Description
These Homemade Mini Pizza Bagel Bites are a quick and delicious snack perfect for any occasion. Featuring toasted mini bagels topped with marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and fragrant basil, these bite-sized pizzas are bursting with flavor. Quick to prepare and bake, they make an ideal appetizer or kid-friendly treat.
Ingredients
Bagel Base
- 8 mini bagels
- ¼ cup butter (melted)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (divided)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated, divided)
Toppings
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 24 leaves fresh basil
- 8 ounces mozzarella log (cut into 16 slices)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it reaches the right temperature for toasting and baking the bagel bites.
- Melt and Prepare Butter Mixture: Melt the butter in a small bowl, then combine it with minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese to create a flavorful butter spread.
- Dip Bagels: Dip each mini bagel, cut side down, into the garlic butter mixture, coating them evenly. Place the buttered sides down on a parchment-lined baking sheet to prepare for toasting.
- Toast Bagels: Place the baking sheet with the dipped bagels into the preheated oven and toast them lightly for 5 minutes until they begin to become crisp.
- Prepare Tomato Topping: While bagels toast, halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them in a small bowl with olive oil and the remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to season them.
- Add Toppings: Spoon a generous amount of marinara sauce onto 8 of the toasted bagels. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each sauced bagel. For the remaining 8 bagels without marinara, top each with half the basil leaves and the seasoned cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle all bagels with the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Bake Mini Pizzas: Return the topped bagels to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt perfectly and the flavors to meld together.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the mini pizza bagels from the oven and top with the remaining fresh basil leaves. Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley and red pepper flakes for extra flavor and a touch of heat. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh mozzarella for best melting and flavor.
- Adjust Italian seasoning based on your taste preferences.
- Let the mini pizzas cool slightly to avoid burning your mouth and to let the cheese set.
- Chopped parsley and red pepper flakes are optional but add nice color and a hint of spice.
- These bites can be prepared ahead and reheated briefly in the oven before serving.
