Lemon Poppy Seed Bagels (Printable)

Fluffy bagels with lemon zest, poppy seeds, and a tangy lemon glaze, ideal for breakfast or a healthy snack.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups bread flour
02 - 1 cup vanilla or unflavored whey protein powder
03 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
04 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - Zest of 2 lemons

→ Wet Ingredients

08 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, non-fat or low-fat
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ For Boiling

12 - 2 quarts water
13 - 1 tablespoon honey

→ Egg Wash

14 - 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

→ Light Lemon Glaze

15 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, protein powder, poppy seeds, baking powder, salt, sugar, and lemon zest until evenly distributed.
03 - In a separate bowl, stir together Greek yogurt, egg, lemon juice, and melted butter until smooth and fully combined.
04 - Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Adjust consistency by adding yogurt if too dry or additional flour if too sticky.
05 - Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a ball, then poke a hole in the center and gently stretch to form a bagel shape with uniform thickness.
06 - Arrange bagels on the prepared baking sheet. Cover loosely with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
07 - Bring water and honey to a gentle boil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
08 - Reduce heat to a simmer. Working in batches, boil bagels for 30 seconds per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing excess water to drip off, and return to baking sheet.
09 - Brush each boiled bagel with the prepared egg wash for a glossy, golden finish.
10 - Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.
11 - While bagels cool, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and pourable.
12 - Drizzle glaze over cooled bagels. Allow glaze to set completely before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They taste like you're eating a lemon poppy seed treat, not a protein shake in bagel form.
  • Real bagels with boiling and everything, but made in under an hour including rest time.
  • Thirteen grams of protein per bagel means you'll actually stay full through your morning without the sugar crash.
02 -
  • Don't skip the boiling step thinking you can just bake them—boiling creates that specific chewy texture that makes a bagel actually a bagel, not just a bread ring.
  • Use fresh lemon juice and zest; bottled lemon juice tastes metallic and changes the whole flavor profile in a way that's hard to fix.
03 -
  • Toast them lightly before serving if they've been sitting around—it brings the crumb back to life and makes the glaze taste fresher.
  • If you forget to glaze them right away, you can always do it later; they're forgiving that way, which is another reason they work for people with busy mornings.
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