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With a subtle cake batter flavor and tiny bursts of color in the dough, Funfetti Bagels are a delightful addition to your breakfast routine.
You won’t regret giving Funfetti Bagels a try!
I get it, when you hear the words “funfetti bagel” it feels kind of overwhelming. But these bagels are not the sticky-sweet confection you might be thinking of. Instead, they are the perfect, slightly sweet bagel of your dreams! With a light cake batter-esque flavor, these homemade bagels are tremendous! Delicious toasted with some butter or even as a breakfast sandwich with bacon, eggs & cheese. They really do it all – just while looking a little more fabulous than some of their counterparts.
One main tip for making these funfetti bagels look as incredible as they can – knead the sprinkles in after the dough has come together. This will keep the dough from becoming murky with broken sprinkles or smeared colors.
Ingredients you’ll need to make Funfetti Bagels
- Warm water (105°F -113°F)
- Dry active yeast
- Brown sugar, packed + 1/4 cup – This will flavor the dough, but also works as a substitute for barley malt which is popular in most bagels.
- Bread flour – I hate to tell you this, but yes – you really DO need to use bread flour here. It makes your bagels SO SOFT.
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Butter extract – This is a niche ingredient that I actually use all the time! The flavor is *chef’s kiss* here.
- Sprinkles – Use any color you’d like here. I like to switch it up seasonally to be extra festive.
How to make Funfetti Bagels from home
- In a small bowl, mix warm water, dry active yeast, and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Stir and set aside to allow the mixture to become bubbly and foamy.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 4 1/2 cups of bread flour, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture along with the vanilla and butter extract.
- If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, adding up to an additional 3 tablespoons of flour as needed to keep the dough soft yet workable. Add the sprinkles into the dough when the dough is almost combined and then finish the kneading.
- If kneading by hand, mix the wet and dry ingredients until a rough dough forms. Add the sprinkles and then turn out the dough onto a clean surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes, using a push, turn, and fold technique. Add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of bread flour as necessary.
- After kneading, let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
Shaping & Baking your Bagel
- Shape your bagels by rolling each piece into a tight ball. Then, press your thumb into the center of each ball, gently stretching and rotating the dough around your thumb to form a bagel shape. Place on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the bagels with plastic wrap and let them rise for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) after the bagels have risen.
- Boil about 4 inches of water in a large pot. Carefully place the bagels in the water, working in batches. Boil each bagel for 1 minute on each side.
- Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet.
- After boiling all the bagels, place them in the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
- Once baked, remove the bagels from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. This allows them to set and makes them easier to cut.
- For storage, place the cooled bagels in a zip-top bag and keep them at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
How should I store my homemade bagels?
These bagels will stay nice and soft for up to 3 days! Just store them in a zip-top bag or airtight container on the counter.
Does it matter what type of sprinkles I use in my funfetti bagels?
Nope! I typically like to use the long skinny ones, but that’s just personal preference. You can mix up the color of your sprinkles to match the season – imagine an orange & black funfetti bagel on Halloween morning!
How should I serve funfetti bagels?
I LOVE these bagels toasted with a little butter. But because the sweet flavor is so subtle, you can use it as a base for whatever you’d like! Cream cheese & lox, an egg breakfast sandwich – whatever you fancy on a bagel!
Check out my weekly bagel series!
Funfetti Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water (105°F -113°F)
- 1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast
- 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed + 1/4 cup
- 4 1/2 – 4 3/4 cups bread flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp butter extract
- 3/4 cup sprinkles
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix warm water, dry active yeast, and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Stir and set aside to allow the mixture to become bubbly and foamy.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 4 1/2 cups of bread flour, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture along with the vanilla and butter extract.
- If using a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead for 10 minutes, adding up to an additional 3 tablespoons of flour as needed to keep the dough soft yet workable. Add the sprinkles into the dough when the dough is almost combined and then finish the kneading.
- If kneading by hand, mix the wet and dry ingredients until a rough dough forms.Add the sprinkles and then turn out the dough onto a clean surface and knead by hand for about 10 minutes, using a push, turn, and fold technique. Add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of bread flour as necessary.
- After kneading, let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
- Shape each piece into a tight ball. Then, press your thumb into the center of each ball, gently stretching and rotating the dough around your thumb to form a bagel shape. Place on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the bagels with plastic wrap and let them rise for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) after the bagels have risen.
- Boil about 4 inches of water in a large pot. Carefully place the bagels in the water, working in batches. Boil each bagel for 1 minute on each side.
- Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the bagels from the water and place them back on the baking sheet.
- After boiling all the bagels place them in the preheated 425°F (220°C) oven. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
- Once baked, remove the bagels from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. This allows them to set and makes them easier to cut.
- For storage, place the cooled bagels in a zip-top bag and keep them at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
