Anyone else get an Instant Pot or pressure cooker recently? Did you know all of the wonderful recipes you can create, especially if you have an Air Crisp or Air Fryer lid? Not only can you make soup, stews, and cheesecakes, but you can also make Bagels!
These are the easiest, yummiest bagels I have ever had, homemade or otherwise. The ‘STEAM’ function is perfect for making that chewy, yet surprisingly soft crust.

So, break out the cream cheese, jellies, and jams and get ready to sink your teeth into these masterpieces of baked perfection!
Baking in the Instant Pot or Other Pressure Cooker
The key to baking in any pressure cooker is the air crisp lid. I used my Ninja Foodie for this recipe, but any compatible air crisp or air fryer lid for your pressure cooker will work.
The way these lids works by blowing and circulating fast, super heated air, making food nice and crispy.
They transform a pressure cooker into a mini oven, which i great for small batch baking. These bagels cook quickly, so you can have an entire batch done in no time.
There are several brands that offer the air fryer/crisper lid option. I love my Ninja Foodi, but there is also the Instant Pot Air Fryer lids that are compatible with most models, Mealthy Crisp Lid, Emeril Power Pressure Airfryer, and more.
No Pressure Cooker, No Problem
If you have an air fryer, but not a pressure cooker, boil water in a pot and place bagels in between 1-3 minutes and then follow the directions for the baking process.
If you don’t have a air fryer or pressure cooker, then boil bagels and then place on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.

Easy Instant Pot Bagels
Equipment
- Pressure cooker with crisper lid, (i.e.- Ninja Foodie, Instant Pot with air fryer lid)
- Trivet
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 package yeast
- 1 2/3 cup warm water (110-120 degrees)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp dehydrated onion (optional for onion bagels)
- 1/4 cup raisins, blueberries, or other berry (optional for raisin bagels)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour and sugar.
- Heat up water to 120 degrees in microwave (about 1 min. 15 secs). Add to flour and sugar, do not stir yet..
- Sprinkle yeast on top of water in the mixture. Allow to set so yeast can activate. Begin mixing mixture.
- Add oil as you mix dough along with optional ingredients. Knead dough until smooth.
- Spray cooking oil in a new bowl and place ball of dough in it, covering with a towel. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size. For quicker rising times, place bowl with dough in an oven with the light on, or in the instant pot using the 'KEEP WARM' setting for a minute, then turn off leaving the lid on.
- After doubled in size, take dough out and divide and roll it into 12 balls slightly larger than golf balls. Slightly flatten ball, then put thumb through the middle making a hole. With thumb, make the hole into the desired size.
- Place formed bagels on a baking sheet and allow to rise. (About an hour).
- When ready to cook, place 1 cup of water in the pot of the pressure cooker. Then place trivet in the pot, coating the trivet with a light coat of cooking spray.
- Place formed bagels onto the trivet. Put as many bagels as can fit on the trivet without touching each other.
- Secure the pressure cooking lid and set the pressure cooker to 'STEAM' for 1 minute.
- After the steaming process has finished, use the 'QUICK RELEASE' option and release the steam. (Be careful not to burn yourself, I use tongs to push the quick release pin) The bagels may look a bit lumpy, but that is normal.
- Remove the trivet and bagels from the pot, dump out the water and replace trivet and bagels back into the pot.
- Using the air crisp lid, program the "BAKE" setting for 6- 7 minutes. Lift lid up to check desired browness of bagels.
- When cooking time is done, immediately remove bagels with oven mitts or tongs.
- Serve with cream cheese, as a sandwhich, or with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Using Dough for Fine Motor Skills
If you are looking for a great way to work on your child’s fine motor skills, baking is the fun, yummy way to go.
Not only are you using your hands to knead and stretch the dough, but you are also working on important skills such as pouring and measuring.
Plus, unlike play dough or clay, you get to eat it!
Below are some more fine motor skills activities:
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