Now that it’s October, we’ve finally gotten back into the swing of things when it comes to early mornings and getting the whole family ready for school and work at once. We find that it takes us a couple weeks to really hit our groove and establish a morning routine that ensures everyone makes it to work on time. One of the things that helps us along the way the most is finding easy breakfast options that are quick to prepare and eat but will still nourish enough that they have the energy to make it through to lunch. In our household, bagels are a quick morning time favorite but eating the exact same thing every morning can get boring; especially for the kids.
Just in case your family loves bagel breakfasts just as much as we do, if not more, here’s a list of 15 of the best, most creative bagel recipes we’ve found so far! We’ve tried these in our homes on a busy morning (some of them are great for other times of day too; bagels are so versatile) and each one went over well. Some of them even got rave reviews!
1. Snowman bagels
Are your kids at that age where they’re willing to try more and more things every day but they’re also still kind of resistant to the idea of eating vegetables? Well, in our house, we find that using veggies to make really fun looking foods actually encourages our kids to eat them, but we still like to keep things simple in the morning. That’s why we loved this funny little bagel snowman breakfast idea from Between Rounds! They show you how to use baby carrots and small cut pieces of black olives to create little snowman faces on a bagel covered in cream cheese.
2. Blueberry dark chocolate bagel
Have you been looking for a breakfast idea that hits the mark somewhere between sweet and healthy because you like to enjoy your breakfast but you still want to get some decent nutritional value? Then we have just the recipe for you, and it’s one that both you and your kids will love! See Want Shop shows you how to make a thin sliced bagel that tastes like blueberries and dark chocolate thanks to blueberry cream cheese, actual blueberries, and real dark chocolate shavings! What’s better than chocolate at breakfast? We love this recipe because it’s so delicious it could be gourmet but it’s still quick and simple to make in the morning as long as you’ve got the ingredients.
3. Strawberry chocolate chip bagel
Does the idea of a chocolate bagel in the morning totally appeal to you (or maybe even more to your kids) but you’re not so sure about the recipe we showed you above because you’ve never been a huge blueberry fan? In that case, perhaps you’d prefer this strawberry version from Boys Ahoy instead! They show you how to make it with strawberry cream cheese, strawberry slices, and milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate savings for a sweeter taste.
4. Marbled cookies n’ cream bagel
Okay, we admit it; this particular bagel recipes is totally not a breakfast food, except for maybe on someone’s birthday when you want to make them a special treat. It is an awesome bagel recipe, however, so we just couldn’t bear to leave it off our list! People suggests taking a fresh marbled chocolate bagel and making a delicious cookies n’ cream icing mixture, topping the whole thing off by sneaking some full Oreo cookies inside.
5. Buffalo chicken bagel bites
Have you ever seen those store bought bagel bites that are always advertise on after school specials and you’re supposed to make them in the microwave? We love that idea in theory, but we find that they always end up kind of soggy in practice. That’s why we’d rather make our own! Personally, we’d serve these more as an after school snack rather than a quick breakfast food, but we won’t tell you what to do. Check out the different topping options you can make these with on 24/7 Modern Mom.
6. Stuffing made with everything bagels
Have you tried to make stuffing just like your mom’s old family recipe before and found that it ended up kind of bland? Perhaps you’re actually really good at stuffing but you’re pressed for time this Thanksgiving and you’re not sure you’ll have time to make the whole traditional recipe. In either case, making your stuffing with everything bagels is a great idea! DIY Network shows you how to use the “everything” flavour to your advantage in this delicious stuffing dish.
7. Homemade pesto pizza bagels
Were you intrigued by the bagel bites idea but you’d rather eat a full sized version because you think it all just sounds that delicious, and you also think the basic concept could use a little more flavour? In that case, we have a feeling you might prefer this pesto version from New York Family! Top it off with a little bit of fresh basil and it’s amazing how gourmet such a simple thing can taste!
8. Smashed avocado and egg bagel
We know we said that this post was mostly about breakfast items, and we also know that we got a little bit distracted there for a moment, but it’s time to get back to the morning time foods! Possibly our favourite bagel recipe on the entire list is this quite simple avocado and fried egg idea from Well Plated. This one’s the kind of recipe where, once we’d read about the concept, we didn’t necessarily need to follow an actual recipe anymore but when we first read about it, we said “how didn’t we think of this before”? We’re certainly glad we know about it now!
9. Bagel fruit pizza
Are you in the kind of family that has always really loved having fruit for breakfast because it’s so fresh and delicious but you’re concerned that a simple fruit salad won’t really fill your kids up as much as they need for the whole morning? Then a fruit topped bagel is the perfect compromise! It’s got a little more substance than just the fruit and berries alone, but you’re still getting all of that healthy freshness. See how these ones were made on Number 2 Pencil.
10. Jalapeno pepperoni bagels
Have you been scrolling through all of these ideas feeling torn between the breakfast bagels and the pizza bagels that we’ve shown you, wishing you could hit the flavour mark somewhere in between? In that case, we’ve found the perfect recipe for you! Baker By Nature guides you through the process of making a fried egg, pepperoni, and cheese bagel that’s grilled to perfection and topped with delicious slices of jalapeno for a little bit of kick!
11. Homemade roasted berry cream cheese spread
Perhaps you’re quite fine with the idea of eating a plainly flavoured, simply toasted bagel but you’re still intent on having some kind of exciting flavour, even though you want to keep the prep really easy? In that case, making yourself an unconventional homemade cream cheese that you probably won’t find in stores might be the best idea for you! Nutmeg Nanny shows you how they made this delicious roasted berry spread that gives you a little bit of sweetness but the same amount of satisfaction as cream cheese.
12. Steak and blue cheese bagel bites
Have you been scrolling through this list looking for a bagel option that’s a little more gourmet than what we’ve shown you so far, hoping that you might serve it this fall during potluck season? Well, bagels are still a great idea for that too, you just have to switch up what you put on top of them! We’ve been obsessed with these steak and blue cheese bagel bites this season (and that’s not a lie; we’ve actually already made them twice) and we’re thankful to A Spicy Perspective for laying the recipe out so simply for us to follow!
13. Homemade whipped garlic veggie cream cheese
Were you rather intrigued by the idea of upping your bagel game by making your own homemade cream cheese but you’re just not sure about the idea of fruit or berry flavoured spreads? Then here’s another idea for you to make in advance and slap onto your bagel quickly each morning! The Comfort of Cooking shows you how to make a delicious vegetable spread that has a delicious hint of garlic and a totally satisfying whipped consistency.
14. Spinach and artichoke bagel melts
We’ve talked about a few kinds of bagel melts by now, but there are so many delicious toasted bagel recipes out there that we could honestly just write about them all day! One of the yummiest recipes we’ve ever tried when it comes to grilled bagel bites is this spinach and artichoke melt from Chocolate With Grace. It’s like you’re enjoying a deliciously cheesy spinach and artichoke dip, but without having to actually dip anything! Just bit and go.
15. Everything bagel hot dogs
Do you love everything bagels so much that you wish you could eat almost anything on them? In that case, we think you should take a look at how Delish used everything bagel dough like a bun to wrap hot dogs in! Once you’ve learned this technique, there are endless delicious bagel based snacks that you could use everything bagel dough for! The filling possibilities are nearly endless.
