Pretzel Bagels
These Pretzel Bagels are a delicious spin on a soft pretzel. Chewy bagels are turned into soft pretzels, then sandwiched together with a cheddar cream cheese spread. The pretzel bagels have the characteristic flavor of a soft pretzel and are extra delicious.

I love soft pretzels, like really love soft pretzels. I grew up eating Aunt Anne’s soft pretzels at the mall. My go to was always the cinnamon sugar pretzels, because I love everything sweet. But, I could never turn down a traditional soft pretzel with the salt. My mom loves soft pretzels, probably more than me, especially the ones that are loaded with extra salt.
These Pretzel Bagels are a fun twist on a traditional pretzel. I mean, what’s better than pretzels with cheddar cheese sauce? That’s what these bagels are, but better, because you can actually make it into a sandwich and get that perfect pretzel to cheddar cheese spread in every bite. Seriously, these may be my favorite bagel. They’re just delicious. And, while I love pretzels any time of year, there’s something special about eating pretzels in the fall. It reminds me of fall football games, and cozy vibes. Where I live, fall is right around the corner, so these pretzel bagels will be appearing in my house often over the next couple months. Alright, let’s get to baking these!
Here’s what you need to know…
I know I may sound like a broken record, but I know that there are a few new people hear, so first and foremost, never mix the salt directly on top of the yeast. It will deactivate the yeast. I was told this time and time again in my pastry arts class, and fortunately I never mixed the salt on top of the yeast. I like to mix the yeast with the warm water and honey, then flour and salt. In this recipe, I used instant yeast, so you don’t have to let the yeast bloom as it’s called. What that means is, as soon as instant yeast is mixed with warm water, it is woken up and ready to begin working.
If you use active dry yeast, you will need to mix the yeast with the warm water and honey, then allow it to bloom or sit for 5 minutes, or until the mixture gets foamy. This is because active dry yeast needs time to activate. Instant yeast works instantly. They are interchangeable and you can sub them for a 1 to 1 amount, but you need to know this important step, depending on which yeast you use.
Once the dough is mixed and kneaded, it rises for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 roughly equal pieces, then place a cupped hand over the dough ball and roll in a circular motion to make the dough ball smooth. Use your index finger or thumb to poke a hole through the center then stretch to form a 1 1/2 to 2 inch hole. Place your bagels on pre-cut squares of parchment paper and allow to rise for 15 more minutes, covered. Some people don’t allow their bagels to rise a second time, because they want their bagels denser. However, I like my bagels a bit puffier, and bigger, so I like to let my dough rise a second time. The next step, the baking soda bath, will give the bagels the characteristic chewy pretzel exterior.
Once the bagels are done rising, you’ll boil water then add baking soda to the water. Boil 2-3 bagels at a time for roughly 10 seconds per side, then remove and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle immediately with coarse sea salt, then repeat with remaining bagels.
These bagels bake up quickly in the oven. They take roughly 12-15 minutes to bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven. While the bagels bake, make the cream cheese spread. Melt the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and honey in a skillet until smooth and creamy. Allow to cool before spreading on the bagels.

If you make these bagels, let me know what you thought below (comment and rating). I love hearing your feedback! Make sure you find me on instagram where you can find the full baking video for these and more fun behind the scenes.
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Pretzel Bagels
- Total Time: 1 hour 12 minutes
- Yield: 8 bagels 1x
Description
These Pretzel Bagels are a delicious spin on a soft pretzel. Chewy bagels are turned into soft pretzels, then sandwiched together with a cheddar cream cheese spread. The pretzel bagels have the characteristic flavor of a soft pretzel and are extra delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast (7 grams)
- 1 cup warm water (heated to 110F) (236 grams)
- 1 tablespoon honey (21 grams)
- 3 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour) (375 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (9 grams)
For Boiling
- 9 cups water (72 ounces)
- 1/2 cup baking soda (114 grams)
For topping
- Coarse sea salt
Cheddar Cream Cheese Spread
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (60 grams)
- 1/2 tablespoon honey (10 grams)
Instructions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment, add yeast, water, honey, flour and salt. Mix on low speed to combine ingredients, then increase to medium speed and knead for 8 minutes.
2. Place dough in lightly greased bowl. Spray top of dough with nonstick cooking spray, or a drizzle of olive oil (to prevent dough from sticking), then place plastic wrap or kitchen towel over dough. Allow to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
3. While the dough rises, cut out 8 parchment paper squares, big enough for the bagels to fit on. Set aside. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit your baking sheet. Set aside.
4. Punch down dough and place on floured surface. Divide dough into 8 roughly equal pieces. Place your hand over dough in a cupped shape, and roll dough to form dough into a smooth ball. Using your index finger or thumb, poke a hole in the center of the dough ball. Gently use your fingers to stretch the hole so that it is roughly 1 ½ to 2 inches wide. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover dough with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400F. In a large pot, add 9 cups water and bring to a boil. When ready to use, add baking soda (be careful, it will bubble). Grab the edges of the parchment paper square and flip bagels off of the parchment paper square into the boiling water. Work in batches, placing 2-3 bagels in water at a time. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, flip the bagels after 10-15 seconds, boil on 2nd side for 10 seconds and remove with slotted spoon or spatula. Allow excess water to drip off and place onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt. Repeat with remaining bagels.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. To make the Cheddar cream cheese spread, add cream cheese to a skillet over medium heat. Allow to partially melt, then stir in cheddar cheese and honey. Cook until mixture is combined and smooth. Allow to cool before spreading on bagels.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Well I recently found you in instagram, this is going to me my project this week, I will post you once I’m done, but they look amazing, great for sandwiches I bet. Have you ever used a sour dough starter to make them? I think I’m going to sub out 1 cup of flour with SD starter. I will Definately keep you posted!🤞
Teresa,
I’m so glad you found me on instagram and will be trying one of my recipes :). I had a sourdough starter a couple years ago that i used to make bread, but I haven’t tried bagels with it. I will have to start a sourdough again and experiment with bagels. Yes, these would be so good to make into a sandwich! Great idea. I’m excited to hear how these turn out for you! Happy baking!
I came across this recipe on TikTok and gave it a try, as I had most of the ingredients on hand. While I couldn’t make the cream cheese filling, I paired the dish with queso instead, and it turned out fantastic. The texture was perfect—fluffy on the inside with a delightful crunch on the outside. These bagels were incredibly easy to whip up, and I’ll definitely be making them again soon.
Nola,
I am so happy to hear that!! Queso sounds like the perfect pair for these. Thank you so much for making my recipe :).
-Jolene