Are Bagels Vegan?

by Doug

Question:
I had an onion bagel with hummus today, are bagels vegan?

Answer:
Most bagels should be vegan, as the traditional recipe is simply a bread dough that is boiled and then baked. However, some places put an egg wash on top before baking to make it shiny. And, the dough sometimes has egg, honey, and/or whey added to it.

If you are buying your bagels from a grocery store, you just need to read the ingredients list. At big name bagel shops, they will gladly show you an ingredient list, and you can sometimes find the list online. Even smaller bagel shops do have someone who can tell you what is in the bagel.

What you do need to check vigilently are the toppings and the specialty bagels. At Panera Bread, for instance, the Asiago bagels, Egg bagels, and Honey-Wheat are obviously not vegan. And, many times the ones with sugary toppings are going to be made with butter.

Hope this helps!