Baked Jalapeño Poppers

These easy Jalapeño Poppers are made gluten-free and keto-friendly without bread crumbs. This simple yet insanely delicious appetizer is an epic crowd-pleaser for any occasion!

I correlate football season with baked jalapeno poppers, buffalo wings, sweet potato fries, guacamole, and dipping sauce made of ranch dressing & Cholula. 

What comes to mind for you?

A sister recipe to my Caramelized Onion and Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers, these easy baked jalapeno poppers couldn’t be easier to make and are simply scintillating for all parties involved.

Two bites of bliss, but these poppers are difficult to stop at one.

Which brings me to my next point.

If you need a compliment, make these.

No joke, these jalapeño poppers are an instant gratification situation, wherein the dopamine receptors of those who consume them fire hard and fast, leaving them with the propensity to say profess something lofty about their experience and in so doing, you are gifted at least three major compliments.

Real ego booster right here.

Bonus: They are naturally gluten-free and low-carb because I don’t add any breading; however, I have included instructions on how to do so for those who prefer it.

These quick and easy poppers are a gluten-free, low-carb, keto version of the classic. Let’s talk about the ingredients!

Ingredient Notes:

Jalapeño Peppers: Fresh jalapenos are the star of the show here! Be sure to remove all of the seeds to keep the poppers mild. If you and your guests are into very spicy food, feel free to leave in the seeds and inner membrane.

Cream Cheese & Jack Cheese: A combination of cream cheese and jack cheese (or sharp cheddar cheese) are responsible for the cheesy, creamy filling, generating an amazing mouth-watering two-bite appetizer.

Garlic & Green Onion: Fresh garlic and green onions give the poppers a nice fresh ZING! Don’t skip them! You can replace the garlic with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and use yellow or red onion instead of green onion if you’d like.

Sriracha or Hot Sauce: Giving the poppers a small, manageable kick, sriracha is a nice little addition to raise the heat. Add more for an extra spicy kick. You can easily omit it or replace it with your favorite hot sauce.

Sea Salt: Sea salt enhances the flavor of any dish and is important here to raise the roof on the flavors.

Optional: Almond flour or panko breadcrumbs, or gluten-free bread crumbs. If you enjoy the breading facet of jalapeno poppers, stir ½ cup of almond flour (or bread crumbs) in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil and sprinkle over the poppers before baking them.

This will give that nice crunch, although I find the poppers are great without!

How to Make Baked Jalapeño Poppers:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the tops off of the jalapenos, slice them in half, and remove the seeds and innards from the peppers. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil.

Arrange peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove peppers from the oven and allow them to cool.

While the jalapenos are baking or cooling, prepare the cream cheese mixture.

Add the remaining ingredients (cream cheese, jack cheese, garlic, green onion, sriracha, sea salt) to a mixing bowl and mix well to combine. This process will be easier if you allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature first.

Use a spoon to scoop the cream cheese filling into the peppers. If you’d like, wrap the whole pepper in a slice of bacon.

For a crispy crunch, stir ½ cup of almond flour or bread crumbs with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil in a mixing bowl and sprinkle on top of the stuffed jalapenos.

Bake the stuffed jalapenos for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cream cheese is golden brown.

Serve the poppers with any additional toppings, such as chopped green onion, red pepper flakes, cheddar cheese, and/or a dollop of sour cream. 

Storage and Reheating:

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Reheating: I recommend reheating leftovers in an air fryer, toaster oven, or the oven. 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes should do the trick.

Can I Make These Ahead of Time?:

Yes. If you want to make these poppers in advance, you have a couple of options.

1. You can prepare most of the recipe and stop at the final bake and bake them just before serving.
2. Or, you can prepare the full recipe and simply reheat them in the oven or microwave before serving. 

Air Fryer Instructions:

Do you prefer using your air fryer over your oven? No problem. Here are the instructions for the air fryer.

1. Follow the same instructions for slicing the jalapenos, coating them with oil, and mixing the cream cheese filling.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F for 3 minutes and spray the basket of the air fryer.
3. Transfer the stuffed jalapenos to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 360 degrees F for 8 minutes, until the cheese mixture is golden brown. Check the peppers for doneness, and air fry for another 2-3 minutes if necessary.
4. Allow the peppers to cool for 1-2 minutes before serving.

That’s it! Your immediate ticket to being showered in compliments and a mighty fine appy! Looking for more easy appetizer recipes? Here are some of my favorites.

More Amazing Appetizer Recipes:

• Air Fryer Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
• Herb and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
• Lemon Garlic Foil Packet Shrimp
• Air Fryer Chicken Wings
• Maple Spiced Pear Walnut Baked Brie

Pop those jalapenos

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

5 from 1 vote

By Julia

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 18 minutes mins

Total: 28 minutes mins

Servings: 24 Servings

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An easy recipe for baked jalapeno poppers that are low-carb. No breading or flour necessary!

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 12 jalapenos, seeded and cut lengthwise
• ▢ 2 tsp avocado oil
• ▢ 1 8-oz package cream cheese
• ▢ 1 cup cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 large clove garlic, minced
• ▢ 3 green onions, finely chopped
• ▢ 2 tsp sriracha or hot sauce, optional
• ▢ ½ tsp sea salt
• ▢ ½ cup almond flour, optional*

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Slice the tops off of the jalapenos, slice them in half, and remove the seeds and innards from the peppers. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil and very lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
• Arrange peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove peppers from the oven and allow them to cool.
• While the jalapenos are baking or cooling, prepare the cream cheese stuffing mixture. Add the remaining ingredients (cream cheese, jack cheese, garlic, green onion, sriracha, sea salt) to a mixing bowl and mix well to combine (this process will be easier if you allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature first).
• Use a spoon to scoop the cream cheese mixture into the peppers.
• If desired, stir ½ cup of almond flour with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil in a mixing bowl and sprinkle on top of the stuffed jalapenos.
• Bake the stuffed jalapenos for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cream cheese is golden-brown.
• Serve the poppers with any additional toppings, such as chopped green onion, red pepper flakes, cheddar cheese, and/or a dollop of sour cream. 

Notes

*You can also use panko bread crumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs. If using almond flour, stir it with 2 teaspoons of avocado oil in a bowl before topping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 24, Calories: 57kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Sugar: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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