What Should I Put on My Bagel

One press deals a spread, a topping and a finish, lox and cream cheese first.

All 110

Plain cream cheeseThe default, spread thick. Try it with lox, capers and red onion, or with strawberry jam.Spread
Lox or smoked salmonThin slices over cream cheese. Try it with capers, red onion and dill.Topping
CapersDrain them and press them into the cream cheese so they stay on. Try them with lox.Finish

Next step Not a bagel morning? Draw a breakfast Or let the food wheel decide

All 110 toppings

Spreads 28

Almond butter Spread it while the bagel is warm. Try it with apple slices and cinnamon.
Apple butter Dark and spiced. Try it with cream cheese and cinnamon.
Blueberry cream cheese Sweet and purple. Try it with fresh blueberries and lemon zest.
Butter On a hot toasted bagel, so it melts in. Try it with jam, or with flaky salt.
Chocolate hazelnut spread For a dessert bagel. Try it with sliced banana or strawberries.
Cinnamon sugar butter Butter mashed with cinnamon and sugar. Try it on a toasted plain or raisin bagel.
Cottage cheese A cold scoop on a warm bagel. Try it with tomato and black pepper, or with peaches and honey.
Garlic and herb cream cheese Soft and savory. Try it with sliced tomato and black pepper, or with turkey.
Goat cheese It spreads once the bagel is hot. Try it with roasted red peppers, or with honey.
Grape jelly The lunchbox one. Try it with peanut butter.
Honey walnut cream cheese Sweet, with a little crunch. Try it with apple slices, or with cinnamon.
Hummus Spread it thick. Try it with cucumber, tomato and sprouts.
Jalapeño cream cheese Cream cheese with some heat. Try it with bacon, or with a fried egg and cheddar.
Lemon curd Sharp and sweet. Try it with cream cheese and blueberries.
Mashed avocado Mash it with salt and lemon. Try it with a fried egg, or with everything seasoning.
Olive cream cheese Chopped green olives stirred into cream cheese. Try it with sliced tomato.
Orange marmalade Bitter and sweet. Try it with butter, or with ricotta.
Peanut butter It goes soft on a hot bagel. Try it with sliced banana and honey, or with jam.
Pesto A thin layer. Try it with sliced tomato, or with turkey and provolone.
Pimento cheese Thick and sharp. Try it with sliced tomato, or with bacon.
Plain cream cheese The default, spread thick. Try it with lox, capers and red onion, or with strawberry jam.
Raspberry jam A little sharper than strawberry. Try it with cream cheese, or with almond butter.
Ricotta Spoon it on. Try it with honey and figs, or with tomato, olive oil and black pepper.
Scallion cream cheese Cream cheese with chopped scallions. Try it with sliced tomato, or with a fried egg.
Smoked salmon cream cheese The salmon is already mixed in. Try it with cucumber slices and dill.
Strawberry cream cheese Pink and sweet. Try it with sliced strawberries, or with banana.
Strawberry jam Over butter or cream cheese. Try it with peanut butter.
Veggie cream cheese Cream cheese with chopped carrot, pepper and scallion. Try it with cucumber slices.

Savory toppings 28

Arugula A few leaves on top. Try it with goat cheese, or with egg.
Avocado slices Fan them out and salt them. Try them with a fried egg, or with tomato and sprouts.
Baby spinach A few leaves under the other toppings. Try it with hummus, or with egg.
Black pepper Grind it over, coarse. Try it with tomato, or with cream cheese alone.
Capers Drain them and press them into the cream cheese so they stay on. Try them with lox.
Chili crisp A small spoonful. Try it with cream cheese, or with a fried egg.
Chives Snip them over. Try them with cream cheese, or with egg.
Cucumber slices Thin, for crunch. Try them with cream cheese and dill, or with hummus.
Drizzle of olive oil Over tomato, ricotta or hummus. Try it with flaky salt.
Everything seasoning A shake over the spread. Try it on a plain bagel with cream cheese or avocado.
Flaky salt A pinch. Try it on butter, on tomato or on avocado.
Fresh dill Tear it over. Try it with lox, with cucumber or with egg.
Hard-boiled egg slices Lay them over the spread. Try them with cream cheese, chives and black pepper.
Hot honey A thin drizzle. Try it with cream cheese, or with goat cheese.
Hot sauce A few shakes. Try it with egg, or with avocado.
Lox or smoked salmon Thin slices over cream cheese. Try it with capers, red onion and dill.
Pickled red onions A forkful, drained. Try them with lox, or with avocado.
Red onion Sliced as thin as you can. Try it with lox, or with tuna salad.
Red pepper flakes A pinch. Try them with avocado, or with cream cheese and honey.
Roasted red peppers From a jar, patted dry. Try them with goat cheese or hummus.
Sliced radish Paper thin. Try it with butter and flaky salt, or with cream cheese and dill.
Sliced tomato Thick slices, salted. Try it with cream cheese and black pepper.
Smoked trout Flake it over cream cheese. Try it with lemon and chives.
Sprouts A small handful on top. Try them with hummus, cucumber and tomato.
Squeeze of lemon Over fish or avocado, at the end. Try it with lox and capers.
Sun-dried tomatoes Chopped. Try them with goat cheese or pesto.
Toasted sesame seeds A pinch over the spread. Try them with avocado, or with hummus.
Whitefish salad Smoked whitefish mixed with mayonnaise. Try it with sliced tomato and red onion.

Sweet toppings 19

Apple slices Thin, for crunch. Try them with peanut butter, or with cheddar.
Blueberries Press them into the spread so they do not roll off. Try them with cream cheese and honey.
Chopped walnuts A spoonful over the top. Try them with honey and cream cheese, or with banana.
Cinnamon A shake. Try it with butter, with apple or with banana.
Cinnamon sugar Over a buttered bagel while it is hot. Try it with apple slices.
Fresh figs Quartered. Try them with ricotta or goat cheese, and honey.
Granola A spoonful pressed into the spread. Try it with cream cheese and blueberries.
Honey A drizzle over the top. Try it with cream cheese, with ricotta or with peanut butter.
Lemon zest Grate it over. Try it with blueberries, or with ricotta and honey.
Maple syrup A thin drizzle. Try it with butter, or with peanut butter and banana.
Mini chocolate chips They soften on a warm bagel. Try them with peanut butter and banana.
Peach slices Ripe ones, sliced thin. Try them with ricotta and honey.
Pear slices Thin slices of a ripe pear. Try them with ricotta and walnuts.
Raisins Press them into the spread. Try them with cream cheese and cinnamon.
Raspberries Crush them a little with a fork. Try them with cream cheese, or with almond butter.
Sliced almonds Toasted, over the spread. Try them with honey, or with raspberries.
Sliced banana Coins, pressed into the spread. Try it with peanut butter and honey.
Sliced strawberries Laid flat over the spread. Try them with cream cheese, or with chocolate hazelnut spread.
Toasted coconut Flakes over the spread. Try them with banana, or with chocolate hazelnut spread.

For a breakfast sandwich 13

American cheese Lay it on the hot egg so it melts. Try it with bacon or sausage.
Bacon Crisp strips, broken in half to fit. Try it with egg and cheese, or with lettuce and tomato.
Canadian bacon Warm it in the pan. Try it with egg and cheddar.
Cheddar Sliced. Try it with egg and bacon, or with turkey and apple slices.
Fried egg Cook the yolk firm if you are eating on the go. Try it with bacon and American cheese.
Hash brown patty Inside the sandwich, hot and crisp. Try it with egg, cheese and ketchup.
Ketchup On an egg sandwich. Try it with bacon, egg and American cheese.
Pepper jack For some heat. Try it with egg and avocado, or with turkey.
Peppers and onions Cooked soft in a pan. Try them with egg and cheddar, or with shaved steak.
Salsa A spoonful over the egg. Try it with pepper jack and avocado.
Sausage patty Pressed thin so it covers the bagel. Try it with egg and American cheese.
Scrambled eggs Soft, folded onto the bagel. Try them with cheddar and chives.
Shaved steak Cooked fast on a hot pan. Try it with egg and cheese, or with peppers and onions.

For a lunch sandwich 22

Banana peppers A few rings. Try them with salami and provolone.
Chicken salad A thick layer. Try it with lettuce, or with sliced tomato.
Coleslaw Inside the sandwich, drained. Try it with turkey, or with pastrami.
Corned beef Warm it first. Try it with Swiss, sauerkraut and mustard.
Deli ham Folded. Try it with Swiss and mustard, or with cheddar and pickles.
Egg salad Spoon it on and close the bagel gently. Try it with lettuce and black pepper.
Grilled chicken Sliced. Try it with pesto and provolone, or with avocado.
Horseradish A little, spread thin. Try it with roast beef.
Lettuce A crisp leaf under the filling. Try it with turkey, or with tuna salad.
Mayonnaise A thin layer on the bottom half. Try it with turkey, lettuce and tomato.
Muenster Sliced. Try it with turkey, or with tomato and avocado.
Mustard A thin layer on the top half. Try it with pastrami, ham or corned beef.
Pastrami Warm it first. Try it with Swiss and mustard.
Pickle slices Pat them dry first. Try them with ham and cheddar, or with tuna salad.
Pizza sauce and mozzarella Sauce on each half, mozzarella over it, toasted until it bubbles: a pizza bagel.
Provolone Sliced. Try it with salami, with turkey or with roasted red peppers.
Roast beef Sliced thin. Try it with cheddar and red onion, or with horseradish.
Salami A few slices, overlapped. Try it with provolone and banana peppers.
Sauerkraut Drain it well and warm it. Try it with corned beef and Swiss.
Sliced turkey Folded, not flat, so the sandwich has some height. Try it with Swiss, lettuce and tomato.
Swiss cheese Sliced. Try it with turkey, with ham or with pastrami.
Tuna salad A thick layer. Try it with lettuce and tomato, or melted under cheddar.

How it works

What should I put on my bagel besides plain cream cheese? Deal from 110: 28 spreads, 28 savory toppings, 19 sweet ones, 13 things for a breakfast sandwich and 22 for a lunch one.

Read the full guide

The order on a lox bagel

Cream cheese first, thick enough to hold things. Capers next, then the lox, then thin red onion and tomato, and dill or a squeeze of lemon last.

Open or closed

A bagel with soft toppings is easier to eat open: spread both halves and top each one. Close it only for a sandwich, and then put a spread on both halves, so the filling does not slide out.

If the toppings keep sliding off, pull out a little of the soft inside of each half to make a hollow for them.

Questions and answers

Should I toast my bagel?

Toast one that is a day old or came out of a bag: it brings the crust back. One that is still warm from the bakery does not need it. Toast before the spread goes on, never after.

What is the best way to eat a bagel?

Sliced, with something spread to both edges. We would start with cream cheese, lox, capers and red onion. For breakfast on the go, a fried egg with bacon and cheese, wrapped so it holds together.

What should I eat on an everything bagel?

Savory things, because the crust is already seasoned: plain or scallion cream cheese, lox, sliced tomato, avocado or a fried egg. We would skip the jam.