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Home » Recipes » Sweet Bread Recipes

Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera Copycat)

Published: Apr 2, 2021 · Modified: Sep 11, 2024 by Emma Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Want to guess Panera Bread's most popular bagel flavor?  It's none other than these tempting Panera cinnamon crunch bagels.  There's a good reason why these chewy, crispy, cinnamony treats are so popular; they're absolutely mouthwatering!

If you love Panera's bakery items, make sure to check out our tomato basil bread and chocolate chipper cookie copycat recipes. Don't miss our collection of 8 Panera copycat dessert recipes, too!

plate of Panera cinnamon crunch bagels.
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagels
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Store
  • Expert Tips
  • Other Panera Bread Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Cinnamon Crunch Bagels - Panera Copycat
  • Comments

Ingredients

bowls of ingredients for Panera cinnamon crunch bagels.

This reicpe uses simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry, especially if you're an avid baker. Let's go through each ingredient and its purpose.

  • Flour: please use bread flour, not all-purpose.  You simply cannot obtain the same chewy texture with all-purpose flour, as it lacks a sufficient protein content.  My favorite brand is King Arthur Flour. (affiliate)
  • Yeast: the vital ingredient that causes the dough to rise and gives it an amazing flavor and aroma.
  • Cinnamon Crunch Topping: simply combine brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon to create this delectable topping.
  • Poaching Liquid: this is one of the crucial steps in this recipe, as it creates the bagel's unique, chewy crust.  The poaching liquid consists of baking soda dissolved in a pot of boiling water.
  • Cinnamon/White Chocolate Chips: Panera adds white chocolate chips and cinnamon chips to the dough. You can mix them into the dough before its bulk ferment (first rise) or after.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

Gather the ingredients for the cinnamon crunch bagel dough.

mixing the dry ingredients and mixing the dough.
  1. Combine the flour, salt, and yeast. (image 1)
  2. Mix in the cinnamon and honey, and gradually add the water to make a slightly sticky dough. (image 2)
kneaded dough and dough with chips mixed in.
  1. Knead for 5 minutes, then let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Knead for another 2 minutes, or until the dough passes the windowpane test.  (See the recipe card to learn this technique.) (image 3)
  2. Mix the cinnamon chips and white chocolate chips into the dough. (image 4)
risen dough and shaping it into bagels.
  1. Let the dough rise overnight (8 to 24 hours) in the fridge. The next day, let it warm up for an hour in a warm place. (image 5)
  2. Divide it into 12 pieces. Roll each one into a ball, poke a hole in the center, and stretch it into a ring shape. (image 6)
risen bagels with the poaching liquid.
  1. Cover with a towel and let the bagels rise until they are springy to the touch, about 20-30 minutes. (image 7)
  2. Poach them in a mixture of boiling water, baking soda, and sugar for 30 seconds per side. (image 8)
baked Panera cinnamon crunch bagels on a plate.
  1. Sprinkle the bagels with cinnamon sugar and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes per tray, or until the bagels are well browned and have an internal temperature of at least 190°F. (image 9)
  2. Let the cinnamon crunch bagels cool on a wire rack before slicing and enjoying! (image 10)

Recipe FAQs

How many calories are in a Panera cinnamon crunch bagel?

According to Panera's website, one cinnamon crunch bagel contains 420 calories, 7g fat, 380mg sodium, 83g carbs, and 32g sugars.  By contrast, my homemade version contains 226 calories, .8g fat, 490mg sodium, 50g carbs, and 18g sugars.  This recipe makes smaller ones than Panera's, so if you increase their size, the nutrition facts will change.

Are Panera cinnamon crunch bagels vegan?

No, they aren't.  However, if you're making your own, it's easy to make them vegan.  The only ingredient in these cinnamon crunch bagels that isn't vegan is the honey that sweetens the dough, but that can easily be substituted with another sweetener, such as brown or white sugar or agave nectar.

Are cinnamon crunch bagels healthy?

While these bagels aren't super unhealthy, they're not the healthiest sweet treat out there!  Feel free to enjoy them in moderation like any other dessert.  Check out the full nutrition facts for this copycat recipe at the end of the recipe card.

How do you poach bagels?

Poaching bagels is one of the most important steps in the process, so don't skip it.  Traditional New York bagels are poached in a mixture of boiling water and barley malt, which gives the bagels their distinctive chewy texture and thin, leathery crust.  Since barley malt can be hard to find, I've substituted it with baking soda.

The actual poaching process is simple.  Make sure the poaching liquid is at a full boil, not a simmer, then carefully lower the bagel into the water.  Cook it for 30 seconds on each side, then remove it from the water with a skimmer and place it back on the baking tray.  Repeat the process until all the bagels have been in the hot water.

What do you put on cinnamon crunch bagels?

You can spread almost anything you would like on these bagels.  I find them delicious by themselves or simply with butter, but feel free to try honey, jam, or cream cheese that has been whipped with cinnamon and brown sugar.

Store

Here's how to keep your freshly baked, copycat Panera cinnamon crunch bagels fresh!

  • Like any homemade bread, these bagels taste best the same day.
  • If you have leftovers to keep, store them in a paper bag for up to 2 days.
  • Don't freeze, as the sugar topping will turn liquidy or sticky when thawed.
  • Toast them under the broiler, or reheat them by wrapping them loosely in foil and heating in a 350°F oven.
sliced Panera cinnamon crunch bagel on parchment paper.

Expert Tips

  • Only use bread flour, not all-purpose, for this recipe.  All-purpose lacks the protein content necessary to create lots of gluten, which is the secret to a chewy bagel.
  • Bring the poaching liquid to a full boil before adding the bagels.
  • Don't poach the bagels for too long, or the crust will be too thick, resulting in a tough, overly chewy bagel that won't rise much in the oven.
  • Line the baking trays with parchment paper. The crunchy topping will get all over the trays and will be hard to clean off otherwise.
  • Store leftovers in a paper bag at room temperature for up to a few days. Do not freeze; the topping will become sticky and watery upon thawing.

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Recipe

plate of Panera cinnamon crunch bagels.

Cinnamon Crunch Bagels - Panera Copycat

These chewy restaurant-style cinnamon crunch bagels are topped with an amazing topping that will have you wanting seconds!  Make these copycat Panera cinnamon crunch bagels at home with this easy, detailed recipe, and you'll feel like a baking master.
4.9 from 11 votes
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Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 bagels
Calories: 282kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

For the Dough

  • 4 ⅛ cups bread flour
  • 4 ½ teaspoons fast-action yeast
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ cups warm water
  • 1 cup cinnamon chips
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips

For the Poaching

  • water
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the Topping

  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Keep your screen on while you work!

Instructions

Making the Dough

  • Pour the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt and yeast on opposite sides, stirring each one in with your finger. Keeping the salt from touching the yeast prevents it from killing the yeast.
  • Add the honey and ground cinnamon and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until blended.
  • Gradually add enough warm water to form a slightly sticky dough. You may not need all the water, or you might need a little extra, depending upon the brand of flour and the humidity.
  • Change attachments to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes, then knead on medium-low again for another 2 minutes, or until the dough passes the windowpane test.  That means that a large lump of dough can stretch until it is translucent without tearing.
  • Knead the white chocolate chips and cinnamon chips into the dough until well blended.
  • Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the mixing bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let it prove in the fridge overnight (at least 8 hours, but no more than 24 hours).  The dough should double in size during this process.

Shaping & Proving the Bagels

  • The next day, let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour. See the recipe notes for tips on creating a warm place.
  • Punch down the dough and cut it into 12 equal pieces, using a bench scraper and a kitchen scale for ease and accuracy. Roll a piece into a ball, then poke a hole in the center with your finger and stretch the dough to form a bagel shape.  Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
  • Place the bagels on two 11x17-inch cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment. Cover the trays with clean tea towels and leave to prove for 20-30 minutes, or until the dough is springy to the touch.
  • Combine all the cinnamon crunch topping ingredients in a medium bowl until blended, then set aside.

Poaching & Baking

  • Fill a six quart Dutch oven with three inches of water and bring it to a full boil, then dissolve the sugar and baking soda in the water. Turn the heat to a simmer until you’re ready to poach the bagels.  Before adding the bagels, make sure the water is at a full boil again.
  • Gently peel a bagel off of the tray and carefully drop it into the boiling poaching liquid. Let it cook for 30 seconds on each side, which is long enough to set the shape and encourage the dough to puff up.  Promptly remove it from the water with a skimmer, drain off the excess water, and place it back on the tray.  You can poach up to four bagels at a time.
  • Generously sprinkle the bagels with the topping. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, or until the bagels have risen, browned, and have a minimum internal temperature of 190°F on a meat thermometer.
  • Let the bagels cool on wire racks for at least 20-30 minutes before eating.

Video

Notes

  • Need a warm place for the dough to rise?  Place the bowl of dough on the top shelf of a cold oven and place a casserole dish filled with boiling water on the lower shelf.  Shut the oven door to trap the steam inside.
  • It’s best to poach one tray (six bagels) and bake them right away, then let the second tray continue to rise while the first one bakes.  When the first tray is almost done in the oven, start poaching the second tray.
  • Store leftover bagels in a paper bag at room temperature for up to a few days. Do not freeze; the topping will become sticky and watery upon thawing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bagelCalories: 282kcal (14%)Carbohydrates: 58g (19%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 3g (5%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mg (1%)Sodium: 695mg (30%)Potassium: 97mg (3%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 24g (27%)Vitamin A: 5IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 39mg (4%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lyss

    July 27, 2024 at 4:10 pm

    can you use sourdough starter instead of the yeast? if so, do you know how much starter to use? thanks!

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      July 28, 2024 at 1:49 pm

      Hi Lyss! I'm sure you can make these with sourdough starter, but I've never tested it out. I'm sorry I can't be more help!

      Reply
  2. Laura

    May 01, 2024 at 11:31 am

    I only have regular yeast not fast acting. What is the conversion for this recipe?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      May 01, 2024 at 12:47 pm

      You'll use exactly the same amount; just make sure to bloom it by mixing it with the water and honey in the recipe and letting it stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Warm the water to 110-115°F to encourage the yeast to activate.

      Reply
  3. Alex

    April 19, 2024 at 12:37 pm

    5 stars
    The bagel has the perfect combination of chewy and crunchy. The cinnamon swirled throughout the bagel is very nice. They are good with cream cheese.

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      April 20, 2024 at 7:30 am

      Glad to hear it, Alex! Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Beth

    April 19, 2024 at 12:36 pm

    5 stars
    The crunchy topping is great and I especially like them toasted with butter. 🙂

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      April 20, 2024 at 7:29 am

      That's wonderful! I'm so happy that you enjoyed these bagels, Beth.

      Reply
  5. Alexis LeQuire

    April 10, 2024 at 3:01 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe. This was my first time making bagels and they came out amazing. I used Active Dry Yeast instead of Fast Acting Yeast, but it didn't seem to affect the overall outcome. I don't recommend skipping out on the cinnamon chips. It really gives them bakery quality!

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      April 11, 2024 at 11:44 am

      Glad to hear that you enjoyed these, Alexis--and congrats on making your first bagels!

      Reply
  6. Laura

    February 19, 2024 at 11:30 am

    5 stars
    my son loved these!!! I thought they were great too. I think I may add a little melted butter to the topping next time so that its cruncher? Great recipe - thank you

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      February 19, 2024 at 11:45 am

      We're so glad you and your son enjoyed these bagels, Laura!

      Reply
  7. Debra

    January 25, 2024 at 10:53 pm

    4 stars
    Can you give instructions for someone who doesn't have a stand mixer?

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      January 26, 2024 at 6:29 am

      It works the same way--you just mix with your hand and knead on a floured surface. Happy baking!

      Reply
  8. Gretchen Roberts

    January 11, 2024 at 10:44 am

    Do you know how I would convert this to a recipe using sourdough starter instead of yeast?

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      January 12, 2024 at 6:24 am

      I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with sourdough and can't provide guidance here. I'd recommend looking on a sourdough site for recommendations.

      Reply
  9. Jasmyn

    September 03, 2023 at 6:19 pm

    Can you sub bread flour for all purpose

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      September 04, 2023 at 7:19 am

      Technically, you can use all-purpose, but I wouldn't recommend it. Bagels have to have a chewy texture and crust, and you'll only get that by using bread flour.

      Reply
  10. Kierstin Adair

    July 17, 2023 at 11:06 am

    Do your bagel become liquid and sticky just sitting room temp? I made them last night and they are already sticky with liquid. Any tips to prevent this?

    Reply
    • Emma Fajcz

      July 19, 2023 at 8:45 am

      They need to be stored in a paper bag at room temperature. Freezing them or storing them in plastic may make the topping go watery. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  11. Darlene Frisicaro

    May 25, 2023 at 4:33 pm

    5 stars
    Could you please post a Panera copycat recipe for their cinnamon swirl bagels? I’ve tried 2 different recipes but can’t get the same texture or cinnamon flavor? I would appreciate it.

    Reply
    • Emma

      May 26, 2023 at 6:30 am

      Thanks for asking! We can look into doing a recipe for cinnamon swirl bagels in the future.

      Reply
      • Darlene Frisicaro

        September 15, 2023 at 1:34 pm

        5 stars
        Thank you. We will look forward to it.

        Reply
  12. Ann

    February 01, 2023 at 9:51 am

    These were delicious! I made them exactly according to your instructions. I actually like them better than Panera Bread bagels!

    Reply
    • Emma

      February 02, 2023 at 6:15 am

      Thank you so much, Ann! I'm so happy that you enjoyed the bagels that much!

      Reply
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