Chewy, tasty, store-bought bagels are halved and smothered with ready-made pizza sauce, melty cheese, pepperoni slices, and black olives. Quick Pizza Bagels are a super fast, satisfying, and easy meal!
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A Super Easy Homemade Pizza Recipe!
When you think of homemade pizza, you might feel a bit overwhelmed. After all, making homemade pizza means making your own pizza crust, which is a yeast-based dough, which needs to be stretched out thinly and pre-baked, and… yeah, maybe you’ll just do frozen pizza. Does that sound familiar?
It doesn’t have to be that way! Yes, making homemade pizza dough can be a bit of an investment (although it is fun), but you can also make pizzas using the yummiest, easiest crust idea ever: bagels. Even better than those pre-made crusts you can buy at the store, fresh bagels make fantastic pizzas with just a few easy toppings and quick bake in the oven. This recipe will show you how simple and delicious homemade pizza bagels can be. Let’s do this!
Why Are Pizza Bagels So Good?
How do I know you’re going to love these pizza bagels? Because they are just so good! Here are just a few reasons my family is crazy about pizza bagels:
- First of All, It’s Pizza. This goes without saying, practically. Everything you love about pizza you can love about a pizza bagel – think cheesy, saucy, topping-laden perfection.
- The Cute Personal Size. Kids especially love the mini-ness of pizza bagels. They are just the right size for preschoolers (and look even cuter cut into wedges). Older kids and teens can make two pizza bagel halves (or three, or four, if you’re feeding ravenous young adults like a lot of parents are!).
- Super Easy Prep. If you can pull a bagel apart and count pepperoni, you can make these! They are fun to whip up, and both adults and kids can make them. (Just make sure to supervise kids using the oven, of course.)
- Topping Options: No more squabbling about what to order on your pizza. If someone only wants cheese, that’s no problem! Other family members always beg for supreme? Let them add all the toppings their hearts desire. (Helpful hint: the more toppings you add, the more helpful it is to cut them small.)
- Healthy Ingredients. You don’t really have a say when it comes to the ingredients in a pizza you order from a restaurant or buy from the store, but when you make your own, you call the shots. Use organic, sprouted, or gluten-free bagels, sauce without added sugar, and add only the toppings you feel good about. Whatever your diet requires, you can cater to it without stress or fuss. Pizza night never tasted so good!
Recipe Ingredients
Since you are skipping making your own pizza dough, the ingredients list for this recipe is very short. That makes it perfect for after-school snacking, or for a fast meal anytime.
- Bagels: Slice the bagels in half to make two rounds (or just pull them apart if they’re pre-sliced). A serrated knife or bread knife is good for this. If you are low carb, you can also try these Keto Bagels!
- Marinara Sauce: Use store-bought marinara sauce, my favorite easy Homemade Marinara, or another pizza sauce of your choice. Or if you prefer a white pizza, you can use my favorite Homemade Alfredo Sauce!
- Cheese: Shredded mozzarella cheese is a favorite around here, or you could use rounds of unsmoked Provolone.
- Pepperoni: Regular pepperoni slices, mini pepperonis, or large pepperoni slices cut in fourths. You could even use an unsliced pepperoni link and finely chop it. Yum.
- Black Olives: Black olives are optional, so feel free to leave them out if you don’t like them. But I really think that sliced black olives are an under-appreciated pizza topping! They add a really nice salty depth to each bite. Other toppings are fine too, so load the pizzas up with your favorites.
How to Make Pizza Bagels
Let’s get into the process for making this easy recipe. These instructions are so simple, you practically don’t need them!
- Get Ready. To begin, preheat the oven to 375°F. You want to be able to put the bagels right into the oven so they don’t sit around getting soggy. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, and place the bagel halves on it, cut-side-up.
- Add Sauce, Cheese, and Toppings. Next, spoon a little sauce onto each bagel and spread it out evenly. Add cheese, pepperoni, and black olives (if you’re using them). My advice is to use a small amount of sauce, and a fairly generous sprinkling of cheese, but definitely do them how you like.
- Bake! Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the pizza bagels for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
- Cool and Serve. Once they are baked, take the bagels out of the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes before serving. For a nice touch, garnish the tops with chopped fresh herbs like basil or parsley.
Should You Toast Bagels Before Making Pizza Bagels?
You can definitely toast the bagels before moving on with the recipe, but to be honest, I don’t find it necessary. My version is as simple as adding your sauce and toppings, and throwing that sheet pan in the oven. Easy!
Tips and Tricks
To make the most out of this simple snack and dinner idea, be sure to skim through the tips, tricks, and variation ideas below. Thanks for reading!
- Bagels: Any bagel flavor of your choice will work here, and you can also use bagel thins for a thinner crust and to cut down on calories. I do this often.
- Pizza Bagels, Family Style! This is a very family friendly-meal, so get the kids involved with making their own bagels, using different sauces, cheeses and toppings.
- Make Ahead: While you are making these, it’s a great idea to throw together a batch of extras and freeze them for later. (See the freezing instructions below for details.)
- Air Fryer: Want to cook these in the air fryer? Preheat your air fryer to 350°F and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Pizza Bagels Variations
You don’t have to stick with the basic recipe here – there are so many ways to make fun, quick pizzas like these at home. Here are a few more ways to try:
- Change the Toppings. Okay, so this one is probably the most obvious choice: change up the toppings you put on your bagel pizza. Cooked Italian sausage or mushrooms are great. Finely diced bell pepper would be delicious! You could even do anchovies… but I think I’ll skip those.
- Change the Sauce: Feel free to make this a white pizza by using a drizzle of Alfredo Sauce instead of pizza sauce. Yum.
- Skip the Bagel: Use pita bread, flatbreads, garlic toast, or even a couple of flour tortillas “glued” together with melted cheese (this one’s my favorite)!
Storing and Reheating Guidelines
Store leftover pizza bagels in the refrigerator for up to three days – they are best eaten fresh, but will keep for a short time without getting too soggy. Reheat in the oven, microwave, or (my personal favorite) air fryer, to freshen them up.
Can I Freeze These?
Sure! You can freeze pizza bagels baked or unbaked. I prefer to assemble them, wrap them up tightly, and freeze them unbaked, but you could also cool down leftover pizza bagels, wrap, and freeze. Either way, they will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer, and can be baked directly from frozen.
Quick Pizza Bagels
Ingredients
- 3 bagels, opened to halves
- ⅔ cup marinara sauce
- 1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 24 pepperoni slices
- 2 tablespoons sliced black olives, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the halved bagels onto the baking sheet face up.
- Spread the pizza sauce evenly over each bagel, then add cheese, pepperoni and black olives.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the pizza bagels to cool for a couple of minutes before serving. You may top with fresh herbs if desired.
- AIR FRYER: Want to cook these in the air fryer? Preheat air fryer to 350°F and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Notes
- Storage: Pizza bagels are best served fresh, but they may be stored in an airtight container or baggie in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze pizza bagels baked or unbaked. I prefer to assemble them, wrap them up tightly, and freeze them unbaked, but you could also cool down leftover pizza bagels, wrap, and freeze. Either way, they will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer, and can be baked directly from frozen.
- Bagels: Any bagel flavor of your choice will work here, and you can also use bagel thins for a thinner crust and to cut down on calories. I do this often.
- Toppings: Use any toppings you enjoy! Just keep in mind these are small, so if your toppings are large, cut them into smaller pieces.
Nutrition
Categories:
More Cheesy Snack Recipes
- Pizza Empanadas (Empanadillas de Pizza)
- Texas Cheese Fries
- Cheesy Turkey Sliders
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Creamy Baked Brussels Sprouts
- Easy Beer Cheese Soup
- Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Homemade Mac and Cheese
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