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Classics don’t need to stay on the freezer aisle! These homemade bagel bites take miniature store-bought bagels and turn them into bite-sized pizza snacks. They are layered with rich pizza sauce, melty cheese, and whatever toppings you’re craving.
If you grew up microwaving bagel bites the second you got home from school, this one’s for you. Except we are not unwrapping these from a freezer box. We are recreating another childhood favorite, and the result seems more elevated and cozy.
They’re nostalgic in the best way! They’re crispy on the edges, soft in the center, and customizable to please everyone at the table. Have some fun with it and make it veggie, try a meat lover’s or margarita pizza. No matter how you put your spin on it, you’re guaranteed pure nostalgia and connection with your inner child!
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Bagel Bites
- They’re pure nostalgia! There is something so comforting about enjoying recipes from your childhood when you’re an adult. And it’s is not only fun to recreate, but fun to share that joy with others.
- They take no time to make! The best part is, they just take about 10 minutes to make before they’re baked to bubbly, cheesy perfection.
- You can have fun customizing the flavors. We love the classics… so we opted for cheese and pepperoni. But you can create a variety of flavors for these bite-sized bagel bites.
What You’ll Need
- Mini bagels
- Pizza sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
- Cheddar chees
- Fresh organo
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Pepperoni
How to make Homemade Bagel Bites, Step by Step
Step 1: Slice the bagels in half and spread them out on a baking sheet.
This recipe couldn’t be easier! Start by slicing each mini bagel in half. Most store-bought bagels will be pre-sliced, and so all you will have to do is separate the top and bottom halves from eachother.
Place them on a baking sheet with the inside facing up. This is where you will put your toppings.
Step 2. Top with sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings.
Get creative with this step! You can stick with the classics – cheese and pepperoni – or customize with your favorite toppings. If you like veggies, top with some peppers, onions, and olives. If you like meat-lovers, top with pepperoni and sausage. There’s so many ways you can personalize these bagel bites to your liking.
Top each bagel round with 1-2 teaspoons of pizza sauce and spread evenly on top of the bagel. For extra flavor, sprinkle each a dusting of onion powder, garlic powder and fresh oregano leaves.
Finish them by topping with a blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese and your toppings of choice.
Step 3: Bake at 400ºF until edges are crispy and cheese is melted.
Bake the bagel bites at high temperature of 400ºF for about 10-15 minutes until they are browned and crispy on the edges.
What are the best bagels to use for homemade bagel bites?
We recommend using small bagels because they are closer in size to the classic frozen bagel bites.
If you can’t find small bagels at your local grocery store, you can use larger bagels and then slice them into fourths after they’re done baking to make them smaller bite-sized pieces.
What’s the best cheese for bagel bites?
We recommend using a cheese that has a low-moisture content. You may be able to use a high-moisture cheese for normal pizza, but these bagels absorb a lot of moisture. Go for a grated mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, or Gouda.
Tips for Making Homemade Bagel Bites
- Preheat the oven to a high temperature. Baking the bagel bites at 400ºF heats the bagels to create crispy edges, melty cheese on top, without making them super soft and soggy in the center.
- Do not add a lot of sauce. Sauce can cause the center of the bagels to get mushy. You want to use a small amount of sauce – about 2 tsp per bagel.
- Broil at the end for an extra crispiness. Broiling is going to brown the top and edges a bit more. It doesn’t take long to brown on broil, so watch them with a careful eye on them so that they don’t burn.
How to Store and Reheat Bagel Bites
If you have leftovers, you can either freeze or refrigerate them to enjoy later.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating Chilled Bagel Bites: Place several on a microwave-safe plate and reheat for 15-20 seconds until warmed to your liking.
Reheating Frozen Bagel Bites: You can reheat in the microwave or oven. Reheat in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes or until warm. For a more even reheating, cook in a preheated oven at 400ºF for 12-15 minutes.
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Homemade Bagel Bites
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 24–30 bagel bites 1x
Description
These homemade bagel bites take miniature store-bought bagels and turn them into bite-sized pizza snacks. They are layered with rich pizza sauce, melty cheese, and whatever toppings you’re craving.
Ingredients
- 12–15 small bagels
- 12 oz jar pizza sauce
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 10–12 slices of pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Slice bagels and press in the inside of the bagels with the back of a spoon or with your fingers to create divots for your sauce.
- Mix together onion powder and garlic powder in a bowl. Cut pepperoni into small pieces.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce (1-2 tsp) in each bagel round. Season with a sprinkling of onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh oregano leaves.
- Top each bagel with cheese and toppings of choice. We chose to stick with classic cheese and pepperoni.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden on the edges. Let them cool for 5minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
