Everything Bagel Seasoning

Everything bagel seasoning is easy and affordable to make at home. The blend of sesame seeds, garlic, onion, poppy seeds, and flaky salt tastes good on just about everything.

By
Nicole Hopper
Nicole Hopper

Nicole Hopper is a recipe tester and developer based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
and
Laurel Randolph
Laurel Randolph
Laurel has over 10 years of experience developing recipes and writing about food. She is the author of 4 cookbooks, including the bestselling The Instant Pot Electric Cookbook.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published April 02, 2023
On a Wooden Board, a Bowl of Everything Bagel Seasoning, a Wooden Spoon With Some Seasoning in It, and More Seasoning on the Board

Simply Recipes / Jen Causey

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of the everything bagel flavor combo. Not only is it my go-to bagel order, but I also enjoy everything bagel chips, hummus, and sprinkling the seasoning on, well, everything.

Why make your own everything bagel seasoning? For one, it’s cheaper than buying it premade. You also have more control over the freshness, ensuring your seasoning mix is as flavorful as possible. Lastly, you can adjust the exact blend. While this recipe makes a classic everything bagel seasoning, you can play with the ratio of the ingredients to suit your tastes.

What Is Everything Bagel Seasoning?

What came first, the seasoning or the bagel? It’s unclear, but everything bagel seasoning is all of the ingredients you’d normally find sprinkled on top of an everything bagel. The spice mix typically includes sesame seeds, dried onion, dried garlic, salt, and poppy seeds. The blend results in a nutty, toasty, savory, and salty flavor combo that’s tasty on all kinds of savory dishes.

Bowl of Everything Bagel Seasoning With a Wooden Spoon and Next to a Black and White Stripped Kitchen Towel

Simply Recipes / Jen Causey

Creating the Perfect Everything Bagel Seasoning

Before developing this recipe, we taste-tested six different storebought everything bagel seasonings. Trader Joe’s and Olde Thompson were favorites, thanks to their balanced flavors and the right amount of saltiness. This recipe replicates the ratio of ingredients in Olde Thompson and the mild saltiness of Trader Joe’s, which uses flaky salt.

One thing that struck recipe developer Nicole Hopper while testing this spice mix was the color. “The culprits were the onion and garlic—straight from the jar they are very pale, and in the storebought seasonings they are golden and toasty.” Her solution is to toast the dehydrated minced garlic and onion in a dry skillet for a few minutes before combining the ingredients, giving the flavor and color a boost.

Choosing the Right Salt

We tested this everything bagel seasoning mix with coarse salt as well as flaky salt, and flaky salt won the battle. Nicole found flaky sea salt to have a more pleasing look and a fun, crunchy texture. Morton’s sea salt flakes work nicely and are widely available, but any brand will do. If the flakes are especially big, you can break them up slightly with your fingers.

If you don’t have flaky salt, you can use coarse kosher salt. Avoid any kind of fine salt or table salt for this recipe.

Everything Bagel Seasoning in a Tall Cylindrical Glass Jar With a Wooden Spoon In It, Next to a Wooden Circular Top and a Black and White Stripped Kitchen Towel

Simply Recipes / Jen Causey

How to Use Everything Bagel Seasoning

Nicole enjoys sprinkling homemade everything bagel seasoning on avocado toast. “It has a good balance of different textures and a subtle nuttiness from the sesame. The onion and garlic are strong but not so overpowering that you feel the need to run for a breath mint, and there's just enough salt to season the avocado perfectly.”

Use everything bagel seasoning anywhere you’d enjoy a bit of crunch, nuttiness, savoriness, and saltiness. Try sprinkling it over cream cheese, eggs, avocado, popcorn, or hummus. Use it to season homemade crackers or top homemade breads before baking. The sky is the limit!

Seasonings to Spice Up Your Life

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 3 mins
Total Time 8 mins
Servings 36 servings
Yield 6 tablespoons

This seasoning blend is as salty as most store-bought versions, but you can adjust the amount of salt to your taste. Omit it completely to make it salt-free.

We used McCormick brand dried minced garlic and onion. Look for a brand where the pieces are uniformly small—some dried onion has large pieces that don’t work well in a spice mix.

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons dehydrated minced garlic

  • 4 teaspoons dehydrated minced onion

  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

  • 4 teaspoons poppy seeds

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)

  • 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

Method

  1. Toast the garlic and onion (optional):

    For a stronger, toastier flavor, toast the dehydrated minced garlic and onion. 

    Add the garlic and onion to a small dry skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring constantly, until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool slightly, about 3 minutes.

    Tip

    If you’re planning on using this mix as a seasoning sprinkle (added just before eating), you can toast the onions and garlic a bit darker. But if you’re planning on cooking or baking with it, err on the side of less toasted.

    Garlic and Onion Flakes Toasted in a Stainless Steel Pan for Everything Bagel Seasoning Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Jen Causey
    Toasted Garlic and Onion Flakes in a Stainless Steel Pan for Everything Bagel Seasoning Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Jen Causey
  2. Combine the ingredients:

    Combine the garlic and onion with the white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flaky salt, and black sesame seeds. Whisk everything together until evenly combined.

    Bowl With Everything Bagel Seasoning Ingredients in Separate Piles

    Simply Recipes / Jen Causey
    Everything Bagel Seasoning Mixed Together Using a Wooden Spoon

    Simply Recipes / Jen Causey
  3. Store: 

    Transfer to an airtight jar or container. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. 

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    Everything Bagel Seasoning in a Glass Jar With a Wooden Spoon In It, and on the Counter Next to It, the Lid

    Simply Recipes / Jen Causey
    Everything Bagel Seasoning in a Tall Cylindrical Glass Jar With a Wooden Spoon In It, Next to a Wooden Circular Top and a Black and White Stripped Kitchen Towel

    Simply Recipes / Jen Causey
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
6 Calories
0g Fat
0g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 36
Amount per serving
Calories 6
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 162mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 7mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.