Bagels come in many varieties these days, from sweet to savory flavors, and it can be hard to choose which ones to try. Whether you prefer a classic plain bagel or wish to try something newer. The possibilities are endless—fruity flavors, chocolate options, or even something more adventurous like a jalapeño bagel.
While you may have heard of Bialy, Jerusalem, and Turkish bagels—distinctive types that skip the traditional boiling step, which are not included in this list—you’ll discover even more interesting options in this list. Some bagel flavors may already be your favorites, but others are likely to be unknown to you or even forgotten. Read on to find your next tasting experience among the 25 best types of bagels to try, along with their preparation methods, unique flavors, and the best pairing ideas.
What are Bagels?
Bagels are a varieties of bread made from a dough that typically contains wheat flour, water, salt, leavening agents, and sweetener. Some variations also include ingredients like egg, milk, or butter. Known for its dense, chewy texture, bagels are ring-shaped bread rolls that originated in Jewish communities in Poland, as mentioned by National Geographic.
After being formed into a round shape with a hole in the center. Bagels are briefly boiled, and then baked to create a crisp, golden crust with a soft, chewy interior. Today, bagel flavors have expanded and are usually topped with seeds, vegetables, sweeteners and much more. Whether you prefer sweet or savory bagel flavors, there are many kinds of bagels that can be enjoyed as a sandwich or a snack.
The Different Types of Bagels
Plain Bagels
The most basic bagel variety. Plain bagels are types of white bread made from wheat flour, water, salt, sugar, and yeast. The high gluten content in bread flour gives them their signature chewiness, slightly sweet crumb, and golden, crispy crust. Plain bagels are incredibly versatile and pair beautifully with sweet toppings, like cream cheese or jam, and savory options, such as smoked salmon or capers. Although they’re considered the easiest bagel to make, there are so many plain bagel sandwich ideas that you’ll be spoiled for choice.
Everything Bagels
As the name suggests, the everything bagels are mainly topped with the everything bagel seasoning that delivers a burst of flavor and texture: A popular American seasoning typically includes sesame and poppy seeds for a nutty crunch, dried onion and garlic for a savory, aromatic kick, and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt to enhance all the other flavors. This combination of seasonings creates a deliciously complex and satisfying taste experience, with layers of crunch and aroma that make those bagels one of the favorite bagels across the United States.
Sesame Bagels
Sesame bagels are another type of bagel, coated with sesame seeds after boiling and before baking. As the bagels bake, the sesame seeds toast to perfection, intensifying their nutty flavor and adding a fragrant, lightly browned crunch. This delightful contrast complements the bagel’s chewy texture. With their mild yet rich nutty taste, sesame bagels pair well with both sweet and savory toppings, especially creamy schmear. While they may appear ordinary at first glance, sesame seeds are nutritional powerhouses, offering more than 10 health benefits, as highlighted by Healthline, making the sesame bagel a tasty and wholesome choice.
Poppy Seed Bagels
Poppy seed bagels have been eaten as rolls for centuries in Eastern Europe, especially in Ukraine, Poland and Russia, and are known as Bublik. Then they brought by immigrants to North America where they became one of the most common bagel flavors. When baked, these tiny blue-black seeds add an earthy, slightly crunchy flavor that matches the soft crust and airtight crumb of bagels. Although poppy seed bagels are not as popular as the aforementioned bagels. They offer a versatile base that pairs well with a variety of spreads and toppings.
Chocolate Chip Bagels
What sets these bagels really delicious is the addition of chocolate chips in the dough before finishing the kneading process. As the bagels bake, the chocolate chips melt into the soft crumb, creating a delightful blend of chewiness and sweetness. This perfect balance transforms the bagel into a dessert-like treat, making it an indulgent breakfast option or a satisfying snack at any time of day.
Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
As their name suggests, these bagels are made from a yeasted dough that is sweetened with a sugar and cinnamon mixture and filled with raisins. The addition of raisins provides a blast of natural sweetness and wonderful chewiness. While the cinnamon adds a strong, woody, and sweet flavor. Besides to sweet pairings like nut butters and fruit spreads, cinnamon raisin bagels also go well with savory toppings such as bacon, sausage, cheese, and eggs.
Whole Wheat Bagels
One of the most hearty and nutritious bagel choices, thanks to the use of whole wheat flour that is milled from whole wheat kernels and has been part of the human diet for thousands of years, according to the National Library of Medicine. Whole wheat bagels are a great source of fiber and have a positive impact on health, such as boosting the digestive system and reducing the risk of many serious diseases. Regardless of their nutritious value, whole wheat bagels pair wonderfully with many types of toppings and spreads such as nut butters, fruits, or the ever-popular hummus.
Multigrain Bagels
Unlike whole wheat bagels, which are made with whole-wheat flour, multigrain bagels are crafted from a blend of various flours and whole grains, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, chia, and more. This combination of seeds and grains gives multigrain bagels a distinctive, robust, earthy flavor and a soft, hearty texture. But the exact taste and texture can vary depending on the types of flours and cereals used. Like other earthy bagel flavors, multigrain bagels pair well with a wide range of toppings, including avocado and egg, peanut butter and banana, chickpeas and cucumber, or even ricotta and berries.
Sourdough Bagels
A labor-intensive bagel, primarily made from a natural sourdough starter prepared from flour and water. This starter is pre-fermented for days, allowing wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria from the environment to produce the carbon dioxide needed to leaven the dough. Unlike other types of bagels, sourdough bagels require at least 24 hours to prepare, even when the starter is ready. This lengthy process results in a distinct tangy, sour flavor and a chewy, airy texture that sets them apart from any traditional bagels.
Pumpernickel Bagels
Inspired by the famous German pumpernickel bread. But made with a modified recipe that includes pumpernickel flour, molasses or cacao, brown sugar, and maple syrup, and sometimes stuffed with caraway seeds and onion to add an exotic taste. What makes pumpernickel bagels special. It is their dark brown color and slightly sweet, earthy taste and texture that tends to be denser with a crispy crust and chewy interior. Furthermore, pumpernickel bagels last longer than traditional bagel kinds and are still excellent 2-3 days after baking when stored in an airtight bag.
Rye Bagels
A type of bagel made primarily with rye flour, either as the main flour or in combination with bread flour, and often topped with traditional garnishes like caraway seeds to enhance the rye flavor and give them a classic deli-style appeal. This inclusion of rye flour gives this bagel a dark and dense texture with a slightly moist, earthy flavor that pairs well with hearty sandwich fillings.
Gluten-free Bagels
If you can’t eat gluten, don’t worry. You can still enjoy the different styles of bagels! Gluten-free bagels are made using gluten-free flours like rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch with xanthan gum as a binding agent. Despite the difference in ingredients, these bagels maintain the same soft interior and crusty exterior as traditional ones, making them an excellent choice for anyone with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Salt Bagels
It might be a little weird. But salt bagels are one of the favorite New Yorker bagels of all time, according to New Yorker Bagels. The coarse salt sprinkled on top adds a satisfyingly salty flavor that perfectly complements the dense, chewy texture of the bagels. Whether enjoyed fresh off a cart with a cream cheese and lox cured salmon or picked up from a neighborhood deli, salt bagels are must-try.
Cheese Bagels
Bagel flavors are incomplete without cheese, so cheese bagels are a very logical creation. Two of the most common types of cheesy bagels are cheddar and asiago. Cheddar bagels feature a creamy, tangy flavor of their namesake cheese, which can becomes even more complex if the cheddar used aged. Asiago bagels, o the other hand, deliver a rich, salty flavor that pairs perfectly with toppings like bacon, eggs, or fresh vegetables such as capers and lettuce.
Egg Bagels
Unlike traditional bagels, which originated in Poland. Egg bagels were first appeared in the United States, as reported by the Daily Mail. The addition of eggs to the dough gives these bagels their golden yellow color, a rich, slightly sweet flavor, and a softer, airier texture reminiscent of Jewish challah. You may be surprised, but egg bagels go wonderfully with sweet and savory toppings, from fresh cheese and smoked salmon to a drizzle of honey and jam.
Rainbow Bagels
Rainbow bagels are a fun, eye-catching twist on the classic bagel, bursting with the bright, bold colors of the rainbow. The dough is first kneaded, divided, and dyed using vibrant food coloring, with each color prepared separately before being layered and shaped to create the iconic rainbow effect. Despite their dazzling appearance, rainbow bagels retain the same soft and chewy texture as traditional bagels. They’re often paired with sweet toppings like cream cheese frosting or fresh fruit slices, making them as delightful to eat as they are to look at.
Matcha Bagels
You might be surprised to know that Japan has its own style of bagels, which are typically softer, smoother, and chewier than the classic New York or Montreal styles. Among these, matcha bagels are a standout favorite at Japanese bagel shops. The dough is infused with matcha green tea powder and molasses, giving these bagels take on a vibrant green color and a naturally sweet, nutty flavor. Their earthy sweetness pairs wonderfully with creamy matcha cream cheese or a touch of jam for a unique and delicious twist.
Blueberry Bagels
A sweet bagels taste that often captures the taste buds of adults before kids, thanks to the generous addition of juicy blueberries. These berries are mixed directly into the dough, giving a beautiful purple-blue crust and a delightful burst of fruity flavor. This creation paved the way for bakers to experiment with incorporating various fruits into bagels, leading to popular options like cranberry and raspberry bagels which are now widely enjoyed.
Pumpkin Spice Bagels
Among the different kinds of bagels on this list. Pumpkin spice bagels stand out as a favorite seasonal treat at many bakeries and coffee shops, especially during the fall months. These bagels embrace the essence of fall by infusing the rich, earthy flavor of pumpkin into the dough. While the blend of spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves) used enhances the natural sweetness of pumpkin, creating a comforting, flavorful harmony, making them a favorite for many.
Jalapeno Bagels
Jalapeño bagels offer a bold, flavorful twist on the classic, with jalapeño peppers incorporated into the dough and sliced jalapeños added on the top before baking, making them ideal for those who love spicy kick. For a perfect combination, think about slicing the jalapeño bagels and spreading them with soft cream cheese or mashed avocado or using them as a base for a savory chicken or tuna salad sandwich.
French Toast Bagels
Exactly as you expected. French toast bagels are inspired by the famous French toast sandwich, bringing together the custardy taste of French toast with the chewy texture of classic bagel. The exact French toast bagels recipe can vary by baker. But they typically involve infusing the dough with warm spices like cinnamon, maple syrup, or/and vanilla extract, then topped with a sweet, buttery sugar glaze before baking. While some bakers take it a step further by layering cream cheese or Nutella on the dough before shaping.
Russian Black Bagels
Inspired by the Russian Borodinsky bread recipe and the traditional way of making bagels. Russian black bagels are mainly made from a dough that typically includes whole rye flour or a blend of rye and wheat flours, malt syrup, along with a generous amount of molasses and cocoa powder, gives these bagels their distinctive dark color and rich, deep flavor.
Pretzel Bagels
Pretzel bagels are a delicious fusion of the soft, buttery, and salty goodness of a pretzel with the chewy texture of a bagel. Following the traditional pretzel-making process, pretzel bagels are boiled in water with added sodium bicarbonate, which gives them their signature deep brown color. They’re then topped with coarse salt and baked to perfection, resulting in a dense, chewy interior and a slightly crisp, salty crust.
Garlic Bagels
A garlic bagels are a fantastic choice for anyone craving a bold, flavorful experience. These bagels are made from standard plain bagel dough, which has garlic powder added to it after the dough has combined, and then coated with dried garlic and brushed with olive oil after it has been brought to the boil. Some bakeries enhance the flavor further by adding herbs like rosemary or sesame seeds to create a well-rounded taste. Thus, smoked salmon, cream cheese, or deli meats are frequently served with garlic bagels.
Onion Bagels
A timeless favorite, known for their savory flavor and best suited for salty or savory fillings. While they are similar to garlic bagels in their preparation method, taste, and texture, onion bagels have a milder aroma.
