One of the most creative uses for your Air Fryer that you've never considered is toast or heat bagels. Toasting bagels in an air fryer is as easy as it can get. You can toast multiple bagels at a time unlike the toaster and do not have to wait for it to preheat like oven. Air fryer bagels are quick, easy, and perfectly crispy with soft interiors.
It is time to get rid of your toaster. As the air fryer can do its job better than it. Be it to toast a slice of bread, make frozen waffles, heat the burger buns, or toast the bagels.
Why should you toast bagel in an air fryer?
The air fryer makes the quickest and crispiest bagels with lesser active involvement than a toaster and way faster than the oven. You can toast about 2 bagels at a time, and it needs no time to preheat like oven.
Toasting bagels in the air fryer is a hands-off method like oven but cooks much faster and better than toasters. That is why the air fryer is my go-to tool to toast frozen bagels or fresh bagels or to simply heat the bagels.
If your question is can you toast bagels in an air fryer? First of all, welcome to the let’s do everything in the air fryer! club. Oh, and yes, you can toast bagels in the air fryer. Today we are going to talk about it in its totality.
How to toast a bagel without a toaster?
- If you do not have a toaster, you can toast a bagel in the oven or an air fryer. If you are looking to toast 2-4 bagels, go for an air fryer toasting. It takes 3-4 minutes per batch.
- But if you have to feed a tribe, then go for your trusted oven to toast the bagels. Preheat the oven to 370 0F. Then slice them and brush the cut surface with warm water using a pastry brush. Then, place the cut side up on a baking tray. Then let them toast for 4-5 minutes.
- You can also use the broil option in the oven to quickly toast the bagels.
- Another way is to just toast them on a cast-iron skillet. Slice them and butter the cut sides. Then place them on a heated skillet with the cut side touching the skillet. This is the conventional way to heat or toast the bagels.
- Another method that you can consider is using the bake mode in an instant pot to heat the bagels.
In my opinion, the best way to toast a bagel is in an air fryer.
Ingredients and equipment required to toast bagels in air fryer
Bagels
You just need bagels. They could be fresh homemade bagels, store-bought bagels, or frozen bagels. I love Einstein Bros. bagels. They are so good. Other than that, I like the artisan bagels of Trader Joe's, Thomas plain bagels, and cinnamon raisin bagels. It could be a blueberry bagel, sesame bagel, or onion bagel. The air fryer instructions would be the same for all of them.
Bagel Toppings and spread of your choice.
There are numerous options to serve these chewy crispy and delicious bagels. Read the section "how to serve" for suggestions on bagel toppings.
Air fryer
Use whichever air fryer you have. Be it basket style air fryer or an oven-style air fryer, both would work fine. The number of bagels that you could toast in an air fryer will depend on the size of the air fryer and the size of the bagels to some extent. You could place 3-4 mini bagels in the air fryer.
I have an 8 qt. air fryer and it fits 2 standard-sized sliced bagels. You can do 4 whole bagels at a time.
Now, let us begin cooking perfectly toasted bagels in air fryer in just 3 minutes!
How to toast bagels in air fryer?
To toast bagels in the air fryer, start by slicing the bagels and brush them with warm water using a pastry brush. Then put them in the air fryer, facing up the cut side.
Set the air fryer temperature to 370 0 F and let the bagels toast for 3-4 minutes or until they turn golden.
Take them out of the air fryer basket and put a schmear of cream cheese or serve as your heart desires.
Be it the plain bagels or the cinnamon raisin bagels, blueberry bagels, onion bagels, or mini bagels, all will take almost equal time to toast.
Basket style air fryer vs oven style air fryer to toast the bagel
Both types of air fryers can toast the bagels perfectly. But if you are using an oven-style air fryer, put the bagels on one shelf only. Do not use more than one shelf at a time. Though oven-style air fryers can accommodate more bagels than the basket style.
How to serve air fryer bagels for vegetarian breakfast
- A schmear of herbed cream cheese, and top with the fresh fruits of your choice.
- For breakfast, you can take the traditional approach and spread some cream cheese on toasted bagels! Also, add some green onions, olives, and chives with some toasted nuts.
- Spread some peanut butter and top with caramelized apples and nuts.
- Smear the toasted bagels with some good butter, garlic butter, or herb butter (chive butter)
- Make a thick bed of almond butter on an air fryer bagel, and top it with caramelized bananas, and everything bagel seasoning.
- Put some strawberry jam or jelly of your choice and top them with some crunch toasted sunflower seeds.
- You can also prepare a delectable breakfast sandwich with air-fried tofu or scrambled tofu.
- Sliced avocadoes, nutritional yeast, and sauteed mushrooms on a buttered and air fryer toasted bagel.
Using bagels for lunch ideas
To whip up a quick vegetarian lunch using the bagels try the following suggestions:
- Slice the bagels and spread some marinara sauce on them. Top with shredded cheese and olives. Then, toast in the air fryer at 370 0F for 5 minutes or so until the cheese melts. A quick bagel pizza is ready!
- A vegetarian bagel sandwich filled with scrambled tofu and leek sabzi and green veggies.
- Spread hummus, olives, cucumber, and toasted sesame seeds.
- Feta and some roasted mushroom and spinach.
Tips and tricks to make the best bagels in an air fryer
- The mini bagels will air-fry much faster than the large and thick bagels.
- Do not place the bagels very closely. They need space for air circulation. The simple rule is not to overcrowd the bagels in an air fryer.
- If you are using an oven-style air fryer, use only one shelf at a time.
- There is no need to flip the bagels in air fryers.
- To toast frozen bagels in an air fryer, do not thaw them at all. Simply run them quickly under running water and then place them as a whole in the air fryer.
- If you are heating the whole bagels and are unsure if the bagels are heated through, look for a brown color on the rims of the bagels. Alternately you can use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should be more than 205 0F.
- Every air fryer is different. So, test to find the perfect time for your air fryer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bagels can be perfectly heated and toasted in the air fryers. You can put them as whole or sliced to heat or toast. Air fryer toast bagel to full perfection.
To toast frozen bagels in an air fryer, do not thaw them at all. Simply run them quickly under running water and then place them as a whole in the air fryer. Air fry at 370 0F for 5-6 minutes or until the crust becomes golden.
It is better to preheat the air fryer to make air fryer frozen bagel.
Place the whole bagel in the air fryer and set the air fryer at 350 0F. Let it heat in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes.
It is a matter of 3-4 minutes. Mine took 3 minutes to toast at 370 0F. Air fryer toasting is just the best and quickest.
Other breakfast recipes in air fryer recipes
- Frozen Waffles in Air Fryer: Quick and crispy!
- How to make air fryer hash browns? (shredded and patties)
- A Guide to Make Biscuits in Air Fryer
- Make frozen burgers in air fryer (Frozen veggie burger)
- Best way to cook frozen garlic bread in air fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli Spiced to Perfection!
I hope you will love the air fryer bagels as much as I do. Share your results and opinions in the comment section below. Also, subscribe to never miss a recipe.
Till then,
Make it delicious!
Recipe card to toast bagel in an air fryer
Toast bagels in air fryer
Equipment
- air fryer
- Pastry brush.
Ingredients
- 2 bagels
- A bowl of warm water
- Bagel Toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Start by slicing the bagels and brush them with warm water using a pastry brush.
- Then put them in the air fryer, with the cut side facing up.
- Set the air fryer temperature to 370 0F and let the bagels toast for 3-4 minutes or until they turn golden.
- Take them out of the air fryer basket and put a schmear of cream cheese or serve as your heart desires.
- Be it the plain bagels or the cinnamon raisin bagels, blueberry bagels, or onion bagels, all will take almost equal time to toast.
Notes
- The mini bagels will air-fry much faster than the large and thick bagels.
- Do not place the bagels very closely. They need space for air circulation. The simple rule is not to overcrowd the bagels in an air fryer.
- If you are using an oven-style air fryer, use only one shelf at a time.
- There is no need to flip the bagels in air fryers.
- To toast frozen bagels in an air fryer, do not thaw them at all. Simply run them quickly under running water and then place them as a whole in the air fryer.
- If you are heating the whole bagels and are unsure if the bagels are heated through, look for a brown color on the rims of the bagels. Alternately you can use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should be more than 205 degrees F.
- Every air fryer is different. So, test to find the perfect time for your air fryer.
Nutrition Facts
Jean
I got my first air fryer last week, and this is the second 'recipe' that I've tried. It is excellent! Bagels in a toaster don't seem to work right, but this was perfect! I first tried three min, and it did need that extra minute. Great texture and crunch! Thank you for all of your info; it's really helpful, Meenakshi!
Amanda
It is now my go-to bagel toasting method. Skip losing bagel topping in the toaster. Go for it guys!