60+ Bagel Toppings and Fillings Ideas

Need some bagel toppings and fillings ideas for those soft and chewy holed bread rolls you’ve just brought home? Oh, do I have a list for you!

Below, you’ll find treats, combinations, and toppings aplenty for your bagels. There are ideas for sweet and savory bagels for all times of day. I’ve also included a couple of recipes at the end.

If you’re a bagel lover, why not get my toppings and fillings list for free? You can print it off and challenge yourself to try them all!

Bagel Bar

Got guests coming ’round and want to serve bagels? You could set up a bagel bar with some of the following fillings and ingredients.

A Variety of Bagels (see the bagel flavors section below for ideas)
Plain Cream Cheese
Herb-Capers Cream Cheese
Smoked Salmon or Lox
Capers
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Cucumbers
Pickled Red Onions
Strawberry Cream Cheese
Fresh Fruit and Berries

Popular Toppings

For a bagel flavor you’d probably find in a deli, try some of these fillings and toppings. These are classic, tried and tested bagel flavors that have been chowed down on for generations.

Plain Cream Cheese
Flavored Cream Cheeses (see section below for ideas)
Butter
Smoked Salmon/Lox
Capers
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Avocado
Scrambled Eggs (or Fried Eggs)
Fresh Herbs (Dill, Chives, Scallions)

Flavored Cream Cheeses

Bagels and cream cheese go hand-in-hand. Here are some cream cheese flavors, both sweet and savory, to try on your bagels. You could make them at home, or you could also get most of these at the grocery store.

Scallion Cream Cheese
Herb Cream Cheese
Jalapeño Cream Cheese
Garlic Cream Cheese
Sundried Tomato Cream Cheese
Olive Cream Cheese
Lox Cream Cheese
Strawberry Cream Cheese
Blueberry Cream Cheese
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese

Meats

Smoked salmon may be a firm favorite, but plenty of other tender and succulent meats can make a bagel super tasty. Try some of these meats for a hearty filling.

Turkey
Beef Salami
Roast Beef
Grilled Chicken
Bacon
Ham
Pastrami
Prosciutto
Chicken Salad
Chorizo

Cheeses

Whether you like your cheeses hard, creamy, salty, tangy, or somewhere in between, plenty of them can be used as a bagel filler. Here are some cheeses for inspiration.

Mozzarella
Swiss
Provolone
Pepper Jack
Cheddar
Muenster
American
Goat Cheese
Feta
Blue Cheese

More Savory Toppings

These savory fillings will make your bagel hearty and filling. There is no end to savory fillings you could try, but these are a great place to start.

Egg Salad
Sauerkraut
Sliced Radishes
Hummus
Tuna Salad
Nut Butters
Plain or Flavored Tofu
Lettuce
Roasted Peppers
Pickles

More Sweet Toppings

If you fancy something a little sweeter in your bagel, try some of these. You can enjoy them for breakfast or for dessert.

Jams
Jelly
Honey
Lime Mascarpone Cream Mousse
Lemon Ricotta Cream Mousse
Apple Butter
Nutella
Cinnamon Sugar
Whipped Cream
Fresh Fruit and Berries

Bagel Flavors

As if there weren’t enough toppings and fillings under the sun, even bagels themselves come in so many flavors. Mix things up with some of these choices. Find them packaged at your local store, or see if you can get a fresh batch at a bakery.

Plain
Everything
Sesame
Poppy
Pumpernickel
Whole Wheat
Marble Rye
Multi-Grain
Onion
Garlic
Cinnamon Raisin

Bagel Recipes

No doubt my list has already got you thinking about all the delicious bagel combos you could try. If you want some recipe inspiration, however, give these a try.

My ‘loaded’ bagel is aptly named – it contains so many yummy ingredients! Buttery scrambled egg, silky smoked salmon, herby cream cheese, and avocado in a soft bagel is a great way to start the day!

For a lunch or dinner bagel, take a look at my pesto chicken bagel. Here, I coat pan-fried chicken breast in a homemade pesto and serve it with creamy mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and fresh herbs in a bagel. It is as hearty as it is flavorful!

For a veggie option, this bagel with pan-fried halloumi, herby pesto, yogurt sauce, and chopped, fresh vegetables is beautifully balanced.

For lunch, this salami bagel is deeply satisfying. Pairing salami slices with roasted pepper herb cream cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce, every bite is rich. And it works great with any kind of salami, including beef salami if you don’t consume pork.

If you’ve got bagels on the mind and nothing else, I’ve done my job. I would love to know in the comments which of these fillings and toppings you tried and what your favorite was.

And remember, feel free to download my 60+ toppings and fillings list for free. Make it a fun food challenge, and see how many bagel flavors you can try!