It's Stunningly Easy To Make Crème Brûlée Bagels
If you're looking for an excuse to eat dessert for breakfast, there's no shortage of options. Morning spreads can often include thick cinnamon rolls and donuts covered with frosting and sprinkles, and it's not just kids who should enjoy chocolate chip pancakes. Carrot cake already has a cream cheese frosting so it's not that far off from a bagel, right?
But for the ultimate dessert for breakfast, now there's another idea that will totally tempt your tastebuds when you wake up. Look no further than crème brûlée bagels.
The idea comes from a TikTok video created by Sami Schnur (aka The Naughty Fork). In the post, she reveals a delicious hack to enjoy this sweet treat first thing in the morning, rather than waiting until after dinner. Calling it "crème brûléegle," it's the perfect marriage of a bagel and the popular European custard with a caramelized sugar topping. According to Schnur, and those who commented on her TikTok, this is the ideal combination of textures and flavors, and it's easy to make.
How to make your own crème brûléegle
With just three ingredients, constructing a crème brûlée bagel couldn't be simpler. First, slice any old plain bagel — or for extra punch, go for a sweet bagel, like French toast or cinnamon crunch. Although TikToker Sami Schnur doesn't toast her bagel in the video, it's probably best to do so to provide a sturdy base for the creation — and a little extra crunch.
Next, smear on plain cream cheese (this subs in for the rich custard of a traditional crème brûlée). Then, top it with your choice of sweetener that you'll caramelize. Turbinado cane sugar is a great option, and brown sugar's already caramel-like flavor would sync up well, but you could also use white sugar if that's all you have on hand. Finally, hold a small torch to your nearly finished breakfast until it becomes brown and slightly bubbly.
The final result is truly a work of art. It provides a bit of saltiness from the cream cheese that balances the sweetness from the top layer. The texture is also balanced with the bagel providing a chewy base, and the torched sugar topper adds crispness and crunch.
@naughtyfork Introducing the Creme BrÃ"léegle 😝 #fyp #foryou #foodtrend #viralfood #tiktokfood #bagels
Other sweet ways to enjoy bagels
Let's say, by some stretch of the imagination, the crème brûléegle doesn't sound all that good to you. Or maybe you don't want to buy a small torch just because you were intrigued by a TikTok trend. There are countless other ways you can enjoy sweet bagels and keep on your dessert for breakfast hunch. For starters, Nutella or jam are the perfect cream cheese replacement to satisfy those sweet cravings you may have first thing in the morning. Or you can try them together for a berry-hazelnut mashup!
If you want to get fancier (and tastier), try a Bananas Foster bagel with some marshmallow fluff, sliced bananas, and a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon. Or go for an homage to Elvis' favorite combo with sliced bananas, peanut butter, and some bacon strips for the perfect unexpected mixture of sweet, salty, and smoky. You could also make a bagel "parfait" by layering on some Greek yogurt, sliced berries, and shredded coconut. The options are truly endless — and satisfying!