Product: Sweet Note Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bagels – $7.25+
As much as I want for the weather to stay warm and mild…it’s already cold outside. The nip of fall is in the air, and while I do love this time of year, there is one thing even more important that I can count on around this time:
PUMPKIN SPICE…EVERYTHING!
And while this is a lot easier to come by when you don’t live in a bubble (aka: food allergies), it’s little things like non-dairy pumpkin spice flavoring in coffee…and my homemade (because no one else has made it yet) vegan pumpkin ice cream. And it’s Sweet Note Bagel Girls getting me all kinds of “OH HELL YES” with the return of their Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bagels.
Seriously, these ladies are my new BFFs. OR…as they say on their Twitter account, GFFs (Gluten Free Friends). If they ever want to sponsor an athlete to endorse their stuff, I am their girl. Because when it comes to things that runners (and New Yorkers, mind you) love…it’s BAGELS! Especially this native New Yorker who just happens to be…a runner. And while the gluten-free market has a good number of companies that have gluten-free bagels out…none have tasted like the actual real thing…until Sweet Note Bakery found me and enticed me to give them a try.
They totally peaked my curiosity. So, without any further knowledge about their products, without looking up any reviews as to what other consumers thought of their products, I was on their online store, purchasing half of their bagel selections. Yep, I didn’t start with just one variety. I went into this believing that these would blow me away…and thus…I ordered four (4) of their eight (8) varieties that they offered at that time. To be clear, they normally have five (5) standards: Plain, Everything, Sesame, Poppy, and Cinnamon Raisin…and they add limited time goodies like Snickerdoodle (didn’t get to try that one, so I hope it makes a return appearance this holiday season), Chocolate Swirl, and yes…Pumpkin Spice.
Sweet Note began in 2012, when founder and president, Michelle MacDonald, stepped up to a challenge. She had been baking ever since she was a child and was very passionate about it. When her grandfather and sister were diagnosed with Celiac Disease, she took the first steps on her entrepreneurial journey. Her family really missed a good New York Style bagel. (Hey…I can’t blame them…I know this feeling all too well). So with a lot of experimentation and trial and error, MacDonald perfected the recipe, getting huge approval from her family (also bagel lovers). Gluten-free bagels that taste good?! It was a reality. Sweet Note Bakery’s vision is to make gluten-free options more readily accessible. Those of us who live with Celiac understand how isolating this disease can be, when you can’t have a meal while out with friends and family, be it at a restaurant or a ballpark, or wherever your adventures take you. MacDonald wanted to change that…one gluten-free bagel at a time.
This is truly a love story between me and these bagels. Every single flavor has been outstanding. No joke. You know, I’m very blunt about things I eat and if I don’t like them, you know it. There is nothing NOT to like about the bagels that Sweet Note Bakery puts out there. Fantastic quality…fantastic flavor. Never once have they let me down. And that’s why all other bagels stay in the freezer section now…and Sweet Note is the only one that actually makes the journey home to my own freezer.
Now, let me be the first to admit…I am a pumpkin spice junkie…fanatic…enthusiast. I love all things pumpkin. So, when I discovered that they were bringing back Pumpkin Spice for a limited time to their bagel line-up…I treated myself to a birthday present and purchased a package of them. I was out of town a lot, so I’m just now getting to devour…I mean…taste them. But with things finally settling into a rhythm…I pulled these bad-boy bagels out of my freezer this morning to have for breakfast.
I grabbed two of them (one for me and the other for my non-gluten-free roomie!) and got onto thawing them in the microwave. You don’t bring these to room temperature like most gluten-free foods. Just 1 minute or so in the microwave, until they are squishy soft, and you’re golden. Cool them for a moment, slice in half, and toast. I will note, the Pumpkin Spice are special because you actually see flecks of orange pumpkin in the halved bagel itself. Love that. Because I don’t own a toaster, these bad boys went into the oven. They smelled amazing as they toasted away, getting to that perfect level of golden on top. Out they came, cooling for a moment…then I topped off one half with vegan cream cheese and the other half with organic pumpkin butter. I passed one plate off to my roommate and, after pouring myself a cup of coffee, I settled in to my own.
Forget pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin spice waffles and pumpkin spice oatmeal…or whatever might be out on the non-gluten-free market…that we don’t have. We have one better. We have The Great Pumpkin of all things pumpkin spice: Sweet Note Bakery’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bagels. OH YEAH! Real…REAL New York-style bagels here…made from real ingredients and not all that processed…stuff. These bagels have to be filled with hocus-pocus, because they are, perhaps, one of the best things I have ever had for breakfast. The bagel itself is full of pumpkin flavor. No skimping there. And that’s important, when you bill yourself as a “pumpkin spice”…whatever. So often, that flavor goes missing…but not here. It is spooky how much flavor is packed into these dense, little bagels. The crust of the bagel was toasted and crisp…the inside…chewy and just…filled with pumpkin goodness. I was blown away. And, even as I told myself to savor each bite, I think I hoovered the bagel like it was candy. I’m thinking another order is happening in the very, very near future.
So, let’s get down and talk about some of what goes into making the Sweet Note Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bagels. These bagels are made from Love (yes…an actual ingredient!), Water, White Rice Flour, Tapioca Flour, Sweet White Rice Flour, Sorghum Flour, Sugar, Cane Syrup, Pumpkin, Carrots, Molasses, Yeast, Xanthan Gum, Psyllium Husk, Salt, Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger. Note…all recognizable and real ingredients. These bagels are gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, dairy-free, vegan, and non-GMO.
As far as nutrition goes, you’ll love these stats like I love pumpkin! A serving size is 1 bagel (128 grams). This serving will give you 260 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 62 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 10 grams sugars, and 4 grams of protein. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, it’s amazing how much more filling a food is when it’s made with real ingredients. These bagels will definitely get you through your morning!
What are gluten-free bagels made of? Pumpkin Spice and everything nice…if you’re talking about the return of Sweet Note’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bagel. And if you’re not, then you should be…so head over to their Web site and place an order. Don’t delay…these are only around for a limited time!
And…if you haven’t already, you might as well order some of their standards while you’re on their page. I promise you…you’ll fall in love with these bagels too.
The Celiathlete 
Wow, definitely trying these!!
Thank you for the beautiful post! Can’t do it without your support!