Air Fryer Bagels - Plain and Everything

Air fryer bagels are the best of two worlds. This air fryer bagel recipe gives you all the flavor of traditional bagels with a crispy outer layer that is just so delicious. Choose between air fryer everything bagels or plain air fryer bagels. You'll find both here in this post!

Bagels are a big favorite in my home. I, my husband, and my son all love bagels. Bagels with lox? Sure. Bagels with cream cheese? Thank you, yes! Bagels with butter or jam? Absolutely. If it's a bagel of any sort, my family and I are all over it.

I've loved these delicious, round bakery treats since I was a kid, and I've never lost that love for them. They've been a part of my family's life since the beginning, as well. One of my son's first and favorite bread items was bagels.

For years, I made bagels the old-fashioned way. If I didn't have time to make them, I'd get them at my local bakery. Then the air fryer was invented and I got creative with almost every recipe I had. From fried chicken to a lighter variation on deep-fried Oreos, I was an air fryer fiend. Then it came to me. Why not make air fryer bagels? That's when I started creating this air fryer bagel recipe.

I love plain bagels and everything bagels, so I made it my mission to create a plain version of this recipe and a variation for air fryer everything bagels. I must say, they are dee-licious.

Air Fryer Bagels

These air fryer bagels have all the great texture and chew that we love about traditional bagels with an air fryer twist. Before you get to that classic interior, you're greeted with an amazing crunch of a slightly crisped outer layer that adds both textural and flavorful depth to each and every bite.

They're perfect plain or with everything seasoning added. However you choose to enjoy them, one thing's for sure—you and your family will keep coming back for more.

A Brief History of Two Bagel Types

Bagels have been a staple in many homes since time out of mind. From plain to everything and even fruit-flavored varieties, we all love our bagels.

But have you ever stopped to think about where bagels come from? I have.

I'm a big of a food history buff in that regard. I like to know where my favorite recipes come from. If that's you, read on because I'm about to talk briefly about where bagels come from and where that delicious everything seasoning originated too.

History of Bagels

Bagels are old. Really old. They first made their way to Poland and other parts of Europe in the 1600s. There is speculation that bagels are related to an ancient Arabic bread product called ka’ak. So they’ve been around for a while.

New York is the home of the most authentic bagels anywhere in the USA because that’s where Polish and Jewish immigrants first settled. Of course, they brought this delicious bread treat with them.

These days, the term "bagel" is extremely loosely used. Basically, anything that has a round shape with a hole in the middle seems to be called a bagel, and while my recipe may not be completely traditional, it is absolutely inspired by the original, and I made sure that his air fryer bagel recipe stayed true to everything that we all love about this tasty baked good.

History of Everything Seasoning

Outside of cream cheese and lox, everything seasoning might just be the most iconic of all bagel treatments. Topped with pretty much everything but the kitchen sink, everything seasoning is one of the most popular toppings for bagels across North America.

And if it weren't for a happy accident in the 1980s, we'd never have had it.

Everything seasoning typically consists of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion flakes, garlic flakes, pretzel salt and pepper. It's all on top of the bagel, not cooked in. So when people talk about an everything bagel, they're simply referring to the topping.

Sometime in 1980, this unique seasoning blend was purportedly created by David Gussin. The idea came to David when he was sweeping up leftover bagel toppings as he was cleaning his oven. According to Gussin, rather than throwing the mishmash of seasonings out, he convinced the store owner to save them in a bin and top bagels with them.

Another staunch claimant to the invention of everything seasoning is Brandon Steiner. As the story goes, Steiner was hired as a night baker at a local bakery. He claims to have invented the first everything bagel in 1973 when he was in the process of making bagels for the coming day.

Although Gussin acknowledges that it's possible that others may have had the idea to combine seasonings before him, he remains adamant that he was the first to coin the phrase "everything bagel."

Air Fryer Bagel Recipe

Today, I'm sharing my delicious air fryer bagel recipe as well as the seasoning that will transform them into air fryer everything bagels. These bagels are quick and easy to make, and they're ready in just a few minutes!

How to make bagels in the air fryer 

It only takes a handful of ingredients to make this air fryer bagel recipe—less than a handful, in fact. You'll only need three core ingredients to make this bagel recipe, and you'll probably already have them all in your kitchen.

The everything bagel seasoning list is equally easy. The only thing you might have to buy at the store is flaked sea salt. All of the other ingredients are basic spice staples in almost every kitchen. Let's take a look at what you'll need.

• Self-rising flour
• Greek yogurt
• Large egg
• Splash of water
• Olive oil spray

Everything bagel seasoning too!

• Poppy seeds
• White sesame seeds
• Black sesame seeds
• Dried minced garlic
• Dried onion flakes
• Flaked sea salt

Instructions

Making these delicious air fryer bagels and the seasoning mix that turns them into air fryer everything bagels is just as easy as the ingredient list. It only takes a few minutes to create both the bagels and the seasoning, making it a great recipe to break out any time you're feeling the urge for a great bagel.

You'll find the complete recipe with amounts and detailed steps in the recipe card below, but this overview will give you an idea of just how easy it is to make this recipe.

Everything Seasoning

There's nothing to making everything seasoning. You literally just mix it all together.

• In a mixing bowl, combine, combine poppy seeds, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, dried minced garlic, dried onion flakes, and flaked sea salt
• Mix this together until well combined
• Sprinkle liberally over the top of your bagel
• Store in an air-tight container in your pantry

See? Easy, right? It's just as easy as it looks.

Bagels

Making these air fryer bagels is only marginally more work than making the everything seasoning. You'll mostly be mixing and doing a little kneading. After that, the air fryer does the work.

• Add the flour and the yogurt to a large bowl and stir them together to form a shaggy dough. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands until it comes together
• Lightly flour a clean work surface and place the dough onto the workstation. Knead it a few times to bring it together into a smooth dough. The dough will be slightly sticky. Cut it into six sections. Roll the sections into six even-sized balls. Roll the balls into a long rope about eight or nine inches long. Pinch the ends together to form a circle
• If your air fryer requires preheating, preheat it now. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the water
• Spray the basket of the air fryer with the olive oil spray. Place the bagels, not touching, into the bottom of the air fryer, you may need to cook in batches. Brush the tops of the bagels with the egg mixture
• Air fry

That's all there is to it. Refer to the recipe card for specific amounts, but honestly, you just read most of the recipe!

Tips and Tricks

This air fryer bagel recipe is incredibly easy to make, but there are a few things to keep in mind when making it so that you get the best bagels possible. Don't worry. With a recipe as simple as these air fryer bagels, there's not much to remember.

Evenly Coat the Air Fryer Basket

It's important to remember to get a nice, even coat of olive oil spray on your air fryer basket. Don't spray until it's dripping, but make sure you cover every part of the basket.

This sweet spot will ensure that your bagels don't stick and that you don't end up with a greasy mess, as well.

can you toast a bagel in an air fryer?

I get asked this question regularly, so I figured I would add it in this post and the answer is of course you can.

Simply, preheat your air fryer to 390 degrees for 5 miutes, add your sliced in half bagels, set timer for 5 minutes, remove from air fryer to rest for a few minutes before enjoying every bite of it!

If you have larger bagels, add a minute or two or if you want one lightly toasted subtract a minute or two. You'll figure out your perfect timing pretty fast. I can almost guaranty it.

My bff Julie sets the temperature to 400 degrees and once heated, uses her air fryer to toast her bagels for 4 minutes. Add another 30 seconds to a minute if darker is needed or  check 'em at 3 minutes for a lighter brown color or a light toast is desired.

Don't Forget the Egg Wash

The egg wash serves two purposes. First, it gives your bagels that nice golden color. Second, if you're making air fryer everything bagels, the egg wash holds all that tasty seasoning on the bagels while they cook. In either case, you don't want to skip this process.

Less Dense Bagels

Don't be alarmed when you find that these air fryer bagels aren't quite as dense as traditional bagels. That's how they're supposed to be. Everything's fine!

How To Get Chewy Bagels 

I think it's important to dive in and talk about the different textures of bagels. Some people like them chewy - others like them crisp. And some people just don't care and want to eat them any which way! 

I've found that to get chewy bagels, it's more about the reheating method once you cook them up in the air fryer. Sure, you can make up bagels and boil them, but you can achieve the same chewy consistency by cooking up this recipe and then reheating them in the microwave the next day.

Just put the bagels on a plate and pop them in the microwave for a few seconds of time. You'll notice that they are less crispy and chewier - which is hopefully the texture that you're after! 

Bagel Toppings to Try

There are so many great topping choices for bagels! You can make every bagel half taste differently! 

Some bagel toppings to consider are:

• Butter
• Cream Cheese
• Salmon and cream cheese
• Cream cheese and chives
• Cinnamon and Sugar

Don't let the last one through you off - you can totally make your bagels taste super sweet, too! I've even added cream cheese and honey with dried cranberries and walnuts for a fun taste! 

Storing Air Fryer Bagels

We all know how we like to enjoy our bagels, so I've skipped right to how to store them. Because let's face it, we want these tasty treats to stay as fresh as possible.

These bagels will keep well in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for between two and five days. You can store them for a day or two longer in the refrigerator, but they tend to dry out.

For longer storage, you can freeze these air fryer bagels in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to three months.

How to Reheat Bagels

More than likely you're going to have bagels left over so don't let them go to waste! If you're fine eating them cold, do so because the flavor is delicious all the same.

But if you're wanting to store and reheat bagels, rejoice in the fact that you have options! 

The fastest way is to pop the bagels in the microwave and reheat them that way. This takes anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute of time and will give you a hot and chewy bagel, ready for your favorite toppings. 

You can also pop these bagels back into the air fryer and heat them up that way. Just be certain to stay close so that you don't burn them as they will heat up fast. Heating the bagels in your air fryer will make them have that crispy outer crunch and a whole different texture than heating them up in the microwave.

Either way is delicious and it just comes down to preference. 

Try These Air Fryer Bagels for Yourself

These air fryer bagels are so good and so easy to make. And when you make up a batch of seasoning, you'll transform them into super tasty air fryer everything bagels. No matter how you choose to serve them, you, your family, and your friends are going to love this air fryer bagel recipe.

With a tasty bagel treat this simple and easy to make, there's no reason not to give it a try. So bust out the air fryer and go to town. You'll be so glad that you did.

Even More Bagel Recipes

If this post has you hankering for more bagel goodness, don't worry. I've got you covered. Try any of the bagel recipes below to get your fill of delicious bagel goodness.

• Smoked Salmon Bagels
• Air Fryer Pumpkin Bagels

Air Fryer Bagels - Plain and Everything Video