Spooky 20-Minute Ghost Pizza Bagels Kids Adore

You know those Halloween parties where you spend hours decorating cookies that end up looking like sad blobs? Yeah, me too. That’s why I love these Ghost Pizza Bagels—they’re spooky-cute but take literally 10 minutes to throw together. My kids go nuts for them every year (and let’s be honest, so do I).

The magic is in how stupidly simple this is: bagels + pizza toppings + two seconds of arranging pepperoni into ghost shapes. Suddenly you’ve got these grinning little cheesy specters that disappear faster than real ghosts at a séance. Last year my niece declared them “way better than candy corn,” which might be the highest compliment a Halloween snack can get.

What I love most—aside from not having to pipe royal icing at 2AM—is how these let everyone play with their food. Kids can make silly ghost faces with the olive eyes while grown-ups sneak extra pepperoni. It’s the rare recipe that’s actually fun to make and eat.

Why You’ll Love These Ghost Pizza Bagels

Trust me, these little ghosts will haunt your snack rotation forever—here’s why:

• Speed demon: From bagel to boo in under 20 minutes (perfect when kids demand snacks NOW)
• Play with your food: Squish olives for googly eyes, make ghosts wink with crooked pepperoni smiles
• Crowd-pleaser: Works for picky eaters—swap toppings faster than a ghost vanishes
• No fancy skills needed: My 6-year-old can assemble these (messy hands = extra flavor, right?)
• Party hero: Bring these to Halloween potlucks and watch them disappear first

The best part? You probably have everything in your fridge already. Boo-yah!

Ingredients for Ghost Pizza Bagels

Here’s what you’ll need to summon these cheesy little spirits—I promise it’s all basic stuff you might already have lurking in your kitchen:

• 4 plain bagels (sliced in half horizontally—go for fresh ones so they don’t crumble)
• 1 cup pizza sauce (my lazy hack? Jarred marinara with extra oregano)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella (pre-shredded works, but block cheese melts better)
• 20 slices pepperoni (standard size—these become ghost “bodies”)
• 10 black olives (sliced into rounds for those spooky eyes)

See? Nothing weird—just good ol’ pizza magic with a Halloween twist. Now let’s make some ghosts!

How to Make Ghost Pizza Bagels

Okay, let’s bring these little ghosts to life! I swear it’s easier than trying to get kids into costumes without a meltdown. Here’s exactly how I do it:

Step 1: Prep the Bagels

First, crank your oven to 375°F (190°C)—no fancy preheating rituals needed. Grab those bagels and slice ’em in half so you’ve got eight rounds. I like using plain ones because they’re like blank ghost canvases, but everything bagels work too if you want extra “texture” (read: sesame seed freckles).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper—trust me, this saves you from scrubbing melted cheese later. Arrange those bagel halves cut-side up. If they’re uneven, just flip them over until they stop wobbling like drunk ghosts.

Step 2: Assemble the Ghosts

Now the fun part! Spread about 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce on each half—don’t go overboard or your ghosts will get soggy feet. Sprinkle mozzarella generously over the sauce; this is their “ectoplasm,” after all.

Here’s my ghost-making secret: fold the pepperoni slices in half (like little tacos) and place them near the top of each bagel. The curve makes perfect ghost heads! Add two olive slices below for eyes—press gently so they stick to the cheese. Feel free to get creative with expressions; I once made a ghost sticking out its olive “tongue.”

Step 3: Bake and Serve

Pop those spooky guys in the oven for 10-12 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the cheese gets those golden bubbles and the edges crisp up slightly. Watch closely—burnt ghosts aren’t scary, just sad.

Serve immediately while the cheese is still gloriously stretchy. The aroma alone will have kids (and grown-ups) hovering like… well, ghosts around a haunted buffet. Pro tip: have extra olives ready for impromptu ghost face redesigns!

Tips for Perfect Ghost Pizza Bagels

After making approximately a million of these (okay, maybe just dozens), here are my foolproof tricks for ghost-worthy bagels every time:

• Fresh is best: Stale bagels turn into little hockey pucks—spring for bakery-fresh ones if you can
• Ditch excess sauce: Blot pizza sauce with a paper towel to prevent soggy ghost bottoms
• Cheese first: For extra-melty ghosts, sprinkle a bit of cheese under the pepperoni too
• Veggie friendly: Swap pepperoni for roasted red pepper “ghosts” or zucchini slices
• Kid hack: Use mini cookie cutters to make bat or pumpkin shapes from the pepperoni

Remember—imperfect ghosts have more personality! Wonky eyes just make them extra spooky.

Variations for Ghost Pizza Bagels

These ghosts love a good costume change! Here are my favorite ways to mix things up when the spirit moves me:

• Vegan ghosts: Swap in dairy-free cheese and mushroom “pepperoni” slices
• Turkey troublemakers: Use turkey pepperoni for a leaner phantom
• Garden ghouls: Roasted red pepper strips make great veggie-friendly ghosts
• Breakfast boos: Try scrambled egg “ectoplasm” with bacon ghost shapes
• Spicy specters: Add jalapeño slices next to the olive eyes for fiery stares

The beauty? These ghosts haunt taste buds no matter what you dress them in!

Serving and Storing Ghost Pizza Bagels

These ghostly snacks scream “eat me NOW!”—that melty cheese is at its absolute peak straight from the oven. If you somehow have leftovers (ha!), just pop them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To revive them, 5 minutes in a 350°F oven brings back their gooey glory—microwaving turns ghost cheese into rubbery blobs.

Pro tip: Make extra ghosts for lunchboxes! They’re still delicious at room temperature, though the pepperoni might look less like ghosts and more like… well, folded pepperoni.

Nutritional Information

Okay, full ghostly disclosure—these numbers jump around depending on your bagel size and cheese brand. But per spooky serving (one ghost pizza bagel), you’re looking at roughly:

• 250 calories (mostly from that glorious cheese cloud)
• 10g fat (pepperoni’s doing most of the haunting here)
• 12g protein (ghosts need muscles too!)

Not bad for a snack that moonlights as Halloween decor, right?

FAQs About Ghost Pizza Bagels

Over the years, I’ve gotten all sorts of spooky questions about these little guys—here are the ones that haunt my DMs the most:

Can I use English muffins instead of bagels?
Absolutely! English muffins make adorable mini ghosts—just bake them for 8-10 minutes instead. The nooks and crumbles give them extra ghostly “texture” (read: they look adorably messy).

Can I assemble these ahead of time?
You bet! Prep the bagels with sauce and cheese up to 4 hours before, then add pepperoni and olives right before baking. Storing them assembled makes the bagels soggy—nobody likes a wet ghost.

Are Ghost Pizza Bagels freezer-friendly?
Sort of! Freeze before baking—wrap tightly for up to a month. Bake frozen ghosts at 375°F for 15-18 minutes (no thawing needed). Leftover baked ghosts? They lose their crispness but still taste fine reheated.

What if my ghosts… don’t look like ghosts?
Honey, if your pepperoni resembles amoebas more than apparitions, lean into it! Call them “blobby specters” or “abstract spirits.” Taste matters more than Instagram perfection.

Share Your Ghost Pizza Bagels

I wanna see your spooky creations! Tag me @SpookySnacks when you post your ghost pizza bagels—I live for those hilarious pepperoni ghost faces. Bonus points if your cat photobombs the shot!

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