Cranberry Oat Bagels – Whole wheat bagels are sweetened with honey and sprinkled with dried cranberries throughout and whole oats on top.
Happy New Year! Today’s recipe is just what you need to let go of the sugary, fatty foods you loaded up on in December and start yourself on a healthier journey (at least until Valentine’s Day).
This Cranberry Oat Bagel is the perfect mix of whole wheat flour, whole oats, and chewy, sweet cranberries. I love the combination of the whole grains and dried fruit. It’s even better when toasted with some whipped cream cheese. Yummmm!
I’ve made lots of bagels on this blog and this recipe uses the same base ingredients as the others. The biggest difference is the substitution of the honey instead of the malt syrup, some whole wheat flour instead of 100% bread flour, and the addition of the sweetened dried cranberries. Other than those ingredients, the general process for making these bagels is similar to my past recipes.
I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did!
Tips & Tricks
- Barley malt syrup. It adds the signature flavor and color to the bagels, so don’t skip this ingredient! I had a tough time finding it at my local grocery store, but Amazon pulled through for me.
- Bread flour is a MUST! To get that chewy texture that I require, the flour has to be loaded with the right amount of protein and gluten. Enter bread flour. This also makes the dough much more stiff than, say, cinnamon roll dough. So the kneading process will be a little tougher than you’re used to, probably – at least it was for me.
- Kneaded will be tough. For the reason stated in #1 above, this dough is tougher than other bread dough. Therefore, your mixer will be working hard to knead this dough so make sure you do not leave your mixer unattended because it’ll be moving around a bit. You don’t want it falling off the counter!
- Weigh your dough. It’s in your best interest to weigh the dough to achieve bagels of the same size. This will ensure that they all bake the same amount of time. Each of my bagels weighed about 4 ounces before baking.
- Pizza stone. And finally, to help get the crust to the perfect crispiness that I love, I gave in and purchased a pizza stone to bake the bagels on. The stone retains heat at the perfect temperature, which helps the bagels cook evenly and build a gorgeous crust on the outside.
Cranberry Oat Bagels
Servings: 8 bagels
Ingredients
For the bagels:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 18 ounces bread flour (I measured in grams for more precision – 623 grams)
- 4 ounces whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 3 tablespoons cornmeal for dusting
- ½ cup whole oats
For the bagel bath:
- 3 quarts water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons barley malt syrup
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the bagel dough:
- Place warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle instant yeast over the water and let it sit to foam a little. It should take no more than 10 minutes. If it does not foam, the water was not the right temperature or the yeast is dead (expired). Prepare large baking sheet by dusting with cornmeal. Set aside.
- Combine flours, salt, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer using a dough hook. Add in yeast mixture and mix on low or until dough starts to come together, about 4 minutes. Now it's time to knead the dough. Increase speed to medium-low and beat for 7-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and stiff. It should not be sticky, whatsoever.
- Remove dough from the bowl and collect into a ball on a clean counter. Let rest for 5 minutes. Once rested. add cranberries over the top. Pull dough from the bottom and fold over the cranberries. Do this a few more times to fold the cranberries into the dough.
- Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll into smooth bowls and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough sit, untouched, for 5 minutes.
- Once rested, remove one dough ball from baking sheet, Using your thumb, poke a hole all the way through the center of the ball. Using your thumb as a guide, expand the hole to make the bagel shape. The dough should form a 4-inch bagel. Repeat with the other dough balls. Place the dough balls back onto baking sheet and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator to rise overnight (about 12-14 hours).
- When you’re ready to make the bagels, place pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Let it preheat for 30 mins-1 hour. Before we bake, we’ll dip the bagels in a bath. See below.
For the bagel bath:
- While the oven preheats, let’s dip the bagels in a bath to give them the shiny exterior. Fill large pot with 3 quarts of water and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and then add barley malt syrup, baking soda, and salt. Give it a stir to combine.
- Place 3-4 bagels into bath and let them poach for 45 seconds. Flip and poach for another 45 seconds on the other side. Remove from liquid with a slotted spoon. Place onto cornmeal baking sheet and cover with whole oats. Repeat with rest of the bagels.
- Once oven is preheated, add all bagels to pizza stone using a large spatula or pizza peel. If your pizza stone isn't large enough to hold all the bagels, bake them in batches. Bake bagels for 18 minutes or until they reach a nice golden brown top. Rotate bagels if some are browning faster than others.
- Remove from oven and let the bagels cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Slice with a serrated knife and serve with your favorite spreads, like butter or cream cheese! Bagels are best on the day they’re baked. But you can freeze the leftovers for up to two months. To defrost, microwave for 30 seconds.
Notes
Bagel recipe adapted from Washington Post
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More recipes you’ll love:
Sesame Seed Braided Loaf
No-Knead Harvest Wheat Bread
Rosemary & Olive Oil Bagels
The honey-for-malt-syrup swap and the addition of whole wheat flour make this a genuinely different take on the standard bagel recipe, and I appreciate that you kept bread flour as the base for that chewy texture. The overnight cold ferment is a solid technique for flavor development, though I’m curious whether the cranberries affect the dough’s rise at all. The tip about weighing each portion to 4 ounces is practical—uneven bagels are always a baking frustration. I’ll be trying these with a longer poach next time for a chewier crust.
Cranberry oat bagels sound like such a delicious combination of chewy texture and lightly sweet flavor. I like the idea of adding oats for a little extra heartiness while the cranberries bring a nice fruity touch. These would be perfect for a cozy breakfast with coffee or tea.Cookout Ice Cream Menu!
That joke about staying healthy until Valentine’s Day is so relatable! Smearing whipped cream cheese over a freshly toasted bagel is truly unbeatable comfort. Do you prefer using dried cranberries in your baked goods or do you ever experiment with fresh ones?
This bagel recipe shows that small, precise adjustments like swapping honey for malt syrup can completely change the outcome. It rewards patience and close attention to detail. That same careful observation and satisfaction from uncovering hidden connections is what makes her trees puzzle dream so engaging. Her Trees Puzzle Dream is a calm, hand-drawn puzzle adventure where you explore eerie scenes, combine strange objects, and solve mysteries at your own pace to complete each area.
This bagel recipe rewards careful technique and hidden tweaks like the malt syrup. That attention to uncovering secrets is exactly what you’ll need in Exhibit of Sorrows, a point-and-click horror game where you explore a museum’s eerie exhibits to reveal a dark truth. It’s a free browser game that tests your nerve.
Weighing each dough piece to 4 oz before shaping makes the bagels bake uniformly and prevents one batch from ending up over‑ or under‑cooked.
Muito interessante e bem escrito. Eu e meus colegas estávamos procurando uma atividade rápida para fazer durante o intervalo e encontramos este cliques por segundo. Todos fizeram algumas tentativas e foi divertido ver as diferenças entre as pontuações. Uma ferramenta simples que acabou criando uma pequena competição
I love the idea of adding cranberries to bagels—it’s such a unique twist! For my last brunch, I made oatmeal raisin cookies that paired perfectly with homemade cream cheese. Have you considered sharing more topping ideas? Also, I bet these would be delightful while enjoying a break playing on snake!
I’ll be thinking about these points for a while.
I tried this recipe and it was more delicious than I imagined.
Love the clarity in your writing. Easy to understand!
These Cranberry Oat Bagels look healthy and decadent! The cranberries’ sweetness must provide taste. Adding this to my weekend baking list. Your motivation was much appreciated!
Happy New Year to you too! This Cranberry Oatmeal Bread sounds like a delicious and healthy way to start the new year, even if I can’t give up all the holiday treats just yet. Also, play A Small World Cup while eating cake, you will feel more energized.
Wow, these Cranberry Oat Bagels look like the perfect blend of wholesome and indulgent! The touch of sweetness from the cranberries must add a burst of flavor. I’m definitely adding this to my weekend baking list. Thanks for the inspiration!