Chocolate Chip Protein Bagels (Printable)

Soft, chewy bagels filled with chocolate chips and protein, finished with a luscious peanut butter drizzle.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups bread flour
02 - 1 cup vanilla protein powder
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 3/4 cup warm water at 110°F
07 - 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter, plus more for brushing

→ Add-ins

08 - 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

→ Water Bath

09 - 2 quarts water
10 - 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

→ Peanut Butter Drizzle

11 - 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
12 - 2 tablespoons milk, dairy or plant-based
13 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, protein powder, sugar, yeast, and salt until evenly blended.
02 - Add warm water and melted butter to the dry mixture. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
04 - Gently knead in chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
05 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm location for 30 to 40 minutes until nearly doubled in volume.
06 - Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
07 - Punch down dough and divide into 6 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, then poke a hole in the center and gently stretch to form a bagel shape with a hole approximately 2 inches in diameter.
08 - Bring 2 quarts water and honey or brown sugar to a gentle boil in a wide pot.
09 - Working in batches to avoid crowding, boil bagels for 30 seconds per side using a slotted spoon to gently transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
10 - Brush the boiled bagels lightly with melted butter.
11 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.
12 - In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, milk, and maple syrup or honey until smooth and pourable consistency is reached.
13 - Drizzle the peanut butter mixture over cooled bagels in a decorative pattern before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're soft and chewy on the inside with just the right chew, filled with melty chocolate that reminds you this is somehow still breakfast.
  • The protein powder means you're actually getting substantial nutrition, which makes the peanut butter drizzle feel like a reward rather than indulgence.
  • Once you master the technique, you can make six bagels in about an hour and feel like a true baker.
02 -
  • If you skip the boiling step or rush through it, you'll end up with bread instead of a bagel—the boil is what creates that chewy exterior, not the oven.
  • Temperature matters more than you think; if your water is too hot, it'll cook the outside before the inside is done, and if it's too cool, the bagels won't set properly.
03 -
  • Shape your bagels slightly larger than you think they need to be—they shrink during boiling and baking, and you want a proper bite-sized hole, not a tiny pinhole.
  • If you don't have vanilla protein powder, chocolate protein powder works too, but reduce it to 3/4 cup so you don't end up with double chocolate overload.
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