Bagel With Cream Cheese Recipe
Bagel: Plain or Everything. Cream Cheese: Plain, Jalapeno, or Cinnamon & Brown Sugar
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Ingredients
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Bagel
Cream Cheese Options
Optional Toppings
Method
Bagel
Select bagel
Choose either a plain bagel or an everything bagel depending on preference. If using a frozen bagel, thaw to room temperature for 10–15 minutes.
Slice bagel
Using a serrated knife, slice the bagel horizontally into two even halves on a cutting board. Hold steady with fingers curled away from the blade.
Toast bagel
Toast the cut sides in a toaster or toaster oven until golden and crisp to your liking (generally 2–4 minutes on medium). For a softer interior, toast for a shorter time; for extra crispness, toast longer or use the broil setting briefly, watching carefully.
Cream Cheese Options
Prepare cream cheese
Select one cream cheese flavor: plain, jalapeño, or cinnamon & brown sugar. If refrigerated hard, let the chosen cream cheese sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes or microwave for 5–8 seconds to soften slightly, so it's easy to spread.
Portion cream cheese
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the chosen cream cheese into a small bowl or onto the cut surface of one bagel half. Use a butter knife or small spatula to smooth and evenly distribute the cream cheese across the entire cut surface, leaving a thin 1/8" border to prevent overflow when topping.
Optional Toppings
Add butter or honey (optional)
If desired, lightly spread 1 teaspoon unsalted butter on the other bagel half for contrast. Alternatively, drizzle 1 teaspoon honey over the cream cheese for sweetness (works especially well with cinnamon & brown sugar cream cheese).
Add savory toppings (optional)
For a savory bagel, arrange sliced tomato (2 slices), thin red onion rings (4 rings), and 1 teaspoon capers over the cream-cheese-topped half. Gently press toppings so they adhere to the cream cheese.
Assemble
Place the remaining bagel half (buttered side down if using butter) on top of the cream-cheese-topped half. Press lightly to secure.
Serve
Serve immediately while the bagel is warm and cream cheese is soft. If preparing for later, wrap in parchment and refrigerate for up to 24 hours (best eaten within a few hours for optimal texture).