Homemade Bagel Bites

By
Laurel Randolph
Photo of Laurel Randolph
Laurel Randolph
A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.
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Updated on 07/25/21
Homemade Bagel Bites

The Spruce / Laurel Randolph
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 6 to 10 servings
Yield: 20 bagel bites
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
215 Calories
6g Fat
29g Carbs
12g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 215
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 501mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 297mg 23%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 160mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Did you grow up eating mini pizza bagels from the frozen food aisle, quickly zapped in the microwave or crisped in the oven after school? Do you have the commercial jingle stuck in your head right now? If you're longing for a taste from the past or have kids that inhale the mini snack, then whip up some homemade Bagel Bites. They're quick, easy, and best of all, you can control the ingredients and customize the toppings.

These homemade Bagel Bites only take a few minutes to throw together and they even freeze great. Toast the sliced bagels, add the toppings, and freeze them on a cookie sheet instead of baking. Once solid, wrap and store in a freezer bag or container. You can bake as many or as few as you like for a lunch or after-school snack that's ready in 10 minutes flat.

Ingredients

  • 1 package mini bagels, 10 bagels, cut in half

  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, or Italian cheese blend

  • 20 slices pepperoni, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    bagel bites ingredients
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph 

  2. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Arrange the bagels on two baking sheets, cut-size up. Place in the oven as it preheats for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels feel toasted but aren't yet browned.

    Mini bagels on a baking sheet
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph 

  3. Top each bagel with about a tablespoon of tomato sauce, spreading lightly to cover.

    Mini bagels with tomato sauce
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph

  4. Top each bagel with cheese followed by one pepperoni (if using).

    Bagel bites before baking
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph 

  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the bagels are toasted and the cheese is bubbly.

    Bagel bites on a baking sheet
    The Spruce / Laurel Randolph

  6. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Tips

  • These homemade Bagel Bites freeze just like the real thing, too! Follow the recipe as written but skip the final bake. Once they are assembled, place the unbaked mini pizza bagels on a baking sheet and stick it in the freezer for about 3 hours. Once frozen through, wrap each bagel in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags or containers. They'll keep for up a few months.
  • To bake frozen mini pizza bagels, preheat the oven to 425 F and place the bagels on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are toasted and the cheese is bubbly.

Recipe Variations

  • These mini pizza bagels are delicious using any of your favorite toppings. Swap or add to the pepperoni with cooked sausage, bacon, ham, or thin-sliced mushrooms, olives, peppers, onion, and more.
  • Make cheeseburger pizza bites by swapping the mozzarella for mild cheddar and the pepperoni for cooked ground beef.
  • Make spinach-artichoke pizza bites by leaving off the tomato sauce and topping with chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, and garlic followed by a mix of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
  • Mini bagels are available at many supermarkets, but if you can't find them, this recipe also works with regular-sized bagels (it will make about 8 large pizza bagels).