I Made the Viral Two-Ingredient Bagels and Here's What I Thought

I am always skeptical of viral food trends and recipes. Just because some random cooking video can amass millions of views, likes, and comments doesn't necessarily mean that it is actually something worth bringing to life in my own kitchen. There is a lot of internet buffoonery, especially when it comes to food hacks and recipes, that should solely stay on the internet. Plain and simple.

With that said, I am not a complete snob with my nose so far into the sky that I can't smell a good recipe when it's right in front of my face. So, when I noticed that there was a 2-ingredient bagel recipe circulating on all of my social media feeds, I decided to give it a try. I am undeniably a little bit pretentious, but I am not above letting my genuine curiosity keep me from trying a recipe that is being hyped up by so many others. Maybe FOMO made me do it, but I tried the 2-ingredient bagels, okay?!

I will admit that I went into making these bagels with low expectations. I mean, how is self-rising flour (A.K.A. all-purpose flour that's been mixed with some baking powder and salt) and Greek yogurt supposed to come together to make a rich, flavorful bagel? I had serious doubts — especially because I'm putting all of my trust into an app that I am probably too old to be on (ahem, TikTok, you know I'm talking about you), let alone to be using to gather culinary inspiration.

The process of making these bagels was impressively quick and easy. There's no yeast involved, so you don't need to worry about proofing any dough or even letting the dough hydrate in the fridge. Unlike classic bagels, you don't need to boil them before baking. Measuring your ingredients is as simple as making sure that you have equal parts flour and yogurt. Once your dough is mixed, you simply need to roll the dough out into thick ropes and then touch the edges of each together to form circles. I brushed mine with an egg wash and topped them off with some everything bagel seasoning (so I guess mine were four ingredients, but you get the point). A quick 20-minute bake is all it takes, and they're ready to be eaten. For a lazy, impatient baker like me, this is a very ideal recipe.

Given that I put virtually no effort into making these bagels, I was truly impressed by how delicious they were. I was born and raised on Long Island, so I know what a good, New York bagel tastes like. Admittedly, these taste nothing like those. They don't have the signature chewy exterior and fluffy interior that a New York bagel is known for. However, just because the 2-ingredient bagel doesn't taste like the bagels I grew up eating from the deli does not make them any less delicious. For one thing, they're way easier and faster to make, and they require ingredients that you likely already have. They were light, fluffy, had a slightly tangy flavor, and they served as a great vessel for a fried egg and hot sauce. They were sturdy and held up nicely in the toaster, and they were surprisingly filling. Plus, they were kinda cute! You could definitely get creative with toppings and seasonings to mimic your favorite kind of bagel. I would without question make these again.

Now, there's something that I have to get off my chest. One huge reason why I am usually opposed to trying viral food trends is because they're often categorized as "healthy" or some kind of genius "skinny swap." Remember when cloud bread was a thing? Don't get me started. I will not bore you with my fiery rant about why the word "healthy" is essentially meaningless, but I think it's worth mentioning that while these bagels might be touted as a "healthy" alternative to classic bagels, the bottom line is that they actually taste good, regardless of how many calories they might be saving you (but, who's counting anyway?). I'll be the first one to tell you to just EAT THE DARN BAGEL, but in this case, I think its 2-ingredient counterpart is just delicious, for what it is.

Frankly, I am quite pleased that I was able to overcome my viral food trend skepticism in order to try these out, because they have enriched my mornings in a way that I was not expecting. Turns out that the internet actually can provide some useful content. Who knew?