Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning
A toasty, savory, crunchy blend of two kinds of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic and onion, and flaky salt. Make a jar in ten minutes and sprinkle it on bagels, eggs, avocado toast, roasted vegetables and more.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 4 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 19 min
- Makes
- About ¾ cup (16 servings of 2 teaspoons each)
Steps
Before you start
- Use dried minced garlic and onion (small flakes, not powder or granules) so the blend stays crunchy and does not clump.
- Toasting is optional but gives deeper flavor; the dried alliums are NOT toasted because they burn in seconds.
- Have a cool plate ready to tip the toasted seeds onto right away, as they keep cooking in a hot pan.
- Use a completely dry, airtight jar so moisture does not soften the blend.
Measure everything
- Measure the white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds and poppy seeds into a small bowl.
- Measure the dried garlic, dried onion and flaky salt into a separate medium bowl.
- Keeping them apart lets you toast only the seeds.
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Ready when: Two bowls ready: seeds in one, alliums and salt in the other.
Toast the sesame
- Heat a dry 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat for 1 minute.
- Add the white and black sesame seeds only (reserve the poppy seeds).
- Stir constantly with a spatula for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Ready when: White seeds turn pale golden and smell nutty; a few begin to pop. Black seeds won't visibly change, so judge by the white ones and the aroma.
Tip: Don't walk away. Sesame goes from golden to bitter in under 30 seconds.
Add poppy and cool
- Add the poppy seeds to the skillet and stir for 30 seconds just to warm them through.
- Immediately tip all the seeds onto a large plate and spread into a single layer.
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Ready when: Seeds feel cool, not warm, to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Tip: Mixing warm seeds with the dried alliums can soften them and cause clumping in the jar.
Crumble the salt
- While the seeds cool, rub the flaky salt between your fingers over the bowl with the garlic and onion to break the largest flakes into pieces about the size of the sesame seeds.
- Stir the garlic, onion and salt together.
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Ready when: Salt pieces are roughly seed-sized, with no large chunks.
Combine and mix
- Add the cooled seeds to the bowl with the garlic, onion and salt.
- Stir with a spoon for about 30 seconds until the black and white seeds are evenly distributed and no pockets of salt remain.
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Ready when: Evenly speckled blend with no visible clumps of any one ingredient.
Tip: Taste a pinch on a cracker and add up to 1 teaspoon more salt if you like it saltier.
Jar and store
- Funnel or spoon the blend into a dry 1-cup (240 ml) jar, seal tightly, and shake gently to settle.
- Label with today's date.
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Ready when: Jar is sealed and the blend fills about three-quarters of it.
Tip: Shake the jar before each use; the small poppy seeds settle to the bottom.
Good to know
Tips
- Use about ½ to 1 teaspoon per bagel or avocado toast; press it onto cream cheese or a brushed egg wash so it sticks.
- To bake onto bagels, brush with egg wash, sprinkle generously, and bake as the bagel recipe directs. Toasted seeds won't over-darken in normal bake times, but add the salt-heavy blend after egg wash only.
- Weigh the salt if you can, since flake size changes how much fits in a spoon.
- Keep the jar away from the stove and steam; moisture makes the dried onion and garlic chewy.
Make ahead
"Make up to 3 months ahead. The flavor is good right away and mellows slightly after a day."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard for up to 3 months. Fridge: not recommended, since condensation can soften the blend. Freezer: up to 6 months in a freezer-safe airtight container; bring to room temperature before opening to avoid moisture. Use straight from the jar; no reheating needed. To refresh, toast a spoonful in a dry skillet for 30 seconds over low heat."
Substitutions
- flaky sea salt → coarse kosher salt, use 1½ tablespoons (about 20 g if Morton, 14 g if Diamond Crystal). Slightly less crunchy and the finer grains may sink; measure by weight if possible.
- black sesame seeds → additional white sesame seeds (1 tablespoon / 9 g). Same flavor, less contrast in color.
- dried minced garlic → dried garlic granules, 2 tablespoons (about 18 g). Finer and less crunchy, and more likely to settle at the bottom.
- poppy seeds → nigella seeds or caraway seeds, 3 tablespoons. Nigella adds an oniony, peppery note; caraway is stronger, so start with 1 tablespoon.
