Bagel Bomb Bites
Last updated on March 12, 2026 by Jessica Healey
Originally published on November 21, 2024
Therapeutic Baking Made Simple: Bagel Bomb Bites
Baking can often feel intimidating. There’s yeast to deal with, dough to knead, and that lingering fear that the end result won’t live up to your expectations. I get it—baking has made me nervous too, even after years of experience. But let me tell you, these Bagel Bomb Bites are way easier than they look! If you’ve ever craved fresh bagels with cream cheese but didn’t want the fuss of shaping and boiling a full-sized bagel, these little pockets of joy are your new best friend.
These Bagel Bomb Bites are as satisfying to make as they are to eat. There’s something so therapeutic about the process—measuring ingredients, kneading dough, and watching it rise. The rhythmic motions and aromas make it feel less like work and more like self-care. Plus, biting into that warm, golden dough to discover a melty cream cheese center? That’s happiness in snack form. (If you’re feeling frisky, try making your own cream cheese!)
If you’ve never worked with yeast, don’t worry—this recipe holds your hand through it. All you need is a stand mixer (or a little elbow grease if you’re going the old-school route) and some basic ingredients. The dough comes together in minutes, and once it’s risen, the fun begins. Stuffing each piece of dough with cream cheese and sealing it up is oddly meditative, and before you know it, you’ve got 16 adorable little bagel bombs ready for the oven.
What sets these apart is their quick boil in water before baking, which gives them that classic chewy bagel texture. Then, you top them with everything bagel seasoning (or your favorite toppings), bake until golden, and enjoy. They’re perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even a party.
Don’t overthink it—baking is meant to be fun. And once you see how easy these are to make, you’ll feel like a total pro. So, go ahead and give it a try. You might just find that baking isn’t just about the final product; it’s about the little moments of calm and creativity along the way.
What are you waiting for? Grab your apron and get to it —you’ve got this!
Bagel Bomb Bites
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer – I haven't made these without a stand mixer, but you most certainly can kneed the dough for the required 10 minutes!
- 1 Kitchen scale – optional, but super helpful in the kitchen!
Ingredients
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups warm water – Start with ½ C for step 1. Water should between 90℉ – 110℉.
- 500 g bread flour – 3½ cups, but using a scale is much more accurate. Can sub a high gluten flour or all-purpose can also work if that's all you have.
- 1 ½ tsp salt – This is my favorite finely ground Himalayan sea salt, but any salt will do.
Instructions
- Pour ½ cup warm water, yeast, and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer and let it sit 5 minutes. You'll see some bubbles and action!
- Add flour, salt, and ½ cup warm water. Depending on the humidity level and the region where you live, you might need to drizzle in up to ¼ more. You want to make a dough that's firm, but not at all sticky. Knead the dough using the dough hook attachment for 10 minutes on low speed. When it's finished, the dough should not stick to the bowl at all and should be very smooth.
- Remove the bowl, sit it on the counter where it won't be disturbed, and cover the bowl for 1 hour to rise. I use a kitchen towel.
- When the dough has doubled in size (about an hour), preheat oven to 425℉ and put on a large pot of water to boil. You'll need about 5 inches of water.
- Place dough on clean counter and gently punch down the dough (you are pressing out the air bubbles). Let it rest 10 minutes. Cover it with the kitchen towel again.
- Next, divide the dough into 16 portions. You can eyeball and guess on this, but I use a kitchen scale to be precise. Each dough ball should weigh about 48 g (or 1.7ish oz).
- Flatten each piece of dough with your hand and place a scoop cream cheese in the center. Fold each one up around the cream cheese pinch together to create a seam. Roll each dough ball around to ensure the seam is closed and make each look more like a ball. Make sure each bomb seam is completely closed so cream cheese will not come out.
- If your water isn't boiling yet, cover the bombs loosely with the kitchen towel again so they don’t dry.
- Gently add each bagel bomb to the boiling water in a single layer. They will need room to move around, so don't crowd them. I do 4 at a time.Boil each round for about 30 seconds. As each round finishes, use a slotted spoon to place each bagel bomb on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Now is the time to dip the tops of them in everything bagel seasoning! You could also do garlic, poppy seeds, chives, cinnamon, or no toppings at all, but you should really try that everything bagel seasoning!
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit and enjoy your bagel bomb bites!
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Admin here – These bagel bomb bites are absolutely a hit for my kiddo. They disappear quickly and he always asks for more. Thank goodness they’re pretty darn easy to make. Five out of five in this house!
They are amazing mom!
<3 So sweet, kiddo!