Baked Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers (2024)

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by Mike Hultquist · Sep 14, 2018 · 51 Comments · Jump to Recipe

These jalapeno poppers are stuffed with a spiced mixture of cream cheese and white cheddar cheese, then baked until the cheese is nice and melty. This is the ultimate game day or party treat! And SUPER EASY to make. Here is the recipe.

Party time, my friends! Games are starting up and the parties are breaking out around all the favorite teams, and you know what that means?

Game day food! Yes!

When you're tasked with hosting the bash or bringing something to pass that everyone is going to love, you'd be hard pressed to find a more perfect party appetizer than the outstanding jalapeno popper.

Jalapeno poppers are TOPS when it comes to popular party food. They're the perfect bite sized food and they're all out tasty and truly, they're crazy easy to make. Simple is better, right? So you can eat and enjoy the game.

And the party.

With these jalapeno poppers, we're keeping them super simple because we're going back to basics and stuffing them with a spiced cream cheese and cheddar cheese mixture, stuffing the jalapeno peppers boat style, then baking them.

No need for frying. No need for the grill, though you can surely grill them if you'd like. Just super delicious, super easy, crazy awesome food!

Let's talk about how we make them, shall we?

Baked Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers Ingredients

Jalapeno Peppers. 10.
Cream Cheese. 8ounces,softened.
White Cheddar Cheese. 8ouncesshredded.
Chili Powder. 1tablespoon.
Garlic Powder. 1teaspoon.
Cumin. 1teaspoon.
Salt and Pepper. To taste.

For Serving:

Spicy chili flakeschili powder.

How to Make Baked Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers - The Recipe Method

First, slice the jalapeno peppers in half and core out the insides. I like to use a spoon to make it easy, but a knife or a jalapeno corer will work great, too.

Set the cored hot peppers onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Just line the baking sheet.

Next, in a medium bowl, combine your cheeses and spices. Here, we're using softened cream cheese, mild white cheddar, chili powder, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper.

Mix it all together. Like so.

Fill each jalapeno pepper with the seasoned cheese mixture. You might have some leftover, depending on the size of your peppers. Just distribute evenly.

Bake the jalapeno poppers about 20 minutes, or until the peppers soften and the cheeses are bubbly. It could be up to 30 minutes. The cheesy stuffing will be nice and golden brown.

Remove from heat, cool slightly, then dust with chili powder and spicy chili flakes.

BOOM! DONE!

You've got yourself some crazy awesome baked jalapeno poppers and they're ready to serve! Set them loose and stand back. You don't want to lose an arm in there.

Seriously, people go CRAZY for these! Beware. Really, you may want to make a double or even triple batch of these. Make friends. Influence people. With poppers.

Recipe Tips & Notes

It is best to wear gloves when handling hot peppers and removing the seeds an innards. The peppers contain oils that can cause a burning sensation on your skin.

If you start to feel the burn, check out this page - How to Stop Chili Pepper Skin Burn.

Can I Make These on the Grill?

Of course! You can make this recipe on the grill instead of in the oven. To do so, follow all of the recipe instructions for coring out the jalapenos. Go ahead and mix your cream cheese stuffing.

When you're ready to get cooking, preheat the grill to medium heat, or 350 degrees F. if you can control the temperature.

Grill or bake them on the grill for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cheeses are nice and bubbly. That's it! You can top them with crumbly bread crumbs if you'd like for extra crunch.

Enjoy them!

Storage & Leftovers

Storing yourBaked Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppersin anairtight containerin the fridge may allow to keep it for up to 2-3 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate them promptly.

Try Some of My Other Popular Jalapeno Popper Recipes

Four Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
Candied Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers with Chicken
Grilled Jalapeno Poppers
Pimento Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
Smoked Jalapeno Poppers
Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
Armadillo Eggs
Check Out More Jalapeno Poppers Recipes

Looking for more appetizer ideas? Check out my Game Day Recipes.

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Cookbook Suggestion

I hope you'll check out my cookbook, "Jalapeño Poppers and Other Stuffed Chili Peppers". So many jalapeño poppers recipes!

Baked Cream Cheese Jalapeno Poppers Recipe

Save Recipe

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: game day, jalapeno, party food, poppers

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 20 poppers

Tap or hover to scale

4.95 from 18 votes

Leave a Review

Ingredients

10 jalapeno peppers
8 ounces cream cheese softened
8 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving: Spicy chili flakes chili powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the insides with a spoon. Set onto lightly oiled baking dishes.
In a mixing bowl, combine cheeses and spices. Mix well.
Fill each jalapeno pepper with the seasoned cheese mixture. You might have some leftover, depending on the size of your peppers. Just distribute evenly.
Bake the jalapeno poppers about 20 minutes, or until the peppers soften and the cheeses are bubbly.
Remove from heat, cool slightly, then dust with chili powder and spicy chili flakes.
Serve!

Video

Notes

Heat Factor: Mild, though you may get a bit of spice from the jalapeno peppers, even though they are cored.

This recipe is super easy to scale up! Make a triple batch! People will love you!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 113mgPotassium: 55mgVitamin A: 460IUVitamin C: 8.3mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 0.3mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Reader Interactions

Comments

jack price says
April 22, 2024 at 9:35 am

this guy has some great recipes!
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  April 22, 2024 at 9:50 am
  Thanks, Jack!
  Reply
Patricia Johnston says
February 15, 2024 at 9:28 pm

So delicious, so easy and for sure a crowd pleaser, if there are any left after I’ve “sampled” them
Reply
- Mike H. says
  February 16, 2024 at 5:59 am
  Haha, I love sampling - and it's usually more than once =)
  Reply
Frank says
September 21, 2023 at 7:19 pm

I made these according to the recipe, but wrapped each in 1/2-length (thick sliced) bacon...oh, so good. Baking the bacon at 350-degrees required another 10-minutes in our oven.
Reply
- Mike H. says
  September 22, 2023 at 3:55 am
  I am glad that you liked it, Frank. Enjoy!
  Reply
Ivy Sison says
May 17, 2023 at 3:32 pm

Best recipe, been making it over and over. It gets better every bite.
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  May 18, 2023 at 7:49 am
  Awesome, Ivy!
  Reply
Euro Yank says
August 28, 2022 at 9:56 am

Each year our harvest of jalapeno peppers gets bigger & so does our appreciation of this recipe. Thank you!!
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  August 29, 2022 at 11:02 am
  Nice! Glad to be helpful, and glad you enjoy it!
  Reply
Felony Baker says
July 11, 2022 at 10:05 am

This is the best stuffed jalapeno recipe in the internet!
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  July 11, 2022 at 10:39 am
  Thanks so much! They are so good for sure!
  Reply
Jon says
May 05, 2022 at 12:10 pm
How would you suggest cooking these wrapped in bacon so that the bacon is crispy?
Reply
- Mike Hultquist says
  May 05, 2022 at 12:22 pm
  Jon, I have a few recipes with bacon wrapped poppers. Try these recipes:
  Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/bacon-wrapped-jalapeno-poppers/
  Grilled Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/grilled-jalapeno-poppers/
  Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/air-fryer-jalapeno-poppers/
  Reply
Kathryn Luffman says
February 04, 2022 at 10:06 pm

Made these tonight. So delicious. I love the addition of spices to the cheese filling. Next time I'll be a little more generous on the amount of cayenne! I like spicy!! Excellent recipe!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  February 05, 2022 at 5:53 pm
  Wonderful! Thanks, Kathryn! Super happy you enjoyed them=)
  Reply
Catharine says
September 22, 2021 at 10:27 am

Simple & Delish ! I baked them at 450o for 12 mins ~
I found 350o for 20 mins made the cheese bubble out & peppers were mushy
Reply
Eddie PAPENDORF says
September 22, 2021 at 12:43 am

We also add 5 ml coriander and 5 ml paprika and fry the spices and garlic during the last 2 min with bacon to release the flavour of spices and garlic.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  September 22, 2021 at 6:08 am
  Excellent additions! I love it.
  Reply
Terri says
January 27, 2021 at 9:31 pm
I didn’t have the Asiago cheese the first time I made these. They were missing something. I got all the ingredients but I used Cayenne Pepper for my spice instead of chili powder the second time and I used the Asiago cheese (which stunk so bad I was afraid to taste it!) it was exactly what I was missing!! I did add some bacon (crumbled) and sharp cheddar cheese. I’m addicted! I also tried this mixture in red, yellow, and orange peppers, delicious! Thank you for the recipe ❤️
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  January 28, 2021 at 6:42 am
  Awesome! Thanks, Terri!
  Reply
James Boulton says
November 23, 2020 at 8:27 am

Hi Just recently discovered your website and am very impressed. I made these poppers today and because I have an absolute glut of scotch bonnets this year I replaced the chilli flakes with finely chopped scotch bonnets. Absolutely lovely. I'm now off to make some scotch bonnet hot sauce using your recipe I'll let you know how I get on.
Thanks again for your great website.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  November 28, 2020 at 2:57 pm
  Thanks, James! I love to hear it! Nice heat there!
  Reply
Barbara says
November 08, 2020 at 10:42 am
leftover cheese filling great as a starter for making sauce for chicken/shrimp over pasta or rice
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  November 09, 2020 at 1:39 pm
  Yes! Thanks for the tip, Barbara!
  Reply
Julie Schehr says
October 03, 2020 at 3:10 pm

Made these today and had to review. The cheese mixture with the spices is totally on point. Delicious just as recipe written. Thanks, will be making these often especially thru football season!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  October 05, 2020 at 7:36 am
  Nice! Thanks, Julie!
  Reply
Kristin says
September 05, 2020 at 6:05 pm

I planted 5 jalapeño pepper plants (bought the six pack by mistake) in the spring. Each plant is a super producer; I would estimate that I have harvested hundreds of peppers so far, giving them to all my friends, and the plants are still so full of peppers they are bending under the strain! I found this recipe a few weeks ago. The weather has been HOT here and our pool is is full of friends every weekend. I make these poppers as appetizers every time we have guests and everyone loves them! I top them with a bit of panko and cook them @ 425 for about 15 minutes, which keeps the pepper crispy but melts the cheese nicely. When jalapeño peppers stay on the plant a long time some will turn red or purple. The red ones are HOTTER than the green ones. Yikes! Recommend the red ones to your adventurous pals! I think the purple ones have a richer taste. Grow your own and you’ll have an unlimited supply of these tasty little gems. ❤️
Reply
Karen says
August 26, 2020 at 3:56 pm

These were so easy and good! I'll definitely be making them again! I had a few left over and ate them cold the next day and they were delicious cold too! I may try freezing some to bake later since I have a wealth of jalapenos in my garden. Thank you for the recipe!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  August 26, 2020 at 4:22 pm
  Awesome! Glad you enjoyed them, Karen! They do freeze nicely. Thanks!!!
  Reply
- Kim says
  September 04, 2022 at 9:13 am
  Was wondering had you tried to freeze them? If so did it work out? Haven’t tried these yet…but sure they will be great!
  Reply
Magdeline says
June 24, 2020 at 7:49 pm

These were outstanding! I’ll be making them again.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  June 25, 2020 at 6:04 am
  Excellent! Thanks, Magdeline!
  Reply
Renee says
May 21, 2020 at 2:02 pm

I've made these twice they're fantastic i only made 5 jalapeno poppers and ate them all.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  May 21, 2020 at 2:07 pm
  Nice, Renee! Yes, I love these, too. So good!
  Reply
Larry Wright says
May 05, 2020 at 7:41 am
Made these with a little browned chorizo in them along with the cheese...quite delicious and a change from the ordinary poppers. Happy Cinco de Mayo.
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  May 05, 2020 at 7:58 am
  Outstanding, Larry! Sounds super tasty! Happy Cinco de Mayo!
  Reply
KC says
April 15, 2020 at 8:37 pm

Just made these. I used sharp cheddar instead and used about 4 oz of cream cheese (b/c that saturated fat per tablespoon is serious) This recipe is amazing and a keeper! Thank you!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  April 15, 2020 at 10:22 pm
  Excellent! Thanks, KC! I want some!
  Reply
gary says
November 12, 2019 at 11:19 am
Can these be frozen? Fresh or baked?
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  November 12, 2019 at 12:34 pm
  Gary, you can freeze stuffed peppers and then bake them later. As long as any meats and/or stuffing are cooked thoroughly, you should have no problem. Since this is only cheeses and no meats, you can stuff them then freeze them before cooking. However, I'm not sure how the consistency will turn out after freezing cheese. Let me know how it goes if you try it. You can also refer to this page here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/cooking-with-chili-peppers/freezing-stuffed-peppers/
  Reply
dave says
November 06, 2019 at 6:11 pm

How many are a serving? Half of one or a whole one?
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  November 06, 2019 at 6:16 pm
  A half of one jalapeno, Dave. I used 10 jalapenos for 20 servings (as calculated). A serving for ME, though, is a lot more! Haha. I hope you enjoy them. =)
  Reply
Nancy says
August 27, 2019 at 1:59 pm
I had so much filling left over. Maybe the peppers were small. Is there something else I can do with the leftover filling?
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  August 27, 2019 at 2:10 pm
  Nancy, that happens sometimes, especially since jalapenos can vary so much in size. Here are a few ideas.
  Make more poppers.
  Refrigerate it and use it within a week.
  Use it to make a dip. You can mix it with a bit of sour cream to make it more creamy and serve it with chips.
  Use it to stuff some chicken. It's so good this way.
  I'd love to hear other creative ideas.
  Reply
Teresa says
July 19, 2019 at 11:25 pm

I used homegrown jalapenos, which are HOTT, so I decreased the chili powder down to 1 teaspoon. Which was perfect. Thank you!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  July 19, 2019 at 11:35 pm
  Teresa! Perfect. I wish I was there with you to enjoy a couple! =)
  Reply
MPaula says
September 15, 2018 at 8:32 pm
I have made these with only old cheddar for years, long before I ever heard about poppers. I was surprised that someone called min poppers as I had the idea that poppers were deep fried. I will add some cream cheese next time; they might help fill them up a bit more. I also like your idea of adding shrimp - that would cover all the food groups! and I could make a meal of them!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  September 16, 2018 at 9:09 am
  Absolutely! You can totally make a meal out of these.
  Reply
Karly says
September 14, 2018 at 8:11 am
Jalapeno poppers are my fav appetizer! I will definitely be making these soon!
Reply
- Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
  September 14, 2018 at 8:20 am
  Mine too, Karly! I love them.
  Reply