A warm double chocolate chip bagel fresh from the oven is one of those things that makes you wonder why you ever bought bagels from the store. The outside has that perfect glossy sheen and slight crunch, while the inside stays soft and chewy with pockets of melted chocolate throughout. It’s not quite breakfast and not quite dessert—more like that perfect in-between treat that works any time of day.
This recipe walks through everything step by step, including the parts that usually trip people up (like how much to knead, when the dough is actually ready, and why you have to boil bagels before baking them). By the time you’re done, you’ll have the kind of bagels that make your kitchen smell incredible and your family wonder when you became a professional baker.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✾ Actually tastes like chocolate: We’re using cocoa powder in the dough PLUS chocolate chips, so you get real chocolate flavor, not just brown bread
✾ That perfect bagel chew: The boiling step isn’t optional—it’s what gives these that signature dense, chewy texture that makes bagels different from regular bread
✾ Freezer-friendly for busy mornings: Bake a batch, freeze them, and toast straight from the freezer whenever you need breakfast in a hurry
✾ Beginner-friendly instructions: Every step is explained like you’ve never made bagels before, because honestly, most people haven’t
✾ Way cheaper than buying them: Bakery bagels go for $2-3 each these days. This batch costs maybe $5 total
✾ No stand mixer needed: Everything’s done by hand, which actually works better for bagel dough anyway
Ingredients
For the Bagel Dough:
• 1 ½ cups (360ml) warm water (should feel like a comfortable bath—around 110°F if you’re checking with a thermometer)
• 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 4 cups (500g) bread flour, plus extra for kneading (Bread flour makes chewier bagels than all-purpose. You can use all-purpose if that’s what you have, but they’ll be softer)
• ½ cup (50g) Dutch-process cocoa powder (The Dutch-process kind is less bitter and gives deeper color. Hershey’s Special Dark works great)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup (175g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (Mini chips spread more evenly through the dough, but regular size works fine)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for the bowl)
For Boiling:
• 2 quarts (8 cups) water
• 2 tablespoons honey or barley malt syrup (Honey’s easier to find and tastes great. Malt syrup is more traditional if you can track it down)
For Topping (Optional):
• 2 tablespoons coarse sugar (like turbinado)
• Flaky sea salt (sounds weird on chocolate bagels but trust me, it’s good)
Quick Notes:
Bread flour usually says “for bread machines” on the bag and has more protein than all-purpose
If your grocery store doesn’t have Dutch-process cocoa in the baking aisle, regular cocoa works but the flavor won’t be as deep
Room temperature ingredients aren’t critical here, but the water temperature actually matters
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Wake up the yeast:
Pour warm water into a large bowl, sprinkle in the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar, stir briefly, and wait 5-7 minutes. It should get foamy on top—that’s how you know the yeast is alive. If nothing happens, your water was too hot or the yeast is dead. Start over.
2 Make the dough:
Add the remaining sugar, bread flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the foamy yeast. Stir until it forms a shaggy dough, then turn it onto a lightly floured counter. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic—slightly tacky but not sticky. Add flour one tablespoon at a time if needed. The dough’s ready when it springs back slowly after being poked.
3 Add the chocolate chips:
Flatten the dough into a rectangle, scatter chocolate chips across it, then fold and knead gently for 1-2 minutes to distribute them. Some will poke through—that’s fine. Don’t overwork it. Shape into a smooth ball.
4 Let it rise:
Oil a large bowl, add the dough, and flip once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm spot for 60-75 minutes until doubled. The dent should stay when you press a finger into it.
5 Shape into bagels:
Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball, let rest 5 minutes, then poke your thumb through the center and stretch to create a 2-inch hole. Make it bigger than seems right—it shrinks during cooking. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6 Prep for boiling:
Cover shaped bagels with a towel and rest 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
7 Boil them:
Add honey to the boiling water. Drop in 2-3 bagels at a time and boil 1 minute per side. They’ll puff and get shiny. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the baking sheet. This step creates that signature chewy crust.
8 Bake:
Sprinkle with sugar or salt if using (do this while they’re still wet). Bake 20-24 minutes, rotating halfway through, until deeply browned and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.
Pro Tips
✾ Freeze them properly: Once they’re completely cool, slice the bagels in half and toss them in a freezer bag with as much air squeezed out as possible. Pop them straight into the toaster from frozen whenever you need one. They’ll stay good for 3 months and taste just-baked.
✾ If your bagels turn out dense: This usually means you didn’t knead long enough or you skipped the boiling. Make sure you knead until the dough passes the windowpane test—stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through it without tearing. And never skip boiling, even if you’re in a hurry.
✾ Get the chocolate chips distributed better: Don’t over-knead after adding the chips. Just fold them in until they’re barely incorporated, then shape your bagels right away. Too much kneading melts the chips into the dough instead of leaving distinct chocolate pockets.
✾ Make them less dessert-like: Cut the sugar down to 2 tablespoons and use dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. These work better with cream cheese and feel more like breakfast than dessert.
✾ Make them all the same size: Use a kitchen scale to weigh each piece of dough (about 110g each). They’ll bake evenly and look way more professional.
Nutrition (Per Serving)
Based on 8 bagels
• Calories: 345
• Carbohydrates: 62g
• Protein: 9g
• Fat: 8g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 585mg
✾ Nutrition info is estimated and may vary based on specific ingredients and portion sizes.
FAQs
➲ Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry?
Yeah, totally. Use the same amount but skip the whole “bloom the yeast in water” step. Just mix the instant yeast right into the flour, add the warm water, and keep going. Instant yeast sometimes works a little faster, so keep an eye on the rise time.
➲ Why did my bagels come out flat?
Usually means one of three things: the dough rose too long and over-proofed, you shaped them too tight without enough of a center hole, or you didn’t boil them long enough. Make sure you stop the first rise as soon as the dough doubles (don’t let it go longer), make that center hole bigger than feels right, and boil for the full minute on each side.
➲ What’s the best way to reheat these?
Slice them first, then pop them in the toaster or toaster oven until the edges get crispy. Don’t use the microwave—it makes bagels rubbery and sad. If you’re reheating whole bagels, wrap them in foil and warm them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
➲ Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Absolutely. After you shape them, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge overnight (up to 18 hours). Next morning, let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to take the chill off, then boil and bake like normal. The cold rise actually makes the flavor better.
Conclusion
Once you’ve pulled off a batch of homemade double chocolate chip bagels, you’ll probably never look at the grocery store bakery case the same way. The whole process is way more straightforward than it seems—easier than making bread, faster than sourdough, and so much more satisfying than buying them pre-made. That combination of deep chocolate flavor, chewy texture, and pockets of melted chocolate creates something that feels special enough for a lazy Sunday brunch but practical enough to make every week.
You may also like:
✾ Homemade Gluten Free Bagels in 2 Hours (Finally!)
✾ Easy Asiago Bagel Recipe (Better Than Store-Bought!)
✾ Homemade Bagel Recipe | Easy New York–Style (Ready in 3H!)
✾ Fudgy Gluten Free Zucchini Brownies in 35 Minutes
Now it’s your turn! Which recipe are you making first? Drop a comment below, rate it, and share your go-to snack combos on @hdrecipe.co.
List of sections
Double Chocolate Chip Bagels
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 ½ cups warm water 110°F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
- 4 cups bread flour plus extra for kneading
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For Boiling:
- 2 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons honey or barley malt syrup
Optional Topping:
- 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1 Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Combine warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large bowl. Let sit 5-7 minutes until foamy. Add remaining sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until shaggy, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Flatten dough, scatter chocolate chips across surface, and knead gently 1-2 minutes to distribute. Shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 60-75 minutes until doubled.
- Punch down dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball, rest 5 minutes, then poke thumb through center and stretch to create a 2-inch hole. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Rest 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Bring 2 quarts water and honey to a boil in a large pot. Boil bagels 2-3 at a time for 1 minute per side. Remove with slotted spoon and return to baking sheet. Sprinkle with toppings if using.
- Bake 20-24 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until deeply browned and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes before slicing.
