# What do you put on bagels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551 "2012-01-05T22:06:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/1 "2012-01-05T22:06:25Z")
My boyfriend claims that “everyone” puts jelly on bagels. I think he’s stupid. Everybody knows that most people put butter and/ or cream cheese on a bagel. Jelly is for English muffins and toast. Obviously. What do you put on your bagel? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/2 "2012-01-05T22:09:43Z")
I usually put cream cheese on bagles, but I’ve been known to use jelly occasionally in the past and will do it future. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/3 "2012-01-05T22:10:02Z")
I think your boyfriend is stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/4 "2012-01-05T22:11:31Z")
On perhaps one or two occasions, I’ve put jelly on a bagel, but only _on top of_ the correct topping, cream cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/5 "2012-01-05T22:12:39Z")
I was gonna give a waffley answer of sometimes but the poll options persuaded me to go with not jelly. (Certainly I never spread only jelly on a bagel. But it’s been known to accompany other spreads on bagels.) ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/6 "2012-01-05T22:14:35Z")
Cream cheese is the default. Although, when it isn’t available, I will use butter. Jelly… I suppose if I were stoned, I might try it. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/7 "2012-01-05T22:16:59Z")
Cream cheese, occasionally butter (mmm, great on sesame bagels), and if I’m feeling frisky, lox or tuna salad. Jelly? JELLY!? Wtf. Never seen it, never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/8 "2012-01-05T22:17:00Z")
butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, various lunchy-type things like ham or tuna salad. there’s an everything bagel out there (i think made by the same folks at thomas english muffins), that is to die for. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/9 "2012-01-05T22:21:33Z")
I put all kinds of things on bagels, depending on the mood I’m in. Peanut butter jelly pb&j various cheeses (never cream cheese) pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and pepperoni sausage & cheese mustard, hamburger patty, onion, pickle chips chili ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/10 "2012-01-05T22:23:39Z")
I put butter on my bagels, as I don’t care for cream cheese. I don’t know anyone who puts jelly on them. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/11 "2012-01-05T22:29:32Z")
Cream cheese on most bagels. Butter on cinnamon raisin ones. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/12 "2012-01-05T22:40:25Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > What do you put on your bagel? I came in thinking “Well cream cheese, but we also put real cheese like cheddar on them in a toaster over, wonder if that’s going to be an option.” Jelly!? Never even heard of that. Does he also like those soft, dinner-roll bagels better than real ones? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/13 "2012-01-05T22:45:18Z")
> [@Scubaqueen](#): > > butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, various lunchy-type things like ham or tuna salad. This - but never jelly. Wouldn’t even have crossed my mind. Your BF needs to lay off the crack pipe. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/14 "2012-01-05T22:47:05Z")
I voted NJ,TFDS, but I should confess: In the West End of Vancouver, there is a [hybrid Japanese Restaurant/Greasy Spoon Breakfast joint](http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/14/180767/restaurant/Robson-Street-West-End/Grove-Inn-Vancouver) (because it’s the West End of Vancouver and that makes sense there,) and if you order a bagel and cream cheese there, they will bring it to you with the butter and cream cheese applied and a little tub of strawberry jam on the side. I used to get a coffee and bagel & cream cheese there frequently in the morning, while my girlfriend was going for her run. For a long time I ignored the little tub of strawberry jam because _WTF;Strawberry Jam?_ Then one morning on a whim I spread that stuff right on top of the cream cheese, and it was \*delicious. \* I used the proffered little tub of jam every time thereafter - but it has been many years since I’ve been there, and it would never occur to me to do that again, outside of that specific context. It’s a bit like that woman you kept at it with for several years in spite of the fact that she was obviously bananas, largely because the sex was so damned spectacular: Not something you brag about with your friends, and not something you actively miss when you’ve settled back into a staid routine of just-plain-cream-cheese-thanks. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/15 "2012-01-05T22:49:38Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Does he also like those soft, dinner-roll bagels better than real ones? I don’t really know the answer to that— I’m glad I can find out these obvious moral failings before things get too serious though. 😉 He’s saying that this thread is proof is that he’s right, because somewhere out there, there are people who have put jelly on a bagel. But friends, this is not what was originally presented to me. No. Instead, what he said was: " i’m judging you even more for not knowing that like EVERYONE PUT JELLY ON BAGELS. ask your friends. . . I DARE YOU" and “laughing at the future event where you find most people put jelly on bagels.” I believe we all know that “everyone” and “most people” means. . . everyone and most people. I remain right-- and with jelly free bagels. Feel free to continue to prove me right, Dopers. (I really am a wonderful girlfriend, despite what this thread may appear to prove). ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/16 "2012-01-05T22:51:11Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > staid routine of just-plain-cream-cheese-thanks. Huh. Did you just compair your current SO to staid plain cream cheese, 'cus if so, I think I would…not tell her. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/17 "2012-01-05T23:03:45Z")
Cream cheese topped with crispy bacon. Of course, I haven’t had a proper bagel and cream cheese in about ten months, so it’s kind of moot. But definitely not jelly. Ew. There’s a hole in the bagel; it’d be _messy_! ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/18 "2012-01-05T23:06:52Z")
Cream cheese, and gravlax if I can get it. Otherwise there’s no point in eating a bagel. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/19 "2012-01-05T23:07:58Z")
Bagel toasted with butter, then smeared with cream cheese (and none of those flavored cream cheeses either). Just plain ol’ Philly is like ambrosia to me. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551/20 "2012-01-05T23:12:53Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > My boyfriend claims that “everyone” puts jelly on bagels. I think he’s stupid. I think that your boyfriend [eats stupid food for breakfast](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345430). But as for your question, I rarely eat bagels any longer, but when I did, I had plain cream cheese on them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-on-bagels/608551.md?page=2)