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These authentic-tasting Paleo bagels have no gluten, grains or dairy, but you'd never know it wasn't the “real thing.” Just a few ingredients, including almond and tapioca flours, are all it takes!
These bagels should not be allowed to rise!
Our no rise gluten free bagels are a long-time favorite, because the recipe doesn't take any advance planning, and the bagels rise beautifully in the oven alone.
That oven rise is called “oven-spring.” It's the rise that happens when yeast bread dough hits the heat of the oven. It's all you need sometimes.
This Paleo bagel dough not only doesn't need to rise outside the oven, but it shouldn't! I've made this recipe many, many times and I've found that if the dough is allowed to rise for more than 30 minutes before being shaped, boiled and baked, it loses its shape during baking. Instead of a bagel, it looks more like an explosion.
This recipe is based on our recipe for Paleo Pizza here on the blog, which is one of my favorite Paleo baking recipes. The balance of almond flour and tapioca flour is somewhat different in this recipe than it is in pizza, and there are more eggs.
When I used a higher percentage of almond flour in the bagels, they were super difficult to handle and way too soft to hold their shape.
What's great about making these Paleo bagels
The good news about shaping these bagels using tapioca starch/flour (note: tapioca starch and tapioca flour are different names for the same thing!) is that you don't have to worry about using too much.
Use as much tapioca starch as you need to shape the bagels easily, and they'll still rise in the oven. In fact, if you don't use extra flour to shape the bagels, they're more likely to fall apart during boiling.
And don't skimp on the boiling! Boiling the raw dough makes bagels more chewy than other bread by forcing the dough into a more definitely shape before baking. That way, the bread doesn't rise as much and the crumb stays tighter.
What do these Paleo bagels taste like?
These taste like New York bagels to me, since they're really nice and chewy inside. And the crust outside is almost a little crackly, but never hard to bite or tough. The tapioca does its job of creating that amazing texture, and the almond flour provides some richness and depth of flavor.
If you need to swap out this ingredient or that, please read all about ingredients and substitutions below. Simple recipes like this should really be made as written, if at all possible, but of course you're always free to experiment!
Paleo bagel ingredient and substitution information
Eggs
This is a really hard one, as there's one egg per every two bagels in this recipe. They do quite a lot of work in both binding the recipe and in helping the bagels rise.
You can try one “chia egg” per whole egg in this recipe, but I'm not terribly hopeful it would turn out. A “chia egg” is one tablespoon ground chia seeds + one tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel.
For the egg wash that's brushed on top after boiling and before baking, you can try just using nondairy milk. The bagels just won't brown as well.
Almond flour/nuts?
Finely ground blanched almond flour is a key component of this recipe. Be sure to use only the finely ground flour, and not almond meal or the recipe won't work. If you'd like to try to make these nut-free, you can try using sunflower seed flour, but I honestly don't know if it will work.
Tapioca starch/flour
Tapioca starch/flour simply has absolutely no true equal in baking. It's an amazing finely ground starch that's low in calories and incredibly soft and stretchy. If you can't have tapioca, I'm afraid you simply can't make this recipe.
Be sure to use good quality tapioca flour, as it varies quite a bit from brand to brand. I really like Authentic Foods tapioca flour, but like all their products it's pricey. I usually buy tapioca flour from nuts.com.
Authentic Paleo Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) blanched superfinely ground almond flour
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) tapioca starch/flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast
- 3 (150 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature, beaten
- 1 tablespoon (21 g) honey
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) extra virgin olive oil
- ⅝ cup (5 ounces) cool water
- Boiling bath, (4 cups water + 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar + 1/2 teapsoon kosher salt, brought to a boil)
- Egg wash, (1 egg + 1 tablespoon nondairy milk,beaten)
- Sesame and poppy seeds, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle it with a thin layer of tapioca starch or spray with cooking oil spray. Set the baking sheet aside.
Make the bagel dough.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the almond flour, tapioca starch/flour and salt, and whisk to combine.1 1/2 cups blanched superfinely ground almond flour, 3 1/2 cups tapioca starch/flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the yeast, and whisk again to combine.2 teaspoons instant yeast
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, honey, oil, and water, and mix until well-combined.3 eggs, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 5/8 cup cool water
- The mixture will be very soft at first, but will become more firm as it sits.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for only about 10 minutes.
- While the bagel dough is chilling, bring the boiling bath to a boil in a medium-size stockpot over medium-high heat.
Shape the bagels.
- Sprinkle a flat surface generously with tapioca flour, and place about 1/3 of the slightly chilled bagel dough in the center.3 1/2 cups tapioca starch/flour
- With well-floured hands, turn the dough over to coat it and press it into a disk.
- Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, divide the dough into two equal portions. In between well-floured and cupped palms, shape each piece of dough into a thick round and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Work quickly, to avoid allowing the dough to rise or get very warm.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the pieces about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Poke a floured forefinger into the center of each piece of dough and wiggle around to create a hole.
Boil the bagels.
- Place the shaped bagels in the boiling water bath no more than two at a time to prevent crowding and sticking, and boil for about 1 minute per side.Boiling bath
- Try to prevent the dough from sticking to the bottom of the pot by swirling the water around.
- The bagel will float once it’s been boiling for about a minute. Using a strainer, remove the bagel from the boiling water and return to the baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining shaped pieces of dough. Brush each bagel generously with the egg wash, and sprinkle with the seeds, if using.Egg wash, Sesame and poppy seeds
Bake
- Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the bagels are uniformly golden brown all over, and firm to the touch (about 25 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least slightly before slicing and serving.
Storage suggestions
- Freeze any leftovers by first slicing each bagel the placing in a freezer-safe bag, eliminating as much air as possible and sealing tightly.
- Defrost at room temperature. They freeze amazingly well.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried to pin this with no luck?
I’m not sure why you’d have trouble pinning any image from my site, Judy, but here’s a link to my pin for you to repin!
Mine fell apart in the boiling water bath. I tried adding a bit more tapioca flour and waiting another ten minutes but still they seemed to fall apart (I used all the suggested ingredients except used another sugar for the coconut sugar). Any suggestions?
Most likely they overproofed, Peggy. That’s why I repeat over and over that you should work quickly and not let them rise before boiling and baking. You also must measure by weight, not by volume, so your measurements are precise. And the quality of your ingredients will also affect the outcome.
Hi Nicole, this recipe looks great! I was just wondering if you have any recommendations on what brand of almond flour and tapioca flour we should use? Thank you!
Hi, Sarah,
Yes, I definitely do! If you’d like to buy them both in the same seller, I’d buy them both from nuts.com. If you’d like to buy them on amazon, or you’d like to shop around for other prices, try Honeyville blanched almond flour and Authentic Foods tapioca starch/flour. I keep them both on hand regularly, and store the almond flour in the freezer when I’m not using it for longer shelf life. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature before using it because it clumps when it’s cold! Hope that helps!
I’m not gluten free, but wanted to try this as an alternative to the much longer wheat flour recipe that I’m used to making. I have to say, not sure I’m going to spend the time to do the wheat bagels anymore. These are great! I added asiago cheese to the top. They were perfect!
That sounds delicious, Nichole! I adore these bagels, and I’m so glad you do, too. You should try the Paleo pizza recipe, too! I bet you’d love it. :)
Hugs, kisses and lots of love from me to you, Nicole Hunn! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
?
I wish there was an adequate substitute for the tapioca since I’d like it to be low-carb too. Any suggestions?
Hi, Fran, As I explain in the post, there’s no substitute for tapioca flour.
A quest for the perfect gf, even paleo, bagel. This might be it? A little like a “fathead” paleo dough, minus the cheese. Going to try it, for sure.
Hi Nicole,
Thank you for this amazing-looking recipe. I hate asking you this since you field so many “substitution” questions, but here it is: may I substitute another sugar for the coconut palm sugar in the boiling bath? It’s not something I have on hand. If you say “no reasonable substitution,” I’ll invest in some coconut palm sugar! Many thanks from this celiac baker…
I have made regular bagels before and the recipe I used called for malt syrup. I would say you could also probably substitute with molasses.
Hi, Lauren, if you don’t mind its not being Paleo, definitely use molasses, which is what I usually use to boil bagels. The coconut palm sugar is just to keep it Paleo. :) And I love the way you asked your question!
I tried another paleo bagel recipe that provided for boiling using honey.
Wow! Seems very easy… can’t wait to try these… thank you Nicole ?
They really are very easy, Darlene. Just be sure to work quickly, and not let them rest too much before boiling and baking and they’ll turn out great!
Looking forward to trying these!! Thanks!