Description
Crispy, smoky, and cheesy baked jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon. These gluten-free appetizers are easy to make, customizable in spice level, and perfect for any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12–16 large fresh jalapeño peppers
- 8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3–4 stalks green onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 12–16 slices regular cut bacon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
- Toothpicks (for securing bacon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two 13×18 inch baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Wear gloves. Wash jalapeños, pat dry, and slice off the top stem. Slice peppers in half lengthwise.
- Scrape out seeds and white membranes using a spoon or paring knife. Pat pepper halves dry with paper towels.
- In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar, green onions, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth.
- Transfer cheese mixture to a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
- Pipe or spoon the filling into each pepper half, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Press down gently to remove air pockets.
- Wrap each filled pepper half with a slice of bacon. If using brown sugar, sprinkle it on the bacon before wrapping.
- Secure the end of the bacon with one or two toothpicks.
- Place poppers on baking sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between each.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until bacon is crispy and cheese is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing toothpicks and serving.
Notes
[‘Wear gloves when handling jalapeños to avoid skin irritation.’, ‘Pat peppers dry thoroughly to ensure bacon crisps up instead of steaming.’, ‘Do not overfill peppers to prevent cheese leakage.’, ‘Can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated.’, ‘Rotate pans halfway through baking for even browning.’, ‘Use regular cut bacon for best results; thick cut takes longer to crisp.’]
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 poppers
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 12
Keywords: jalapeno poppers, bacon wrapped jalapenos, baked appetizer, gluten free appetizer, party food, spicy snacks, cream cheese filling