Homemade Cinnamon Crunch Bagels.
Easiest Homemade Cinnamon Crunch Bagels. For your weekend bagel fix…and every day in between. Made using pantry staples, a good amount of cinnamon, and a touch of sweet brown sugar. These bagels are chewy, extra cinnamony, perfectly sweet, and have a little crunch with every bite. Perfect to make on the weekend and enjoy throughout the week…bagel exquisiteness.
I’ve been on a big breakfast kick the last couple weeks. I go through phases sometimes, and right now I am very much into all the breakfast foods. Last week alone I shared breakfast style potatoes and these (springy) lemon ricotta blueberry pancakes.
But this week? It is all about bagels. More specifically, cinnamon crunch bagels. 100% inspired by the Panera Bread cinnamon crunch bagels I used to love so much as a kid (anyone else?!). I created my own homemade version, and I dunno, I think they might just be better. To be fair, I have not had the Panera version since I was probably 10 years old. So it’s been a while, but, going from memory, I kinda think my homemade version is better.
Why? They have the perfect ratio of chewy bagel, to cinnamon sugar crunch. Meaning, they’re heavy on the cinnamon crunch, and that’s just the way they should be.
Here’s the story.
I’ve actually been working on a good bagel recipe for over a year now. Yes, over a year. I first started the process back in January of 2018. And while I made multiple rounds of plain and sesame seed bagels, I just never came away with a bagel that was truly amazing. I gave up on the bagels sometime in February of 2018. But then January of 2019 rolled around and well…I had the desire to give the bagels another go.
After 4 or 5 rounds, I gave up. Again. It’s not that the bagels were bad, they tasted just fine. But you guys know me, I have my standards. I only like to share the very best recipes with you guys. Because of this I just never shared any of those bagels attempts.
But then I remember that a while back I created a recipe for cinnamon crunch bagels. As soon as I remember that, I knew I had to make a new and improved cinnamon crunch bagel. Because well, what’s better than a cinnamon crunch bagel?
Absolutely nothing.
Well, ok. I think this probably depends on just what you’re in the mood for. If you want a bagel…and you also want something sweet…then there’s nothing better than these bagels.
If you’ve never made bagels, do not fear, they are simple and easy, especially with this recipe.
My trick is to use instant yeast, which makes mixing up the dough super easy, and keeps the rising time very minimal. What’s really awesome, is that these bagels require no fancy ingredients. Just water, yeast, honey, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter.
That’s it. And if you have a kitchen with anything stocked in it, then you most likely have these ingredients on hand.
Mix the dough, let it rise, and then shape the dough into bagels. Meaning, roll into balls, punch a hole through the center of each ball, and create a bagel shape. EASY.
The trickiest part about bagels is the boiling process, which truly isn’t tricky at all. Simply drop the bagels, a few at a time, into boiling water and boil until they float. Boiling the bagels before baking gives them the chew factor, and that classic “bagel” taste.
Now, the key to these bagels is the cinnamon crunch topping. It’s just a simple mix of brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Simply sprinkle the topping over top each bagel before baking. As the bagels bake up, the topping melts and slowly begins to caramelize over the bagel, becoming crunchy.
DELICIOUS.
I do want to note that the cinnamon sugar will fall off the top of the bagel and onto the pan. When this happens, just use a spoon to quickly, and carefully, scoop the sugar up off the pan. Then simply spoon it back over the bagel. This is why it’s important to line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Once the bagels have cooled off slightly (like just not piping hot), be sure to enjoy one fresh out of the oven. These are great smeared with butter or cream cheese, and yes, the leftover bagels are beyond good toasted. These bagels make for a really fun weekday breakfast…or lunch!
So, what are your weekend plans? hopefully bagel making and plenty of chill time. Yep, it’s much needed. See y’all Sunday!
If you make these cinnamon crunch bagels, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Homemade Cinnamon Crunch Bagels.
For your weekend bagel fix...and every day in between. Made using pantry staples, a good amount of cinnamon, and a touch of sweet brown sugar. Perfect to make on the weekend and enjoy throughout the week.
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 packets instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour or pastry flour (or more all-purpose)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Cinnamon Crunch Layer
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Instructions
-
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, yeast, honey, flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, and salt. Knead until the dough comes together, about 1-2 minutes. Cover and let sit in a warm place for 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and place on your counter, using a little more flour if needed to prevent from sticking. Divide dough into 10-12 balls. Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your finger to poke a hole in the middle. Gently stretch the dough until the hole is about 2 inches big. Place the bagel on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Cover the baking sheet lightly with plastic wrap and let the bagels rise for about 15 minutes.
4. To make the topping: In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Stir in 2 tablespoons melted butter.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Lower 2-3 bagels at a time into the water. Boil for 3 minutes then flip to the other side and boil for 1 additional minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bagels from the pot letting the water drain. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until you've boiled all of the bagels.
6. Brush each bagel with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and spoon clumps of the brown sugar mix over the bagels (see above photo). This is going to be your "crunch" layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bagels are golden brown, rotating the pans half way through cooking. Allow the bagels to cool. Slice, toast, eat whole, slathered with butter or cream cheese! Bagels will keep for 4-5 days in a sealed storage bag.
Our Favorite Recipes
Sun-Dried Tomato and Ricotta Turkey Meatballs.
omg! this is pure decadence!
I am so glad you like it Ruth! Thank you! xTieghan
YUM! I have always be intimidated by making bagels.
I hope you try these Charlotte! Thank you! xTieghan
If I were to use all white whole wheat flour, would you change any of the other measurements? TIA!
HI! NO I would not change the other measurements, but using all whole wheat flour might give you a bit of a dense bagel. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Looks really tasty and not too difficult. I wish you would post one for seasame and/or poppy seed version! Love both or all, but always think bagels equals savory (at least for me). Think breakfast egg breakfast sandwiches.
I hope you try this recipe, Joyce! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Please clarify if the topping has two or three teaspoons of cinnamon. In the ingredients you list one tablespoon, and in your instructions you mention two teaspoons. What happened to the other teaspoon? Thanks!
HI! The topping has 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Believe it or not … I’ve never made bagels before. Kinda sad. But, better late than never. And what a wonderful way to start with these Cinnamon Crunch Bagels. I really didn’t understand how simple they are to make. Thanks.
I am so glad you tried these for your first, Linger! Thank you for trying them out! xTieghan
Yes, I used to eat these bagels too. Used to as in yesterday?
I love that! Thank you Jordan! xTieghan
As a New Yorker now living in Oregon, I miss bagels. I’ve been wanting to try making my own, but I have been intimidated. This recipe is EASY, and although they didn’t turn out perfectly (the butter and sugar mix pooled at the bottom of my bagels and stuck – whoops), the flavor and texture are GREAT. I will absolutely be trying this recipe again. I wonder if the base of these bagels could be used and the flavorings just swapped? Hmmm. Thanks for a great recipe, I’ll tag you on Insta!
Hi Samantha! I am so glad you loved these bagels and they turned out well as your first batch! Thank you! xTieghan
I made these yesterday. I halved the recipe because I didn’t have enough yeast to make the full recipe, still ended up with 10 bagels (I think i made mine smaller). But they are so good! I did everything just as the recipe is written (minus the fact that I halved it). I made these when my husband was out running errands, and when he came home he was asking for donuts and I gave him one of these and he said they were better than donuts!
I will definitely be making these again.
One more thing: I tried to toast these in the toaster oven this morning, and I wouldn’t recommend that because the sugar coating got super hot and was difficult to remove from the toaster oven.
I am so glad you all loved these Emily! Thank you so much! xTieghan
So want to make these Wednesday morning, but Will they still be nice, fresh and crunchy the next morning?
HI! The leftovers are SO GOOD. The top is a little less crunchy, BUT just put it in the toaster and it crunches right back up! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I made these this morning and am happy with the results. I have never made bagels before, in fact I had to search for a few minutes to even find the dough hook for the stand mixer. They look great, taste great, but I wonder if I should have cooked them a bit longer. I did extend the cooking time to 35 minutes bacause my oven is never hot enough but I was worried to go longer because I didn’t want to burn the cinnamon-sugar. I think toasting the rest of them before eating them might just make them perfect. While I like the cinnamon-sugar flavour, I’d probably like sesame or garlic better because I’m a savoury girl at heart. Tagged you on instagram! Thanks for the great Sunday morning project.
Hi Karen! Thank you for making these! I am glad they turned out well for you and I hope you love them with some garlic (YUM)! xTieghan
WHOA, my mind is blown. I’ve always wanted to make my own bagels! A hybrid between coffee cake and a bagel sounds really incredible–yours looks freaking delicious! I really want to make this recipe, but I’ll see if substituting sugar for the honey and coconut oil or vegan butter for butter will suffice!
Thank you Cassie! I hope you love this if you get a chance to try it! xTieghan
This is my first time making bagels. I’ve always wanted to since they are hard to find in Spain but never dared because I thought it was difficult. Turns out it’s not! You recipe is both scrumptious and easy to make. Thanks so much for this, Tieghan! This is going to be on my top baking recipes for sure.
Hi Cristina! I am so glad you chose this recipe to make! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I love the cinnamon crunch, these bagels are perfection!
Thank you Laura! xTieghan
Would this work with almond, coconut, or sunflower seed flour and swerve or liquid stevia?
HI! I can’t really say for sure, but honestly I don’t think the recipe would turn out very good with these subs. I am sorry, I wish I could have helped. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I love the Panera cinnamon crunch bagels.. but these!!! I ADORE
I make bread all the time even sourdough, never tried bagels. I guess I thought they would be difficult
They aren’t ! They are delicious! Please folks just try them you will never go back to the factory made ones again! Thank you for not giving up on bagels
Thank you Suzie! xTieghan
Is there another way yo make the dough other than a stand mixer? I don’t have one, and the pregnancy cravings for these bagels is killing my wallet!
Hi Carly! You can mix the dough by hand using a spatula and then hand kneading the dough on the counter for 5-10 minutes until it comes together and forms a smooth dough ball. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made these in my air fryer today and they turned out delicious! And my whole house smells like cinnamon. Thank you for this yummy recipe!
YUM! Thank you for trying these Aly! So glad you loved them! xTieghan
I just tried these and sugar topping melted quite a bit and ended up burning the bottom of the bagels. Any suggestions for next time to prevent this?
Hey Courtney! I am so sorry you had some trouble. Was there anything you did differently at all? Any ingredients different? Method of baking this? Any info will be helpful to help me problem solve and figure out what might be happening for you. It’s hard to know without knowing any details. next time, try using only 2 tablespoons butter for the topping and seeing if that helps. I do have some of the toppings melt off and onto the pan when I make these, but I just scoop it up and put it back on the buns. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope I can help you! xTieghan
hi! (i’m rating it 5 starts because i know it will be good haha) my parchment paper says “oven safe up to 420° not 425 🙁 do you think i can still use it?
HI there! Yes, you can still use the parchment. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ??
Can you freeze these bagels? I want to make them ahead for Christmas.
Hi Dee! Yes, freezing these works very well. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
To get a perfect bagel, taste and texture you need to use high gluten flour and also add malt powder to the recipe. Use a ratio of 1% malt to 100% flour.
Thank you! xTieghan
I made these and they were ok but a little dry in the middle not sure what caused this . The dough seemed a bit dry and cracking while I was forming the bagel shape as well. They were still decent if toasted and a little cream cheese added but just a bit dry. I’m not sure what could correct that.
Hey Robin! It sounds like you used a bit too much flour. Trying using 1/2 cup less flour, then add in additional flour, only as needed, if the dough is sticky. This will ensure you don’t have a dry bagel. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
My topping all went down to the baking sheet.What did I do wrong?
Hey Christine, did you try clumping the topping back on the bagels about halfway through cooking? I have found this helpful if you find the topping it melted off the bagels. Just scoop the topping up with a spoon, then place it back on the bagel, then continue baking.You might want to do this towards the end of baking as well. Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
How much more all purpose flour?
Hi Kristen! It is 2 more cups of all-purpose! So all together 5 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour! Please let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love this! xTieghan
We had fun making these today! My kids and husband love them.
Thank you Sue! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Can you make the dough the night before and let it rise in the fridge instead?
HI! Yes, that will work great!! HI! The kale is added in step 2 and stirred into the sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Hi Tiegan! Would I be able to replace the flour with 1:1 Gluten Free flour? I love all of your recipes btw! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
HI! I have never made this with GF flour so I can’t really say how it will turn out. If
you do try it, I recommend Cup4Cup flour. Please let me know if you have any other questions and how it turns out. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
These bagels look absolutely amazing..
Thank you so much! I hope you try them! xTieghan
Help! I made these and I dont know what I did wrong. They rose beautifully but ended up gummy and undercooked. Adding more time browned them better, but did not help with the gumminess. Where did I go wrong??
Hi Stephanie,
So sorry you had some trouble with the bagels. Was there any leftover water piling up around the bagels before you baked them? If so, make sure the bagels have no water surrounding them by dabbing a paper towel against each bagel to ensure they are dry, then brush with egg and bake! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I made these bagels last night (queue stress baking to self-soothe!) and they are so delicious! I mixed the whole wheat flour I had left in my pantry with all purpose flour and they still came out of the oven tasting amazing.
I was intimidated by the thought of making bagels but this is much easier than anticipated.
We have no bagels in our stores here in New Jersey right now, but I don’t even want to go back to brand name bagels anyway!
Thank you, Tieghan!
Haha well perfect! I am so glad these turned out so well for you Brenna! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Hello! My son is requesting cinnamon bagels and this recipe sounds great however, I only have active dry yeast (not instant). What would you do differently? Same amount but allow a longer rise time? Any help/suggestions would be amazing! Thank you!
Hi Veronica,
You can use the active yeast you will just need to proof in the 2 cups of warm water and then continue with the recipe. I hope you love them and please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Third time’s a charm! I finally got these to work for me! I did make some tweaks to the recipe. For future bakers, I only boiled them for 1 minute on each side. And, I baked at 400 for 20 mins. Oh, and IMO, you can’t swap out the flours. I tried all AP and it wasn’t great! The AP/WF combo turned out perfect, though! Tieghan, it might be helpful for us novice bread makers to show how to work with doughs, even if it’s a separate blog post that’s more of a teaching moment than an actual recipe. Anyway, I’m on my way to perfect bagels! Thanks for giving me the confidence to just go for it! – Lindsey
Hi Lindsey! I am so glad you kept trying until these worked! Thank you so much for trying them! xTieghan
Is it okay to use unsalted butter in the topping? Is there something extra I should do if I use unsalted butter?
Hi Jake,
Yes this is totally fine, I would add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was my first attempt at making bagels. Very pleased with how they turned out! Thanks!!!
Thank you Lorie! I am glad you tried this recipe for the first! xTieghan
Could I use bread flour for the entire recipe? I have all purpose, bread and pastry flour.
Hi Bonnie,
I would use the all purpose flour and the pastry flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These were easy to make! It was my very first time using yeast and making bread. Thanks! I look forward to trying everything bagels next!
I am really glad you decided to try this one! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
The only problem is that the crunch slipped right off the wet dough in the oven. It mustve been a wee bit slimey. yikes. other than that, these bagels were to die for. oooo lala
Hi Grace! I am really glad you liked these. Are there any questions I can help you with? xTieghan
The only problem is that the crunch slipped right off the wet dough in the oven. It mustve been a wee bit slimey. yikes. other than that, these bagels were to die for. oooo lala
This was my first time making bagels and I LOVED THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BIG THUMBS UP!!! God bless!!
Thank you so much Clare! xTieghan
I wish the rise time was put in the beginning of recipe. 50 minutes total time is very deceiving and can no way make them fresh for breakfast in an hour. I made them, and one didn’t come out of water bath, it looked soggy. The crunch topping turned soggy on bottom and somewhat melted on top by next day. They tasted good, though, and might try them again.
Hi Arlene! I am sorry to hear that. Please let me know if there are any questions I can help with! xTieghan
Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I only have active dry yeast (the pandemic is making it hard to find anything else!). Should I use the same amount as called for in the recipe? Thanks so much!
Hi Caroline,
Yes, use the same amount of active yeast and then just be sure to activate the yeast before using it. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these this morning, they’re super easy and yummy! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Thank you for trying this! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This has been the perfect fall break activity for my daughter and me. So delicious!
Thank you Laura! xTieghan
I secretly wish for “more” cinnamon crunch on my panera bagels every time I order them and now I am the cinnamon crunch gate keeper. This was delicious.
Haha love that! I am really glad these turned out so well for you, Denise! Thank you! xTieghan
The caramelized sugar topping is everything I hoped it would be. Thanks for sharing!!
I am so happy you enjoyed these! Thank you Natalie! xTieghan
y’all…this bagel recipe has become a staple! so much cheaper than buying bagels at the store. now i’m wondering why they cost so much! I can usually make 8 large bagels out of this recipe (and they are HUGE). i always forget that this calls for 10-12 (haha). has anyone figured out how to keep the topping from sticking to the pan and everything it touches once it comes out of the oven? 🙂 thanks!
Hey Lily,
I am so glad you have been enjoying this recipe! To store, I would use wax paper or parchment in between the bagel so they do not stick. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi! I made this today – yum! I did have a hard time though after they were done baking – every one was stuck to the parchment paper because the sugar melted down the bagels and hardened at the base of them. This hasn’t happened before when I’ve made bagels – do you have any suggestions on how to make them not stick?! Thanks!!
Hey Alyssa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Try spraying your parchment paper first. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I really wish you would put the weight of the actual flour you used into grams or oz for a food scale. As some one that love to bake and LOVES your blog I wish i had more exact measurements as i do have issues with your recipes when i try to be precise and measure out the ingredients.
Hey Jacqueline,
If you click “metrics” under the list of ingredients, all of the measurements will be converted for you. Hope this helps! xTieghan
This looks amazing. How would you alter to use regular yeast rather than fast rising? Thanks!
Hey Deb,
You will need to dissolve the yeast into the warm water and honey, allow that to bubble, and then continue on with the recipe. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
MADE 1/2 OF THE RECIPE USING THE DOUGH SETTING ON MY BREAD MACHINE AND IT WORKED GREAT! COMPLETED THE RECIPE FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS AS WRITTEN. SAMPLED WHEN THEY WERE SLIGHTLY COOL, BUT TASTE WAS EVEN MORE AMAZING THE FOLLOWING DAY. *NOTE – I LIVE AT 7500FT AND NO ADJUSTMENTS ARE NEEDED FOR HIGH ALTITUDE. THANKS FOR SHARING, TEIGHAN!
Hey Connie,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
How would I adjust the recipe if I use active dry yeast?
Hey Janice,
Just dissolve the yeast in the warm water and honey first, allow that to dissolve and come to a bubble and then you can follow the recipe as is. I hope you love the bagels! xTieghan