Product Review: Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Plain Bagels

Product: Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Plain Bagels – $5.00

Twas the day of a new product release and I was just sort of…scrolling through Facebook…completely unaware that such a thing was happening.  And then, one of my latest obsessions in the gluten-free bread world hit me up with the one thing that I, as a New Yorker, cannot ignore.

BAGELS!

GLUTEN-FREE BAGELS!!

Do you know how hard it is to find GOOD gluten-free bagels?  Immensely.  Seriously.  They are either too small and dense, or too light and fluffy.  Or they just taste all wrong.  As far as commercially available gluten-free bagels go, after trial and error on so many brands, Udi’s is the only one ever to keep me coming back.  The rest were just so many kinds of wrong in texture, flavor, or just feel.  Not saying that Udi’s is spot on either.  They are a little light in the middle, because, bagels are supposed to be dense and awesome.  I took to making my own…and that’s fine…but it’s a lot of work and sometimes it doesn’t always work out as planned.

So, yeah, I sort of released a few cries of joy and immediately went over tot the Canyon Bakehouse Web site to order the latest products they were introducing to the gluten-free market.  I skipped the Brownie Bites (for now) and ordered one pack each of the new Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Plain Bagels and Everything Bagels.

HELLO.  GOOD MORNING.

They arrived via Fed Ex yesterday afternoon, so I have wasted no time in getting these tasted, tried and reviewed.

This morning, after my spin class, I came home to load up two of the Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Plain Bagels into my oven (I do not own a toaster…so this is how we roll in my apartment), went to shower while they toasted, and came out to find them just about ready for the vegan cream cheese!

Life…was good.  Almost perfect.  Coffee was poured.  Bagels were toasted.  And the (Better Than) Cream Cheese (non-dairy for my delicate tummy) was spread on each half.  I passed the first bagel off to my roommate and then went to retrieve mine, after taking a few moments to simply wash out a few containers and the coffee pot.  Time to settle in.  Breakfast.

And good morning indeed!  Canyon Bakehouse just won my little bagel loving heart.  FINALLY…something so close!!  SO darn close that I fanned my hand in front of my face as I slowly chewed my first bite.  Now, I’ve had gluten-free bagels from NYC specialty bakeries.  And these…are nothing like those.  But these…these stand out in the gluten-free world for items you can buy in grocery stores and the like.  TOTALLY WOWED!!

Before toasting, Canyon Bakehouse have a nice, hefty feel to them.  They are pre-cut…all the way through so I’m not tearing at to edges (such is the case with Udi’s).  The insides have this amazing looking center, small hole, and a big, crusty, outside to it.  It felt like a real bagel.  It even looked like a real bagel.

I took my first bite…and it tasted like a real bagel.  Yes.  I was beyond elated.  I loved how the outside was crispy, without being hard.  It had some give to it still, and gave way to the perfect, tasted, but still tender bread in the middle.  Oh…my…freakin’…gluten…free…bagel.  These have an actual bagel taste to them too…not just tasting like…well…gluten free bread.  I love the texture and the flavor (yeah…this was the Plain, but still!).  Nothing plain about the taste of these.  Really phenomenal taste and totally filling.  Just as a bagel should be.  I felt content.  I felt loved.  I felt…full…but in a good way.  The best way.  The “I just consumed something mighty and gluten free and I loved every bite of it so much I might have devoured it faster than I should have but that’s okay!” kind of way.  I can’t wait to try the Everything Bagel version as Everything Bagels have always been my most favorite bagels.  Remember…I’m a New Yorker.

So, let’s talk ingredients that go into the Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Plain Bagels.  These amazing breakfast rounds of starchy, carby goodness are made from water, tapioca flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, cultivated brown rice flour, extra virgin olive oil, organic agave syrup, whole grain sorghum flour, xanthan gum, egg whites, baking powder, yeast, sea salt, and natural enzymes.  These bagels are gluten-free (of course), kosher, and non-GMO.  They are also cholesterol free and free of trans-fats.  YAY!  Even better, they are made with 100% whole grains.  LOVE IT.

Now, let’s delve into the nutritional facts for these bagels.  A serving size is 1 bagel (99 grams), and there are 4 bagels per package.  One serving will provide you with 250 calories and 6 grams of fat.  You will also be consuming 450 mg sodium, 45 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams sugars, 3 grams fiber, and 3 grams of protein.  Trust me, for a bagel this is phenomenal.  And, these nutrition facts beat out those of Udi’s Gluten Free Plain and (for those who do eat gluten) a Panera Bread Plain Bagel in everything but protein.  Healthier.  Canyon Bakehouse has definitely built a better bagel.

And yeah…I’m totally purchasing more of these.  My freezer will not be complete without a package of these tucked inside for those mornings when only a bagel will do.  These bagels make me feel right at home.  And that, my friends, says a lot.