These gluten-free jalapeno poppers are the hit of every party! Plus you can make them in advance!
Rich, cheesy filling, crispy gluten-free breadcrumbs, and tender jalapenos baked until warm and toasty—it’s a winning combo!
Game day isn’t complete without jalapeno poppers! They hit all the right flavor and texture notes, making them an irresistible, crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Cream cheese filling, toasty bread crumbs, tender
If you don’t like spicy food, don’t worry. Jalapeno peppers get their heat from the ribs and seeds of the pepper. And since you’ll scrape those out before adding the creamy filling, this jalapeno popper recipe is quite mild.
So what if you actually love hot foods? This gluten-free appetizer is for you, too! Just keep some of the seeds in or add a bit of cayenne pepper to crank up the heat.
This is the perfect party appetizer for the Super Bowl, other sports parties, New Year’s Eve, birthday parties, and more. It’s an easy recipe that’s sure to become a family favorite!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Creamy, cheesy, and crispy
- Easy appetizer recipe
- Perfect game day snack
- Adjust heat to your liking
For more gluten-free appetizers, you also might like these gluten-free breadsticks, artichoke dip, gluten-free mozzarella sticks, gluten-free meatballs or deviled eggs with relish!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy baked jalapeno poppers recipe:
- Jalapenos: I like to use large jalapeno peppers for this delicious recipe. Fresh jalapenos are best! Remove the ribs and jalapeno seeds if you want a mild appetizer. Keep them in if you want spicy poppers!
- Garlic powder: A teaspoon of garlic powder adds great flavor to the cream cheese filling. You can also use fresh garlic, if you’d like.
- Chives: I love the pop of color you get from the fresh chives! You could also use the green ends of green onion instead.
- Cream cheese: Soften cream cheese to room temperature to make it easier to mix the filling.
- Cheddar cheese: For best results, use freshly shredded cheddar cheese. I like to use sharp cheddar cheese for these poppers. It has a nice strong flavor and adds a little bite to the filling. But you can also use mild or medium cheddar, if you prefer.
- Butter: A little bit of melted butter helps crisp up the gluten-free Panko breadcrumbs. It really takes the texture to new heights!
- Gluten-free breadcrumbs: I to use a gluten-free panko breadcrumb, which are lighter and crispier than regular breadcrumbs. But any gluten-free breadcrumbs will work!
This 7 layer taco dip is another great naturally gluten-free make-ahead appetizer!
How to Make This Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice each jalapeno pepper in half. Remove the ribs/seeds.
- In a small or medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chives and garlic powder until smooth.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the gluten-free panko and melted butter.
- Use a small spoon to fill each pepper half with some of the cream cheese mixture, and place on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the tops of the pepper halves evenly with the panko mixture.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until the peppers are tender and the topping is golden/bubbly.
- Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
To store: These jalapeno poppers are best right after they are baked, but you can also store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
To make ahead: This is the perfect appetizer to make ahead, then pop in the oven when you’re ready to eat. Just follow all the steps up until baking, then wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Pair these with this roy rogers drink for a delicious appetizer spread!
FAQs
Traditional jalapeno poppers aren’t gluten-free—they’re usually made with wheat-based breadcrumbs, which contain gluten. You can easily make gluten-free poppers by using gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Mix the Panko with melted butter to help it adhere to the jalapeno peppers—and to give them a crispier texture.
There’s no need to boil jalapenos before making poppers, since you’ll be baking them in the oven. This will make them nice and tender!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- For bacon jalapeno poppers: When in doubt, add bacon! For a savory, smoky flavor, you can wrap a thin slice of bacon around the poppers after stuffing, or add cooked bacon bits to the cream cheese filling.
- For vegan jalapeno poppers: You can easily make this recipe vegan by using vegan cream cheese (I like Kite Hill brand) and vegan cheddar shreds.
MORE GLUTEn-FREE APPETIZERS
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try these gluten-free jalapeno poppers, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Gluten-Free Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients
- 14 jalapeno peppers
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice each jalapeno pepper in half. Remove the ribs/seeds.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chives and garlic powder until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the gluten-free panko and melted butter.
- Fill each pepper half with some of the cheese mixture, and place on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the tops of the peppers evenly with the panko mixture.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until the peppers are tender and the topping is golden/bubbly.
- Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- For bacon jalapeno poppers: When in doubt, add bacon! For a savory, smoky flavor, you can wrap a thin slice of bacon around the poppers after stuffing, or add cooked bacon bits to the cream cheese filling.
- For vegan jalapeno poppers: You can easily make this recipe vegan by using vegan cream cheese (I like Kite Hill brand) and vegan cheddar shreds.
We also tried the bacon version and wow they are so delicious and worth it! Definitely a new favorite that will be added to our rotation.
These were such a huge hit!! I am so happy I made these, the gf breadcrumbs are amazing.