I tried the air fryer bagels hack - and now it's my favorite lunch

Did you know you can make bagels in an air fryer? I put one viral recipe to the test and now I'm never going back...

If you've invested in one of the best air fryers recently then you're certainly not alone. Interest in these handy kitchen gadgets has soared in recent months, thanks to their ease of use, quick cooking time, and energy efficiency too. Plus, air fryers are a healthy alternative to deep fat frying and there are so many foods you can cook in an air fryer - you only need to take one look at the best air fryer cookbooks for that to become clear.

Their popularity has led TikTok users around the world to share their favorite hacks and recipes using these sought-after kitchen appliances, and Arman Liew - aka @thebigmansworld_official - has shared one particularly enticing recipe for air fryer bagels. The best part? You only need two ingredients.

I'm still pretty new to my air fryer, and so far it's mostly been used to make two staples in my diet: chips and crispy tofu. But I love bagels - especially when they're freshly baked - and the thought of being able to make them for myself in just 10 minutes was too good an opportunity to pass up. So here's what happened when I gave this hack a go.

How to make bagels in an air fryer

@thebigmansworld_official

♬ FEEL THE GROOVE - Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

Arman, who is a two-time cookbook author and has over one million followers on his Instagram account where he shares further recipe inspiration, described his two-ingredient recipe as "magic".

All you need is yogurt and self-raising flour to make homemade bagels in just 10 minutes, and Arman says they can easily be made dairy-free too, by using a yogurt alternative - certainly one of the best air fryer recipes out there in my books.

Ingredients

For eight bagels:

• 1 3/4 cups self rising flour
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon butter melted
• Optional: 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Method

1. Mix the flour and yogurt in a large bowl to form a dough, adjusting the quantities as needed.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead several times.
3. Separate the dough into eight equal portions and roll them into a long, sausage shape. Connect the two ends to form a bagel.
4. Line your air fryer with parchment paper and place the bagels in the air fryer basket. Brush the top of each bagel with the melted butter and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
5. Air fry the bagels at 180C/350F for 10 minutes, or until golden on top.

I quartered the recipe and made just two bagels when testing this out, and the advice I would give to anyone else trying it is to make all eight, because you won't be disappointed. 

It took less than five minutes to make the dough and - unlike making bagels with a traditional recipe - air fryer bagels don't need any time to prove, so they're perfect for making a quick snack or lunch, or if you need to grab something to eat before you rush out.

And you don't have to eat them straight away, you can make up a whole batch of air fryer bagels and save them for later. While it's certainly nice to have the luxury of freshly baked bagels whenever you want them, I left one of mine to cool before topping with peanut butter and eating as a late afternoon snack, and it was just as tasty as the one I ate fresh.

And though this recipe certainly isn't bagels as most of us know them - there's no yeast, no water bath, and you don't need to leave the dough to rise - for less than 15 minutes of prep and cooking time, they're a worthwhile substitute. And if you're anything like me and don't enjoy spending hours in the kitchen, air fryer bagels are definitely worth a try.

I'll be making these again, and plan to try a few twists on it too - with cinnamon and raisins, or cheese and mixed herbs - and I can't wait to make freshly-made bagels a regular part of my day.

If you're looking for more delicious air fryer recipes, you might want to try these recipes for air fryer chicken wings, air fryer pork chops or air-fried pesto salmon. And did you know you can make soup in an air fryer too?

You also don't want to miss this electric toothbrush cleaning hack that will transform your teethcleaning game and this viral TikTok video hack for getting rid of oil stains on clothes. And if you're a parent, check out this simple wet wipe hack from former TOWIE star Lauren Pope.

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