Pizza Bagels: A kid-friendly, quick and easy recipe that’s perfect for new cooks in the kitchen or to make for a fast lunch or dinner!
Ready to eat in about 15 minutes, these easy bagel pizza bites are a family weeknight dinner and easy to customize for individual topping favorites!
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What you’ll love about mini pizza bagels
- These mini pizzas are a quick recipe can be made and ready to eat in 15 minutes!
- The round bagels are perfect for little hands. Those huge triangle pieces from the pizza delivery place are hard for those little hands to hold!
- If you’re running low on bagels, you can use English muffins too!
- Topping options are endless!
Pizza Bagels
I’ll never forget that when I first started staying home by myself as a kiddo, I would look in the fridge, over and over again, hoping something new would show up for an easy lunch.
(Unfortunately, I still do this as an adult.)
All I knew was that I was hungry… and if I wanted to eat something, I was going to have to combine something other than milk and Cheerios.
So I was faced with two things:
- I didn’t really know how to cook anything yet.
- I was home by myself, so whatever I did make, I didn’t want to make a ton of it.
Then, one day, I got creative, and it was the perfect quick & easy recipe I was looking for, that I could make by myself, and it didn’t have a lot of wasteful leftovers.
So, I ended up making these ALL of the time (and these pizza dogs) because it seemed as if we always had the ingredients on hand, and it didn’t make a huge mess in the kitchen.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe to feed your family or if you’re running out of ideas that your teenager can make while they’re home alone, you’ll want to save this recipe for SURE!
How to Make Pizza Bagels
First, using a nonstick sheet pan or a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up!
If the bagels are not sliced yet, go ahead and slice them. Next, lay them out face-up on your baking sheet and spoon the tomato sauce on to the bagels, and spread to fully cover the tops.
Sprinkle your cheese over the bagels. As much as you want.
(To be honest, I like to sprinkle on a LOT because it will fall through the middle and melt and turn a little brown… and then I peel it off of the baking sheet and have a bite of glorious cheese. I think this is the best part!)
Sprinkle on your favorite toppings or leave some with just “cheese” for those like it simple!
Sauce Suggestions:
If you want to mix things up and use a different sauce, other than marinara sauce or pizza sauce, these are some options to choose from:
- bbq sauce
- teriyaki sauce
- alfredo sauce (like we use in the broccoli chicken alfredo pizza in the Fabulously Fast Dinners cookbook!)
- taco sauce (for a taco bagel pizza)
- ranch dressing
- pesto
- buffalo sauce
Topping Suggestions:
- sausage
- bacon
- bell peppers
- red pepper flakes
- red onion
- ham
- ground beef
- parmesan cheese
- taco pizza (see taco topping ideas)
- chicken or buffalo chicken
- fresh herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, thyme)
- steak
- shrimp
I usually only do pepperoni, and I leave a few “cheese,” pizzas for my youngest who’s not a huge fan of pepperoni.
This is where you can also sprinkle on fun spices and seasonings if you want.
Bake at 350° for 10 Minutes
Once your oven has preheated place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes!
In a flash, they’re done and ready to devour.
Talk about the best recipe for busy weeknights!
Throw this pizza bagel recipe together in a flash, and you’ve fed your family dinner in a snap. Plus… it’s pizza, so of course, your kids will love it!
How to store leftover pizza bagels
Once they have cooled off, it’s safe to put them in an air-tight container or even in a ziptop bag. To reheat, you can place back in a 350° oven for about 3-5 minutes, until pizzas are reheated. Or, our favorite way to reheat leftover pizza so it’s not soggy and it tastes just like it did the first time we had it, we use an air fryer!
What to serve with pizza bagel bites
We’re really in to salad recipes around here so I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t tell you about this scrumptious side salad recipe, that would go LOVELY with these little pizzas.
Or, if you’re looking for more of a bread side, this easy focaccia bread is so delicious!
For dipping, you’ll really love this jalapeno ranch dip to serve alongside it!
Tips for best results:
- Place parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet before baking, for easy clean-up!
- Have fun with the toppings! The great thing about using bagels to make pizza is that they can easily be customized to everyone’s preference, much easier than doing a whole pizza!
- If you’re hosting a party, a pizza bar is a great idea and one of our favorite food bars when having people over! Simply place all of the topping selections out, have everyone build their own and choose their own toppings, and either rent, buy or borrow a small pizza oven or even use a toaster oven!
- If your kiddos’ hands are itty bitty, use kitchen shears to cut the bagel pizzas into small bite-size pieces. Heck with trying to use a fork, pizza cutter, or hands. Kitchen shears are my best friend! Or, grab the mini bagels and make them bite-size!
Easy Pizza Bagels
Ingredients
- 4 bagels I buy them in the refrigerated section because they stay fresh longer
- 1 cup tomato sauce can substitute with pizza sauce
- 1-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Toppings (optional):
- pepperoni can substitute with bacon or sausage
Instructions
- Preheat the over to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the bagels horizontally, in half, and lay them open faced on a sheet of aluminum foil.
- Spoon sauce onto the tops of the bagels. I usually do a thin layer, because I don’t like a lot of sauce. But you can make them as saucy as you want!
- Sprinkle a layer of cheese on top of the bagels.
- Add any additional pizza toppings on the bagels, and spices if you prefer!
- Bake the pizzas for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Notes
- If you prefer them a little more brown at the top, broil at the end of the cooking time for just a few seconds! But keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!
- Place parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet before baking, for easy clean-up!
- Have fun with the toppings! The great thing about using bagels to make pizza is that they can easily be customized to everyone’s preference, much easier than doing a whole pizza!
- If you’re hosting a party, a pizza bar is a great idea and one of our favorite food bars when having people over! Simply place all of the topping selections out, have everyone build their own, and either rent, buy or borrow a small pizza oven or even use a toaster oven!
- If your kiddos’ hands are itty bitty, use kitchen shears to cut the bagel pizzas into small bite-size pieces. Heck with trying to use a fork, pizza cutter, or hands. Kitchen shears are my best friend! Or, grab the mini bagels and make them bite-size!
Nutrition
I hope this recipe eases your menu planning! Comment below and me know how they were and what toppings you put on yours!
Katie says
I remember making these as a kid and I haven’t stopped loving them! So easy and delicious.
Jessica says
Pizza bagels are definitely a kid-favorite and it’s a recipe easy for kids to make too!
Natalie says
My kids love these! They love to help make them & add all their favorite toppings! Makes for a great snack or meal!
Jessica says
YES! Making pizza bagels is easy and I love how you can add on your favorite toppings!
Laura Reese says
This was so easy. I had my teens help and they loved them! I think they will make these often!!
Jessica says
Oh this is a great recipe idea for teens! Thank you so much for sharing!