Mardi Gras King Cake Bagels (Printer-friendly)

Chewy bagels filled with sweet cream cheese and topped with colorful sugars for a festive brunch treat.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Bagel Dough

01 - 3 ½ cups bread flour
02 - 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
03 - 1 ¼ cups warm water (110°F)
04 - 1 tbsp granulated sugar
05 - 1 ½ tsp salt
06 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
07 - ½ tsp ground nutmeg

→ Sweet Cream Cheese Filling

08 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
09 - 3 tbsp powdered sugar
10 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Egg Wash

11 - 1 large egg
12 - 1 tbsp milk

→ Icing & Decorations

13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2–3 tbsp milk
15 - Purple, green, and gold colored sanding sugars

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine warm water, yeast, and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until mixture becomes foamy and activated.
02 - Add bread flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and all flour is incorporated.
03 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead vigorously for 8–10 minutes until dough is smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel. Let rise in warm place for 1 hour until doubled in bulk.
05 - Beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in medium bowl until completely smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until needed.
06 - Punch down risen dough to release air. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch rope, working from center outward.
07 - Flatten each rope slightly with fingers. Spread thin line of cream cheese filling along center length. Pinch dough firmly to seal, enclosing filling completely.
08 - Bring ends of each rope together to form a ring. Pinch ends tightly to seal. Place shaped bagels on parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced 2 inches apart.
09 - Cover bagels loosely with towel. Let rise for 20 minutes until puffy. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F and bring large pot of water to boil.
10 - Working in batches of 3–4, carefully lower bagels into boiling water. Boil for 1 minute per side (2 minutes total). Remove with slotted spoon, drain briefly, return to baking sheet.
11 - Whisk egg with 1 tbsp milk until blended. Brush each bagel generously with egg wash using pastry brush for glossy finish.
12 - Bake at 425°F for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden brown and crusty, rotating pan halfway through. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
13 - Whisk powdered sugar with 2–3 tbsp milk to form thick, drizzle-able icing. Drizzle over cooled bagels. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sugars while icing is wet.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The chewy bagel texture paired with sweet cream cheese filling is something magical
  • They bring all the festive colors of King Cake into something you can actually pick up and eat with your hands
02 -
  • Pinch the cream cheese filling seams extremely tight or the filling will leak out during boiling
  • Let the bagels cool completely before icing or the icing will melt right off
03 -
  • Use a kitchen thermometer to check your water temperature for the yeast
  • If you cannot find colored sugars, mix regular sanding sugar with food coloring

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