For a sweet version, add some fruit jam or cinnamon sugar to your cream cheese and sprinkle with a little sugar before baking.
• Jalapeno cheddar - Add cheddar and some chopped pickled jalapenos to your cream cheese filling.
• Pizza - Roll a ball of mozzarella cheese in marinara sauce and freeze. When ready to make your bagel bites, wrap a small piece of pepperoni and a frozen mozzarella ball in your chewy bagel dough.

Instructions

Making these cream cheese stuffed bagels is easier than you can imagine:

Step 1: Use a tablespoon or tablespoon scoop, to place dollops of cream cheese onto a baking sheet  lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place into the freezer to harden while you make your dough.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine self rising flour with Greek yogurt until you have a shaggy, clumpy dough. If the dough seems too dry, add more yogurt, 1 tablespoon at a time, up to ¼ cup, until it comes together.

Step 3: Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Step 4: Gather together into a rough ball and knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes, or until you have a soft dough with a smooth surface. Dust the counter, the top of the dough, or the palm of your hands with more flour if the dough sticks.

Step 5: When the dough forms, it should be smooth and only a little bit sticky. Shape into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 15 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 6: Divide into 12 equal portions (about 70 to 75 grams each).

Step 7: Shape each piece into a ball.

Step 8: Flatten a piece of the dough and place a ball of frozen cream cheese into the center.

Step 9: Bring the edges of the dough over the cream cheese ball and pinch closed. Roll on the counter, seam side down, to help seal the dough closed completely.

Step 10: Make an egg wash with a large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water, some milk, or mix more greek yogurt with a bit of water to make a milk consistency. Brush the top of each bagel with your chosen wash.

Step 11: Sprinkle with your choice of toppings, if desired.

Step 12: Place all the stuffed bagels on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until fully browned.

Hint: Check your bagels at 20 minutes, and keep checking every minute or so to catch if any of your bagel bites start to leak. Pull out of the oven and let cool completely. The dough will still be baking from residual heat, so avoid the temptation to bite into one immediately. Plus, that cream cheese is HOT! I just saved your tongue and the roof of your mouth.

Serving suggestions

• Pack them in your kids' lunch box for school, day camp, or a play date.
• Make a couple of batches and serve them as part of a brunch board along with some crispy waffles, fluffy pancakes, blueberry muffins, and all the fresh fruit!
• Serve them in place of toast or biscuits and alongside creamy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon strips!

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