Air Fryer Bagel Bites

These easy 5-minute air fryer bagel bites are made with just three ingredients: mini bagels, pasta sauce, and shredded cheese. Add any toppings you want to these cheesy and crispy mini pizza bagels. The perfect lunch, dinner, appetizer, or snack!

5-minute mini air fryer pizza bagels

I love pizza! You guys love my air fryer tortilla pizzas and these air fryer pizza rolls, so I cannot wait to share this recipe with you. These mini air fryer pizza bagels are the perfect 5-minute lunch, dinner, snack, or appetizer. They call for 3 ingredients and are easily customizable by adding any topping you want. My family’s favorites are pepperoni, chicken, peppers, mushrooms, and pineapple.

Each mini bagel is topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Once air-fried, the bagel is crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside, and the cheesy is gooey and delicious. The perfect game-day appetizer!

Don’t forget that you can customize them. I love adding mini pepperoni to mine. I even make Hawaiian bagel bites by adding pineapple and ham. Sometimes, I substitute the marinara sauce for pesto. The options are endless!

Let’s not forget that this recipe is perfect for kids too! They are fun to make and much healthier than store-bought frozen pizza bagel bites. This wholesome recipe has no random ingredients, oils, or preservatives—a great after-school snack.

Why you’ll love this air fryer recipe:

• Finger Food: These mini air fryer bagel bites are perfect for Game Day!
• Quick & Easy: Homemade and ready in 5 minutes.
• Cheesy: They are crispy and cheesy.
• Healthy: Much healthier than store-bought frozen bagel bites.
• 3 Ingredients: Made with mini bagels, pizza sauce, and cheese.
• Customize: Add any toppings you want!
• Gluten-Free & Vegan: Easily make them gluten-free and dairy-free.
• Enjoy Anytime: The ideal lunch, dinner, appetizer, or snack.
• No Pizza Dough: They are made with mini bagels!
• Kid-Approved: These are the perfect snack, lunch, or dinner for kids!
• Try these incredibly crispy air fryer tortilla pizzas or these homemade air fryer pizza rolls next!

Ingredients and substitutions

These mini air fryer bagel bites call for three straightforward ingredients: your favorite mini bagels, pasta or pizza sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese. This recipe is healthy and can be made dairy-free and gluten-free. Here is a list of everything you need so you are prepared:

• Mini Bagels: You can use any brand and flavor you want. I love using Trader Joe’s plain mini bagels, but feel free to use mini everything, sesame, or poppy seed bagels. You can also use mini gluten-free bagels.
• Pasta Sauce: You can use your favorite pasta sauce here! I like marinara, tomato, vodka, arrabbiata, or pizza sauce. You can even substitute the red sauce for alfredo to make this a white pizza or pesto (I love this 5-minute nut-free pesto recipe).
• Cheese: I used shredded mozzarella, but you can use low-fat mozzarella, sharp cheddar cheese, swiss, Mexican blend, Italian 4 Cheese, or your favorite kind.

How to make homemade air fryer bagel bites

This is the easiest air fryer bagel bites recipe! They are bite-sized, only take 5 minutes to make, and you can customize the pizzas with any toppings you want. Here are detailed step-by-step instructions with pictures for visual reference so any level cook can make them. The full recipe and ingredient measurements are at the bottom of this page in the recipe card.

Step 1:

First, cut your mini bagels in half, then spread a spoonful of marinara sauce on top of each bagel.

Step 2:

Then, evenly sprinkle each bagel half with cheese and add any toppings you want.

Step 3:

Then, place the bagel halves into the air fryer basket and air fry at 380°F for 3 – 5 minutes. Every air fryer is different, so check at the 3-minute mark to ensure nothing is burning.

Let them cool in the air fryer basket for 1 – 2 minutes. Enjoy warm!

Expert tips for air fryer bagel bites

• Don’t overfill your air fryer basket. It’s super important that the mini pizza bagels don’t overlap in the air fryer. They won’t cook properly, and the cheesy won’t melt if they are stacked on top of each other.
• Don’t add too much sauce. If you add too much sauce, the tomato sauce and cheese may fall off your bagels as they air fry. Start with about 1 Tablespoon per bagel half.
• Check at the 3-minute mark. All air fryers are different, so make sure to check around the 3-minute mark to ensure your bagel bite pizzas are not burning.
• Add toppings. I love that this recipe is so customizable! You can add any toppings you want – from pepperoni to chicken sauce, to ground beef, to pineapple and ham, to mushrooms and onions. I left a long list in the next section.
• Make them vegan. Easily make these mini pizza bagel bites vegan with dairy-free cheese!
• Use any type of air fryer: You can make bagel bites in an air fryer unit or an air fryer oven. If you’re using an air fryer oven, make sure to place the bagel bites on the middle rack (so they don’t burn) and select the “air fry” function.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a regular-sized bagel?

Yes, you can use a regular-sized bagel instead of mini bagels for this recipe; however, the cooking time will increase. Grab one regular-sized bagel, add 2 – 3 tablespoons of sauce to each bagel half, sprinkle cheese on top, then air fryer for 5 – 8 minutes. I recommend checking at the 5-minute mark since all air fryers are different and may cook yours faster or slower.

Can I use gluten-free bagels?

Yes! Feel free to use your favorite gluten-free mini bagels.

Can I make the bagel bites dairy-free and vegan?

Yes! You can make these air fryer bagel bites dairy-free by swapping the shredded mozzarella cheese with your favorite dairy-free alternative. There are many kinds of vegan shredded cheese.

What’s the best type of cheese to use?

I love mozzarella, but you can also use your favorite shredded cheese. I recommend cheddar, swiss, Mexican blend, or Italian 4 Cheese.

Can I add toppings?

Absolutely! These air fryer mini pizza bagels are very customizable. I left a long list in the section above, but you can add anything from pepperoni, mushrooms, pineapple, ham, chicken sausage, banana peppers, pesto, and hot honey.

Can you bake these?

You can bake if you don’t want to air fry these pizza bagel mites! Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the bagel bites on it. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bottoms are golden.

What’s the best temperature to air fry bagel bites?

For best results, air fry bagel bites at 380°F. This ensures the bottoms are crispy and the cheese melts on top. If the temperature is too high, they may burn.

How long do I air fry pizza bagel bites at 380°F?

Pizza bagel bites take about 3 to 4 minutes to air fry at 380°F.

Can I make bagel bites ahead of time?

I don’t recommend making air fryer bagel bites ahead of time because they don’t keep well. They are best served warm, straight out of the air fryer.

If you love this recipe, try these next!

• Air Fryer Tortilla Pizza
• Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
• Air Fryer Garlic Bread
• Air Fryer Italian Turkey Meatballs
• Air Fryer Quesadillas

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, be sure to comment and rate it down below. Also, don’t forget to tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram and use the hashtag #healthfulblondie so I can see your delicious creation and share it with my followers!

I only recommend products I love and use myself. In full disclosure, I may receive a small compensation for purchasing a product I recommend. Thank you for supporting Healthful Blondie!

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