The ultimate savory-sweet breakfast bagel
Warm, toasty, garlicky, and filled with a sweet and tangy cream cheese—these Garlic Cream Cheese Stuffed Bagels are inspired by two viral favorites and bring the best of both worlds together. They’re crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, and packed with rich, garlicky flavor in every bite. Perfect as a unique brunch option or an indulgent snack.
Inspired by Calic Bagel’s Viral Garlic Bread Stuffed Bagel
If you’ve seen the Calic Bagel garlic bread stuffed bagel floating around the internet, you know exactly the kind of magic we’re working with here. It’s warm, savory, crispy on the outside, and stuffed to the brim with rich cream cheese. This recipe puts a cozy homemade twist on that concept using Hero Bread’s high-protein bagels and a flavorful garlic topping that bakes into golden perfection.
Korean Garlic Bread (Yes, It’s Sweet!)
This bagel is also inspired by Korean garlic bread—but not the kind you might be picturing. Korean garlic bread is unique in that it’s both sweet and savory, with a garlicky, buttery glaze that’s slightly sweet, wrapped around a creamy, often sugary cream cheese center. It might sound unexpected, but trust me—it’s surprisingly addictive.
If you prefer your garlic bread more on the savory side, feel free to omit the sugar in the cream cheese or garlic butter. That said, I highly recommend giving the sweet-and-savory combo a shot if you haven’t before. It’s one of those flavor profiles that catches you off guard in the best way.
Make It with Homemade or Store-Bought Cream Cheese
For this recipe, I used Hero Bread’s Homemade Cream Cheese Kit, which was super easy and fun to use. The texture is thick and perfect for stuffing bagels, but store-bought cream cheese will work just as well, so use what you have!
Garlic Cream Cheese Stuffed Bagels
Description
This garlic cream cheese stuffed bagel recipe combines the internet-famous Calic Bagel with the sweet-savory flavors of Korean garlic bread. Using Hero Bread bagels and a homemade garlic butter sauce, this baked treat is creamy, garlicky, slightly sweet, and unbelievably delicious.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
Garlic Sauce
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Make the cream cheese filling
In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
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Prepare the bagels
Using a sharp knife, make 4 shallow slits across the top of each bagel—don’t cut all the way through. These cuts are where the garlic sauce and cream cheese will settle in.
Tip: If any pieces fall apart while cutting, you can “glue” them back on with a bit of cream cheese. Chill the bagels in the fridge for a few minutes to help the cream cheese firm up, which makes them easier to dip later. -
Stuff the bagels
Fill the slits generously with the cream cheese filling. I like to chill the filled bagels for a few more minutes before dipping to help the filling set.
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Make the garlic sauce
In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, garlic, sugar, egg, milk, mayo, and parsley until smooth.
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Coat and bake
Dunk the top of each stuffed bagel into the garlic sauce and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray.
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Bake
Bake for 10–15 minutes in the preheated oven until golden brown and the tops are slightly crisp.
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Enjoy!
These are best served warm when the outside is toasty and the inside is gooey and rich.
