Babka-Inspired Bagels

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These Greek yogurt bagels with a babka-inspired filling of cinnamon, sugar, and chocolate are delicious served for breakfast with coffee or as an after school snack.

Babka is a sweet cake-like bread developed by Polish and Ukrainian Jews many years ago. It’s sort of a cross between a cinnamon roll and sweet egg bread. I decided to try babka’s amazing flavor combo (cinnamon, sugar, and chocolate) with my Easy Bagel Recipe, and it was a hit, especially with the kids! For more healthy bagel recipes, try my Stuffed Bagel Balls, Protein Bagels with Cottage Cheese, and Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket.

Babka Bagel Ingredients

Cinnamon and Sugar for the filling and topping
Flour: Use all-purpose, whole-wheat, or gluten-free flour, like Bob’s Red Mill. You’ll need one cup, but if you have a kitchen scale, you can weigh it for the most precise measurement. It should weigh five ounces.
Baking Powder: Ensure your baking powder is not expired, so it’ll rise.
Salt: I use kosher salt, which has bigger crystals. If you use table salt, use less.
Greek Yogurt: You want thick, non-fat Greek yogurt, like Stonyfield or Fage. If there’s any liquid, drain it first. Regular yogurt won’t work because it’ll be too sticky.
Egg: Beat one egg or egg white and use it as egg wash.
Chocolate Chips: Use mini semisweet chocolate chips for the filling.

How to Make Bagels

Cinnamon Sugar: Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
Prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place parchment paper and spray with oil to prevent the bagels from sticking. You can also use a silpat.
Make the Bagel Dough: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix in the yogurt with a fork or spatula until it resembles small crumbles.
Knead the Dough: Lightly dust a work surface with flour and knead the dough a few times until it’s tacky but not sticky. There should be no dough on your hands when you pull them away.
Stuff the Bagels: Divide the dough into four equal balls. Roll each ball into ¾-inch ropes about seven inches long. Press the rope flat, brush it lightly with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and mini chocolate chips. Press the chips lightly into the dough. Bring the outer sides of the smashed rope up and over to close it over the filling. Join the ends to form a bagel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Topping: Brush the tops of the bagels with egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
Bake the Bagels on the top oven rack for 25 to 28 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Variations

Egg-Free: The egg wash gives the bagels a pretty golden color, but if you’re allergic, omit it.
Dairy-Free: Substitute the yogurt with a thick, dairy-free Greek yogurt, like Kite Hill’s plain unsweetened yogurt.
Sticky Dough? Add more flour.
Not a chocolate fan? Skip the chips and just use the cinnamon sugar.

How to Store Bagels

Store leftover bagels on the counter for one day or in the refrigerator for up to three days. Eat them at room temperature or warm them in the toaster, oven, or air fryer.
To freeze, slice the bagels and wrap them individually with foil or plastic wrap for up to three months. Reheat them from frozen or thaw them in the fridge.

More Bread Recipes You’ll Love

Prep: 30

Cook: 28

cooling time: 15

Total: 1 13

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 bagel

Ingredients

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet. If using parchment paper, spray with oil to avoid sticking.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well.
Add the yogurt and mix with a fork or spatula until well combined, it will look like small crumbles.
Lightly dust flour on a work surface and remove dough from the bowl, knead the dough a few times until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 15 turns (it should not leave dough on your hand when you pull away).
Divide into 4 equal balls. Lightly dust the work surface again then roll each ball into 3/4-inch-thick ropes, about 7 inches long. Press the rope flat, brush very lightly with egg wash, sprinkle each with ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon and sugar mixture and top with slightly less than 1 teaspoon mini chips.
Press the chocolate chips lightly into the dough then bring the outer sides of the smashed rope up and over to close over the stuffing. Join the ends to form bagels.
Brush the tops of each bagel with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Bake on the top rack of the oven for 25-28 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 bagel, Calories: 158 kcal, Carbohydrates: 30 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 2 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 47 mg, Sodium: 473 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 5 g