This recipe has been inspired by my favorite time of the day. The mornings! Especially the kind of mornings that looks something like the following. Quiet, sunny morning walking to my local Deli/bagel shop for a cup of coffee and a cream cheese bagel. Then slowly heading on to the rest of my day.
As much as I don’t like to put labels on my diet. I do have to admit that I’m 99% of the time choose vegan alternatives. And recently, I have eaten a lot of tofu cream cheese bagels in New York (Red My Travel Blog From Ney York). After I came back to London, I just had to find a recipe that I can easily make in-home.
Ohh Yes, I did manage to recreate that creamy tofu ( Vegan ) cream cheese. It lasts up to a week in the fridge. And just as a plus, I have a vegan whole-grain bagel recipe for you as well.
Let’s start with the Cream cheese
- 1 x 450g pkg firm tofu, drained
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 C + 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
Start blending the tofu in a high-powered blender. With lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Some fresh garlic cloves a teaspoon of nutritional yeast and garlic powder, white pepper, sea salt, and coconut oil until smooth. You’ll need to use the baton inside the blender to get the thick mixture very smooth.
If you like to add some herbs!
- 1 tbsp dill, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp basil, chopped finely
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Pour the cream cheese into a bowl and fold in the fresh herbs. than Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until set.
Are you ready to change your life?! And start making homemade whole-grain bagels from scratch.
BAGEL DOUGH
- 4 C Whole-Grain bread flour
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 1/4 tsp quick rise yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 C warm water (between 120°F – 130°F)
This dough requires lots of kneading! In a stand mixer, combine the flour with sugar, sea salt and yeast until it becomes well mixed. Then while the machine is running on low add in the oil and water. Gradually increase the speed slowly as the mixture comes together to form the dough. Once it’s coming away from the sides, continue to knead it on a higher speed until the ball of dough is smooth and slightly sticky. However, it should not be sticking to your hands.
Then prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the ball of dough in half, each half in half again, and then each of those quarters in half, so you have eight pieces. Roll each portion into a ball, which you can knead a couple more times to get smooth. Cover the baking sheet with a damp towel and allow to rise for about 15 to 20 minutes. They should not double in size but increase by about 50%.
VEGAN “EGG” WASH
- 2 tbsp nondairy milk
- 1/4 tsp brown sugar
Prepare the vegan “egg” wash by mixing the nondairy milk and brown sugar in a separate small bowl. Once the bagels have proofed boil the water then add the baking soda and brown sugar in a large pot on the stove, add 1 or 2 to a rolling boil. Boil about 1 minute flipping half-way through. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a wire rack over another baking sheet to drain excess water.
BOILING SOLUTION
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Brush each bagel gently with vegan “egg” wash on one side. Place brushed side down in the dish of everything bagel seasoning. Ensure you coat the top of the bagel thoroughly. You can use your hands to amass the seasoning all over the surface gently. Place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Space bagels out about 1-inch apart. You will probably need two baking sheets to bake the bagels as they have increased in size quite a bit.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let the bagels cool on a wire rack before slicing. Top with a generous amount of herb & garlic tofu cream cheese or some of your other favorite toppings.
Like to mix things up and Ditch the toast ?! I may just have the perfect recipe for you!
If you give it a try I would love to hear from you. Your feedback is really helpful. You can rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how yours turned out. And if you want to show off photos you can tag me @laforance on Instagram!
