Crowded Kitchen

MENUMENU
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Sign Up
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
×
Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

Vegan Jalapeño Poppers

Published: Oct 18, 2021 by Lexi

3.8K shares
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Our vegan jalapeño poppers are crispy, cheesy, gluten free and pack just the right amount of spice. They're the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer. Best of all, they're ready in just 30 minutes!

Overhead view of jalapeño poppers on a sheet pan.
Jump to:
  • 🥗 Why We Love This Recipe
  • 🌶 Ingredients
  • 📋 Ingredient Notes
  • 🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
  • 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
  • 🍽 Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

🥗 Why We Love This Recipe

  • Go-to appetizer: what's not to like about jalapeño poppers? They're spicy (but not too spicy) with a creamy, cheesy filling and crispy breadcrumb topping. Served straight from the oven, they're one of the best appetizers out there, especially for game day or whenever you need to serve a large crowd.
  • Vegan and gluten free: these vegan jalapeño poppers rival any regular version. The filling is tangy, creamy and cheesy, with just the right amount of flavor, thanks to vegan cream cheese, shredded cheddar and nutritional yeast. We also use gluten free breadcrumbs to keep this recipe allergy-friendly, but you can easily use regular breadcrumbs if preferred!
  • Quick and easy: These vegan jalapeño poppers come together quickly and easily. Once the jalapeños are prepped, it only takes a few minutes to whip up the filling and topping. You can even assemble them ahead of time and bake just before serving.

🌶 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you'll need to make these vegan jalapeño poppers:

Overhead shot of jalapeno popper ingredients, including nondairy cream cheese, nutritional yeast, and salt.

📋 Ingredient Notes

  • Jalapeños: for even baking, look for jalapeños that are all roughly the same size.
  • Nondairy cheddar cheese: A lot of nondairy shredded cheeses come in super long strands. To make sure that all your cheese can fit inside a jalapeño, it's best to chop it up a bit smaller before mixing your filling. This also helps to speed up the melting process.
  • Nondairy cream cheese: any brand will do, but make sure to soften to room temperature, otherwise you'll have a hard time mixing in the other ingredients.
  • Garlic: if you don't have any fresh garlic, feel free to sub with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • Nutritional yeast: This is a must-have ingredient for cheese-loving vegans. It's full of umami flavor and really reminds me of parmesan. Plus, it's full of B vitamins, which many vegans and vegetarians can lack in their diets. You should be able to find this in your supermarket, typically in the baking section.
  • Breadcrumbs: We recommend regular bread crumbs for these vegan jalapeño poppers. And if you're gluten free, we recommend Ian's Natural Foods breadcrumbs – they're super crispy!
  • Parsley: technically optional, but it adds a nice fresh flavor that cuts through the spice and cheese.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

Prep: Preheat oven to 425°F / 215˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

(1) In a mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, parsley, half of the cheddar cheese, half of the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.

On the left: stuffing ingredients unmixed. On the right: stuffing ingredients after being mixed together.

(2) Prep your peppers: start by slicing each jalapeño in half lengthwise. You can leave the stem attached, as it provides a nice handle for the poppers. Then, remove the seeds and the white membrane inside the peppers.

Four images of peppers being halved, then removing the seeds and membrane from inside.

(3) Fill each pepper with cream cheese filling. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs. For extra crispness, you can spray the filled peppers with cooking spray (or drizzle with olive oil) before baking.

Jalapenos being stuffed, then placed on a baking tray and topped with breadcrumbs and cheese.

(4) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the top is golden brown.

On the left: poppers before baking. On the right: poppers after baking.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

  • Use a grapefruit spoon to deseed the jalapeños. The sharp, serrated edge of a grapefruit spoon is perfect for easily removing the seeds and membrane of a jalapeño in one go. If you don't have one, a regular spoon will work too, but we've found the serrated edge makes things much easier!
  • Storage: You can store these vegan jalapeño poppers in an airtight container in the freezer for a few months. For shorter term storage, keep in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days. You can microwave them, but reheating them in the oven is the best option, as it will help to crisp up the breadcrumbs, which may become soggy during storage.
  • Make ahead: You can store the uncooked, filled peppers in the fridge for several days before baking. Leave the cheddar and breadcrumbs off the top until just before putting them in the oven to prevent sogginess. Then, simply bake as directed in the recipe.
  • Be sure to reserve half of bread crumbs and cheese when you're making the filling so that you have enough to sprinkle over the top before baking.
How do you cut jalapeño peppers for poppers?

Start by cutting each jalapeño in half lengthwise. You can leave the stem attached, as it provides a nice handle for the poppers. Then, remove the seeds and the white membrane inside the peppers. It holds a lot of spice, so be sure not to touch your eyes before washing your hands well. You'll also want to give your cutting board a thorough scrub down before using it for anything else.

Can I microwave jalapeño poppers to reheat?

You can microwave jalapeño poppers, but for best results, we recommend reheating them in the oven for 10-15 minutes to make sure they're crispy on top.

Are vegan jalapeño poppers spicy?


Yes and no. Some are more spicy than others, depending on the spice level in the individual jalapeño. Overall, the tangy cream cheese filling is meant to counterbalance the spice of the jalapeño, so they are not overwhelmingly spicy. If you are super sensitive to spice, this recipe may not be for you, but we've found most people can enjoy them with no problems!

Overhead view of jalapeno poppers on a dish.

🍽 Related Recipes

  • overhead view of slices of vegan stuffed acorn squash with black rice, mushrooms and pomegranate seeds on top.
    Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash
  • overhead view of vegan spinach artichoke dip in a skillet.
    Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
  • Vegan Caramelized Onion Dip
  • overhead view of vegan stuffed red peppers with cheese on top in baking dish.
    Vegan Stuffed Peppers

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

Print

📖 Recipe

clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Overhead view of jalapeno poppers on a sheet pan.

Vegan Jalapeño Poppers


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 24 poppers 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Our vegan jalapeño poppers are crispy, cheesy, gluten free and pack just the right amount of spice. They're the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer. Best of all, they're ready in just 30 minutes!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 12 jalapenos, halved and deseeded
  • 8 oz vegan cream cheese
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • ½ of a lemon, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • ½ cup shredded nondairy cheddar cheese, divided (chop finely)
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs, divided (regular or gluten free)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 215˚C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, parsley, ¼ cup nondairy cheddar cheese, ¼ cup bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. 
  3. Prep your peppers: start by slicing each jalapeño in half lengthwise. You can leave the stem attached, as it provides a nice handle for the poppers. Then, remove the seeds and the white membrane inside the peppers using a spoon (pro tip: use a grapefruit spoon with serrated edges!).
  4. Fill each pepper with cream cheese filling. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs. For extra crispness, you can spray the filled peppers with cooking spray (or drizzle with olive oil) before baking.
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the top is golden brown. Enjoy warm.

Notes

Jalapeños: for even baking, look for jalapeños that are all roughly the same size. 

Nondairy cheddar cheese: A lot of nondairy shredded cheeses come in super long strands. To make sure that all your cheese can fit inside a jalapeño, it's best to chop it up a bit smaller before mixing your filling. This also helps to speed up the melting process.

Nondairy cream cheese: any brand will do, but make sure to soften to room temperature, otherwise you'll have a hard time mixing in the other ingredients. 

Garlic: if you don't have any fresh garlic, feel free to sub with 1 teaspoon garlic powder. 

Storage: You can store these vegan jalapeño poppers in an airtight container in the freezer for a few months. For shorter term storage, keep in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days. You can microwave them, but reheating them in the oven is the best option, as it will help to crisp up the breadcrumbs, which may become soggy during storage.

Make ahead: You can store the uncooked, filled peppers in the fridge for several days before baking. Leave the cheddar and breadcrumbs off the top until just before putting them in the oven to prevent sogginess. Then, simply bake as directed in the recipe.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Appetizers
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 popper
  • Calories: 68
  • Sugar: 2.2 g
  • Sodium: 137.4 mg
  • Fat: 3.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.3 g
  • Fiber: 1.8 g
  • Protein: 1.1 g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

More Vegan Side Dishes and Snacks

  • Overhead view of Italian chopped salad in a bowl.
    Italian Chopped Salad
  • Overhead view of creamy cucumber pea salad in a bowl.
    Creamy Cucumber Pea Salad
  • side view of garlic herb butter fan rolls.
    Garlic Herb Fan Rolls
  • Overhead view of onion tarte tatin topped with goat cheese and rosemary.
    Onion Tarte Tatin

Comments

    Let us know what you think! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. cindy says

    July 18, 2023 at 9:04 pm

    I've been craving spice lately, and these definitely satisfied that craving. Wil make again for sure. I dipped them in ranch to cut the heat a bit and they were actually spicier once baked then they were raw

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      July 24, 2023 at 12:13 pm

      So glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  2. Leigh Anne says

    February 12, 2023 at 3:37 pm

    I made this recipe for superbowl. I would decrease the temp to 400F and decrease the time spent to 12 minutes. Otherwise the insides just leaked all over the baking sheet and stuck to the parchment paper. I also doubled the filling recipe and filled both jalapenos and mini bell peppers. I had a ton of food, but none of the filling stayed in the peppers. It was still tasty kinda if you scraped the parchment paper and put the toasted filling back into the peppers. What filling didn't burn anyway.

    Reply
  3. Fazia says

    November 03, 2022 at 2:40 pm

    Can I use parmesan instead of cheddar?

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      November 03, 2022 at 3:30 pm

      For sure!

      Reply
  4. Taylor says

    December 09, 2020 at 9:40 pm

    This was absolutely amazing! I honestly kinda did everything by eye, but wow so so good! Thank you so much!!!!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      December 10, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      Ah yay so excited to hear that! Glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

More about us →

Seasonal

  • close up overhead view of vegan bean soup in a bowl on white linen surface.
    Three-Bean Vegetable Soup

  • Front view of strawberry pop tart.
    Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

  • Overhead view of slice and bake cookies on a pink plate.
    Slice and Bake Heart Cookies

  • close up view of a passion fruit martini in a glass with dark backdrop.
    Passion Fruit Martini

Popular

  • Overhead view of fruit and nut crackers on a plate.
    Gourmet Fruit and Nut Crackers

  • overhead view of vegan mac and cheese in pot
    The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese

  • Overhead view of hot honey chicken plate.
    Hot Honey Chicken Plate (Sweetgreen Dupe)

  • Overhead view of potato leek soup.
    Super Green Sheet Pan Soup

See more-->

Footer

Back to top ↑

About

  • Learn About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • See our Portfolio

Newsletter

  • Sign up for weekly emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Work With Us
  • As Seen In

Copyright © 2025 Crowded Kitchen