The Best Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Bagels with Pumpkin Cream Cheese

These homemade pumpkin spice sourdough bagels with pumpkin cream cheese are the best cozy fall recipe you will want to make again and again. They make for the perfect easy breakfast that everyone in the family will love.

Sourdough bagels are one of our family’s favorite quick and easy breakfasts or an afternoon snack. These are a great alternative to bagels you might find in the store that have many extra and unnecessary ingredients.

I don’t know about you, but during the fall season I want everything to taste, smell and look like fall! These bagels are absolutely all of that and when you make them, your home will smell so delicious.

These bagels are so flavorful with the addition of the pumpkin and pumpkin spice. Sweetened by honey and long-fermented, they are a much healthier bagel option (and tastier, too)!

The pumpkin cream cheese is slightly sweetened with maple syrup and balanced with pumpkin spice. It compliments the pumpkin sourdough bagel perfectly.

If you are like me and are drawn to everything in the grocery store that has a “pumpkin” label, you have to try these sourdough pumpkin spice bagels with pumpkin cream cheese will provide the perfect healthier option that you can enjoy all throughout these cooler months!

Kitchen Tools you may need for pumpkin spice sourdough bagels:

• Stand Mixing Bowl
• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Bench Scraper
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie Sheet
• Large Pot
• Slotted Spoon

Why use sourdough starter instead of yeast?

Using sourdough starter instead of yeast in this recipe maximizes the nutritional value of the ingredients. While active dry yeast is often convenient and takes less time, allowing this dough to long-ferment with the sourdough starter yields a delicious and slightly tangy bagel that is much more nourishing and easy to digest. If you do not have a sourdough starter already, you can check out this post on how to make a sourdough starter so you can begin to enjoy the many benefits of sourdough, too!

Do I have to boil the bagels before baking them?

Yes, boiling the bagels in water for one minute on each side with baking soda and sugar helps to seal the dough, giving it the delicious “bagel-y” outer crust once it is baked.

Can I use fresh pumpkin for this recipe?

Yes! I have made this with both canned pumpkin and a sugar pie pumpkin. Both turned out great! If using a sugar pie pumpkin, cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds (you can roast these with some olive oil, salt and spices for yummy pumpkin seeds). Bake face down on parchment lined cookie sheet in 400℉ oven for 45-60 minutes. Scoop out pumpkin into a bowl and use immersion blender to puree the pumpkin. Allow to cool and use in recipe!

What if I don’t have pumpkin spice?

No problem! Here is a link to the best pumpkin spice blend you can mix up and have for all your pumpkin spice needs!

Tips to know before you begin:

• Feed you sourdough starter 6 hours before so it is nice and bubbly when you are ready to begin making the dough.
• Allow the cream cheese to soften before mixing with other ingredients.
• This recipe works well with freshly baked sugar pie pumpkin or one 14 oz. canned pumpkin.
• I usually start the dough around 7-8 pm so it is ready to be shaped and baked in the morning for a delicious, warm breakfast!

How to make Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Bagels

First, add sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, water, and honey to a stand mixing bowl and whisk until combined.

Add bread flour, pumpkin spice and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix slowly in stand mixer using a dough hook until dough comes off the sides of the bowl. It is possible to mix by hand if you do not own a stand mixer, however this dough is very thick and might take some patience (and arm strength)!

Cover bowl with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for one hour. After an hour has passed, shape the dough into a ball and cover again. Let the dough sit for 8-12 hours or until it has doubled in size. This may vary based on the temperature in your home.

Once it has doubled, it is time to divide and shape the dough!

Place the dough out on a clean counter (without flour) and divide it into 8 equal parts. If you want to be exact, you can get your kitchen scale out!

To shape the bagels, you begin by flattening the dough into a rectangle and then folding the outer edges in towards the middle of the dough, about 8 folds. Roll each piece into a ball and place on parchment paper. Repeat for all 8 dough pieces.

Once dough balls are shaped, allow to rest for 15 minutes for gluten to soften.

Next, poke a hole in the center of each dough ball and stretch to create your bagels! Make them larger than you think it should be because they will puff up and close in when you bake them later. Let rest for 15 minutes.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 425℉ and boil water in a large pot with 1 tablespoon of sugar and baking soda.

Using a slotted spoon, gently place 2-3 bagels in the water at a time. Boil for one minute, flip, and then boil for another minute. Bake in oven for 22 minutes or until top is golden.

How to make pumpkin cream cheese for pumpkin spice sourdough bagels

Combine softened cream cheese, pumpkin puree, vanilla and pumpkin spice in a bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the ingredients together until well combined.

Place in the fridge while the bagels finish cooking.

Pro tip – let a helper give you their approval by letting them lick the whisks 😉

Once the bagels are done cooking, allow to cool for 20-30 minutes and then enjoy with this delicious pumpkin cream cheese spread! Store bagels in airtight container or ziplock bag for 3-4 days and cream cheese in the fridge for up to a week.

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Try more Cozy Recipes!

• Pumpkin Sourdough Pancakes
• Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Homemade Pumpkin Spice Granola
• Pumpkin Spice Creamer and Chemex Coffee