Easy Cheddar Jalapeño Bagels

Making your favorite cheddar jalapeño bagels at home is easier than you think, and they taste way better than store-bought!

If you haven’t tried making your own bagels yet, you are totally missing out! Homemade bagels are so delicious, and my delicious and easy recipe makes them both simple and quick to make. The base recipe makes bagels that are soft and fluffy on the inside, crisp and chewy on the outside, and perfect for enjoying with a little whipped cream cheese or making into a breakfast sandwich. But the extra fun thing about it is that you can customize it to make pretty much any flavor of bagel. These cheddar jalapeño bagels are so simple to make, and totally delicious!

I used tamed jalapeños in my bagels because I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to spices, but feel free to use full-strength pickled jalapeños if you would prefer. A really sharp and rich white cheddar gives them the most flavor, but you can use your whatever cheddar you like. I love the Coastal Cheddar from Costco and use it whenever and wherever I can. Some of my other favorites are Beecher’s cheddar and Dubliner Irish cheddar. I mean, you really can’t go wrong with a good cheddar!

These bagels will stay fresh at room temperature for 3-4 days, or in the fridge for 7-10 days. I haven’t tried freezing them, and I’m not sure how the jalapeños would do, but let me know if you try it! Most of my other bagel recipes are easy to freeze, so if you’re hoping to make a bunch ahead of time, I would highly recommend my plain bagels, everything bagels, or asiago bagels. Homemade bagels are a staple at our house, and I hope you will try them too!

Cheddar Jalapeño Bagels

Print Recipe

Prep Time:45 minutes mins

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Rise time:1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time:2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water
• 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 – 5 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 8 ounces sharp white cheddar shredded
• 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño slices

Instructions

• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey. Let sit until bubbled and foamy. Add the salt and 3 cups of flour, and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until a smooth and non-sticky dough forms. Knead until elastic, then place in a lightly greased bowl to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.
• After one hour, punch down the dough and divide into 15 equal sized pieces (about 3 ounces each). Roll each into a ball and place on two lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. After thirty minutes, push your finger through the middle of each bagel to make a bagel shape and return to the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the brown sugar. Add bagels to the water, 3-4 at a time, and cook for two minutes, then flip and let cook for another 30 seconds. Return the bagels to the baking sheet and continue with the remaining bagels.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Brush the egg mixture over the top of each bagel. Bake 15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of cheese over the top of each bagel, and add jalapeño slices on top. Return the pans to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the bagels are golden brown. Remove and let cool before slicing and serving.

Servings: 15