What do you get when you pair mini bagels with your favorite pizza toppings? A tasty and fun-to-make dinner that your family will absolutely love! Plus, they come together in 10 minutes and reheat easily.

Graphic for post - homemade bagel bites, kid favorite, great for school lunches. Images is of a kids plate with bagel bites, veggies and fruit on a white counter.

Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

Homemade Bagel Bites

Do I know how to change a flat tire? No. Have I figured out the correct watering schedule to keep my plants alive? Not exactly. Do I have a good strategy for how to get my kids to sit down for an entire dinner? Why, yes, I do.

When it feels like my kids have been snacking all day long without a solid meal, I know I can turn to these homemade bagel bites to help fill their bellies with some protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates (and maybe even a veggie or two!). There’s just something about a little ‘bite-sized’ morsel that piques their interest and keeps them coming back for more.

These toasty bagel bites are incredibly easy to make and customize with your family’s favorite toppings, or whatever else you might need to use up in the fridge. And I love that they’re freezer-friendly and store well for packed lunches or traveling.

Feeding kids can be tricky! But, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here you can find 40 Family Dinner Ideas, over 100 Kid Snack Ideas, great Hidden-Veggie Recipes, 50 Cooking with Kids Recipes and so much more! And for even more family-friendly recipes, check out my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Reasons to Love Easy Bagel Bites

  • toddler, kid and adult-friendly
  • easy to make
  • can be customized with favorite toppings
  • great for school or packed lunches
  • healthy
  • freezer-friendly
  • great for lunches, snacks or dinner
  • can be made gluten and dairy-free
Ingredients for bagel bites on a cutting board with graphics labeling them in blue against a white background.

Ingredients

  • Mini Bagels: we are using mini bagels for the pizza base, but you can also use regular-size bagels or a large loaf of French bread and cut into pieces after you cook them.
  • Pizza Sauce: I used this amazing hidden veggie pizza sauce for these bagel bites, but you can use any pasta or pizza sauce you prefer. If you are using a store-bought pizza sauce, and you are wanting to add in some extra veggies, then you can mix 1/4 cup shredded carrots or peppers into the sauce before spreading, or use this spinach basil pesto.
  • Mozzarella: you can shred your own or use pre-shredded mozzarella from the store. I used pre-shredded cheese. You can also use an Italian cheese blend.
  • Parmesan: optional, but is great to sprinkle on top.
  • Toppings: you can use any topping you prefer. See below for lots of fun options and combinations.

Health Benefits of Bagel Bites: Just because it’s pizza, doesn’t mean it’s not healthy! The bagels provide carbohydrates, an important macronutrient needed for energy. Pizza sauce contains nutrients like vitamins A and C and potassium, and the cheese provides the calcium needed for healthy bones. Depending on what toppings you choose, you can boost the health factor even more with fiber and other nutrients from vegetables and protein from meats.

Allergy Substitutions

  • Gluten-Free: use a trusted brand of gluten-free mini bagels and gluten-free toppings.
  • Dairy-Free: try plant-based mozzarella or parmesan-style shreds. If that doesn’t appeal, you can absolutely still have delicious pizzas sans cheese!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Silver baking sheet on a white counter with cut in half mini bagels on it.
Toast the mini bagels.
Mini bagels with pizza sauce on a baking sheet.
Spread on the sauce.
Mini bagel with cheese on a baking sheet on a white counter.
Sprinkle on cheese.
Mini bagels with sauce, cheese and different toppings on a baking sheet on a white counter.
Add toppings of choice.
Cooked mini bagel bites on a baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Blue kids plate with bagel bites, cut veggies and fruit and a colorful napkin.
Serve or store for another meal.
  • Toast Mini Bagels: for a crispier crust, place the bagels in the oven for a few minutes before adding your toppings.
  • Spread Sauce: spread the sauce onto each bagel.
  • Add the Cheese: Next, sprinkle on your cheese, avoiding clumps.
  • Toppings: Scatter the toppings evenly on top of the cheese.
  • Bake: Pop the bagel bites into the oven and bake until golden.
  • Done: Serve warm or set aside to come down to room temp for freezing.

Bagel Bites Variations

The best thing about these bagel bites is the ability to personalize them. If you want, you can mix and match different toppings on each bagel half!

Sauces

Toppings

  • Veggies: bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach
  • Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, cheddar, “jack” cheeses, feta
  • Meats: pepperoni, ground sausage, chicken, bacon crumbles

Combos

  • Classic: Hidden Veggie Sauce + Pepperoni + Mozzarella
  • Veggie: Tomato Sauce + Bell Peppers+ Onions + Mushroom + Mozzarella
  • BBQ: Barbecue Sauce + Shredded Chicken + Cheddar Jack + Red onion
  • Italian: Pesto + Ground Sausage + Bell Peppers + Provolone
  • Greek: Olive Oil + Tomato + Black Olives + Feta Cheese
Colorful kids lunch box with bagel bites, cut cucumber and chopped fruit on a white counter with a blue napkin and orange fork.

Expert Tips

  • Less is more, when it comes to toppings. Piling on too many toppings, especially sauce or ones with a higher water content, like tomatoes or pineapple, can create a soggy pizza that’s hard to pick up and eat.
  • If you’re watching sodium content for toddlers and younger kids, use fresh mozzarella, fresh ricotta, and goat cheese, as they contain less sodium than some traditional cheeses, like parmesan or pecorino romano. You might also want to serve ham, sausage, and pepperoni sparingly for toddlers, as these meats can be saltier.
  •  If you’ve got picky eaters, try setting up the toppings for these bagel bites ‘buffet-style’ so that kids can create their own pizzas in a low-pressure setting.
  • Kids love to be creative and eat food that looks like something familiar – encourage them to use toppings to decorate their pizza with a smiley face, different shapes or letters, veggie rainbows, you name it!

Cooking with Kids

Both toddlers and kids will have a blast making these bagel bites! There are many ways they can help in the kitchen.

Toddlers

  • Can help spoon and spread on the sauce.
  • Toddlers can help wash and dry vegetables.
  • They can help sort and pour ingredients into smaller bowls for serving.
  • Toddlers love to sprinkle on the cheese and add their own toppings.

Kids

  • Kids can preheat the oven.
  • They can spoon and spread on the sauce.
  • Can help cut softer veggies with supervision, such as tomatoes.
  • Kids love to sprinkle on the cheese and add their own toppings.
  • With an adult’s help, kids can place the baking sheet into the hot oven and set the timer.
Blue kids plate with bagel bites, cut veggies and fruit and a colorful napkin.

How to Store and Freeze

You can store cooked bagel bites in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. Make sure to let them come down to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container or freezer bag.

To reheat, simply pop them into the microwave for 30-second intervals until warm (my microwave takes 90 seconds). Or place them on a baking sheet and warm them in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 8-10 minutes

Blue kids plate with bagel bites, cut veggies and fruit and a colorful napkin.

Get the recipe: DIY 10-Minute Pizza Bagel Bites

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Yield: 12 bagel bites
Cook: 10 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Main Course
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Ingredients 

  • 6 mini bagels, sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup pizza or pasta sauce
  • 1 cup cheese, shredded mozzarella or Italian blend
  • 1/2 cup toppings of choice, optional

Instructions 

  • Prep: preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup. Place sliced bagels on a baking sheet.
  • Toast Bagels: optional – for a crispier crust, place the bagels in the oven for 3 minutes.
    Silver baking sheet on a white counter with cut in half mini bagels on it.
  • Spread Sauce: spread the toasted bagels with the sauce of your choice.
    Mini bagels with pizza sauce on a baking sheet.
  • Add the Cheese: Next, sprinkle on your cheese, avoiding clumps.
    Mini bagel with cheese on a baking sheet on a white counter.
  • Toppings: Scatter the toppings evenly on top of the cheese.
    Mini bagels with sauce, cheese and different toppings on a baking sheet on a white counter.
  • Bake: Place the bagel pizzas into the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
    Cooked mini bagel bites on a baking sheet.
  • Done: Serve warm or set aside to come down to room temp for freezing.

Notes

Age: 12+ months
Toppings:

Sauces

 

Toppings

  • Veggies: bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach
  • Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, cheddar, “jack” cheeses, feta
  • Meats: pepperoni, ground sausage, chicken, bacon crumbles

Combos

  • Classic: Hidden Veggie Sauce + Pepperoni + Mozzarella
  • Veggie: Tomato Sauce + Bell Peppers+ Onions + Mushroom + Mozzarella
  • BBQ: Barbecue Sauce + Shredded Chicken + Cheddar Jack
  • Italian: Pesto + Ground Sausage + Bell Peppers + Provolone
  • Greek: Olive Oil + Tomato + Black Olives + Feta Cheese

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