# Butter on bagels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 17, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096 "2017-10-17T00:59:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/21 "2017-10-17T05:09:17Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’ll add that if you are stuck with supermarket frozen bagels, it doesn’t much matter what you put on them. That’s actually how I started putting butter on them. I didn’t keep cream cheese in my fridge but always had butter ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/22 "2017-10-17T05:15:21Z")
I was raised to put on my bagel first, then top it with cream cheese. The first time I saw someone put only cream cheese on a bagel I was astonished. But that was a long time ago. In the intervening years, I’ve seen/eaten just about everything. I’m rather hungry right now. If I could magically have a perfect bagel with any topping I desired, I guess I’d go for a dab of butter and a generous slather of cream cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/23 "2017-10-17T05:17:28Z")
Best bagel sandwich is a garlic bagel with butter, ham and cheese. Also a toasted raisin bagel with butter and jelly is better than with cream cheese and jelly. Especially with a lot of melted buttery butter. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/24 "2017-10-17T05:21:03Z")
I’m quite partial to a toasted, liberally buttered sesame bagel with lashings of honey. And extra sesame seeds if possible. If my butter is the unsalted kind (phtooey!) a pinch of salt too. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/25 "2017-10-17T05:22:29Z")
I used to butter and salt bagels to simulate hot buttered pretzels. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/26 "2017-10-17T05:23:08Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Bare bagels are great - but only if they come fresh and warm from the bagel store. Cream cheese is best. Butter is okay if there is no cream cheese. Jelly is oy! And lox on the cream cheese is best. Put a half of a small thinly sliced onion and lots of butter-- more than you think necessary (there seems to be a theme) in a frying pan until onions are see through. Lightly scramble three eggs and stir it in the pan. Have a handful of flaked lox ready to toss in the eggs once you get a nice soft curd going. Put on bagel. Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/27 "2017-10-17T11:13:54Z")
Butter is only for when you’re out of cream cheese cheese. Putting butter on a bagel is like putting cream cheese on an English muffin. It just tastes wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/28 "2017-10-17T11:46:38Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I strongly suggest you try your next bagel with butter, you’ll be hooked! No, somehow I doubt that the next bagel I have with butter will be less disappointing than the last one I had with butter. Or any other one I’ve had since actually trying cream cheese. Butter is for when I put the bagel in the toaster before checking if there was any cream cheese, and there’s also no cheddar (second choice). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/29 "2017-10-17T11:51:14Z")
Lightly toasted, then cream cheese and thinly sliced onion, then lox. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/30 "2017-10-17T12:09:37Z")
Ideally, an everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, tomato, and capers. Most bagels are better with cream cheese, but some (like cinnamon raisin, which is barely a bagel) pair well with butter. But the bagels that I like (everything, salt, garlic, onion) go best with cream cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/31 "2017-10-17T15:04:52Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Best bagel sandwich is a garlic bagel with butter, ham and cheese. Also a toasted raisin bagel with butter and jelly is better than with cream cheese and jelly. Especially with a lot of melted buttery butter. Yum. Respectfully disagree. My own invention: Seeded bagel, cream cheese, dill, dry smoked salmon, bacon, tomato, a grind of pepper and a thin slice of red onion. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/32 "2017-10-17T15:07:55Z")
I find butter works best for me on onion bagels. Plain, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/33 "2017-10-17T15:51:52Z")
Always butter. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/34 "2017-10-17T15:59:52Z")
I have a package of “bagel thins” in my desk drawer at work. I have one every morning, with butter. I do like cream cheese on bagels, but that’s something I treat myself to on the weekends. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/35 "2017-10-17T16:01:12Z")
As far as I’m concerned, bagels are a butter delivery vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/36 "2017-10-17T16:14:21Z")
Garlic cream cheese…yummy but natures own birth control. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/37 "2017-10-17T16:17:52Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I prefer cream cheese, but butter is good, too. I can’t think of many (any?) breads that don’t taste good with butter on them. I endorse this entire statement. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/38 "2017-10-17T16:56:18Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I’ll put cream cheese on one half and butter on the other. Splitter!! ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/39 "2017-10-17T18:48:54Z")
While my usual is a sesame bagel with veggie cream cheese or occasionally lox and creamcheese, a toasted garlic bagel with butter is a treat. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096/40 "2017-10-17T19:06:46Z")
I always thought it was like toast with jelly. Butter first, _then_ the other topping, which in a bagel’s case, is cream cheese. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butter-on-bagels/799096.md?page=3)