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A fully-loaded bagel bar is about as fun as it gets! Perfect for brunch, bridal or baby showers, or anytime you want to impress your guests with a fun spread of bagels and every sweet and savory topping they could want. It’s quite easy to assemble, too!
A Total Party Game-Changer
So, the first time I put together one of these amazing fully-loaded bagel bars was for my daughter’s 100-days party a couple of years ago. A 100-days party is basically a party where you officially introduce the new baby to the rest of the family, 100 days after the baby’s born.
My daughter’s party was a brunch, so besides the bagel bar we also had a mimosa bar and a yogurt parfait bar. Everything was stunning together, not to mention it was a lot of fun – I mean, who doesn’t like a build-your-own ANYTHING bar? Plus it meant I had to do very little actual cooking, so. Wins all around!
What Makes This So Good
- Not only is a bagel bar perfect for brunches, it’s also great for baby and bridal showers, Christmas mornings, potlucks, bachelorette parties, or just anytime you need to feed a lot of people and want to show off a little.
- You can load this baby up with all your favorite flavors and textures! I use a wide variety of sweet and savory ingredients on my bagel bar, but you can lean toward all-sweet or all-savory if you prefer.
My Favorite Bagel Combos
Like I mentioned before, you can put basically anything you love on a bagel bar! There are endless combinations of toppings, spreads, and bagels that work well together. These are just a few of my favorites!
- Peanut butter + apple slices + chopped chocolate
- Chocolate-hazelnut spread + raspberries + crumbled goat cheese + glazed pecans
- Plain cream cheese + smoked salmon/lox + red onion slices + capers
- Hummus + sliced turkey + avocado slices + tomato slices
- Walnut & honey cream cheese + sliced prosciutto + chopped walnuts
- Grainy mustard + hard-boiled eggs + chicken salad
- Strawberry cream cheese + sliced strawberries + chopped chocolate
- Scallion cream cheese + sliced prosciutto + chopped arugula
- Scallion cream cheese + bacon + tomato slices + chopped arugula
Chef’s Tips
- I picked up a set of ramekins to use for the spreads, so everything coordinated. 10/10 recommend! They’re so handy to have around, especially if you’re someone who loves bagel bars and charcuterie boards, or just entertaining in general.
- Serve the cream cheese at room temperature for easy spreading! The flavors are a little more robust at room temperature, too.
- When I put together a bagel bar, I like to offer mini bagels and bagel thins in addition to the regular-sized bagels. That way people can try different topping combinations without having to commit to one giant ol’ standard bagel.
More Party-Perfect Recipes You’ll Love
- Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
- Blini for Caviar (and Other Toppings)
- Addictive Hot Crab Dip (Low Carb, Keto, Gluten Free)
- Paleo Spinach Artichoke Dip (Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip)
- Perfect Keto Charcuterie Board
Fully-Loaded Bagel Bar
Ingredients
Suggested Spreads
- plain cream cheese see Notes for vegan
- scallion cream cheese
- walnut cream cheese
- strawberry cream cheese
- nutella see Notes for vegan
- jam or compote
- butter plain or flavored, regular or whipped
- peanut butter or almond butter
- honey
- grainy mustard
Suggested Sweet Toppings
- raspberries
- strawberries
- blueberries
- blackberries
- apples thinly sliced
- sliced almonds
- glazed pecans
- chopped walnuts
- chopped chocolate bars
- cinnamon
- brown sugar cinnamon
Suggested Savory Toppings
- capers
- red onions thinly sliced
- tomatoes thinly sliced
- cucumbers thinly sliced
- green onions chopped
- avocadoes sliced
- arugula chopped
Suggested Proteins
- smoked salmon
- bacon cooked, chopped
- prosciutto sliced
- turkey sliced
- hard-boiled eggs diced
- chicken salad see Notes
- hummus
Suggested Cheeses
- goat cheese
- blue cheese
- mozzarella
- cheddar
- spreadable cheese
Suggested Bagels
- bagel thins
- mini bagels sliced
- a variety of full-size bagels sliced, see Notes
Equipment
- Large serving board, platter, or baking sheet, or smaller trays and bowls
- Small bowls, cups, and ramekins
- Serving utensils
Instructions
- Begin by placing bagels down center of board, in bowls or baskets, or on trays or plates on table.
- Transfer spreads of choice to individual bowls, cups, and ramekins, and arrange around bagels.
- Fill in any space with remaining toppings – I prefer to separate mine by savory and sweet, but you can arrange them in any way you like.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Cream Cheese: Make your own vegan cream cheese with this recipe.
- Nutella: Make your own vegan nutella with this recipe.
- Chicken Salad: Use store-bought or make your own savory, sweet, and/or buffalo versions.
- Bagels: I like to include a variety of standard-sized bagels, like “Everything”, cinnamon raisin, chocolate chip, asiago cheese, blueberry, plain, etc.
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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