These vegan jalapeño poppers are crispy, cheesy, and packed with just the right amount of heat! They're the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer for game day or any gathering. The best of all, they're ready in under 30 minutes and can be air fried or baked!
I never really cared about the Super Bowl until I realized the endless amount of snacks/appetizers that could be consumed. These poppers are always the best appetizer! For game day, I love pairing them with other appetizers like gauc, nachos, and more.
These dairy-free jalapeno poppers taste exactly the same, if not better than, any regular version. The filling is creamy and cheesy, with just the right amount of flavor. Pair them with your favorite dipping sauce, like this garlic aioli, to take them to next level. This recipe is allergy-friendly by being made without bacon and are vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- The perfect appetizer: Served fresh from the oven, vegan jalapeno poppers are my go-to appetizer! Especially for game day or any occasion where you'll be serving a large crowd.
- Can be baked or air fried! These are my two favorite methods to achieve a crispy jalapeno that's crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Plus, since they're not deep-fried, they're a bit healthier!
- Dairy-free, vegan & gluten-free: they're an allergen-friendly snack that everyone can enjoy. Check the ingredients in the dairy-free products to ensure these are nut-free as well.
- They're quick & easy to make! They use simple ingredients and once the jalapenos are prepped, all you can have to do is mix the filling, assemble and bake or air fry.
Equipment
You only need very basic tools that you likely already have in your kitchen to make this recipe:
- Paring Knife: to cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise and to remove the seeds and membranes.
- Mixing Bowl: to combine the filling ingredients.
- Air Fryer or Baking Sheet: depending on which cooking method you'd like to use!
Ingredients
- Jalapeños: the star of the show! We'll be using fresh jalapeños, cutting them in half, and filling them with a dairy-free cream cheese mixture. They are considered hot peppers, so be warned if you have a low spice tolerance.
- Vegan Cream Cheese: the base of our filling! You can use any vegan cream cheese brand you prefer. I personally like Tofutti, as it doesn't melt when heated like some of the other vegan cream cheeses, but use what you like/can find at your grocery store. You could also use homemade vegan cream cheese.
- Vegan Cheddar Cheese: to add that cheesy flavor!
- Garlic: If you don't have any fresh garlic cloves, feel free to use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Chives: these just add another layer of flavor and freshness to each bite and help to cut through the spice and cheese.
- Salt & Pepper
- Bread Crumbs: to keep this recipe gluten free, I used Ian's gluten free panko breadcrumbs. If you're not gluten free, feel free to use regular breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs add some texture and give a nice crispy top to the jalapeño poppers.
- Vegan Butter: it's the best way to get the breadcrumbs to stick together. You could also use olive oil.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use mini bell peppers instead of jalapeño peppers if you or your guests aren't into spicy food. You could also try anaheim, poblano, or ancho chili peppers (medium spicy)
- Want something new? Try smoky chipotle peppers (hot). Or for even more spice, choose scotch bonnet, serrano or habaneros.
- Make these jalapeño poppers without cream cheese by using vegan ricotta, vegan feta cheese, or a cashew cheese sauce instead.
- For additional flavor, add onion powder or 1-2 tablespoons of horseradish, vegan bacon bits, vegan ground beef, artichokes or corn into the vegan cheese mixture.
- If you don't want to use or don't have an air fryer, these can be oven baked, deep fried or even cooked in a smaller convection toaster oven.
- These jalapeño poppers can be made without cheese or breadcrumbs simply by leaving them out!
- Use nutritional yeast instead of vegan cheddar for umami flavor and B vitamins, which many vegans and vegetarians can lack in their diets.
- Change up the cheese by using a vegan pepper jack or mozzarella instead.
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Instructions
Step 1: Using kitchen gloves to protect your hands, halve each jalapeño lengthwise then remove the seeds and membranes. You can leave the stems intact, they act as a nice little handle!
Step 2: Combine vegan shredded cheddar, vegan cream cheese, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl to create your jalapeño popper filling.
Step 3: Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly into each jalapeño half and top with the breadcrumbs.
Step 4: Finally, place the jalapeño poppers in a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fry at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Or spread across a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for 18-22 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the jalapenos are soft.
Serving Suggestions
Jalapeño poppers are super fun with an array of other indulgent appetizers, such as homemade guacamole, nachos, dips, fried pickles, on game days like the Super Bowl or just a get together with friends.
I always recommend at least serving them with a dipping sauce! This garlic aioli is the perfect option or you could do a raspberry sauce, lemon tahini sauce or something more simple like ranch, blue cheese dressing or hot sauce.
You can serve them as starter before a main course such as: quinoa kidney bean burgers, mushroom potato tacos, or one pot taco pasta!
Expert Tips
- Make sure you wear gloves when handling the jalapeños in order to avoid jalapeño hands! When you cut peppers open and remove the seeds, you run the risk of burning your hands with the chili oils and capsaicin. It's incredibly hard to wash off and I've forgotten hours later and ended up burning my eyes!
- Try to buy jalapeños that are the same size for even baking.
- Use a spritz of cooking spray to get extra crispy breadcrumbs.
- Soften the non-dairy cream cheese to room temperature for easy mixing!
- If the vegan cheese shreds are too long to fit into the jalapeños, cut them shorter. This will not only allow them to fit in the cavity, but will help the cheese melt more easily.
- Use a grapefruit spoon to deseed the jalapeños. The sharp, serrated edge is perfect for easily removing the seeds and membrane of a jalapeño in one go.
- If any peppers don't sit flat slice a very thin layer off the bottom of the pepper. Otherwise, the cooked stuffing will slide out and make a mess.
- Adjust the heat level! How much of the seeds and membranes you remove from the jalapeños will determine how hot the jalapenos are. For the mildest option, remove everything. For medium heat, leave the ribs in the pepper. For the hottest, leave the ribs and mix a few seeds into the vegan cream cheese filling.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerator: Allow to cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Allow to cool completely then transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up 3 months. Allow to defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat: For optimal results, reheat in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees F or in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 375 degrees F. You could also microwave them but they won't get nice and crispy.
FAQ
I would recommend dipping them in a blue cheese, ranch, or aioli dipping sauce. Any of these would not only add yummy flavor but also help to counteract the heat from the peppers.
Yes! Cut and fill the jalapeños with the filling and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I would just recommend leaving off the breadcrumbs until you're ready to air fry or bake.
I didn't find this recipe too spicy, since we removed all of the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños. Also, the creamy, tangy, cheesy filling definitely helps to cut through some of that heat, and even more so when paired with a non-spicy dipping sauce.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Jalapeño Poppers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeño peppers halved
- 8 ounces (227 g) vegan cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces (114 g) vegan shredded cheddar
- 2 teaspoons horseradish optional
- 2 cloves (8 g) garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup (30 g) gluten free bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) vegan butter melted
Instructions
- Using kitchen gloves to protect your hands, halve each jalapeño lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes with a spoon.12 jalapeño peppers
- In a small bowl, combine the vegan shredded cheddar, vegan cream cheese, horseradish, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper.8 ounces vegan cream cheese, 4 ounces vegan shredded cheddar, 2 teaspoons horseradish, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons chives
- Fill each jalapeno half with the cream cheese mixture.
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter and breadcrumbs, mixing until the breadcrumbs are coated evenly. Sprinkle over each popper.¼ cup gluten free bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons vegan butter
AIR FRYER INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place the jalapeño poppers in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, until the jalapenos are soft and the breadcrumbs are crispy and golden. Repeat until all have been cooked.
OVEN INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the poppers on prepared baking sheet lined with and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the jalapenos are soft and the breadcrumbs are crispy and golden.
- Serve immediately along with your favorite dip/dressing and enjoy!
Notes
To freeze: store in an airtight container for up to 8 months.
To reheat: place the jalapeño poppers in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until heated through. Nutritional facts are estimates only. Please see our full disclosure here.
Jess says
This recipe was sooooo good. I am making it again today for football Sunday 🙂 thanks for the great recipe!
Pinch of Parsley says
Yay!! So glad to hear you're making it again! Thanks for commenting Jess 😊
Bianca says
This recipe came just in time for football playoffs, so delicious and no one knew they are vegan 🙂
Pinch of Parsley says
So happy to hear that, Bianca!! Glad they were a hit!
Megan says
Made these today for football Sunday and they were a huge hit! Will definitely make these for the superbowl
Pinch of Parsley says
So happy to hear that!! Thanks for commenting Megan!