Delicious Maple Toast Bagels

These soft maple French toast bagels offer a chewy bite with gentle cinnamon and maple notes. They're a homemade treat that turns any weekend breakfast or brunch into something special with friends or family.

I first whipped these up craving cinnamon toast flavors in a handheld snack and they quickly became a go-to for chill weekend mornings.

What You Need

• Yeast-friendly warm water: keep it about 105 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit to wake up your dry active yeast
• Dry active yeast: the secret behind light, fluffy dough—make sure it's fresh
• Brown sugar: packed and split to sweeten both dough and yeast activation with caramel undertones
• Maple extract: gives a subtle, classic maple scent and sweetness—pure extract rocks here
• Bread flour: for chewy bagels with good structure—unbleached tastes cleaner
• Fine salt: balances the sweetness and lifts flavors
• Cinnamon chips: bring cozy spice bursts and melty texture—choose good-quality to avoid too much sweet
• Egg plus milk: blended for the shiny, golden crust—fresh eggs work best
• Vanilla and granulated sugar: mixed into the egg wash to enhance that French toast flavor

How To Make

Start The Yeast:

Mix warm water with dry yeast and a spoonful of brown sugar in a bowl. Stir and leave it until foamy and bubbly. This shows your yeast is alive and ready to help the bagels rise.

Mix The Dry Stuff:

Grab a big bowl or mixer bowl and blend bread flour, cinnamon chips, salt, and brown sugar. This makes the dough flavorful and spreads the cinnamon evenly.

Add The Wet:

Pour your yeast mix and maple extract into the dry ingredients. Double-check the yeast is bubbly; if not, swap it out since dead yeast means dense bagels.

Knead The Dough:

Use a mixer with a dough hook for 10 minutes, tossing in extra flour as needed so the dough stays soft but stretchy. Hand-knead? Stir till shaggy then knead on floured surface around 10 minutes until smooth and slightly sticky.

Give It A Break:

Let your dough chill for 5 minutes to relax the gluten so it shapes easily.

Divide And Shape:

Cut dough into 8 pieces with a sharp knife or scraper. Roll each into a snug ball then poke your thumb through the center, twisting to form a classic bagel hole.

Let The Bagels Rise:

Put shaped bagels on parchment paper-lined tray. Cover loosely and rest for 20 minutes until a little puffed but not too much.

Heat The Oven:

When bagels almost ready, preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boil Water:

Fill a large pot with around 4 inches of water and get it boiling hard.

Mix The Egg Wash:

Whisk egg, milk, sugar, and vanilla till combined in a small bowl. This helps make that shiny, golden crust like French toast.

Boil Bagels:

Gently drop bagels in boiling water by batch. Cook 1 minute each side, flipping carefully. Lift out with slotted spoon and set back on tray.

Brush And Bake:

Coat each bagel with that egg wash, then bake 15 to 17 minutes until deeply golden and shiny.

Cool Before Serving:

Set on a rack for 10 minutes to avoid any doughiness when slicing.

Keep Fresh:

Store cooled bagels in a zip bag at room temp for up to 3 days to keep things fresh.

What I love is how the maple flavor shines without taking over while cinnamon chips soften into warm spicy spots. This mix reminds me of relaxed Sunday mornings with family, laughter, and shared bagels.

How To Store

Keep leftovers sealed tight in a container or zip bag after cooling to stop them drying out. To freshen up, warm in the oven wrapped in foil or toast for a few minutes. For longer storage, freeze bagels wrapped separately then thaw overnight or toast straight from the freezer.

Swap Ideas

Try swapping cinnamon chips for chocolate chips to mix up the sweetness. Use whole wheat or spelt flour instead of bread flour for a nuttier bite but add a bit more liquid to keep dough soft. Instead of maple extract, use pure syrup but lower the brown sugar a bit to keep things balanced.

Serving Suggestions

These bagels are awesome sliced with cream cheese and a drizzle of maple syrup for extra yum. Or toast with butter and cinnamon sugar for a quick fix. Skip cinnamon chips and toss in herbs to make savory sandwiches too.

Enjoy these chewy, sweet bagels that blend the best of French toast with a classic comfort. Once you make them, your weekends won’t be the same.

Frequently Asked Cooking Questions

→ What makes these bagels sweet?

The mix of brown sugar, cinnamon chips, and maple flavor brings natural sweetness and warm spice into the dough.

→ Why boil the bagels before baking?

Boiling makes the bagels dense and chewy and helps create a smooth surface that bakes perfectly.

→ Can I swap out ingredients in the dough?

Sure, you can switch cinnamon chips for raisins or other dried fruit to fit what you like.

→ How do I tell if the yeast is ready?

It should look bubbly and foamy after mixing warm water and sugar, which means it’s active and good to go.

→ Why use egg wash before baking?

Brushing with egg wash mixed with milk and sugar makes the bagels shine with a golden brown color once baked.

→ What’s the best way to keep leftover bagels fresh?

Store them in a zip-lock bag at room temp and they’ll stay good for up to three days.