There’s nothing like Homemade Pumpkin Bagels with honey pecan cream cheese to make fall mornings extra special.
Ready for a twist on a breakfast favorite? These Homemade Pumpkin Bagels bring the warm flavors of fall to every bite. Made with pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice these bagels are infused with both savory and sweet notes that will tickle your taste buds.
Pumpkin spice bagels are chewy and easier to whip up than you think! For more easy breakfast recipes you have to check out my Overnight Oats, 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls, and Breakfast Burritos.
Table of Contents
Why We Love Homemade Bagels
- There’s nothing like biting into a bagel fresh out of the oven.
- With the Homemade Pumpkin Bagels recipe, you know exactly what’s going into your food—no preservatives.
- The flavorful pumpkin bagels blend subtle sweetness from pumpkin and maple with a hint of spice.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree: This gives the bagels a sweet, earthy flavor and keeps them moist and tender. Homemade pumpkin puree would be wonderful in this recipe.
- Cinnamon: Warm and spicy, it blends smoothly into the dough and is essential for that classic pumpkin spice flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: This blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves really amps up the fall flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Pumpkin Pie Spice Variation: If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice on hand, don’t worry! You can easily make your own by combining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ginger, ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon of allspice. This simple mix will give you 1 teaspoon of homemade pumpkin pie spice, perfect for your bagels.
- Pumpkin Puree Alternative: If you don’t have pumpkin puree available, you can substitute pureed cooked butternut squash or sweet potatoes. They work just as well and add a delicious twist to the bagels.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Bagels
Step 1: Fill a glass measuring cup with ¾ cup (180 ml) of warm water (115°F/46°C). Add yeast and a pinch of the brown sugar. Allow to proof until foamy.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the pumpkin puree and brown sugar. Pour in yeast mixture and mix until combined.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients (except for the baking soda or malt extract, which is used in Step 8) to the wet ingredients with the mixing speed on low. Once a sticky dough forms, switch to the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
Step 5: Punch the bagel dough down and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces (mine were about 3 ⅜ oz each). Pull the sides underneath and pinch to seal the bottoms. Press your finger through the center of each ball to form a hole, then gently stretch it out.
Step 6: Place the bagels onto a parchment or baking mat lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours (this step can be skipped, however, it helps improve overall taste and texture).
Step 7: Place an oven-safe dish filled with 3 cups of water onto the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
Step 8: Remove the tray from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes (skip if bagels are not refrigerated). Meanwhile, bring a large Dutch oven filled two-thirds full with water and the baking soda (or malt extract) to a boil. Drop the bagels two at a time into boiling water, cook for 45 seconds, then flip and cook for an additional 45 seconds. Remove with a mesh spider or a slotted spoon, and place on a lined sheet.
Step 9: Brush egg white mixture over bagels. Add additional butter and brown sugar if desired. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer bagels to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 10: To make the cream cheese spread, in a small mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and mix for an additional minute. Add the nuts and mix just until combined.
Expert Tips
- Knead Dough Thoroughly: Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic. This step is essential because proper kneading develops the gluten, which gives the bagels their perfect chewy texture.
- Boil Bagels in Alkaline Water: Add a bit of baking soda to the boiling water. This creates an alkaline environment that helps the bagels develop a shiny, golden-brown, and chewy crust, making them look and taste amazing.
FAQs
A good substitute for a bench scraper would be a quality chef’s knife to cut the dough in this recipe. Enjoy your bagels fresh and delicious!
Make sure the water is around 115°F (46°C). This temperature is ideal for activating yeast. Also, using fresh yeast within its expiration date helps.
Storage Info
STORE your Homemade Pumpkin Bagels sealed in an airtight container or wrapped securely in a paper bag, keeping them out of direct sunlight. They can stay good in the pantry for up to 5 days. Avoid storing bagels in the fridge as it makes them dry and less chewy.
For longer storage, you can FREEZE the bagels for up to 3 months. To freeze, seal each bagel tightly in a plastic freezer bag. Thaw them on the counter overnight and store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
To REHEAT, sprinkle with a little water and microwave on high for 30-45 seconds. Alternatively, wrap in foil and warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10-15 minutes.
Other Delicious Fall Recipes to Try
Homemade Pumpkin Bagels Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water - about 115°F (46°C)
- 1 packet active dry yeast - 2 ¼ tsp
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup brown sugar - packed
- 3 cup bread flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/4 tsp coarse kosher sea salt
- 1 tbsp baking soda - or malt extract
For the Topping
- 1 egg white - +1 tbsp water whisked
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
- 6 tbsp brown sugar - optional
For the Cream Cheese
- 6 oz original cream cheese - softened
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch coarse kosher sea salt
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans - toasted
Instructions
- Fill a glass measuring cup with ¾ cup (180 ml) of warm water (115°F/46°C). Add yeast and a pinch of the brown sugar. Allow to proof until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the pumpkin puree and brown sugar. Pour in yeast mixture and mix until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Gradually add these dry ingredients (except for the baking soda or malt extract, which is used in Step 8) to the wet ingredients with the mixing speed on low. Once a sticky dough forms, switch to the dough hook and mix on the lowest speed for 5 minutes.
- Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
- Punch the bagel dough down and turn it onto a lightly floured surface. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into 8 equal pieces (mine were about 3 ⅜ oz each). Pull the sides underneath and pinch to seal the bottoms. Press your finger through the center of each ball to form a hole, then gently stretch it out.
- Place the bagels onto a parchment or baking mat lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours (this step can be skipped, however, it helps improve overall taste and texture).
- Place an oven-safe dish filled with 3 cups of water onto the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
- Remove the tray from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes (skip if bagels are not refrigerated). Meanwhile, bring a large Dutch oven filled two-thirds full with water and the baking soda (or malt extract) to a boil. Drop the bagels two at a time into boiling water, cook for 45 seconds, then flip and cook for an additional 45 seconds. Remove with a mesh spider or a slotted spoon, and place on a lined sheet.
- Brush egg white mixture over bagels. Add additional butter and brown sugar if desired. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer bagels to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the cream cheese spread, in a small mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and mix for an additional minute. Add the nuts and mix just until combined.
Such a fun twist on homemade bagels, cozy and delicious!
It would be nice if the amount of pumpkin was defined given that you can purchase pumpkin in several can sizes.
Hi Elizabeth! This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree which converts to roughly 4 oz. Hope that helps!
Wow these turned out incredible! A keeper recipe! Thank you so much
First time making bagels and this recipe was very beginner-friendly! They came out great!
For some reason these didn’t work out for me. They didn’t cook through in the middle no matter how long I baked them for, and they were flat as pancakes. Any ideas to what I did wrong?
Oh no! I am not certain what went wrong. Potentially too little or too much time rising. Either can affect the flatness or lack of baking all the way through.