The Viral Recipe That Has Us Rushing to the Store to Buy Bagels

Bagels are essential fare on so many peoples' weekend breakfast tables. Taking big bold risks with bagels was once reserved for the times when we ordered them from a deli or bagel shop, but we've started experimenting with the breakfast bread at home. This year, we tried Sarah Jessica Parker's go-to NYC bagel combo , could not curb our enthusiasm for Larry David's excellent bagel sandwich and analyzed Ina Garten's very controversial, internet-breaking way to slice a bagel .

And while we're rolling into fall, the year isn't over yet. And most importantly, a bagel is not a bagel is not a bagel. We recently came across an air fryer bagel recipe on TikTok and immediately knew it was breakfast goals. The hottest way to eat a bagel is to air-fry a bagel already topped with cream cheese . Yes, you heard that right!

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This ingenious idea comes from TikTok creator @smalltowntallgirl who suggested this is not only the best way to make a bagel with cream cheese but also there's no better way to toast a bagel. "Y'all forget the toaster add the cream cheese [and] put it in the air fryer ." The result is a perfectly crisp-meets-soft toasted bagel adorned with a warm, slightly cooked cream cheese topping. In the comments, Small Town Tall Girl said you can also add sliced bacon on top, and there's no arguing with that!

To make it, slice a bagel in half, spread both halves with cream cheese, pop the bagel in the basket of an air fryer and cook at 350 degrees for about 5 to 8 minutes.

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You can dig in immediately or add a few more ingredients to gild the lily. "Also add honey and a dash of cinnamon, so good!," suggests one commenter on Small Town Tall Girl's video. "Add some nothing but bagel seasoning too," someone else chimed in. Being the Trader Joe's fans that we are, we think they mean everything but the bagel seasoning, but we get it (and approve of the idea).

Though it's groundbreaking in our eyes, the air fryer cream cheese bagel is nothing new to devout fans online. "I’ve been doing this for years, 400 degrees for 5 minutes is the best cooking time I’ve found!" exclaimed one enthusiast. Another says, "I did this out of laziness and now it’s my go-to method. I love it too lol"

With the weekend just around the corner, you need to try this out stat!

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