This blueberry bagel recipe makes amazing homemade bagels. They're chewy bagels, lightly sweet, and a pretty purple. Made with frozen or fresh blueberries. They are easy to make and they taste and look impressive!

Fresh bagels are perfect for breakfast or brunch, and adding blueberries to the bagel dough makes this recipe extra special. Note: The blueberry flavor is mild in these bagels. If you want it more pronounced, you can also add dried blueberries to the dough too.
They're delicious when served with cream cheese, fresh or lightly toasted. Try these cinnamon raisin bagels or strawberry bagels next!
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Blueberries in bagels
Juicy blueberries bring color, flavor, and moisture to the bagel dough. In this recipe, you can use frozen blueberries or fresh blueberries, as the berries get cooked down a little before being added to the rest of the dough ingredients.
Cooking the blueberries first reduces the liquid in the berries and this enhances their flavor as well as the purple color. It also helps to control the amount of moisture added to the bagel dough.
For another blueberry recipe, check out these blueberry white chocolate muffins!
The bagel dough
Bagels are usually made from lean dough. This means it's a dough where there is no fat added to it. They use quite a stiff dough, too, with low hydration. The end result is bagels that are a bit chewy and thick, and less airy than other yeast bread.
A good bagel should have a decent amount of toothsome chew to it. Use high-gluten flour for the classic chewy texture - this is a flour with a protein level between 11-13%.
This is best done with bread flour. Some all-purpose flours have a protein level of over 11% in which case you can use that sort of all-purpose flour for these bagels too.
The ingredients
Find the ingredient amounts for these delicious blueberry bagels listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.
- Blueberries. Fresh or frozen blueberries work in this recipe.
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast or instant yeast
- Granulated sugar - just a little to enhance the sweet blueberry flavor.
- Bread flour or strong all-purpose flour
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Optional dried blueberries - for extra blueberry flavor.
- Honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar. For poaching. Poaching the bagels in sweetened boiling water prior to baking gives them a golden and chewy crust. The added honey or other sugar gives them a beautiful golden sheen with no need for egg wash.
Equipment
This simple recipe can easily be made by hand, though for extra ease, use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
Method
Step 1 - The blueberries
In a small saucepan over low heat add the blueberries. Let the berries heat up, stirring occasionally until they release their juices. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it simmer, stirring regularly until the liquid in the pan has reduced by half and slightly thickened.
Pour the berries and remaining liquid into a bowl and let it cool down until just warm.
Step 2- The dough
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine water, yeast, and sugar and stir. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy, if using instant yeast this step can be skipped.
Add in the flour, salt, blueberry mixture, and vanilla. Use a fork or switch the stand mixer onto low speed, to combine it into a thick dough. The dough should be very thick but also slightly sticky. If it's too sticky, add a little flour. If it's too dry, add a tablespoon of water.
Keep it kneading or mixing for around 10 minutes for optimal gluten development.
Step 3 - First rise
Once the dough is kneaded and strong, form it into a ball. Place the dough ball into a large oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
Step 4 - The bagel shape
Punch the dough down and pull it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces (a kitchen scale works well to ensure even bagels) and shape each piece into a ball. Let these dough balls rest for 5 minutes.
Use your thumb and index finger of both hands to push a hole into the center of each ball of dough, then roll the dough ball around your fingers in a circular motion to widen the hole. Aim for a large hole as it will shrink back in size once it sits.
Place the shaped bagels on a prepared sheet pan lined with parchment paper and let them puff out a bit, for around 30 minutes while the oven preheats and a pot of water is brought to a boil.
Step 5 - Poaching
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat the oven to 428°F/220°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Once the water is boiling, stir in honey or brown sugar.
Dust any excess flour off the bagels and drop them in the boiling water one at a time. Boil 2-3 bagels at a time.
Let them poach in the water for 1-minute total, flipping them after 30 seconds. Remove the bagels from the water using a slotted spoon. Drain the boiled bagels on a wire rack and continue with the rest of the bagels.
Step 6 - Baking
Place the bagels on the lined baking sheet. Bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. If they are baking unevenly or your oven has hot spots, turn the oven tray around after 15 minutes of baking.
Remove the baked bagels from the tray and let them cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
The bagels will initially feel hard as they come from the oven but will soften as they cool to room temperature.
Storing
Store leftover bagels in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Bagels freeze very well too which will prolong their life. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen bagels at room temperature, in a toaster, microwave, or low-temperature oven.
Related recipes
Try these sourdough bagels! Or check out these blueberry recipes:
Full Recipe
Blueberry Bagel Recipe
These chewy blueberry bagels are lightly sweet and a beautiful deep purple. Made with fresh or frozen blueberries.
Ingredients
- 185g (1 ¼ cups) fresh or frozen blueberries
- 160g (⅔ cup) lukewarm water
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 440g (3 ½ cups) bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
Poaching
- 2 litres water
- 1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over low heat add the blueberries. Let the berries heat up, stirring occasionally until they release their juices.
- Turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer, stirring regularly until the liquid in the pan has reduced by half and the remaining liquid has slightly thickened.
- Pour the berries and remaining liquid into a bowl and let it cool down until just warm.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine water, yeast, and sugar and stir. If using active dry yeast, let this sit for around 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy, if using instant yeast this step can be skipped.
- Add in the flour, salt, blueberry mixture, and vanilla. Use a fork or switch the stand mixer onto low speed, to combine it into a thick dough. It should be very thick and just slightly sticky. If the dough is very sticky, add a tablespoon of flour. If the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon of water.
- Keep it kneading or mixing for around 10 minutes for optimal gluten development.
- Once the dough is kneaded and strong, form it into a ball. Place the dough ball into a large oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down and pull it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces (a kitchen scale works well to ensure even bagels) and shape each piece into a ball. Let these dough balls rest for 5 minutes.
- Use your thumb and index finger of both hands to push a hole into the center of each ball of dough, then roll the dough ball around your fingers in a circular motion to widen the hole. Aim for a large hole as it will shrink back in size once it sits.
- Place the shaped bagels on a prepared sheet pan lined with parchment paper and let them puff out a bit, for around 30 minutes while the oven preheats and a pot of water is brought to a boil.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the water is boiling, stir in honey or brown sugar.
- Dust any excess flour off the bagels and drop them in the boiling water one at a time. Boil 2-3 bagels at a time.
- Let them poach in the water for 1-minute total, flipping them after 30 seconds. Remove the bagels from the water using a slotted spoon. Drain the boiled bagels on a wire rack and continue with the rest of the bagels.
- Place the bagels on the lined baking sheet. Bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until deep golden brown. If they are baking unevenly or your oven has hot spots, turn the oven tray around after 15 minutes of baking.
- Remove the baked bagels from the tray and let them cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
For extra blueberry flavor, add ½ cup of dried blueberries to the dough.
The cup sizes given are US cups. Please note that these are smaller than metric cups. For best results use grams.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 227Carbohydrates: 47gFiber: 2gProtein: 7g
Dallas T says
I am impressed! I was on the hunt for the perfect bagel recipe, I previously tried one recipe two different occasions. When I stumbled upon this recipe I was skeptical at first because a lot of the blueberry recipes I researched didn't call for vanilla extract. While making this recipe, I almost forget to add it in and boy, am I glad I did. I believe that with the addition of salt really brought this bagel to life. This bagel was soft, crispy and fluffy, all elements that create a great bagel. I will definitely be using this recipe to create jalapeño cheddar and cinnamon raisin.
Valaree G says
I wanted it make blueberry bagels but add chia seeds and flax seed meal. Does this recipe allow us to add these ingredients, and if so, when is it best to add them?
Thank you!
Elien says
Heya, you could add in those ingredients though I would add just a small amount.they can be added along with the blueberries 🙂 they will absorb water so add a splash more liquid as needed.
Ashley says
How long do these stay good? Also how should I store them? Room temp or fridge?
Elien says
Hey Ashley, the storage instructions are in the post above 🙂 They store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Kristen says
I didn’t see an egg wash being used before baking bagels- is that needed?
Elien says
It's not 🙂 The honey water will give them a bit of shine.
Liz says
Can the dough be prepared the night before and then boiled and baked the next morning?
Elien says
Yup! The dough can be made the night before, but also wait to shape them until the next morning 🙂
Koryn Schaffer says
Hello. Is there nutrition information?
Also, I love this recipe and I make it all the time! I get so many compliments on my bagels!
Elien says
Hey, so happy you love them! I have added in the nutrition info 🙂
Jane says
Lovely texture! Very soft and chewy which I loved!! But not nearly enough blueberry flavour for me. So will add dried blueberries next time with an additional tablespoon of sugar!
And in my opinion, they definitely need an egg wash, I tested one without, and it was horrible color that hardly browned, maybe just my oven. Will definitely make these again with some minor adjustments. 4/5
Allie says
I love this recipe, but I had to lower the oven temp and the cooking time. I know my oven runs hot, but even when accounting for that, they’d be burnt if I cooked them for 25 minutes at 220°. Otherwise, delicious!