Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagels You Can Make at Home

Panera’s cinnamon crunch bagel is the one people order even when they swear they’re eating healthy that day, and it’s easy to see why. The chewy dough studded with cinnamon chips, the crackly sugar topping, and that thin glaze on top make it feel more like a pastry than a bagel.

This version bakes up with the same chew and the same crunchy top, and you don’t need a bakery oven or a mixer to get there.

Why This Bagel Works

The cinnamon chips melt into little pockets of caramel as the bagels bake, so every bite has a soft, gooey spot along with the chew. Boiling the dough before baking is what gives it that dense, glossy crust instead of a soft dinner-roll texture.

The crumb topping gets pressed on before baking, so it bakes into the crust instead of sitting loose on top. A quick powdered sugar glaze on the warm bagels is what makes them taste like the bakery case, not homemade bread.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (500 g) bread flour: gives the dough the structure and chew a real bagel needs
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast: one standard packet
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar: feeds the yeast and takes the edge off the dough’s bite
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110°F/43°C): too hot and it kills the yeast, so check with your finger
• 1 cup cinnamon chips: the bakery-style kind, folded straight into the dough
• 8 cups water: for boiling the shaped bagels
• 2 tbsp honey: stirred into the boiling water for shine and a slightly sweet crust
• 1 egg, beaten: brushed on before baking so the topping sticks
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar: for the crunchy topping
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon: for the topping
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted: binds the topping into a crumble instead of loose sand
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar: for the glaze
• 2 tbsp milk: thins the glaze to drizzling consistency

Variations / Substitutions

• No cinnamon chips: chop up cinnamon baking bark or a dark chocolate bar mixed with an extra 1/2 tsp cinnamon, the melt won’t be quite as gooey but it’s close.
• Less sweet: cut the brown sugar in the topping to 1/4 cup and skip the glaze, you’ll still get the crunch without it tasting like dessert.
• Dairy-free: swap the melted butter for melted coconut oil and use oat milk in the glaze, the texture holds up fine.
• Add-in twist: stir in 1/3 cup raisins along with the cinnamon chips for something closer to a cinnamon raisin bagel.
• Spiced up: add 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg or cardamom to the topping mix for a warmer, less one-note spice flavor.

If you like working with yeast dough, my Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread uses a lot of the same technique.

How to Make Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

Step 1: Bloom the Yeast and Mix the Dough

In a large bowl, whisk the 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast and 1 tbsp of the 3 tbsp sugar into the 1 1/4 cups warm water (110°F/43°C). Let it sit 5 minutes, until it looks foamy on top. Stir in the 4 cups bread flour, the remaining 2 tbsp sugar, and the 2 tsp salt until a shaggy dough forms.

The dough will look rough and a little dry at this stage, and that’s exactly right for bagels. It should not be soft or sticky like sandwich bread dough.

Step 2: Knead in the Cinnamon Chips

Turn the dough out and knead by hand for 8 minutes, until it turns smooth and stiff, then work in the 1 cup cinnamon chips until they’re evenly scattered through the dough. It’ll feel tough on your arms, which is normal for bagel dough.

Shape it into a ball, set it in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise 60 minutes at room temperature, until noticeably puffed but not doubled. Bagel dough doesn’t rise as dramatically as bread dough, so don’t expect it to double in size.

This tighter dough is what gives the bagel its dense chew instead of an airy crumb, so resist the urge to add more water to make it easier to work with.

Step 3: Shape the Bagels

Punch down the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, poke your thumb through the center, and stretch the hole to about 2 inches wide, since it’ll shrink back as it bakes.

Set the shaped bagels on a floured tray and let them rest 10 minutes while you bring your boiling water to a simmer. They should look slightly relaxed and a bit shiny on the surface when they’re ready.

Step 4: Boil the Bagels

Bring the 8 cups water and 2 tbsp honey to a gentle boil in a wide pot, then preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Boil the bagels 2 at a time for 60 seconds per side, they’ll bob up and look glossy and slightly swollen.

Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined tray to drain. This step is what gives the crust its chew, so don’t skip it even though it feels like an extra step for bread.

Step 5: Top and Bake the Bagels

Arrange the boiled bagels on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush each one with the 1 beaten egg. Mix the 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon, and 2 tbsp melted butter into a coarse crumble, then press a generous spoonful onto the top of each bagel.

Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the topping has hardened into a crackly crust. The kitchen will smell like cinnamon rolls by the halfway mark.

Step 6: Drizzle and Serve

Whisk the 1/2 cup powdered sugar with the 2 tbsp milk until smooth, then drizzle it over the bagels while they’re still warm from the oven. It’ll set into thin, shiny lines within a couple of minutes.

Serve them warm, when the topping is still a little crisp and the cinnamon chips inside are soft and melty.

Tips for Bakery-Style Crunch

• Use bread flour, not all-purpose, the higher protein content is what gives these that chewy, bagel-shop bite instead of a soft roll texture.
• Press the crumb topping on firmly before baking so it bonds to the dough instead of sliding off in the oven.
• If your cinnamon chips are melting out into the boiling water instead of the bagel, your dough was probably kneaded too briefly and the chips weren’t sealed in well enough.
• Freeze extra shaped bagels before boiling, then boil and bake straight from frozen, just add 2 extra minutes to the boil time.

Bake times shift a bit with size, so use this as a guide.

Bagel Size	Boil Time (per side)	Bake Time
Mini	30 seconds	14-15 mins
Standard	60 seconds	20-22 mins
Extra large	90 seconds	25-27 mins

Keeping the Cinnamon Crunch Fresh

Refrigerate: skip the fridge, it actually dries bagels out faster than the counter. Store them at room temperature in a sealed bag for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Reheating: toast sliced bagels straight from frozen, or warm whole bagels at 350°F (175°C) for 8 minutes to bring back the crunch on top.

What to Serve With Cinnamon Crunch Bagels

A plain cream cheese schmear is the classic move here, the tang cuts through the sweetness of the topping instead of piling on more sugar. Scrambled eggs on the side work for the same reason, something savory balances a genuinely sweet bagel.

If you want a drink pairing, a plain black coffee holds up better than a sweet latte, since the bagel is already doing the sugar work for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the dough the night before?

Yes, after kneading, let it rise in the fridge overnight instead of at room temperature, then bring it to room temp for about 20 minutes before shaping.

Why did my bagels come out dense and heavy instead of chewy?

That usually means the yeast was old or the water was too hot when you bloomed it, so the dough never rose properly before boiling. Always check that your water feels warm, not hot, on the inside of your wrist.

Do I need a stand mixer for this dough?

No, this dough is stiff enough to knead by hand in about 8 minutes, though a stand mixer with a dough hook will save your arms if you have one.

Can I make these into mini bagels or bagel bites?

Yes, divide the dough into 16 pieces instead of 8 for minis, and cut the boil time to 30 seconds per side and the bake time to about 14 minutes.