Cream Cheese Stuffed Bagels
If you’re looking for an easy, crowd-pleasing snack or appetizer, these cream cheese stuffed bagels are the answer. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and bursting with garlicky, herby flavor, they’re basically everything we want in a bite-sized treat.
This recipe came about during a weekend brunch craving and an excess of bagels in the pantry. We had a tub of cream cheese and some fresh herbs, and figured: why not turn bagels into something snackable and totally addictive? It worked.
Love brunch snacks? You’ll also want to check out our Homemade Bagel Recipe, Flagels, and Pretzel Bites from Biscuits.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for parties: These little bites are made for sharing and easy to prep ahead.
- Customizable flavors: You can tweak the herbs and cheeses to suit any mood or meal.
- Crispy, golden exterior: Thanks to a quick bake with garlic butter and sesame seeds.
- Warm, gooey center: The creamy herbed filling is ultra satisfying.
Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Bagels, cream cheese, and a handful of pantry staples come together to create something seriously delicious. The fresh parsley and garlic give the cream cheese a flavorful lift, and the garlic butter dip with smoked paprika and sesame seeds? Totally crave-worthy.
Variations
- Spicy version: Add red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños to the cream cheese.
- Everything bagel flair: Use everything bagel seasoning instead of sesame seeds.
- Cheesy twist: Mix shredded cheddar or mozzarella into the cream cheese.
- Sweet option: Try a cinnamon sugar cream cheese filling and skip the garlic butter.
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mix cream cheese with parsley, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
- Cut 8 slits into each bagel, not cutting all the way through. Pipe cream cheese filling into each slit.
- Mix garlic butter ingredients in a bowl. Dip each bagel into garlic butter and place on baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake 18–22 minutes until golden.
Expert Tips
- Use softened cream cheese for the smoothest filling.
- Don’t slice bagels all the way through – just enough to stuff.
- A sandwich bag works great if you don’t have a piping bag.
- Serve warm for maximum gooeyness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes! Onion, garlic, or everything bagels all work well with this recipe.
Definitely. Assemble the stuffed bagels and refrigerate. Bake just before serving.
Pop them in the oven at 300°F for 5–10 minutes until warmed through and crispy.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Cream Cheese Stuffed Bagels
Equipment
- large bowl
- sharp knife
- Piping bag
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 6 plain bagels
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
For the Garlic Butter Dip:
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the herbed cream cheese filling:
- In a bowl, combine cream cheese, fresh parsley, minced garlic, and dried oregano. Mix until smooth.
- Cut 8 slits into each bagel, not going all the way through.
- Place the cream cheese filling into a piping bag, or cut the corner off a sandwich bag and pipe a stripe of filling into each slit. Repeat until all the bagels are filled.
- In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with garlic powder, smoked paprika, parsley, and a pinch of salt.
- Dip each stuffed dough ball into the garlic butter mixture and place in a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking dish.
- Sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds. Bake for 18–22 minutes or until golden and puffed.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
