Name: Air Fryer Bagel Pizza
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 15 ounce package mini bagels (10 mini bagels); 4 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tspn garlic powder; 1 cup pizza sauce; 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning; 2 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella; 1/2 cups pepperoni slices (cut into quarters)

You can have crispy, cheesy air fryer bagel pizzas on the table in just 15 minutes with nothing more than mini bagels, pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni. These come together so fast they’ve become my go-to when everyone’s hungry and I need something the whole family will actually eat.

Eight bagel pizzas are arranged in a single layer inside an air fryer basket.

I’ll be honest, bagel pizzas were one of those things I always assumed were strictly a childhood freezer-aisle situation. Or, you know, a late night adult snack after the kids are in bed kind of thing. Either way. 😉

Then one afternoon Chad mentioned he’d been craving pizza, I had a bag of mini bagels on the counter, and I figured why not. We were both shocked by how good they turned out.

The bagels get this perfectly crisp bottom while the cheese melts and gets those gorgeous golden spots on top. That first batch was gone in about four minutes flat.

Are these better than our air fryer bagel bites? Um, yes. They’re so much cheesier and heartier. More like a meal than a snack, if we’re being honest.

Table of Contents

3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

Ready in 15 minutes. No waiting, no mess, just pizza.

The whole family loves them. These are genuinely the kind of thing where everyone gets what they want because the toppings are easy to customize per person. Chad goes heavy on pepperoni; the kids like more cheese. Easy.

That crispy bagel base. Crisp on bottom, chewy inside, and super hearty.

Ingredient Notes, Swaps, & Tips:

A close-up of a person holding a bagel pizza, showing the toppings and melted cheese on the surface.

Mini Bagels make these more of a fun, snack-y sized treat, but you can absolutely use full sized bagels too.

Use Rao’s if you can. The recipe calls for pizza or marinara sauce, and honestly either works, but Rao’s specifically just tastes better here. It’s a little thicker and richer and makes a real difference in a recipe this simple where the sauce is front and center.

Shred your own mozzarella. Pre-shredded bags work in a pinch, but block mozzarella shredded fresh melts differently. More of that stretchy, gooey pull that makes pizza worth eating. I’ve used both and the difference is worth the extra two minutes.

Get creative with toppings. Pepperoni is the classic, but I personally love a combo of pepperoni, black olives, and diced onion. You could also do just cheese, swap in some cooked Italian sausage, or go veggie with bell peppers and mushrooms.

Work in batches and don’t crowd the basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you’ll likely need a couple rounds. Keep finished batches warm by covering with foil on a plate while the rest cook.

Step by Step:

Six uncooked bagel pizzas are arranged on a wooden cutting board: three topped with sauce and cheese, and three with only pizza sauce.

Slice the bagels in half, brush with oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, and then spread on your sauce and sprinkle with the toppings.

Uncooked bagel pizzas are arranged in a single layer inside an air fryer basket.

Pop in the air fryer and air fry at 370 degrees for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned a bit.

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Storage:

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container or zip bag for up to 3 days.

Reheat:Air fry at 350 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes, just until warmed back through. The microwave is fine in a pinch but you’ll lose the crispy goodness.

Freezer: Not recommended after cooking, but you could assemble and freeze and then cook straight from the freezer in the future.

Recipe Tips!

I learned that shredding your own mozzarella makes a real difference. The pre-shredded kind melts fine, but freshly shredded gets all gooey and stretchy in a way that you really can’t beat.

I like to cut full-sized pepperoni into quarters for maximum crispy edges. You can also use mini pepperoni, but for some reason, I just don’t like them as much myself.

If you don’t have pizza sauce, Rao’s marinara is a great swap and it’s what we use half the time anyway. Any good jarred marinara you already like will work, but I’m a sucker for Rao’s.