Mardi Gras King Cake Bagels (Printer-friendly)

Colorful bagels filled with creamy cheese and decorated with festive sugar for a lively breakfast treat.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups bread flour
02 - 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
03 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
04 - 1 ½ tsp salt
05 - 1 ¼ cups warm water (110°F)
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon

→ Cream Cheese Filling

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

→ Boiling Liquid

11 - 2 quarts water
12 - 2 tbsp honey or sugar

→ Glaze and Decoration

13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2-3 tbsp milk
15 - ½ tsp vanilla extract
16 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugar

# How to Make It:

01 - Combine bread flour, instant yeast, granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add warm water and melted butter. Mix thoroughly until a cohesive dough forms.
02 - Knead by hand or stand mixer for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should spring back when pressed lightly.
03 - Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or damp towel, and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
04 - Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside at room temperature.
05 - Punch down risen dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each into a disk, place a heaping tablespoon of filling in center, gather edges and pinch tightly to seal. Poke finger through center and stretch into bagel shape.
06 - Place shaped bagels on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 minutes until puffy.
07 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
08 - Bring 2 quarts water to boil in wide pot. Add honey or sugar. Boil bagels 2-3 at a time for 1 minute per side. Remove with slotted spoon and return to baking sheet.
09 - Bake for 18-20 minutes until deeply golden brown. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over cooled bagels. Immediately sprinkle sections with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cream cheese filling stays creamy and secure inside, creating that surprise center just like a traditional King Cake baby hiding in the dough
  • Boiling the bagels gives them that irresistible chewy crust while keeping the inside pillowy soft
  • You get all the festive Mardi Gras vibes without rolling out and braiding a massive cake
02 -
  • Sealing the cream cheese filling tightly is absolutely crucial, or it will burst into the boiling water and create a sad sugary mess
  • Let the bagels cool completely before glazing, or the icing will melt right off instead of creating that pretty drizzle
  • Work quickly when adding the sanding sugar, because once the glaze sets, the sugar will not stick
03 -
  • Add a pinch of lemon zest to the cream cheese filling for brightness that cuts through the richness
  • If you cannot find purple sanding sugar, mix a few drops of food coloring into regular sugar and let it dry overnight
  • Chill the shaped bagels for 15 minutes before boiling to help them hold their shape better

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