Homemade Bantam bagels stuffed with cream cheese taste just like the Starbucks version. Bagel perfection.
how to make homemade bantam bagels stuffed with cream cheese
You know what my latest Starbucks obsession is? Surprisingly, not the unicorn Frappuccino, despite my unicorn food obsession. (Although I do have this recipe for an awesome Starbucks green tea frap.) Nope. The Bantam Bagels stuffed with cream cheese.
Oh my word. They have a golden, crispy crust and a soft and chewy inside with just enough cream cheese filling. And of course, they are served warm alongside my cup of hot coffee.
Good news. These fresh, hot, homemade Bantam bagel bites taste just the same served alongside your home-brewed coffee.
As anyone who has ever hunted for good bagels knows, it’s not an easy search.
Supermarket bagels are pretty much just bread circles.
Even living in a major city, I’ve had to try my share of local bagel shops to find some that pass my bagel test. Although, now that I have this recipe, I may skip all my bagel scavenger hunts and just make my own.
This recipe can also be used for regular-shaped bagels rather than the balls stuffed with cream cheese.
After baking, you may freeze the bagels, so you have fresh, hot bagels every morning for weeks.
I should also note that these are a bit bigger than the Starbucks version, but you may make them smaller if you like.
tips to making bagels
Traditionally, barley malt syrup is used when making bagels, in the recipe itself and/or in the boiling water.
Here, to make this recipe more user-friendly, I use brown sugar.
I also use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour.
You may use all-purpose flour, but for bagels, the higher protein bread flour makes for a chewier bagel instead of the dryer, cakier texture (like those aforementioned bread circles you find in the supermarket), so I would opt for the bread flour.
Also note the recipe requires you to freeze the cream cheese ahead of time, so be sure to plan for those hours.
And speaking of “boiling water,” don’t skip the bagel bath!
Boiling the bagels in a water, brown sugar, and baking soda bath for just a few seconds before baking is the secret to the thin, crispy, golden crust.
The internet is chock full of advice on making the perfect bagel.
This recipe is relatively easy and straight-forward, so if you’re new to bagel making, this is a great place to start. And you might never stop. Hmmm… next I’m going to try stuffing these bagels with Nutella! Need a kid-friendly bagel idea? Try these easy homemade pizza bagel bites to keep in the freezer for a quick snack.
All my Starbucks copycat recipes:
- Starbucks green tea frappuccino
- Starbucks sandwich: Roasted tomato, mozzarella, and pesto panini
- Four-ingredient lemon blueberry scones
copycat Starbucks Bantam bagels stuffed with cream cheese homemade Bantam bagel bites stuffed with cream cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
11
Serving Size:
2 bites
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 750Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 845mgCarbohydrates: 136gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 23g
This post for homemade Bantam bagel bites stuffed with cream cheese also appears on Food Fanatic.
ABQCruzn says
How do you recommend warming them back up after freezing? This would be my kid’s dream breakfast.
meaghanmountford says
Hiya! I microwave them about 15 to 30 seconds (depending on your microwave and how many you are thawing) just to thaw them, and then I pop them in the toaster oven to heat. Love them that way!!
Sierra says
Do you recommend baking them before freezing? Thanks!
meaghanmountford says
Hi Sierra! Yes, if you’re going to freeze them, I would freeze the finished bagel bites.
Barbara Buchler says
Could I make them the night before up to the boiling point and then boil and bake them in the morning?
meaghanmountford says
Hi Barbara, I’ve never tried the night before, so I can’t say from personal experience, but this is interesting. In this post here the author mentions she does this purposely. Scroll down to “The Cold Rise.” So sounds like it’s a definitely possibility, and maybe even makes them better!
Jen says
These were so easy and soo good! They froze great and taste just as good when you pop 2 in the microwave for 30 seconds. I’m looking forward to trying different things inside like pbj, ham and cheese, Pizza bites and definitely the Nutella. Thank you!!!
meaghanmountford says
Thank you so much Jen! Ohmygosh, love the idea of ham and cheese and pizza!
Mae says
Made these today for my daughter who is heartbroken Starbucks discontinued these (here at least). She promptly ate 8 of them as soon as they were cool enough. She said they taste “different than Starbucks” but obviously no complaints. I’m not a person who works with yeast regularly and my only problem was that a few burst open when baking. I believe from the dough being too dry. I didnt even add more than a 1/2 cup flour after the original 2 cups BUT today is only the 2nd day in a row our temps outside have been above 0. The air in the house is likely drier than normal. I’ll be making these again; they were pretty easy.
meaghanmountford says
I’m so glad Mae! Funny, my 13yo LOVED the Starbucks Mallorca bread and they stopped serving it years ago. We tried to make our own and it wasn’t quite the same. A few burst open when I baked too, but I think it’s because I tend to rush things and didn’t take my time to seal them. You’re probably right about the dry air from the cold. We had to get a couple humidifiers for the same reason. Thank you so much for your comment!