Homemade Air Fryer Bagel Bites make the perfect appetizer for quick and easy family dinner perfect for kids. Ready in 10 minutes and easily customizable.
Air Fryer Bagel Bites are the ultimate crowd pleasing appetizer or quick and easy weeknight dinner for kiddos. This homemade mini pizza bagel recipe is super simple to make, is ready in 10 minutes and requires limited ingredients.
Got a picky eater on your hands? No worries, these bagel bites can be easily customized to please everyone in the family with different toppings or sauce. Oven and frozen bagel bites instructions included!
Ingredient Notes
Bagels: I prefer to use mini bagels for my pizza bites, but large bagels will work as well. You will obviously fit less in at one time, but either will work. I recommend using plain, whole wheat or an asiago cheese bagels as your base and staying away from any flavored ones.
Shredded Cheese: I use a simple combination of mozzarella cheese and Colby jack cheese. This is just my favorite combo, and I usually have both on hand. You could use any variety of shredded cheese you wish for you bagel bites. Some other great options include cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, asiago cheese, or another good melting cheese.
Why You'll LOVE It!
Quick & Easy: Ready in under 10 minutes
Perfect for Family Dinners
Easy Customizable & Few Ingredients Required
Instructions
- Slice each bagel in half and lay out on a flat surface.
- Spread 2-3 tablespoon of marinara sauce on each bagel.
- Sprinkle 4 tablespoon of shredded cheese on each bagel.
- Add toppings of choice to your bagel. I used mini pepperonis (about 15 per bagel) and a pinch of Italian Seasoning.
- Add homemade bagel bites to the basket of your air fryer (I fit 4 bagel halves in my air fryer) and cook on 400 degrees F for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Remove the pizza bagels from the air fryer with tongs and top with fresh basil (optional) and serve with sauce of choice. Enjoy!
Leftover Storage Instructions
Store leftover homemade bagel bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. To rewarm I like to pop mine back into my air fryer, but an oven or microwave will do as well.
Topping Ideas
Bagel Bites in an air fryer are super simple to customize and make your own. I kept mine pretty simple, but you could add virtually any pizza toppings you wish. Make sure that any meat that is added is cooked first, and I recommend doing the same for the veggies as well.
The Classics: Some classic ways to top your pizza bagel bites are with pepperoni (I like the minis), cooked ground sausage, ham, a variety of cheeses, or some chopped tomatoes.
Veggies: Great veggie topping ideas include, some mushrooms, peppers, onion, black olives or jalapano peppers.
Extra Special: If you really want to go out with your toppings you could make a buffalo chicken bagel bite by added some cooked chicken, hot sauce and ranch. Other fun ideas include BBQ Chicken, Hawaiian, Margherita, or a meat loves.
Pro Tip!
I know toppings are fun but try not to go too wild with the topping and overload the bagels. It is best to stick with a max of three toppings per bagel bites. This ensures they do not get overloaded and get too heavy.
FAQS
Pizza Bagel Bites are great on their own but can be dipped in ranch dressing, marinara sauce, cheese sauce, or basil pesto sauce to enhance the flavor.
Mist your air fryer with olive oil and add desired number of frozen bagel bites to the basket. Be sure that none are overlapping each other and the pizza bites are in a single layer. Close your air fryer and cook at 370 degrees F for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Be sure to check the bagel bites often to make sure they do not burn.
Yes, if you do not have an air fryer you can make homemade bagel bites in an oven. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bagel is slightly crispy.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
I use my Ninja Foodi Air Fryer for all of my air frying needs. It is a versatile and powerful kitchen tool and I recommend it to everyone I know!
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Happy Eating!
Homemade Air Fryer Bagel Bites
Ingredients
- 4 Mini Bagels
- 3 tablespoon Marinara Sauce Per Bagel
- 3 tablespoon Shredded Mozzarella Cheese Per Bagel
- 1 tablespoon Shredded Colby Jack Cheese Per Bagel
- 15 Mini Pepperonis Per Bagel
- 1 Pinch Italian Seasoning Per Bagel
Optional Garnish
- Fresh Basil
Instructions
- Slice each bagel in half and lay out on a flat surface. Spread marinara sauce on each bagel then sprinkle shredded cheeses and top with mini pepperoni and Italian seasoning.
- Mist the basket of your air fryer and add prepared bagel bites (I fit 4 bagel halves in my air fryer) and cook on 400 degrees F for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove the pizza bagels and top with fresh basil (optional) and serve warm.
Beth
My teens love this recipe and it’s so yummy! So excited to make these again! So delicious and easy!
Caitlyn Erhardt
Glad to hear the big kids enjoy them!
veenaazmanov
My kids to enjoy this cheesy option in their snack box. Perfect for a picnic treat too.
Caitlyn Erhardt
My kids love them in their lunchbox as well!
Megan Lehr
My family loves these! Easy to customize with different toppings.
Caitlyn Erhardt
Yep, love that everyone can make exactly what they want.
Jessie
These bagel pizzas were such a hit tonight.
Caitlyn Erhardt
Yay!
Patrice
These bagel bites look so fun! The kids will love them. Always good to find a new air fryer recipe.
Caitlyn Erhardt
We love them!