These bagel bombs are the Panera bread cinnamon crunch bagel dupe, but better. This is such a simple recipe to follow, and makes the fluffiest + most flavorful bagel bombs ever. Filled with cream cheese and made with sourdough discard, this recipe is sure to be a family favorite!
❤️ Why You’ll Love Cinnamon Crunch Bagel Bombs
These are so simple and delicious, it’ll put coffee shop bagels to shame. It’s also made with sourdough discard + yeast so you can put these together and enjoy them all in the same day. And you don’t have to waste any sourdough discard because this recipe uses a whole heaping cup. It has simple ingredients and big flavor; your whole family will love!
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Discard- Inactive, unfed sourdough starter.
Flour – I like to use Kirkland’s organic, unbleached all purpose flour, but you can use any unbleached flour you have on hand.
Yeast – I linked the instant yeast I use in the name here, I’ve been using it for years and have zero complaints!
Water – Warm, filtered water is best.
Sugar – I think brown sugar has the best flavor with this recipe, but you can always use granulated sugar or honey if you like.
Salt – Any salt you have on hand.
Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon is the main flavor profile of these bagels.
Egg – Whisk one egg with a splash of water and use it as your egg wash!
👩🍳 How to Make Cinnamon Crunch Bagel Bombs
- In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients – flour, salt, yeast, cinnamon and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together warm water and sourdough discard until the discard has fully dissolved in the water and you have a milky liquid.
- With the dough hook attachment and the speed on low, slowly add the wet sourdough mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Mix for 1 minute, turn the speed to medium and let the dough knead for 5-6 minutes until a smooth ball forms.
- Cover the bowl with a damp bowl cover/ tea towel and let rest for 2 ½ hours, and until the dough has doubled in size.
- After resting, punch the dough down and transfer to a clean work surface. Use your bench scraper to separate the dough into 8 equal pieces. Lightly roll each piece out flat.
- Place 1 tablespoon of cream cheese into the middle of each dough piece. Fold up the sides over on top of the dollop of cream cheese and pinch the seams together. It’s very important that the seam is sealed so the cream cheese doesn’t come out during the boil or baking process.
- After you have 8 sealed bagel bombs, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- When the water is boiled add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and one tablespoon of baking soda to the water. Carefully drop each bagel bomb into the water and let boil on one side for 1 minute, flip it over, and boiled for an additional minute.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the bagel from the water and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, make your cinnamon crunch topping by whisking together the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt.
- Brush the tops of your bagels with an egg wash, and top with a generous dollop of cinnamon crunch topping. It’s okay if some spills off onto the baking sheet.
- Preheat your oven to 425 and bake for 18-21 minutes.
- Let the bagels cool slightly, and enjoy!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- This recipe works best if you use cold cream cheese so it doesn’t melt out during the boil or baking process.
- Dampen your bowl cover/ tea towel before placing it over your dough to rest. This helps the dough not dry out.
- It’s important to really seal the seam of the bagel bomb so the cream cheese doesn’t sneak out.
🗒 Variations
Bagel bombs are so much simpler than you think to make! You can switch out the topping to everything but the bagel seasoning – or I have a really yummy strawberry bagel bomb that you should check out!
🗒 Substitutions
You can keep the cinnamon out of this recipe entirely and instead of a crunch topping, make an everything but the bagel bomb.
Or you can substitute the brown sugar out for any sugar you like.
- Cinnamon crunch – everything but the bagel.
- Brown sugar – granulated sugar or honey.
🗒 Best served with
- Breakfast
- Brunch
- After dinner snack
- Your favorite cup of coffee or tea.
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Store your leftover bagel bombs in an air tight container and in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. Before serving again, lightly toast them in the oven at 350 for 4-5 minutes to warm through again.
🤔 Common Questions
In the evening, make the bagels all the way up to the point of boiling. Instead, cover them with plastic wrap on a baking sheet and place them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, boil and bake them as instructed. This bypasses the longer resting time in the morning.
Cinnamon Crunch Bagel Bombs
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp yeast
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbs brown sugar or honey
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 4-6 oz cream cheese
- 1 egg for egg wash
Cinnamon Crunch Topping
- 3 tbs melted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients – flour, salt, yeast, cinnamon and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together warm water and sourdough discard until the discard has fully dissolved in the water and you have a milky liquid.
- With the dough hook attachment and the speed on low, slowly add the wet sourdough mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Mix for 1 minute, turn the speed to medium and let the dough knead for 5-6 minutes until a smooth ball forms.
- Cover the bowl with a damp bowl cover/ tea towel and let rest for 2 ½ hours, and until the dough has doubled in size.
- After resting, punch the dough down and transfer to a clean work surface. Use your bench scraper to separate the dough into 8 equal pieces. Lightly roll each piece out flat.
- Place 1 tablespoon of cream cheese into the middle of each dough piece. Fold up the sides over on top of the dollop of cream cheese and pinch the seams together. It's very important that the seam is sealed so the cream cheese doesn't come out during the boil or baking process.
- After you have 8 sealed bagel bombs, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- When the water is boiled add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and one tablespoon of baking soda to the water. Carefully drop each bagel bomb into the water and let boil on one side for 1 minute, flip it over, and boil for an additional minute.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the bagel from the water and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, make your cinnamon crunch topping by whisking together the melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt.
- Brush the tops of your bagels with an egg wash, and top with a generous dollop of cinnamon crunch topping. It's okay if some spills off onto the baking sheet.
- Preheat your oven to 425 and bake for 18-21 minutes.
- Let the bagels cool slightly, and enjoy!
Super excited to try these. Can you use active started instead of yeast?
Do you use the actual dry “active dry yeast” or do I need to mix the “active dry yeast” in water first before putting into recipe?