Part pizza, part breakfast sandwich, this breakfast bagel pizza satisfies so many breakfast cravings. With quick homemade tomato sauce (that you can save for other things!), mozzarella, a plain bagel, fresh basil, and a sunny side up egg, you can create a gooey, eggy dish, fancy enough to serve to friends, but easy enough to throw together for yourself on a slow, lazy morning.
This breakfast bagel pizza uses a healthy amount of fresh basil, which makes it fresh tasting despite its denser ingredients.
I would eat this with lemon-honey tea or, if sharing with friends, a mint and basil lemonade. The bagel is pretty hefty itself, but you might want to add a few extra veggies at the start of your morning. If so, try some zucchini fries that you can dip in extra tomato sauce, or slice up some beefsteak tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil and chopped basil.
The quick tomato sauce I’m recommending here is very basic. It produces a bright, light, tomatoey, basil-y flavor. Its secret ingredient—honey—may sound strange, but helps cut through the acidity of the tomatoes. And trust me, your sauce won’t taste sweet.
But if you want to play around with the spices, go ahead! You may find that you like the deeper flavors of dried oregano, thyme, or rosemary. Just make sure that when you cook the tomato sauce you give it at least 15 to 20 minutes to cook, helping to infuse the flavors.
What You Need to Make Breakfast Bagel Pizza
This recipe requires eggs, plain bagels, fresh basil, table salt, ground pepper, red pepper flakes, tomato puree or sauce, honey, mozzarella, and tomato paste.
Do not use a jarred pasta sauce that you might buy for a quick pasta night. You’re looking for tomato sauce or puree made from tomatoes and salt. Do not skimp on the tomato paste, either. It really intensifies the tomato flavor and is an important component of the sauce.
Ingredients:
- Large eggs
- Plain bagels
- Fresh basil
- Honey
- Tomato paste
- Tomato sauce or puree
- Red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Mozzarella
- Freshly ground pepper
- Oil or cooking spray
Equipment:
This recipe requires a sheet pan, a non-stick frying pan, a spatula, a grater, a saucepan, a cutting board, and a serrated knife. With the exception of the tomato sauce, you’ll want to make this dish right before you plan to serve it so that your eggs stay runny and warm.
How To Make Breakfast Bagel Pizza
Prepare the sauce: Place the tomato paste, tomato sauce, ground pepper, honey, and fresh basil in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Prepare the bagels: Once the sauce has cooked, preheat your oven to 375ºF. Slice the bagels in half with a serrated knife. Place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Add 2-3 tablespoons of sauce.
Grate the mozzarella and scatter it on top of the bagel. Place in the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese begins to melt.
Prepare the eggs: Place a non-stick skillet on medium-low heat and grease with a little oil or cooking spray. Cooking 1-2 eggs at a time, crack the eggs into the hot skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Fry until the whites have just set, 2-3 minutes. The yolks should still be runny.
Serve: Remove the bagels from the sheet pan. Place an egg on top of the bagel. With your hands, rip up 1-2 basil leaves and scatter them on top of the bagel. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use other cheeses?
Mozzarella is a common pizza cheese that melts well. While I would not sub it out entirely, you can definitely use other cheeses with it. Try blending in grated asiago or gruyere with the mozzarella or shave a little bit of parmesan or pecorino romano on top of the egg.
Can I make this in advance?
You can definitely make the sauce in advance. It will keep for 3–4 days in the fridge. You do not need to reheat the sauce before you put it on the bagels.
What should I do if I use frozen bagels?
You can certainly use frozen bagels. If you do, defrost the bagels first. The cheese will melt too quickly for the bagels to fully heat if you just put them in the oven while they are frozen.
I’ve never heard of an egg on a pizza. Is this good?
Yes! For some, an egg on a pizza might seem a little unconventional, but eggs on pizzas are actually common in many places around the world. What’s not to like about cheese, tomato sauce, and egg?
Can I make this for breakfast on the go?
Yes. If you want to make this for breakfast on the go, I recommend cooking the eggs over easy so the yolks are slightly more cooked. Place the other side of the bagel on top, and you have a sandwich!
Breakfast Bagel Pizza
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 oz mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 bagels
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (plus more for garnish)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper (plus more to taste)
- Pinch kosher salt (plus more to taste)
Instructions
- Place 1 15-oz can of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and ¼ cup fresh basil in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Slice the 2 bagels in half with a serrated knife.
- Place each bagel half on a baking sheet, cut side up.
- Spread 2-3 tablespoons of cooked tomato sauce.
- Grate the 2 oz mozzarella, and scatter evenly on top of each bagel half.
- Place bagels in the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese begins to melt.
- Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-low heat and grease with 2 teaspoons of oil or cooking spray.
- One to two eggs at a time, crack the eggs into the skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Fry until the egg whites have just set, 2-3 minutes.
- Using a spatula, remove each egg from the pan and place it on top of each bagel half.
- With your hands, rip up 1-2 basil leaves and scatter them on the top of each bagel half.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Here are a few other recipes you might enjoy!
- Bagel Dip
- Bagel French Toast
- Sausage & Gravy Breakfast Pizza
- Steak Breakfast Burrito
- Turkey Breakfast Sandwich
Arielle is a food and drink photographer based in Washington, D.C. She was previously a social science researcher before she fell in love with photography.