Wrapped in crispy brown sugar bacon and filled with a rich cheddar cream cheese filling, these bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers are the ultimate sweet and savory appetizer!
You can’t ever go wrong with a plate of jalapeno poppers on your appetizer table! Especially if we’re involving bacon.
This classic appetizer couldn’t be easier to whip up and I can honestly say that they are the easiest and BEST poppers you will ever make!
Again, the whole bacon-wrapped thing is playing a major role here, but they’re amazing nontheless.
Whenever we’re hosting a football watch party, these poppers are the first appetizer we turn to and they’re always the first to disappear!
Shockingly, you can’t really go wrong when you’ve got spicy peppers, rich cheddar cream cheese, and bacon all hanging out in a few bites.
These Jalapeno Poppers feature…
- Spicy jalapenos stuffed with a cheddar cream cheese
- Crispy brown sugar bacon strips
- Minutes to make with only a few basic ingredients
Making the Jalapeno Poppers
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Jalapenos
- Cream cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Green onion
- Garlic
- Worcestershire sauce
- Bacon
- Brown sugar
How to Adjust Heat Level
The heat level of these poppers will primarily depend on the jalapenos you use. We find that farmers market or garden-fresh jalapenos are typically much spicier than ones you buy in grocery stores.
If you would like a mix of spicy and mild poppers to appeal to a variety of heat preferences, feel free to use half mini sweet peppers and half jalapeno peppers.
Tips For Perfect Jalapeno Poppers
- Buy 10 jalapenos – depending on the size of your jalapenos, we found that we usually have enough of the cream cheese filling for 8-10 peppers, so error on the side of having more.
- Soften cream cheese – this will make it much easier to incorporate into the other ingredients.
- Cut bacon strips in half – we found that cutting the bacon strips in half on the long side yields the perfect size for wrapping around the peppers.
- Wrap poppers tightly in bacon – the bacon will shrink as it cooks and we want it to stay tightly wrapped around the peppers.
- Sprinkle bacon with brown sugar – this is a little trick for getting a touch of sweetness into the bacon. It balances out the flavors perfectly!
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on these jalapeno poppers.
- Try a different cheese – try gouda, pepper jack, Parmesan, or mozzarella.
- Skip the bacon – for vegetarian-friendly poppers, skip the bacon and top poppers with panko breadcrumbs instead.
- Use Neufchatel – for low-calorie poppers, feel free to use Neufchatel cream cheese in place of the regular.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead options.
- Prep peppers – the jalapenos can be halved and stored in refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Make filling – the cream cheese filling can be made up and stored in refrigerator up to 6 days.
- Assemble poppers – the poppers can be assembled through Step 3 and stored in refrigerator up to 3 days. Add an extra 5 minutes to bake time if baking from cold.
Trust me, these poppers are going to quickly become an appetizer staple in your house! The rich cream cheese filling paired with the sweet bacon strips really takes these little bites to the next level.
New snack addiction, let’s go!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More amazing appetizers to try next!
- Pimento White Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms
- Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli
- Caramelized Onion Mushroom Flatbread
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- 8-10 medium jalapenos, halved and de-seeded
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup minced green onion
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8-10 strips bacon, cut in half width-wise
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange jalapeno halves in a single layer. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, cheddar, green onion, garlic, and Worcestershire until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill jalapeno halves with cream cheese filling and wrap each jalapeno in a strip of bacon. Sprinkle brown sugar over each bacon-wrapped jalapeno.
- Bake jalapeno poppers at 400F 20-25 minutes until bacon is crispy and jalapenos are tender. Serve jalapeno poppers warm and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 8/31/23.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
This is definitely an awesome appetizer Sarah. I never would have thought to wrap bacon around jalapeno’s before.. I have been missing out on something seriously delicious! I will have to recreate this recipe, thanks for sharing it.
Sarah says
Thanks, Thaila! And you totally have been missing out—make up for lost time by making these poppers ASAP, girl! 😉
Annie @Maebells says
These look awesome! I love jalapeños! The only thing that mrs them better is if they are wrapped in bacon!
Sarah says
Thanks, Annie!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Oh my god, these would totally disappear so quickly! This is a great recipe for the impending football season 🙂
Sarah says
I can tell you firsthand that they disappear practically the second I set them out on the table! 😉
Ashley says
I need to hide my computer screen because if my husband sees this he will demand I make them immediately! haha It’s like all his favorites in one little package. Or popper 🙂 They look pretty darn awesome.
Sarah says
Hahaha! It sounds like your hubby has the right idea. 😉 Thanks, Ashley!
Ashley @ ashleymarieskitchen says
Yum! Those poppers look delicious and I love the addition of bacon 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks, Ashley! 🙂
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic says
Mu hubby is having his entire fantasy football league over on Sunday and of course I need to make some food. These will be a hit with the guys. I can tell.
Sarah says
Wowzers! You definitely need to try these poppers then, Kathy! They’ll make you the most popular person at the party. 😉
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says
Yum, these look delicious! I love the bacon wrap. That is probably my most favorite part 😀
Sarah says
Thanks, Cindy!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
These jalapeno poppers look perfect I love the coconut sugar, chili powder and of course the bacon! Perfect little apps for game day! Pinning!
Sarah says
Thanks, Kelly! And yes, these poppers are the BOMB for game day! Thanks for pinning, girl!
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life says
Touchdown is right! This is absolutely perfect for game day parties, quick dinner sides, and just about anytime after 7 am 😉 Adding a little zip zing and zang (since this is a thang) sounds amazing! Pinned!
Sarah says
“Anytime after 7am”. I’m liking the sound of that! LOL. Thanks for the pin, girl! 🙂
Chloe says
I think it’s so cool that you’re a home schooled 17-year-old with a food blog. It’s beautiful and professional and your pictures make me beyond hungry. Wow. Keep it up Sarah!
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Chloe! You’re too kind. 🙂
sunny edwards says
the blunt tip chili is not as hot as the pointy ones—-for a little smoke taste, blister the chili over your stove burner scrape the skin off with a paring knife. leave some burned skin on for more flavor—-to remove all the heat from the jale soak in ice water 1/2 hour—from a chili head
Sarah says
Thanks for the tips, Sunny!
yolande says
do you mind sharing which brand of turkey bacon you used? your pics make the bacon look “real”. most turkey bacon i find is usually very fake looking. can’t wait to try these and i’m ashamed i didn’t think of turkey bacon before!!!!
Sarah says
My favorite brand of turkey bacon is Applegate—they don’t use any antibiotics or preservatives in their bacon which is definitely a plus! 🙂
Deb says
I’ve been making these for years! I add green onion garlic and sun dried tomatoes to my cream cheese, never cut them in half though-GREAT tip!
Sarah says
I love your idea of adding green onion and sun dried tomatoes to these poppers! Must try that. 🙂
Kellie Bergen says
I was looking for the perfect appetizer for our American Legion Christmas party when I found this. My next door neighbor shared lots of extra jalapeno peppers with me at the end of her harvest which I cut in half, cleaned out and froze. Some are red and some are green! I am excited to share these poppers with my Legion Family!
Sarah says
Sounds like the perfect use for an abundance of jalapenos! Hope you all enjoyed. 🙂