Gluten-Free Pizza Bagels

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5 from 2 votes

Our Gluten-Free Pizza Bagels are perfect for movie night, a quick lunch, or an EASY dinner on a busy weeknight. This gluten-free recipe is done in under 30 minutes + a favorite with the whole family!

These Bagel Pizzas Are a Quick, Easy, Kid-Friendly Winner of a Dinner!

Friday night is movie night at my house and pizza is one of our go-to dinners for movie night. We love making gluten-free pizza crust from scratch, but when I’m in a hurry, these gluten-free bagel pizzas are just the ticket! There’s so much to love!

⏱️ EASE: This dinner is done in 30 minutes or less! No waiting for dough to rise or tracking down the right kind of gluten-free flour. Just pick up a bag of gluten-free bagels from the grocery store and your “crust” is done!

🍕 FLAVORS: The bagels get pre-toasted with a little olive oil & seasoning for a garlic bread-style layer of flavor, then they’re topped with the classic pizza layers–savory pizza sauce, melty mozzarella cheese, plenty of pepperoni, and a few little extras to tie it all together.

🍴 KID-FRIENDLY. Seriously, what kid doesn’t love pizza? These are easy enough for kids to help, and you can easily customize each pizza to suit your tastes.

💡 TOP TIPS: Make sure to follow the steps for toasting the bagels before adding toppings to keep the pizza from getting soggy. (Also: Don’t skip “The Sprinkle” at the end!)

🥗 SERVING SUGGESTION: Try these for movie night, and serve with a light salad or fresh veggies for an easy, delicious dinner!

Happy cooking! xo, Emily

Gather Your Ingredients

These yummy bagel pizzas start with simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need…

  • Gluten-Free Bagels. There are more brands of gluten-free bagels than ever out there on the market these days, but we usually use Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free bagels or Trader Joe’s brand, since they’re the easiest to find at our grocery stores.
  • Olive Oil. Brushing the bagels with a little olive oil before baking helps them crisp up a little better before we add the toppings. A crisp bagel base = no soggy crust later!
  • Garlic Salt. Our first little layer of flavor. Adding a sprinkle of garlic salt (or garlic powder!) over the olive oil gives these an almost garlic bread style flavor!
  • Pizza Sauce. Use your favorite store-bought pizza sauce, or try homemade pizza sauce! (Marinara sauce works here, too!)
  • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese. Freshly grated mozzarella cheese melts beautifully here. I usually use part-skim mozzarella.
  • Pepperoni. I almost always make these as gluten-free pepperoni pizza bagels, but you can absolutely add your favorite toppings (see more ideas below!). Mini pepperoni is the best size for bagel pizza, or you can dice up some regular-size pepperoni.
  • Goodies To Sprinkle On Top. My secret for the best gluten-free pizza bagels is what my family refers to as “The Sprinkle.” This is all the little goodies and extras you add AFTER the pizza comes out of the oven. My picks are parmesan cheese, some herbs (like fresh basil, parsley, or some dried oregano), and some black pepper or red pepper flakes. You can add all of these or just 1-2. It’s up to you!

How to Make Gluten-Free Pizza Bagels, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!

  1. Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease, and set aside.
  2. Prep The Bagel Halves. Then, slice each bagel in half and brush the cut side of each bagel half with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes to slightly toast. (It doesn’t need to brown, but you want the surface to get a little crispy!)
  3. Layer With Toppings. Use an offset spatula to spread 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce on each toasted bagel half. Then, add mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices.
  4. Bake Pizza Bagels for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. If desired, you can put them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes at the end for a bit more browning and bubbling.
  5. Finish The Pizzas. After removing them from the oven, sprinkle bagel pizzas with extras like parmesan cheese, herbs, pepper, or red pepper flakes.
  6. Serve & Store. Enjoy warm! Store leftover bagel pizzas in an airtight container in the fridge 1-2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for best results!

Air Fryer Variation

To make air fryer pizza bagels, you’ll just make a few tweaks:

  • Pre Toast Less. Work in batches so the bagels can cook in a single layer in the air fryer basket. (I can fit 4 in my fryer at a time!) Brush bagel halves with olive oil & sprinkle with garlic salt. Toast bagels at 375 degrees for 5-8 minutes (they can cook faster in the air fryer).
  • Then Keep An Eye On Them As They Bake. Then, add toppings and bake another 2-3 minutes, or till cheese is melted and bubbly.

Make It a Meal! (Side Dishes To Try)

Zero judgement if you want to serve these delicious pizzas as-is for dinner and call it a night! BUT, if you’re looking to round out the meal, here are some of our favorite side dishes to serve with pizza bagels for a quick weeknight dinner:

  • Fresh Veggies & Dip. Mix up some homemade ranch (or use a packet of seasoning + Greek yogurt!) and serve with fresh veggies, like carrot sticks, celery, cucumber slices, sliced bell peppers and cherry tomatoes.
  • A Simple Green Salad. Keep it simple with our go-to green salad, or get a little fancier with something like arugula salad or caesar salad instead!
  • Fresh Fruit. Serve up whatever’s in season, from watermelon or fresh berries, to pineapple, grapes, and more.

FAQ + Tips For The Best Gluten-Free Pizza Bagels

DON’T SKIP THE SPRINKLE! Don’t skip sprinkling on the goodies after these bagel pizzas come out of the oven! These extra little additions are what separate a great gluten-free pizza bagel recipe from a boring one. Even just a quick shake of parmesan cheese or some fresh black pepper makes a big difference here!

Pre-Toast! Friends don’t make friends eat soggy pizza bagels, so don’t skip the toasting step! Toasting the bagels BEFORE adding toppings helps keep the bagels from getting soggy under the pizza sauce and toppings. Even if you just pop them in the toaster for a bit, it’ll make a difference!

A Note About Cook Time. Different bagels have different thicknesses, and thinner bagels will cook faster than thicker ones. Take the cook times as a guideline, not a hard and fast rule!

Can I Use Mini Bagels? If you’re lucky enough to find gluten-free mini bagels out there (or you make your own!), you can absolutely use them here to make homemade gluten-free bagel bites. I just haven’t been able to find any where I live!

More Toppings To Try. We’re big fans of gluten-free pepperoni pizza bagels, but you can absolutely add your favorite pizza toppings–black olives, pineapple, ham, bacon, cooked crumbled sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc! Do keep in mind that less is more here as far as quantity, since you have less surface area to work with.

More Gluten-Free Pizza Recipes To Try

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Pizza Bagels recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

gluten-free bagel pizzas topped with mini pepperoni and mozzarella cheese

Gluten-Free Pizza Bagels

5 from 2 votes
Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
This kid-friendly dinner is done in 30 minutes or less! It's perfect for movie night, a quick lunch, or a busy weeknight.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Print Pin Rate
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 243kcal

Ingredients

For The Pizza Bagels

  • 4 Gluten-Free Bagels
  • 1/2-1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2-3/4 cup Pizza Sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups Grated Mozzarella Cheese
  • 2-3 ounces Pepperoni (We Like Mini Pepperoni!)

For The Pizza Sprinkle

  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Fresh Basil, Dried Parsley, or Dried Oregano
  • Black Pepper
  • Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions

  • Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease, and set aside.
  • Prep The Bagel Halves. Then, slice each bagel in half and brush the cut side of each bagel half with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes to slightly toast. (It doesn’t need to brown, but you want the surface to get a little crispy!)
  • Layer With Toppings. Use an offset spatula to spread 2-3 Tablespoons of pizza sauce on each toasted bagel half. Then, add mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices.
  • Bake Pizza Bagels for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. If desired, you can put them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes at the end for a bit more browning and bubbling.
  • Finish The Pizzas. After removing them from the oven, sprinkle bagel pizzas with extras like parmesan cheese, herbs, pepper, or red pepper flakes.
  • Serve & Store. Enjoy warm! Store leftover bagel pizzas in an airtight container in the fridge 1-2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for best results!

Notes

  • Gluten-Free Bagels. Different brands will toast differently. We’ve made them with Canyon Bakehouse & Trader Joe’s gluten-free bagels, and the TJ’s ones brown much more quickly! Keep in mind if you use bagel thins or mini bagels, they’ll cook much quicker! 
  • Air Fryer Version: Follow the directions above, but reduce the cook times. You’ll only toast the bagels at 375 degrees F for 5-8 minutes, then bake for another 2-3 minutes after adding toppings. You’ll need to work in batches–my air fryer can fit 4 bagel halves. 
  • More Toppings To Try. We’re big fans of gluten-free pepperoni pizza bagels, but you can absolutely add your favorite pizza toppings–black olives, pineapple, ham, bacon, cooked crumbled sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc! Do keep in mind that less is more here as far as quantity, since you have less surface area to work with.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten-free bagel pizzas, gluten-free pizza bagels, gluten-free pizza with bagel crust

Nutrition

Serving: 1Bagel Half | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.2g | Protein: 7.7g | Fat: 11.7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19.1mg | Sodium: 682.5mg | Potassium: 1864.3mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 2.9g | Calcium: 159.9mg

Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.

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