If there’s one thing I can guarantee when I post a recipe, it’s that people will ask about substitutions. I totally understand, as someone with a fair amount of restrictions, but no matter how many different substitutions I try to include in the notes, someone always wants something else. Years ago, I posted a recipe for vegan keto bagels that became immensely popular and the most common question I get from people is “can I substitute anything for the flax?” So, I’ve finally gotten around to this, and am excited to present my flax-free vegan keto bagels.

Typically, people will ask if they can sub chia seeds for the flax, as this usually a safe replacement. I tried this, many times, and it really did not work out. Similarly, coconut flour was a bust. Plus, I know how polarizing coconut can be, and I feel like every time I post a recipe for something with coconut flour, I have to brace myself for the slew of comments about how much people hate coconut. 😀

Anyway, the flour replacement that seemed to work best just so happened to be one that I’ve really gotten into lately: lupin flour! Lupins (or lupini) are a type of bean, most common in the Mediterranean, and one that has really taken off, thanks to ketoers. It’s super low in carbs and high in protein. Usually, I buy lupini beans brined in jars from either the Kosher or Mediterranean food section of my local grocery store, but I’ve also seen them in the Latin American food section. The flour is a different story, though, and I’ve only been able to find it online.

A quick note – these do not taste exactly like bagels. For starters, they are not boiled before being baked. However, they are still pretty darn delicious and make a wonderful base for vegan cream cheese or a buttery spread. I also like to use them to make tiny bagel pizzas with them. You can also make these into dinner rolls by dividing the dough into 4 portions and baking on a regular baking sheet instead of a bagel/doughnut mold.

Tips on Making Flax-Free Vegan Keto Bagels (gluten-free-, soy-free, nut-free, coconut-free)

• If you do not have a food scale, I recommend measuring the flour and psyllium like this – scoop the psyllium/flour a little bit too full and then gently shake the measuring cup over the bag until the measuring cup flattens out. Scooping the flour and pressing it to the side of the bag to flatten it will compress the flour, and you will have too much. Too much lupin flour just makes things a little dry, so not a huge deal, but worth noting.
• If you cannot tolerate lupin flour, using soy flour or chickpea flour (a higher carb option) both work as well!
• You cannot substitute the psyllium for anything, unfortunately. You can use either psyllium husk, or psyllium powder (in equal amounts by weight), just be sure to whisk all the dry ingredients together, as psyllium powder tends to clump up easily.
• I like to top these with everything bagel blend. It’s not a necessary step, but a great one.
• These are easiest to de-pan with a silicone bagel mold, but if you don’t have a silicone one, you can just grease the pan with coconut oil (or whatever you have on-hand) before filling it.
• While I strive to provide accurate nutritional information, different brands and varieties of ingredients will have differing macros, so your calculations may vary!

Flax-Free Vegan Keto Bagels (gluten-free-, soy-free, nut-free, coconut-free)

Print Recipe

These easy-to-make vegan keto bagels are allergen-friendly and are flax-free, coconut-free, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free! They're perfect for toasting up with some buttery spread or making into little bagel pizzas.

Cuisine vegan keto

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 6 small bagels

Calories 183

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (75g) lupin flour (use chickpea flour, soy flour or pea protein powder if allergic to peanuts)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt add up to 1 tsp if using unsalted tahini
• 1/4 cup 20g whole psyllium husks
• 1 cup 240ml water
• 1/2 cup 120g tahini
• optional everything bagel blend or sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375F (190C). If using a metal bagel tin, lightly grease each well with oil and if using a silicone bagel pan, no prep is necessary.
• To a mixing bowl, whisk together lupin flour, psyllium husk, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, mix together water and tahini until thoroughly combined.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, and then stir to form the dough/batter. It's going to look like soup at first, but this is normal! It will thicken up in about five minutes, as the lupin flour and form a thick batter. It won't pour, but you can scoop it.
• Scoop into the wells of your bagel pan, and smooth out a bit. These will rise in the oven and change shape slightly, so this doesn't have to be perfect.
• Now's the time to add that bagel blend!
• Bake for around 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely and then remove from the pan. I find that covering the bagels in the pan with a large lid so they steam while they cool helps them to stay softer on the outside.
• To enjoy, cut in half and toast like you would a normal bagel. Then top as desired!

Notes

I found these turned out the best with a silicone bagel pan, but if you only have a regular one, you can just grease it with a little oil before putting the batter in!

You can also make these into buns for burgers instead by dividing the dough into 4 equal pieces and forming the batter into rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Then bake for 35 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.6g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13.5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fiber: 8.9g