Cinnamon Raisin Bagels – These homemade cinnamon raisin bagels are soft, chewy, and lightly sweet with a warm hint of spice. Perfect for toasting, topping, or enjoying on their own, they bring cosy, bakery-fresh flavour to your kitchen!
There’s nothing quite like the comforting aroma of cinnamon and raisins filling the kitchen, especially when it comes from a batch of freshly baked bagels. These homemade cinnamon raisin bagels are soft, chewy, and packed with warm spices.
Perfect for breakfast, a midday snack, or even a sweet treat with your favourite spread, this recipe brings bakery-quality bagels right to your own oven. With a hint of sweetness from the raisins and just the right amount of chew, they strike the perfect balance of flavour and texture.
Whether you’re an experienced baker or trying homemade bagels for the first time, this recipe is simple, rewarding, and well worth the effort!
Looking for more cinnamon recipes? Check out my Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies, Cinnamon Brownie Bites, and my Apple Cinnamon Muffins.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Soft & chewy texture – These bagels have the perfect balance of a chewy crust and a soft, fluffy interior – just like your favourite bakery-style bagels.
- Warm flavours – The combination of cinnamon and raisins creates a cosy, slightly sweet taste that makes every bite comforting.
- Homemade goodness – Freshly baked bagels always taste better than store-bought, and making them yourself means you control the ingredients for a more wholesome treat.
- Perfect any time – Enjoy them toasted with butter for breakfast, topped with cream cheese for a snack, or even turned into a delicious sandwich.
- Easier than you think – This recipe is simple to follow, making homemade bagels an achievable (and rewarding) baking project for any skill level!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make these bagels. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.
- Water: Helps activate the yeast and hydrates the dough. The warm temperature encourages proper fermentation.
- Dry active yeast: The leavening agent that makes the bagels rise by producing carbon dioxide bubbles in the dough.
- Light brown sugar: Feeds the yeast to help it activate and adds a subtle sweetness to the dough.
- Bread flour: A must! Has a higher protein content than plain/all-purpose flour, creating a chewy and strong bagel texture.
- Ground cinnamon: The key spice that gives these bagels their signature warm and cosy cinnamon flavour.
- Mixed spice: A blend of warming spices (such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice) that enhances the overall taste.
- Ground nutmeg: Adds a slightly sweet and nutty depth to the bagels, complementing the cinnamon.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and strengthens the dough’s structure by controlling yeast activity.
- Raisins: Provides natural sweetness and a chewy texture, adding little bursts of flavour throughout the bagels.
- Golden syrup: Used in the boiling process to create a slightly glossy, caramelized crust on the bagels.
- Egg white and water: Creates a shiny, golden brown crust when brushed onto the bagels before baking.
How to make Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Proof the yeast: In a large measuring jug, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside and allow the yeast to foam and bubble up – about 5 minutes.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Add in the raisins.
Add wet ingredients: Add the yeast mixture and mix until you get a rough dough.
Knead the dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding flour when needed until smooth, elastic, and barely tacky.
First rise: Place the dough into a lightly greased large bowl, cover with clingfilm or a tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Roll into balls: Once the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate with your fist and transfer to a clean, unfloured surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions (doesn’t have to be perfect!) and form each piece into a ball by rolling on the countertop with a cupped hand.
Shape the dough: Using your finger, make a hole into the centre of each ball and stretch to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel. Place onto a prepared baking tray.
Second rise: Cover the shaped bagels with clingfilm or a tea towel, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Cut the parchment: Cut the parchment paper so that the bagels are on their own piece of paper. This helps to easily transfer them to the boiling water without having to handle them.
Prepare the water: Fill a large saucepan with water and stir in the golden syrup. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-high.
Boil the bagels: Drop the bagels in, 2 – 3 at a time (or as many that will comfortably fit), and cook for 1 minute on each side (OR for chewier bagels, 2 minutes on each side).
Egg wash: Place the bagels back onto prepared baking trays, and brush the tops and sides with the egg wash.
Bake: Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown.
Cooling: Allow to cool on the baking trays for 20 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
The printable recipe card with the full list of ingredients, their measurements, and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
Substitutions & variations
- Dry active yeast: You can use instant yeast if that’s all you have. Same amount, but skip the proofing and add straight to the flour.
- Light brown sugar: You can use granulated sugar if that’s all you have.
- Bread flour: You can use plain/all-purpose flour, but the bagels will be less chewy. I highly recommend investing in bread flour for this recipe! Replace half of the bread flour with whole wheat flour for a heartier, more nutritious bagel.
- Mixed spice: If you can’t get hold of mixed spice, use a mix of 1/4 teaspoon allspice and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, or just extra cinnamon.
- Raisins: Soak the raisins in warm water or orange juice for extra juiciness and flavour. You can also use dried cranberries, chopped dates, currants, or chocolate chips.
- Golden syrup: You can also use maple syrup, honey, malt syrup, or molasses.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Leftovers & storage
Cover leftover bagels tightly and store at room temperature for 2 – 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Baked bagels freeze well for up 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
Make ahead: Prepare the dough through to step 5 (see recipe card below), but allow the dough to rise overnight in the fridge instead of in a warm place for 1 hour. In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and let the dough rise for 1 hour at room temperature. Continue with step 7.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can substitute instant yeast in the same amount. Since instant yeast doesn’t need to be activated, you can skip the proofing step and mix it directly with the flour.
You can use plain/all-purpose flour, but the bagels will be slightly less chewy.
It gives bagels their signature shiny coating and incredibly chewy texture. It also helps the bagels hold their shape in the oven, preventing them from rising too much and losing their holes. This is because boiling them in water cooks the outer layer of the dough. The reason I add golden syrup to the water is to slightly sweeten the bagels, further develop a crisp crust, and to give them a caramelised flavour.
Yes! After kneading, you can let the dough rise overnight in the fridge. This slow fermentation enhances the flavour and texture. When ready to bake, let the dough come to room temperature for 1 hour before shaping and boiling.
There could be a few reasons: 1. The yeast was expired, dead, or not activated properly. 2. The water was too hot (killed the yeast) or too cold (didn’t activate it). 3. The dough didn’t have enough time to rise in a warm environment.
Tried this recipe?
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and hashtag it #simplybakeblog. I’d love to see!
More bread recipes
- Easy Cinnamon Rolls
- The BEST Banana Bread
- Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Cinnamon Bread
- See all my bread recipes!
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Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) water, warmed to 43C/110F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (7g) or 1 sachet dry active yeast
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 4 cups (500g) bread flour, plus extra for kneading
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (75g) raisins
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup, maple syrup, or honey
- 1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a large measuring jug, stir together the water, yeast, and sugar. Set aside and allow the yeast to foam and bubble up – about 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Add in the raisins.
- Add the yeast mixture and mix until you get a rough dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding flour when needed until smooth, elastic, and barely tacky.
- Place the dough into a lightly greased large bowl, cover with clingfilm or a tea towel, and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- TIP: Preheat the oven to 43C/110F. Once heated, turn the oven off. Place the covered dough inside, and allow to rise in this warm environment.
- Line 2 large baking trays with parchment paper, grease them very lightly with oil, and set aside.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate with your fist and transfer to a clean, unfloured surface.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions (doesn't have to be perfect!) and form each piece into a ball by rolling on the countertop with a cupped hand.
- NOTE: As you work with each piece of dough, keep the dough that you’re not working with covered with clingfilm or a tea towel.
- Using your finger, make a hole into the centre of each ball and stretch to about ⅓ the diameter of the bagel. Place onto a prepared baking tray.
- Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
- Cover the shaped bagels with clingfilm or a tea towel, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/425F/Gas 7.
- Fill a large saucepan with water and stir in the golden syrup. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-high.
- Cut the parchment paper so that the bagels are on their own piece of paper. This helps to easily transfer them to the boiling water without having to handle them.
- Line the baking trays with more parchment paper or silicone mats, and set aside.
- Drop the bagels in, 2 – 3 at a time (or as many that will comfortably fit), and cook for 1 minute on each side (OR for chewier bagels, 2 minutes on each side).
- Place the bagels back onto the prepared baking trays, and brush the tops and sides with the egg wash.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown.
- Allow to cool on the baking tray for 20 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m not too fond of raisins, but if you told me to eat this without telling me what’s inside, I probably wouldn’t of guessed raisins. All I know is that these was absolutely gorgeous!
Been having these toasted with a spread of butter everyday for lunch so far. Can’t get enough of them.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Murray!