Homemade Bagel Bites

Real boiled-and-baked mini bagels, halved and topped like pizzas. The freezer-aisle classic, from scratch.

Time: 20 min | Difficulty: Intermediate | Serves: 6 | Published: 2026-07-24

Bagel Bites, except the bagels are real: boiled in honey water, egg-washed, baked golden, then halved and topped like tiny pizzas. Childhood nostalgia with actual bagel chew.

Any pizza dough on the site works. Cut the ball into 12-16 pieces around 30-35 grams each, ball them, poke the hole (technically optional since they get topped, but it is a bagel), and proof an hour. The parchment-square trick makes the boil painless, drop each bagel in paper and all, the paper releases itself in the water.

Bake one: the plain bagels. Bake two: sauced, cheesed, pepperoni-ed halves until bubbling. Make a double batch and freeze the extra halves, future you will be grateful.

Ingredients

Ingredients

• Pizza Dough

Honey

• 1 egg
• Pizza Sauce
• grated pecorino Romano
• shredded low moisture whole milk mozzarella
• Chopped pepperoni

Directions

1. Reference one of my pizza dough recipes if needed. Cut doughball into 12-16 pieces. The pieces should weigh 30-35g.
   You'll know it's right: 30-35 grams per piece keeps them true bite size, a scale beats eyeballing here.
2. Roll each into a ball and poke a small hole in the middle. The hole is technically optional since you are topping it anyway.
3. Place each mini bagel on a small square of parchment paper.
4. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise on the counter for about an hour.
5. Boil 6 cups of water. Once boiling, add a tablespoon of honey.
   You'll know it's right: A tablespoon of honey in the boiling water is what gives the crust its bagel shine and faint sweetness.
6. Drop 2-3 bagels in the water at a time, with the parchment paper. The paper will come off. Boil each side for about 30 seconds and remove.
   You'll know it's right: Drop them in ON the parchment squares, the paper peels away in the water on its own. About 30 seconds a side.
7. Place the lightly boiled bagels on a baking sheet.
8. Create some egg wash with one egg and a tablespoon of water. Then brush on each bagel.
   You'll know it's right: Egg wash every surface you can see, it is the difference between golden and gray.
9. Put into an oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove. Let cool. Then cut each bagel in half.
11. Top each half with sauce, pecorino, cheese and pepperoni. Pizza Sauce, grated pecorino Romano, shredded low moisture whole milk mozzarella, Chopped pepperoni
    You'll know it's right: Cool before halving, warm bagels tear under the knife.
12. Bake in the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until the top looks as desired.
13. ENJOY!

Troubleshooting

Bagels deflated in the boil

Over-proofed or boiled too long. One hour proof, about 30 seconds per side. They should puff in the water, not collapse.

Stuck to the pan

Skipped the parchment squares. Each bagel rides its own parchment square from proof to pot. The system works.

Dense little pucks

Pieces too big and under-proofed. 30-35g and the full hour of rise. Mini bagels need the proof proportionally more.

Toppings slid off the halves

Domed cut surfaces. Halve them flat and press a slight well with your thumb before saucing.

Pale finish

No egg wash. One egg, splash of water, brush everything. It is 30 seconds of work for the whole batch.

Nutrition (4 topped halves): 310 calories, 13g protein, 42g carbs, 10g fat.