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Up your breakfast game with our vegan bagel sandwiches with herb cream cheese – packed with simple & fresh ingredients. Perfect for weekdays or lazy weekends and ready to eat in 10 minutes!
It all starts with a bagel
Bagels are one of those godsend vegan foods. If you’re new to veganism, I’ll be the first to tell you that most bagels are indeed vegan! Like most food, there are exceptions (Google l. cysteine and prepared to be grossed out) but I’m grateful for the many chains and local bagel spots that carry completely vegan bagels.
When I went vegan in 2009, I was in college and naturally very broke. Bagels were literally a life source for me. Between long study sessions at the now-closed Mercury Café, and dumpster diving bagels from the Einsteins near Arizona State University, they were a huge part of my diet back in the day.
I’ve elevated my bagel game
While I’ll argue that the best tasting bagel is the one I got for free out of the dumpster, I know you’re inclined to think I’m nuts. Things evolve and change though. For one, I can thankfully afford to buy bagels now. And for two, they built a Buffalo Wild Wings next to the Einsteins and replaced the regular dumpster with a trash compactor, a freegan’s worst nightmare.
The bagels in this giant vegan bagel sandwich with herb cream cheese are actually store-bought from Dave’s Killer Bread. I’ve been loving their products lately like their buns in these green chili lentil sloppy joes, or these delicious chickpea salad sandwiches, and their bagels are no exception.
In the early 2010s, I’d top my bagels with the only vegan cream cheese around – Tofutti. It was a great product and to be honest still holds up in the 2020s in texture, flavor, and price. For this vegan bagel sandwich recipe, I went with Miyoko’s cream cheese. While I still love Tofutti, I think it’s best paired with sweeter ingredients like fruit or even being mixed with powdered sugar and Earth Balance to make cream cheese frosting.
What ingredients do you need to make bagel sandwiches with herb cream cheese?
Our bagel sandwich recipe combines the simplicity of avocado, sprouts, onion, and tomato with a super flavorful herb cream cheese. As much as I would love to provide you with a delicious homemade cream cheese, this recipe isn’t the time or the place. I envision this recipe being used for mornings when you’re on the go, or maybe ones where you don’t feel like cooking. The idea is to walk away and cook quickly during half-time or the deployment of a safety car in F1 and come back before the event resumes.
First, you’ll need some bagels. Since we’ve exclusively been shopping at Sprouts, I went with Dave’s Killer Bread’s bagels. They’re not the best bagel I’ve ever had, but certainly not the worst and they definitely get the job done for this recipe. If the world was a little more stable, I’d seek out bagels from our local Jewish deli, Chompies.
Next, you’ll need a container of vegan cream cheese. I went with Miyoko’s for this recipe but I am sure any kind of vegan cream cheese will do as long as it isn’t flavored already. Then, you’ll need all the herbs and spices to make it stand out in the bagel sandwich. I ask for a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, fresh cracked pepper, parsley, dill, thyme, oregano, and sea salt.
And lastly, you’ll need some veggies. My ideal bagel sandwich has fresh creamy avocado, sprouts for a little crunch, tomatoes, and red onion. Simple, easy, and delicious.
How to make bagel sandwiches with herb cream cheese
These bagel sandwiches are super simple and can be prepared in as little as 10 minutes. All you need is a knife, a cutting board, a toaster, two small bowls, a fork, a spatula, and some measuring spoons.
Before you start cooking, it helps to let the cream cheese thaw on the counter for 10-20 minutes. If you remember to take it out, great! If not, you’ll have to use a little more muscle to get the herbs incorporated into the cream cheese.
When your cream cheese is less stiff, add it to a small bowl and dump the spices in. Use a spatula to fold the spices into the cream cheese until evenly distributed. Set the herb cream cheese aside.
Next, you’ll toast your bagels until golden brown. While the bagels toast, slice a tomato and a red onion and set aside. Then, take two avocados, remove the pits and add them to a small bow and mash them with a fork until smooth.
Lastly, you’ll assemble your vegan bagel sandwiches. On the bottom, add a generous layer of herb cream cheese followed by a layer of fresh sliced tomato. Next, add a layer of red onion and then some sprouts. Take the top of the bagel, slather the underside with avocado and place on top of the sprouts. Eat immediately.
Change it up
We love our bagel sandwiches so much but there are literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of things you can do to modify this recipe. Here are some of my ideas below
Spice up your avocado: Who says the cream cheese is the only thing that has to be spiced around here? Consider adding some crushed red pepper, aleppo pepper, or salt and pepper to the avocado to give it an extra kick.
Nooch it up: For an extra cheesy tasting cream cheese, mix in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast with the rest of the herbs.
Sub hummus: If you have a nut allergy or a soy allergy, simply sub hummus in place of the vegan cream cheese.
Use different herbs: If you’re missing one herb or are short on spices, feel free to mix it up. Add some tarragon, marjoram, Italian seasoning, sage, basil, whatever you happen to have on hand.
Add more veggies: We went with the basics, but if you have produce you need to get rid of, feel free to pile it on. We think spinach, carrots, cucumber and bell peppers would work really well on our bagel sandwiches.
I love breakfast
Good vegan breakfast recipes are hard to come by. If you’re struggling to find good morning meals, check out some of my ideas!
- Roasted breakfast potatoes with soyrizo
- Vegan breakfast tacos
- Savory oatmeal bowls
- Cheddar jalapeño scones
Recipe jam
In this segment, I suggest a song for you to listen to while you make bagel sandwiches with herb cream cheese! You can even stream it right here in your browser. Today’s recipe jam is Cross Me Out by Sweeping Promises.
If you try this recipe, I want to hear about it! Feel free to post your creations to Instagram or Facebook and tag Hell Yes It’s Vegan or #hellyesitsvegan. I look forward to seeing what you make!
Bagel Sandwiches with Herb Cream Cheese
Equipment
- 2 small bowls
- silicone spatula
- fork
- knife
- cutting board
- toaster
Ingredients
Herb Cream Cheese
- 1 container vegan cream cheese, (I used Miyokos)
- ½ Tbsp garlic powder
- ½ Tbsp onion powder
- ½ Tbsp dried parsley
- ½ Tbsp dried thyme
- ¼ Tbsp dried dill weed
- ¼ Tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Bagel Sandwiches
- 4 vegan bagels, (I used Dave Killer Bread's Plain Awesome Bagels)
- 8 thin slices tomato
- 4 thin slices red onion
- 2 avocados
- 1 cup sprouts
Instructions
- Before you begin, thaw cream cheese on countertop for 10-20 minutes.
- Once the cream cheese is thawed, add to small bowl along with the rest of the herbs and spices. Use a silicone spatula to fold the cream cheese into the spices until evenly combined.
- Toast the bagels in a toaster or toaster oven until browned. Meanwhile, slice the tomato and onion and set aside.
- Add avocado to a small bowl, mash with a fork and set aside.
- Assemble your bagel sandwiches. Add a layer of herb cream cheese to the bottom bagel slice, then top with tomato slices, red onion slices, sprouts, avocado, and the bagel top. Serve immediately.