Easy and light Baked Jalapeno Poppers stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar, baked in the oven, and topped with chips! Crispy, creamy and cheesy perfection!
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Chips? Yes! I crushed up some of Quest Nutrition Nacho Cheese Protein Chips and added them to the top.
These poppers did turn out amazing, but I also just love the chips themselves so I made super I saved some (a lot)! Check out my reviews on their other flavors and go get yourself some.
Another one of those recipes I’ve been meaning to get to for a while, but somehow just never came to be.
I actually bought a bag of Jalapeños for this 2 months ago, and waited so long they got moldy.
This time it was just 2 weeks since the purchase, so thankfully it wasn’t too late!
Ingredients Baked Jalapeno Poppers with Chips?
- Jalapeño peppers
- Cream Cheese
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese – Regular fat, but its only a little
- Garlic Powder & Onion Powder
- Chips – Cheddar cheese flavor if possible.
Since this recipe uses barely any chips and is without bread crumbs, it makes low-carb and keto-friendly jalapeño poppers!
How to make cream cheese stuffed jalapeño peppers in the oven?
- Clean the peppers – Wash, slice, and take out all those ribs and seeds on the inside. Those seeds are what make them spicy. So without it you’re just left with
- (Optional) Soften the cream cheese – If you took this out of the refrigerator like I did, microwave it on high for about 7-10 seconds until its soft and mix-able.
- Add in the shredded cheddar, chopped cilantro, garlic powder and onion powder and mix it all
- Stuff the peppers with the mix
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F
- Top with crushed chips
Easy, lightened up stuffed Jalapeño poppers in under 30 minutes!
What makes these jalapeño poppers healthy?
Reduced Fat Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is the core (after the actual Jalapeño peppers of course) of these poppers, so to keep the calories and fat content low, I used a reduced/low fat version. The box usually says “Neufchatel” or “⅓ Less Fat” or something of the sort on it.
Very little Shredded Cheddar
Yes there is normal shredded cheddar cheese, but this recipe uses a lot less than normal stuffed baked jalapeno poppers have. You can even use a reduced fat version to cut it down!
Baked
While some recipes call for deep frying, these jalapeño poppers are baked in the oven. You can also cook them in an air fryer for about 10 minutes.
No bread crumbs
Top these jalapeño poppers with healthier chips instead of bread crumbs.
I used Quest Nutrition Nacho Cheese flavored protein chips for this recipe, but any cheesy chips will work.
If you’re using potato chips, try to go for the baked or reduced fat versions. Or even “alternate ingredient” chips like the ones made from beans or peas and such.
This also makes gluten-free jalapeño poppers!
Can you store Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers?
If you have any leftovers, here’s what you can do:
- Let them cool completely
- Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate
When you’re ready to dig in, just microwave them for about 10-15 seconds or a little longer.
Can you freeze cooked jalapeño poppers?
No. I would not recommend this at all. Freezing the peppers would make them extremely soggy when you take them out, and it will ruin the texture of the entire dish.
Can you make jalapeno poppers in advance?
- Prep just the filling: You can make the cream cheese filling a day ahead and keep them it in the fridge. Stuff the peppers when you’re ready to go.
- Stuff and keep: If you really want. You can also stuff the peppers ahead fo time, but make sure the container you use is airtight and completely sealed, or the peppers will get soft.
Add-ins for jalapeno poppers:
To add a little kick to these babies, feel free to add some of these into the filling when you’re mixing it up:
- Cooked and chopped bacon
- Cooked ground sausage
- A bit of buffalo sauce or hot sauce
- Green onion
Some dishes to pair with baked healthy Jalapeno Poppers:
- Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin in Mustard-Cream Sauce
- Baked Almond Crusted Chicken Tenders
- Smoky Hot Ketchup Chicken Meatballs
- Marinated and Baked Greek Chicken Tenders
Lightened-Up Chip-Topped Baked Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
- 4 4-5" long Jalapeño Peppers, about 12 3” long, 170g
- 3 oz Cream Cheese, Reduced Fat, 85g, about 6 Tbsp
- 3 Tbsp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded, 21g
- 1 Tbsp Cilantro, Chopped
- ⅛ tsp Garlic Powder
- ⅛ tsp Onion Powder
- 4 Cheddar Cheese Flavored Chips, about 5g
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Wash bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, and remove ribs and seeds from the inside.
- Optional: Soften cream cheese by chopping and microwaving for 10-15 seconds if hard.
- In a small bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cilantro, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir until uniform.
- Place peppers on a baking sheet and stuff with filling, diving equally.
- Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browning at the top.
- Place chips in a resealable zipper bag and crush using hands on rolling pin.
- Transfer peppers to a serving dish and top with crushed chips. Garnish with Cilantro and serve!
Notes
- Allow to cool completely.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave before serving.
- Quest Nutrition Nacho Cheese Protein Chips
- IWON Organics Nacho Cheese Protein Stix
- Servings: 8 4-5” long popper halves | Serving size: 2 halves
- Calories: 94kcal
- Fat: 6.8g | Saturated fat: 4.2g
- Carbohydrates: 4g | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 1.6g
- Protein: 3.3g
These were DELICIOUS!! The chips add such a great crunch and zesty flavor to the spicy jalapeño. I will totally make them again.
I’m thrilled you found this recipe and gave it a try Maggie! The crunch of the chips really makes a difference on these jalapeño poppers!