Do you love everything bagels? Me, too. They’ve always been my favorite. When we were little, our parents would take us to the bagel shop on Sundays. I’d jump up and down for an everything bagel, while my brothers opted for cinnamon raisin. No, thanks!
As an adult, I’ve begrudgingly come to realize that white bread doesn’t work for me. So, I opt for plain whole-grain bagels when bagels present themselves, even though what I really want is an everything bagel.
Imagine my delight when I discovered how to make my own everything bagel spice blend. Now I can make any bagel an everything bagel! I can even make toast taste like an everything bagel. You can use this blend on much more, as you’ll see below.
Everything bagel blend is made with simple ingredients—you’ll need sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried minced garlic and onion, kosher salt and red pepper flakes (omit the flakes if you’re sensitive to spice). You should be able to find them all in the spice aisle at your nearest grocery store.
The trick to making the best everything bagel seasoning is to toast it in a skillet. If you think about it, everything bagels go through the oven with the seeds and spices on the outside, so the toasted flavor is key. It’s savory, nutty and aromatic, just like a real everything bagel.
Freshly toasted everything bagel seasoning tastes way better than store-bought blends, like Trader Joe’s “Everything But the Bagel” blend, which often taste borderline rancid by the time they get home. Let’s make some.
Uses for Everything Bagel Seasoning
Think beyond bagels! This seasoning blend recipe adds flavor to all kinds of snacks and side dishes. The blend will stick best on ingredients that are creamy or wet, like avocado, cucumber, cream cheese and sauces. Keep in mind that the seasoning contains salt, so you may want to scale back the salt on whatever you’re serving it with.
Here are a few ways to use it:
- On toast. Sprinkle it over avocado toast, buttered toast, or cream cheese on toast. It’s surprisingly good on peanut butter toast, too.
- On soup. I can vouch that this blend adds some fun flavor and crunch when sprinkled over creamy cauliflower soup. (I have a hunch it would be good on mashed potatoes, too.)
- On vegetables. Try it on sliced cucumber or tomatoes, or take your roasted vegetables to the next level. I loved it on roasted Brussels sprouts with a swoosh of tahini sauce underneath. Both the spice blend and tahini contain sesame seeds, so they go great together. This treatment would be great on roasted broccoli or green beans, too.
- On dips. Try sprinkling everything bagel blend on hummus, tahini sauce or sour cream-based dips.
- On sandwiches or salads. A little sprinkle can make a basic tomato sandwich or green salad taste more interesting.
- On eggs. Try it on scrambled eggs or fried eggs with avocado or tomato, with toast on the side.
- On popcorn. Everything blend on stovetop popcorn? Have mercy. Drizzle it with extra-virgin olive oil or butter before tossing to help it stick.
Watch How to Make Toasted Everything Bagel Seasoning
Looking for more fun homemade spice blends? Try my recipes for za’atar, dukkah and easy vegan Parmesan. You’ll find many more homemade sauces, spreads and condiments here.
Please let me know how you use your everything bagel blend in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Everything Bagel Seasoning
The trick to making the best everything bagel seasoning is to toast the seeds and spices in a skillet! That way, it tastes just like a freshly toasted everything bagel. Recipe yields a little over ⅓ cup (6 tablespoons).
- In a small skillet, combine the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion, dried garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the spices are fragrant and the sesame seeds are turning barely golden on the edges, about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the pan, as the seeds can burn if they are not stirred frequently, especially during the last couple of minutes.
- Transfer the mix to a small bowl to cool. Store cooled leftover spice blend in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 1 month (if it starts to taste bitter or off, the toasted seeds have gone bad).
Notes
Recipe adapted from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Change it up: I love to add 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds or pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) to the skillet for an extra boost of seedy flavor and crunch. Hemp seeds would be good, too.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
