This is an easy vegan Homemade Bagels recipe using just a few simple staple ingredients! These buns are dairy-free, egg-free, simple, fluffy and so delicious!

Best Homemade Bagel Recipe
I’ve already made these easy Homemade Bagels so many times because they’re so delicious and perfect for savory and sweet spreads alike! Honestly, I don’t know why I haven’t shared this recipe sooner! I mean, who doesn’t like homemade bagels?
Homemade bagels taste fresher, are cheaper, and you can be sure they contain only vegan ingredients and no unusual additives!
Anyway, these bagel buns are not only vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free but also easy to make! Most of the time is just waiting around for the dough to rise and bake. After making these at home, you will never want to eat store-bought bagels again!

Ingredients for Vegan Bagels
For the bagel dough, you’ll need just 4 ingredients + water and salt. They’re:
- Yeast: Allows the dough to rise. I recommend fresh yeast but instant or active dry yeast will work, too.
- Flour: I usually use all-purpose or light spelt flour, however bread flour makes these homemade bagels delightfully chewy because of its higher gluten content.
- Sugar: To feed the yeast.
- Warm Water: To bring the dough together.
- Oil: For richness and flavor.
- Salt: It’s the key to really flavorful homemade bagels.


How to make Homemade Bagels
Check out this step-by-step guide first, and then find the full recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post!
Step 1: making the yeast dough
I prefer using fresh yeast for this bagel recipe but you can also use instant or active dry yeast. Just consider that the rise time may be longer if using active dry yeast.
You can knead the yeast dough with your hands or use a mixer with dough hooks attached. Once it is kneaded, let it rise for around 45 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. Then punch it down to release any air. Divide into 8 pieces and shape into bagels.






Step 2: How to shape bagels
Shaping bagels is easier than it looks. Simply poke the back of a wooden spoon or your finger through the center of the ball of dough. Then widen the hole to about 1.5 inches, however, it doesn’t have to be perfect (just look at mine).


Step 3: Bagel water bath
Bagels are typically cooked for 30-60 seconds on each side in a pot of boiling water. This not only guarantees that they’ll hold their shape in the oven but it also gives bagels their signature dense, chewy interiors. You could also add some syrup to the water bath which ensures extra caramelization and crisp, giving the bagel its beautiful shine. However, brushing the boiled bagels with non-dairy cream (vegan egg wash) does the same!


Step 4: Add the toppings and bake!
Everyone has a favorite bagel topping, and I am definitely on team everything! My favorites are pepitas, sunflower seeds, sesame, and poppy seeds but you could also leave them plain. Add toppings if you like and bake your homemade bagels!


Serving suggestions
One of my favorite spreads for these bagels is homemade Vegan Carrot Lox or Tofu scramble, Vegan Egg Salad, or Vegan Omelet with fresh dill. These recipes taste just like the traditional salmon lox and eggs but made healthier and vegan! However, you can serve these bagels to your liking, whether you are vegan or not. Add guacamole, cashew dip, pesto, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, or even Vegan Nutella – whatever savory or sweet topping you want!

Make-ahead, storage and freezing instruction
Make-Ahead Instructions
Prepare the dough through step 4, but allow the dough to rise overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let the dough rise for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then continue with step 5.
How to store bagels
Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
How to freeze Bagels
Baked bagels can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Then warm them in the oven or on a toaster, depending on your liking!

These Homemade Vegan Bagels are:
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Easy to make
- Require simple pantry staples
- Soft
- Chewy
- Fresh
- Cheap
- So delicious
- The Best Bagels ever!

More homemade vegan bread recipes to try:
- Vegan Naan Bread
- Buckwheat Chia Bread
- Homemade Tortillas
- Spinach Tortillas
- The Best Pizza Dough
- Aloo Paratha (Indian Flatbread)
If you try these homemade vegan bagels, please leave a comment and rating on how you liked the recipe! And if you take a photo of your buns, please tag me on Instagram @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka, because I love to see your pictures! Enjoy!

Best Vegan Bagels Recipe
Author:Ingredients
Bagel dough
- ½ cube (21 g) fresh yeast 21 g (or 2 ¾ tsp instant or active dry yeast, *see notes)
- 1 ⅓ cups (320 ml) lukewarm water 100-110°F, 38-43°C
- 1 tbsp sugar or syrup
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose or spelt flour or bread flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil e.g. canola oil
Toppings (optional)
- 2 tbsp non-dairy cream for brushing
- grains and seeds e.g. sesame, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas
Instructions
- Note: For the best results, I recommend measuring the ingredients in grams. Simply click on the word "metric" right above the ingredient list. Also, make sure to check the step-by-step pictures above!
- Crumble the yeast into a small bowl. Add ⅓ cup of lukewarm water and the sugar and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes until it begins to foam.
- Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Form a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture and the vegetable oil. Cover the yeast with flour, add the remaining 1 cup of water. Stir to combine and knead everything with your hands (or use a mixer fitted with dough hooks) for approx. 10 minutes, until a smooth dough forms.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise on a warm spot for about 45 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
- When the dough is ready, punch it down to release any air bubbles, then divide it into 8 pieces of approx. 119 g each. Shape the pieces into round balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to rest covered for another 5-10 minutes.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat the oven to 428°F/220°C top/bottom heat (or fan 392°F/200 °C).
- Now use the back of a wooden spoon (or your finger) to press a hole through the center of each dough ball, and carefully widen it to be about 1.5 inches in diameter (if the hole is too small it will close during baking, *see photo above).
- Carefully, place the bagels in the boiling water, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Simmer for about 45 seconds to a minute on each side. Use a slotted spoon to remove them onto a wire rack to drain.
- Place the bagels back on the baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush with a little non-dairy cream and sprinkle with seeds as desired.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 22-25 minutes. Then remove and allow to cool. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yeast: You can also use 2 ¾ tsp instant or active dry yeast (7 g). If using active dry yeast, consider that the rise time may be longer.
- See blog post for make-ahead, storage, and freezing Instructions + further information, including step-by-step photos!
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Super easy to follow recipe! I used instant yeast and should have let the dough rest for a little longer once I separated it into balls, but they still came out amazing, fluffy and full of flavor.
Already looking forward to the next batch!
Awesome! I’m happy to read that! 🙂 Many thanks.
This is the best and easiest bagel recipe ever. It’s so simple to follow and they turn out so fluffy and delicious. You should definitely give this one a try ❤️
Awesome! Thanks so much for making the recipe! ♥️
Even though I wasn’t able to get the shape right the bagels still tasted really good! The only thing I added was sugar in the bathing water. Great recipe!
Great, thanks for your feedback! Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
OMG! Just need a little more practice to have the perfect shape while making the hole, but these are PERFECT! Can see myself years ago in my fav deli in NY. I was dreaming of having this wonderful taste in my mouth again. Plus, I’ve found the perfect cream cheese to put on it!!
THANK YOU, my last attempt was a disaster and I struggled to try another recipe. Yours is just PERFECT!!
Thank you so much! I am so glad that you enjoyed these bagels. ❤️
I did it again today and tagged you on Instagram. I improved in the shaping, I find them perfect. Thank you again, I can’t wait to devore them!!!
Awesome! Thank you so much! 🙂
Wow!
Danke! 🙂 ♡
So easy to make- and so tasty! Added sesame seeds on mine 🙂
Awesome! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
I wish you a great weekend!
Greetings,
Bianca
I’m wondering… My family loves bagels with blueberries, etc. in the bagel dough. Is there a particular spot in the recipe where you would recommend adding berries, or do you think it would be best to leave them plain?
So, SOOOO glad I found your blog!!! 💞
Hi Charlotte,
I haven’t tried to make bagels with fresh blueberries so I can’t recommend anything but you can add dried fruit such as raisins or chocolate chips as I did in my recipe for vegan chocolate brioche buns.
Let me know how your bagels turned out if you give it a try! 😉
Greetings,
Bianca