There’s nothing quite like a warm, freshly baked bagel, and this homemade Pumpkin Oat Bagel recipe brings that cozy bakery feeling right into your kitchen. These bagels strike the perfect balance between sweet and savory, boasting a soft, chewy texture that’s infused with the comforting flavours of pumpkin and spice. Despite their gourmet appeal, they are surprisingly simple to make. Following a few straightforward steps—making the dough, letting it rise, giving the bagels a quick water bath, and baking them to golden-brown perfection—you’ll create a delicious treat that’s perfect for a crisp autumn morning or a lazy weekend brunch. This recipe is entirely dairy-free, with easy options for vegan and gluten-free variations.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredibly Soft & Chewy: A mix of bread flour and all-purpose flour creates the perfect bagel texture—chewy on the outside and tender on the inside.
- Easy to Make: Don’t be intimidated by yeast! The steps are simple and rewarding, whether you knead by hand or use a stand mixer.
- Perfect Fall Flavours: Warm spices and real pumpkin puree deliver a delicious taste of autumn in every bite.
- Healthier & Versatile: These bagels are baked, not fried, and are completely dairy-free. With simple swaps, they can be made vegan or gluten-free to suit your dietary needs.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you need to create the soft, chewy dough for these pumpkin oat bagels:
- Flours: A combination of organic all-purpose flour and organic artisan bread flour is the secret to the perfect texture. Bread flour’s higher protein content provides structure and chew, while all-purpose flour keeps them soft and tender.
- Rolled Oats: Thick-cut or old-fashioned rolled oats add hearty texture and flavour.
- Instant Yeast: You will need one standard packet (2 ¼ teaspoons). Instant yeast doesn’t require activation in water before being added to the dough.
- Pumpkin Puree: Use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, for authentic flavour.
- Plant-Based Milk: Unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, or your preferred dairy-free milk works perfectly. It should be warmed slightly.
- Sugars: A mix of brown sugar and cane sugar adds a hint of sweetness and helps to feed the yeast.
- Spices: A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice provides the classic warm spice flavour.
- Vanilla Extract & Sea Salt: For flavour enhancement and to help tenderize the gluten.
- For the Water Bath: Water and maple syrup (or barley malt syrup) are boiled to cook the bagels before baking, which helps create a shiny, caramelized crust.
- For Topping: An egg wash (or a vegan alternative) and a sprinkle of rolled oats.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flours, oats, sugars, yeast, salt, and spices. Add the warm milk, pumpkin puree, warm water, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the Dough: Increase the speed to medium and knead for 15-20 minutes. The dough should become smooth, shiny, and elastic. (If kneading by hand, mix ingredients in a large bowl, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 20 minutes.)
- First Rise: Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape the Bagels: Gently punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out to a 1-inch thickness. Use a doughnut cutter to cut out the bagel shapes. Alternatively, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roll each into a ball, and poke a finger through the center, stretching the hole to about 1.5-2 inches wide.
- The Water Bath: Bring a large pot of water with maple syrup to a boil. Gently place 2-3 bagels into the boiling water at a time. Cook for 1 minute on each side. Use a spider skimmer to remove the bagels and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Second Rise: Brush the tops of the boiled bagels with an egg wash (or a vegan alternative) and sprinkle with rolled oats. Let them rest and rise for another 10-15 minutes.
- Bake: While the bagels are rising, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake the bagels for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Let them cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Tips for the Best Homemade Bagels
- Warm, Not Hot, Milk: Ensure your milk is just warm to the touch. If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast, and your bagels won’t rise properly.
- The Importance of Kneading: Don’t be afraid to knead the dough thoroughly. For bagels, developing the gluten is essential for achieving that signature chewy texture.
- Why the Water Bath is Crucial: This step is non-negotiable for authentic bagels. Boiling the dough gelatinizes the starches on the crust, which creates a beautiful shine and a chewy exterior. The sugar in the water helps with caramelization and browning in the oven.
- Overnight Rise for More Flavour: For a more developed, complex flavour, you can let the dough complete its first rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these gluten-free? Yes, you can substitute the flours with a high-quality, 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
What are the best egg wash alternatives for a vegan option? For a vegan version, you can brush the bagels with a mix of almond milk and maple syrup, aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas), or melted vegan butter.
How do I store homemade bagels? Store the cooled bagels in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, slice them and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. After kneading, you can let the dough rise in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This slow fermentation will also enhance the flavour.
Conclusion
There is a unique satisfaction that comes from slicing into a warm, chewy bagel that you’ve made from scratch. This Homemade Pumpkin Oat Bagel recipe demystifies the process, offering a straightforward path to a delicious and comforting treat. The wonderful combination of hearty oats, sweet pumpkin, and warm spices makes them an unforgettable autumnal delight. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a simple snack, these bagels are a rewarding baking project that is sure to become a new favourite.
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Homemade Pumpkin Oat Bagels
Satisfy your morning cravings with these irresistible Homemade Pumpkin Oat Bagels! Enjoy the warm and comforting aroma of freshly baked bagels in your home with a hints of pumpkin and oat flavors!
- Total Time: 2hours 10minutes
Ingredients
BAGELS:
2 ¼ cups organic all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups bread flour, organic
1 cup organic rolled oats
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1 ½ cups unsweetened Almond milk, at room temp. (You can use whole milk or any plant-based milk of your choice)
3 Tbsps organic cane sugar
1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
¼ cup warm water
¾ cup organic pumpkin puree, room temp. (NOT Pie filling!; See POST for homemade option)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Homemade pumpkin spice blend
WATER BATH:
2 quarts water
4 Tbsps pure maple syrup (You can also use barley malt syrup)
EGG WASH:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon unsweetened Almond milk (You can use whole milk or any plant-based milk of your choice)
Instructions
TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
Combine yeast and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and slowly pour in warm water while stirring frequently. Allow 10 minutes for the mixture to sit and for the yeast to activate.
Add in the room temperature milk to the yeast mixture and whisk until well combined. Add in the pumpkin puree and vanilla, whisking to incorporate.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, oats, cane sugar, pumpkin spice and sea salt and add them to the wet ingredients and mix on low-speed until well combined and everything begins to form into a dough-like consistency, about 2-3 minutes.
Change “Mixer head” to kneading accessory and knead dough for 5-10 minutes on high speed until dough ball becomes smooth and elastic and dough springs back when lightly pressed together with 2 fingers. NOTE: If dough is still too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until texture is achieved!
Lightly grease a large bowl with a small amount of olive oil and place the dough ball in the bowl, tossing it around until coated. Cover with plastic wrap (or a towel) and let sit for 1 hour, allowing the dough to rise and double in size.
ROLL + CUT DOUGH:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. NOTE: Be sure to change your oven rack to the middle for best results when baking.
Add a bit of flour to a surface and place the risen dough onto it, lightly adding a bit of flour to the top. Using a rolling-pin, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape—-approximately 9″x14 and ½-inch thick. NOTE: Try not to make the dough too thin or else your doughnuts will be thin and a little hardened once fried.
For the easiest method: using a donut cutter (about 3.5 inches), cut out circular shape and place them unto a flat surface with parchment paper to avoid them from sticking to surface or each other. Repeat until all bagels are cut out.
ADD BAGELS TO WATER BATH:
In a large pot, add the water and maple syrup (stirring together) over medium-heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and add 3-4 bagels at a time (as long as it fits without touching), and let them sit for 1 minute before flipping on their opposite sides for another 1 minute. Using a skimmer, transfer the cooked bagel from the water bath unto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels are cooked and transferred to baking sheet.
BRUSH BAGELS + DO A SECOND RISE:
To make the egg wash, whisk together the egg + milk in a bowl. Brush the tops of cooked bagels with egg wash and sprinkle with a bit of oats until covered.
Let the bagels rise again for another 15-20 minutes or so, until they increase a bit more in size.
BAKE THE BAGELS:
Once the rolls have increases again in size, bake them for approximately 20 minutes in the preheated oven. NOTE: Be sure to check on them after about 15 minutes to ensure that they aren’t getting too brown too fast. Then transfer the rack to the bottom and bake for another 8-10 minutes.
Once done, remove from oven and allow bagels to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
To serve, slice and toast your bagels, and add your favorite topping(s), and enjoy!
Notes
STORAGE:
Homemade bagels can be kept fresh at room temperature when tightly wrapped or sealed for a few days (2-3 days). Fresh for up to 1 week in the Refrigerator. Baked rolls can be frozen up to 3 months. To freeze, simply add cooled bagels to parchment paper, wrapping them individually and then to a freezer-safe ziplock or container before adding them to your freezer. NOTE: Be sure to label with the current date so that you can keep track of their freshness.
FLOUR:
If you don’t have bread flour, you can always just use all-purpose flour (or vice versa) entirely instead, however, bread flour gives it more a denser “bagel texture”. Bob Red Mill’s has a great option for both flours!
SERVING SIZE:
This recipe makes 8 standard size bagels. For a larger batch, simple double ingredients.
VEGAN OPTION
: To make these bagels vegan, simply use a vegan ‘egg’ wash instead.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION:
To make these bagels GF, I recommend using a GF Flour Blend (Bob’s Red Mills has a great version!). NOTE: If the batter is too ‘thin + runny’, simply add additional GF flour, ¼ cup at a time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 servings
- Calories: 236kcal
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 378mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0..4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 23mg
