Chocolate Chip Protein Bagels (Printable)

Soft bagels loaded with chocolate chips and protein, topped with a creamy peanut butter drizzle.

# Components:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups bread flour
02 - 1 cup vanilla protein powder
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 3/4 cup warm water (110°F)
07 - 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

→ Add-ins

08 - 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

→ Water Bath

09 - 2 quarts water
10 - 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

→ Peanut Butter Drizzle

11 - 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
12 - 2 tablespoons milk (dairy or plant-based)
13 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour, protein powder, sugar, yeast, and salt.
02 - Add warm water and melted butter to dry mixture. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
03 - Knead by hand or with a dough hook for 6 to 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
04 - Gently knead in chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
05 - Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 30 to 40 minutes until nearly doubled in volume.
06 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
07 - Punch down dough and divide into 6 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, then poke a hole in the center and gently stretch to form a bagel shape.
08 - Bring 2 quarts water and honey or brown sugar to a gentle boil in a wide pot.
09 - Boil bagels in batches for 30 seconds per side using a slotted spoon. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
10 - Brush bagels lightly with melted butter.
11 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
12 - Whisk peanut butter, milk, and maple syrup or honey until smooth and pourable.
13 - Drizzle peanut butter mixture over cooled bagels before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These taste like indulgence but deliver serious protein, so you actually feel satisfied instead of hungry an hour later.
  • The dough is forgiving and fun to shape, making it hard to mess up even if you're a kitchen novice.
  • One batch feeds you all week, and they reheat beautifully in a toaster or skillet.
02 -
  • The water for boiling must be a gentle simmer, never a rolling boil, or your bagels will crack and leak inside the water instead of developing that chewy exterior.
  • Shaping matters more than you'd think—if your hole is too small it closes during boiling, if it's too large your bagel becomes a weird donut, so aim for the size of a coin and you're golden.
  • Don't skip the protein powder settling in the dry ingredients; lumps in protein powder bake into strange grainy pockets that ruin the texture.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen thermometer for your water temperature because yeast is sensitive and you want it alive and active, not dead from heat or sluggish from cold.
  • Shape your bagels on parchment paper instead of trying to move them later—this prevents sticking and makes boiling them so much easier.
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