When it comes to finding the best bagels, we’re typically heading to a local bagel shop or bakery. We’re not food snobs (and we think you know that), but there can be a stark difference between freshly baked bagels and bagels that come in a bag from the grocery store. However, the best store bought bagels we tried during a pair of taste tests here at Sporked HQ are about as close as you can get at a mom-and-pop shop.
Whether it’s from a bakery or your local chain grocery store, a good bagel should be chewy—like, really chewy—and delightfully dense. With bagels, it’s all about that indescribable, transcendent texture. We want the taste to be a little salty and a little sweet, and if the bagel is flavored (everything, blueberry, onion, etc.), we want that flavor to be exciting and pronounced. If you’re a true New York bagel snob, the best store bought bagels might not pass muster. But in a pinch, even a grocery store bagel can be filling and tasty. And, hell, a ton of cream cheese (or plant-based cream cheese!) makes pretty much any round piece of bread worth eating.
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- Dave’s Killer Boomin’ Berry Bagels
A lot of people think blueberry bagels are an abomination, but when it comes to Dave’s, I’m pro blueberry bagel. The blueberry flavor is subtle, and it tastes fresh. Plus, the blueberries are marbled into the bagels with a gentle swirl as opposed to sporadically mixed in. These are really tasty and downright pleasant. If you like your breakfast to be on the sweeter side of the sweet-savory spectrum, these are among the best bagels you can buy. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Specially Selected Brioche Bagels
These bagels from Aldi have a little badge on their bag that says they won a People food award in 2021, and I can see why! They’re very light and pleasant. They lack some of that signature bagel-y tang, but they’re slick on the outside and chewy on the inside. If you love an egg bagel, this is the best store bought bagel out there. The brioche has a distinct egg flavor that’s pleasant and breakfast-y, but not overwhelming. These are perfect for a not-too-heavy breakfast sandwich—I’m thinking turkey sausage, soft scrambled eggs, and smear of chipotle mayo. Yes. Yum. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Original Bagel
As we’ve already established, the best bagels have good chew. And these Original Bagel bagels really do have good chew. I passed one of these around the office so everyone could have a bite, and it was a pretty big hit. “It has actual bagel texture, which you don’t always find in store bought bagels,” said editor-in-chief Justine Sterling, an admitted NYC bagel snob. I really hate the name and the branding (they’re just so generic), but don’t pass these up just because they look off-brand. I’d also recommend under toasting them juuuuust a little bit to preserve the chew. I know an extra-toasty bagel tastes good, but over toasting can also dry them out. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / DoorDash
- Specially Selected Maple French Toast Bagels
I am not a person who typically likes sweet bagels, but these bagels from Aldi really blew my mind. Seriously, if you like French toast but don’t have time for all that, these are the best bagels for you. They’re super cinnamony and raisins give them extra pops of sweetness (if you hate raisins, don’t worry—there aren’t many). They’re slick on the outside and super chewy on the inside. We ate all of these bagels dry so we could assess their taste, but now I’m dying to try these with lots and lots of butter (although they’d be good with cream cheese, too). And if you’re keeping track, two varieties of Aldi bagels made this list, which is to say, you should probably be buying bagels at Aldi! —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Einstein Bros. Take & Toast Asiago Bagels
When I first tasted one of these Einstein Bros. asiago bagels, it reminded me of a Detroit-style pizza. They’re salty, cheesy, and nutty. Einstein’s asiago bagels are the best store bought bagels for people who like a super savory breakfast, so you should think about making a baller breakfast sandwich out of these. If not, hey, just enjoy that salty, funky, toasty asiago cheese flavor with some cream cheese or all by itself. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Dave’s Killer Everything Bagels
These Dave’s bagels kind of have it all. They’re realy nice and chewy, and the everything seasoning—a mixture of sesame seed, poppy seed, flax seed, dehydrated onion, and sea salt—really shines, especially when toasted. We tasted these again during our follow-up taste test, and they were still the best store bought bagels we could find. Also, I love that the story around Dave’s bagels, which is printed on the bag, is basically, “Hey, this dude was in prison for 15 years.” It’s unexpected and honest, and I love that. A great backstory for a great bagel. —Danny Palumbo
Credit:
Best Blueberry
Best Egg
Best Chew
Best Sweet
Best Cheese
Best of the Best
Other products we tasted: H&H Everything, Thomas’ Plain, Thomas’ Everything, Dave’s Killer Plain, Great Value Plain, Great Value Cheese, Western Bagel Onion, Lender’s Plain, Lender’s Onion, Lender’s Blueberry, 365 Everything, Einstein Plain, Trader Joe’s Plain, Trader Joe’s Everything, Sara Lee Deluxe Everything, Sara Lee Deluxe Plain, L’oven Fresh Everything, L’oven Fresh Keto Friendly, Western Bagel Everything, Sam’s Choice Double Cheese, Original Bagel Asiago
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