Updated 2022

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The perfect spread for hosting brunch? Bagels and cream cheese with all the fixin’s, of course! This spread is perfect for crowds of all sizes–make it as big and colorful as you like! You can whip it up for pretty much any occasion, but I especially like whipping it up the morning after any holiday, for a baby shower, on a family vacation, or for a girls’ weekend brunch. 

Mini bagels allow your guests to try a few different combos, but feel free to go big! No matter this size, this board, much like the Avocado Toast Board and Build Your Own Waffle Board, gives everyone the opportunity to make their own yummy breakfast combo with minimal prep on your part. You can also find this board in my “book” The Cheese Board Deck!

For other morning spread ideas, check out my Yogurt and Fruit Board, Bacon Bouquet Board, Bloody Mary Board, and Rainbow Fruit Board.

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What Bagels to Use? 

• I used mini bagels for this board. It allows my guests to come back for many different bites and maximum flavor combinations. With mini bagels this board ends up being more like a grazing board. 

• Regular sized bagels will work just as well if that’s your thing. It’ll make this board more of a one-stop board for a solid breakfast.   Bigger bagels are less likely to fit on the board, so feel free to serve those completely on the side on a separate platter or basket.

Bonus points: make it a New York bagel board (I’m not sure what’s in that water, but it make dang good bagels!).

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Tips to Build the Best Bagel Board

When building the board, load in the basics first, like cream cheese and lox. 

For the cream cheese there are so many options. I like adding one ramekin of plain cream cheese and then one or two that are mixed with fresh herbs or roasted garlic. Add a garnish on top of each one to make it have extra visual appeal—finely chopped scallions, a wedge of lemon, pomegranate seeds, or a sprig of dill. Choose your favorite flavors and go for it! 

I chose to go all savory toppings on this one. Adding fresh produce will add texture and beautiful color to your board. I added: 

• Tomatoes

• Cucumbers

• Onion

• Avocado

• Fresh dill, chives, and lemon for garnish 

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Tips for Dairy-Free Bagel Lovers

If you (or someone you love) wants all the bagels and all the toppings but just doesn’t want the dairy, I have you covered. 

There are so many dairy-free cream cheese options out there (I did a whole board with vegan cheeses!). I love the Miyokos brand. They have cashew milk and oat milk varieties. Honestly, they are so good. There are plenty of other brands too, what are your favorites? 

You can also go a totally different direction and put out hummus, peanut butter, or red pepper spread (like Muhammara). These are all great options that have a lot of flavor and can mix and match with your other toppings. 

How to Keep Avocado From Browning

Browning is just a natural process of oxidation and doesn’t affect the fruit much, but it happens so quickly! Honestly, no one wants to put that on their bagel. Here are a few ways to keep your avocados looking fresh. 

(PS: I also have a post on how to keep apples from browning!)

• Add lemon or lime. Citrus fruits have tons of antioxidants, which is a natural way of keeping things (like apple slices or avocados) from oxidizing. You can squeeze a lemon over your avocado slices, or even brush it on with a pastry brush. 

• Serve guacamole instead. If you really want to make sure your avocados don’t brown, mix and mash them up with lime and add a little salt. It’s the simplest guacamole, and it’s so delicious. No one will be bummed that you didn’t serve the avocado on their own! 

• Blanch the avocado. Before even slicing into your fruit, drop a whole (uncut) avocado into a pot of boiling water for exactly 10 seconds. Then remove it with a slotted spoon and place it in a very cold bowl of ice water. This is supposed to cook away the enzyme in the fruit that causes it to brown really quickly. 

• Keep the pit in. The pit can help stop the area that it’s directly touching from browning. It may not help the rest of the avocado, but it will slow the browning process down. It can be difficult for guests to scoop out their portion of avocado with a giant pit still in the middle, so I don’t tend to use this method. 

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How to Make an Avocado Flower

Speaking of avocados… one way to amp up this board is to make a beautiful avocado rose. I’m definitely into food art when I can add it to a board, like salami rosettes, and making turkeys out of cheese balls. It’s a great way to put some life into a spread that is mostly beige (bagels), white (cream cheese spreads), and only a few colors from any produce that you include. 

• Find a perfectly ripe avocado—one that’s still firm to the touch. 

• Cut avocado in half, remove the pit, and peel the skin from the flesh. 

• Lay the avocado half cut side down and slice it very thinly, widthwise. 

• Using your fingers, carefully coax the slices into an almost single-form line (still working with them cut side down), so that the slices slightly overlap. 

• Starting at one end, curl the avocado slice edges toward the center, continuing until you form the shape of a rose. 

• Spritz the rose with lemon juice to preserve its color.

Here’s a great visual guide to follow.  

How to Serve Bagels Video\

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Show Me Your Bagel Boards

I hope this post inspires you to create delicious boards. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the beautiful spreads you create from my tips. If you make a board inspired by this post, please tag me at @ainttoooproudtomeg so I can see and share! 

And, If you liked this recipe, please rate and review.