Garlic toast makes a surprisingly good base for quick homemade pizzas. Instead of preparing pizza dough or waiting for a crust to rise, garlic toast can go straight into the air fryer and become a crisp, buttery base for sauce, melted mozzarella, and pepperoni.

These individual pizzas are especially handy when a quick dinner is needed. The garlic toast gets crisp on the outside while still giving you enough room to add all the classic pizza toppings. The whole process takes only a few minutes, making this an easy option for busy days, casual lunches, or a simple dinner.

Why Garlic Toast Works So Well as a Pizza Base

Traditional pizza starts with dough, but garlic toast already has several things going for it. It has a crisp texture, a buttery garlic flavor, and a convenient shape that makes it easy to turn into an individual pizza.
The important thing is to crisp the garlic toast before adding the toppings. This short first trip to the air fryer gives the toast a firmer texture so it can hold the pizza sauce and cheese without becoming too soft.
I use the garlic toast straight from the box and give it a few minutes in the air fryer before building the pizzas. There is no need to add extra garlic powder or Italian seasoning because the garlic flavor is already built into the toast.

Ingredients You Need

The ingredient list is short and simple. Each garlic toast slice becomes one individual pizza.

Garlic Toast

Use one box of Pepperidge Farm Garlic Toast containing 8 slices. The garlic toast serves as the crust, so there is no need to prepare separate pizza dough.

Pizza Sauce

A 12-ounce jar of pizza sauce is enough for the pizzas. Spread the sauce over the crisped garlic toast, leaving enough room around the edges so the toast can still be picked up easily.

Mozzarella Cheese

Two cups of shredded mozzarella cheese provide the melted, cheesy topping. The cheese melts during the second air-fryer session and develops lightly golden edges.

Pepperoni

The recipe uses 24 slices of pepperoni, which works out to 3 slices for each pizza. Turkey pepperoni can also be used.

Getting the Garlic Toast Ready

Start by placing 4 slices of garlic toast in the air fryer. Keep the slices in a single layer so the hot air can circulate around them.
Set the air fryer to 390 degrees and cook the garlic toast for 3 minutes.
This first cooking step is important because the toast becomes crisp before the toppings are added. It also keeps the finished pizzas from having a soft or soggy base.
There is no need to add oil or additional seasoning. The garlic toast already contains the garlic flavor needed for this recipe.
After 3 minutes, carefully remove the toast from the air fryer.

Building the Individual Pizzas

Once the garlic toast is crisp, it is time to add the toppings.
Start with the pizza sauce. Spread it over each slice, keeping the amount fairly even from one piece to another. You do not need to cover the very edge of the toast because leaving a little border makes the pizzas easier to handle.
Next, add the shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle it over the sauce so that the cheese is spread across the surface.
Finally, place 3 slices of pepperoni on each garlic toast pizza.
The toppings are intentionally simple here. The garlic toast already brings plenty of flavor, so there is no need to add garlic powder or Italian seasoning.
If you are preparing several pizzas at once, it can be helpful to arrange the garlic toast slices on a plate or work surface and add the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni one after another.

Air Frying the Topped Pizzas

Place the topped garlic toast pizzas back into the air fryer.
Set the air fryer to 390 degrees and cook for another 3 minutes.
During this second cooking stage, the mozzarella melts over the pizza sauce and pepperoni. The edges of the cheese can become lightly golden, while the garlic toast underneath stays crisp.
Keep an eye on the pizzas toward the end of the cooking time. Air fryers can vary, so the cheese may brown a little differently depending on the appliance.
Once the cheese is melted and the pizzas are heated through, carefully remove them from the air fryer.

Cooking the Remaining Pizzas

The recipe makes 8 individual pizzas, but the garlic toast is cooked in batches of 4.
After the first 4 pizzas are finished, repeat the same process with the remaining 4 slices of garlic toast.
Crisp the remaining garlic toast for 3 minutes at 390 degrees. Remove the slices, add pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, and 3 slices of pepperoni to each one, then return them to the air fryer for another 3 minutes at 390 degrees.
This gives each garlic toast pizza the same crisp base and melted topping.

How to Serve Garlic Toast Pizzas

These pizzas are best served shortly after they come out of the air fryer. The garlic toast is at its crispest while it is still hot, and the mozzarella is freshly melted.
Because each piece is an individual pizza, there is no need to slice a large pizza or prepare separate portions. Simply transfer the finished garlic toast pizzas to a serving plate and serve while warm.
They work well as a quick main course on their own. They can also be served alongside a simple salad or another favorite side dish if a larger meal is desired.

A Simple Method for Busy Days

One of the best things about this recipe is how little preparation is involved. There is no dough to mix, no crust to roll out, and no long baking time.
The process can be broken down into three simple stages:

Crisp the garlic toast.
Add the sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.
Air fry again until the cheese is melted.

The first 3 minutes give the garlic toast a crisp foundation. The final 3 minutes turn it into a finished pizza with melted mozzarella and warm pepperoni.
With only 6 minutes of air-fryer cooking time, this is a practical option when a traditional homemade pizza feels like too much work.

Keeping the Toppings Balanced

Since garlic toast slices are smaller than a traditional pizza crust, it is best not to overload them with toppings. The recipe keeps things balanced with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and 3 pepperoni slices per piece.
A moderate layer of pizza sauce helps prevent the toast from becoming too soft. The shredded mozzarella melts evenly, while the pepperoni adds a savory topping without covering the entire surface.
The amounts in this recipe are already portioned for 8 pizzas, making it easy to divide the ingredients evenly as you assemble them.

Why No Extra Seasoning Is Needed

When making pizza at home, it is common to reach for garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or other herbs. In this recipe, those extras are unnecessary.
The garlic toast already has a garlic flavor, so adding more garlic seasoning can be excessive. The combination of garlic toast, pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni provides plenty of flavor without additional ingredients.
Keeping the topping list simple also helps the garlic toast remain the star of the recipe.

Helpful Air Fryer Tips

Air fryers can differ slightly in how quickly they cook food, so it is worth checking the pizzas as they approach the end of each cooking period.
For the first stage, the goal is to get the garlic toast crisp enough to support the toppings. For the second stage, the goal is melted mozzarella with lightly golden edges.
Avoid stacking the garlic toast slices. Cooking them in a single layer allows the hot air to circulate properly.
If your air fryer has a smaller basket, simply work in additional batches rather than overcrowding it.
The recipe is written for 4 garlic toast slices at a time, which makes the cooking process straightforward and keeps the slices from overlapping.

Timing at a Glance

The preparation time is about 4 minutes, while the total cooking time is 6 minutes.
Each batch of 4 garlic toast slices cooks for 3 minutes before the toppings are added. After topping, the pizzas cook for another 3 minutes.
The recipe makes 8 individual pizzas, so the garlic toast is cooked in two batches of 4.

The Finished Garlic Toast Pizzas

Once the final batch comes out of the air fryer, the garlic toast should have a crisp texture underneath the toppings. The pizza sauce adds moisture and flavor, the mozzarella becomes melted and golden around the edges, and the pepperoni warms through on top.
The result is a quick pizza-style meal without the work of making a traditional crust.
For the best texture, serve the pizzas right away while the garlic toast is crisp and the cheese is still hot and melted.
With only four ingredients and a short air-fryer cooking time, these Garlic Toast Pizzas are an easy way to turn a package of garlic toast into individual pizzas