Homemade Everything Bagel Seasoning

Living abroad, I quickly realized this one wasn’t easy to find on local shelves, so I started making my own and honestly never looked back. The homemade version is genuinely better with more flavour, more texture, and you know exactly what’s in it. This version swaps poppy seeds for chia seeds (same crunch, a little extra nutrition) and gives the fried onion and garlic flakes a quick blitz in the blender so they turn coarser and flakier rather than powdery, making the seasoning cling better and pack more savoury punch in every pinch. We go through this stuff fast at home, and it ends up on the counter, showing up on cucumber or avocado toasts, eggs, and salads all week long.

An American Spice Mix with a Bagel-Shaped Origin

Everything bagel seasoning is about as New York as it gets. The blend takes its name from the “everything bagel,” a New York deli staple that first appeared sometime in the 1980s and was topped with, well, everything left over on the bagel-making counter: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt all pressed into the dough before baking. The seasoning blend, as a standalone product, really took off when Trader Joe’s launched its jarred version in 2017, and from there it went completely viral, showing up on avocado toast, cream cheese, roasted vegetables, and pretty much anything else people could think to sprinkle it on.

Why We Use Chia Seeds Instead of Poppy Seeds

Chia seeds are a great swap for poppy seeds in everything bagel seasoning, and the two are pretty interchangeable; same visual appeal, same satisfying little crunch, and most people won’t notice the difference. Both seeds bring solid nutritional benefits to the table (poppy seeds actually win on calcium and iron, while chia seeds pull ahead on omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, and antioxidants), so whichever you use, you’re getting a worthwhile little boost in every sprinkle. We use chia seeds at home partly because they’re easier to find in many countries outside North America, and partly because they’re widely considered one of the most allergy-friendly seeds around, which is handy with young kids. But if you have poppy seeds in your pantry, use them. This recipe works either way beautifully.

Why We Blend the Fried Onion and Garlic Flakes

The secret weapon in this recipe is the fried onion. Most everything bagel seasoning blends use dried onion flakes, which are perfectly fine and totally traditional, but once you try it with crispy fried onion, you really can’t go back. That deep caramelized, slightly sweet, savoury crunch is just on another level. We give the fried onion a quick pulse in the blender with the garlic flakes until the mixture turns coarser and slightly flaky, rather than staying in big, crispy pieces, so it blends evenly into the mix and clings to everything you put it on.

How to Use Everything Bagel Seasoning

This seasoning goes on just about everything. Here are our favourite ways to use it at home:

• Avocado toast: avocado, cherry tomatoes, and a generous sprinkle.
• Cucumber ribbons toast with cream cheese: our most-reached-for snack, even with the kids
• Salads: use it in place of croutons for crunch and flavour without the bulk
• Hummus: a generous sprinkle on top transforms a plain bowl
• Roasted vegetables: toss on before or after roasting
• Omelette or Scrambled eggs: sprinkle on top
• Popcorn: surprisingly addictive
• Rice bowl with a fried egg: a quick weeknight staple that punches well above its weight