Jalapeño Popper Wontons bring together the best of both worlds: creamy, cheesy jalapeño poppers and crispy, golden wontons. Easy to make and perfect for parties!
These bite-sized delights are loaded with tangy cream cheese, sharp cheddar, spicy jalapeños, and fresh chives, all tucked into a crunchy golden shell. They’re the perfect mix of creamy, cheesy, and just-spicy-enough, making them dangerously addictive.
Jalapeño poppers are already a crowd-pleaser, but wrap them in a crispy wonton, and you’ve got a next-level appetizer. Whether you bake or air-fry them, these poppable bites will disappear so fast, you might want to make a double batch!
I love serving these crispy baked wonton cups with sweet and sour sauce, but honestly, they’re good enough to eat straight off the tray.
Table of Content
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Deep-Frying: Baked to golden perfection; crispy, delicious, and oil-free.
- Hassle-Free: Deliver all the cheesy, spicy goodness of jalapeño poppers with minimal effort and easy cleanup. No need to mess around with seeding, stuffing, and breading whole jalapeños.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare the ingredients in advance and assemble just before baking, making it convenient for entertaining.
- Perfect Party Snack: Easy to make, easy to eat, and always a hit! They’re ideal as finger food for potlucks, super bowl party, picnics, or Iftar table.
Want more easy party snacks? Check out my cheesy smashed potatoes, coconut date balls or pizza rolls.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Jalapeno Peppers: For the best flavor and texture, use fresh, firm, smooth, vibrant green jalapeños. Remove seeds and white ribs for a milder spice, or leave some seeds for extra heat.
- Cream Cheese: I recommend using full-fat plain cream cheese for a rich, creamy texture, but low-fat works for a lighter option. Both spreadable and block cream cheese can be used; spreadable is easier to mix, while block needs to be softened first. You can also add a dallop of sour cream to the filling.
- Cheddar Cheese: I like using sharp shredded cheddar, but Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or gouda can also be used.
- Chives: Can be substituted with green onions (scallions).
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, black pepper, and a pinch sea salt. Black pepper can be replaced with smoked paprika for a touch of smokiness or omitted.
- Wonton Wrappers: Forms the crispy shell. You can use round or square ones. You can find them in the fresh produce or refrigerated section at your local grocery store. Egg roll wrappers (also used in my Keema Samosa) cut into squares are a suitable alternative.
How To Make Jalapeño Popper Wontons
Let's make this delicious and easy jalapeno popper wontons recipe!
- Add cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeños, chives, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a medium bowl.
- Mix well and refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up the filling while you bake the shells.
- Grease a muffin pan, place 2 wonton squares in each cup, spray with oil, and bake until light golden.
- Let the wonton shells cool before adding the cream cheese mixture.
- Fill each wonton shell with the cream cheese mixture, top with shredded cheddar and jalapeños. Bake again until cheese melts
- Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with chives, and serve with my avocado dip.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 175°C (350°C)
- Press wonton wrappers into a lightly greased air fryer-safe mini muffin tin or silicone molds, then air fry for 5-7 minutes until golden and crisp. Let them cool before filling.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture and then air fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the air fryer, garnish and serve hot.
Helpful Tips
- Use two sheets of wonton wrapper or egg roll sheet to ensure crispiness. One sheet will get soggy as soon as you add some filling.
- Arrange the wontons cups in a single layer without overlapping to allow hot air to circulate freely.
- Allow the wonton shells to cool slightly before topping with the spicy jalapeno popper filling.
Variations
- Add cooked ground turkey, chicken, vegan bacon bits or sausage to the filling for a protein-packed version.
- Try using flavored cream cheeses like garlic and herb, chive, or buffalo cream cheese to oomph up the taste even more.
- You can also use this jalapeño popper filling in other ways. Stuff it into chicken breasts, top nachos with it, add it to breakfast sandwich, serve it as a dip with nachos, make fried jalapeno bites coated with panko bread crumbs or even add it to baked potatoes for a creamy, spicy twist.
I have already used it in my jalapeno popper cucumber salad!
Storage
Store leftover jalapeño popper wontons in a single layer an airtight container once they have completely cooled. You can keep them refrigerated for up to 2 days in the fridge. You can also freeze prepared wontons in a freezer for up to 2 months.
To reheat, bake at 180°C (355°F) or air fry at 170°C (340°F) for 4-8 minutes (from refrigerated) or 8-10 minutes (from frozen). If you microwave them, they will not be as crisp.
You can also make these jalapeno popper wonton cups in advance. Prepare the cream cheese filling and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bake the wonton shells until golden and allow them to cool before storing in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Once ready to serve, spoon the refrigerated filling into the wontons and bake according to recipe instructions.
What To Serve With Jalapeño Popper Wonton Cups
Here are some great options to pair with these jalapeno cream cheese wontons:
- Dips like avocado crema, sweet tamarind chutney, or sweet and sour sauce complement the heat of these spicy wonton cups.
- Savory sides like crispy potato fries, sourdough grilled cheese, or mushroom bisque add a balance to their richness.
- Drinks like a cold lemonade, mojito, or iced tea are perfect to cool down the spice. Or enjoy these creamy jalapeno wontons with a hot cup of masala chai or pink tea.
FAQ
Spoon the filling into the cups just before serving and place them on a wire rack to allow air circulation, which prevents heat from making them soggy.
Keep the wonton wrappers covered with a damp cloth while working to prevent them from becoming brittle and hard to handle.
Cheddar, cream cheese, and Monterey Jack are popular choices that pair wonderfully with jalapeños. You can also use a blend of cheeses for extra flavor, like mozzarella for creaminess or pepper jack for added heat.
Jalapeño heat varies based on growing conditions, but older peppers with tiny white lines or flecks on their skin tend to be spicier. Younger jalapeños with smooth, shiny skin usually have a milder flavor.
More Delicious Appetizers
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Jalapeño Popper Wontons
Ingredients
- ¾ cup cream cheese
- 2 jalapenos seeded and diced
- ½ cup shredded cheddar plus extra for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoon chives chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper optional
- pinch sea salt
- 48 squares egg roll sheets or wonton wrappers see note 1
Equipment
Instructions
- Mix cream cheese, shredded cheddar, diced jalapeño, chives, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the cream cheese to firm up while preparing the wonton cups.
- Meanwhile, grease a muffin pan with a cooking spray and place two wonton wrappers in each muffin cup, pressing firmly to form a cup shape. Spray lightly with oil again and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°C) for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Keep them light at this stage, as they will be baked again.
- Remove the muffin tray from the oven and let the wonton cups cool.
- Once cooled, spoon a teaspoon of the cream cheese filling into each wonton cup. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheddar and diced jalapeño if desired.
- Bake again with only the top grill on for 4-6 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and transfer to a serving dish.
- Sprinkle with chives, and serve these crispy wonton cups with your favorite dip.
Video
Notes
- For a mini muffin pan, use 7 cm (2.75-inch) wonton or egg roll wrappers. For a standard muffin tray, opt for 10 cm (4-inch) squares. If your wrappers are larger, simply trim them to size for the perfect fit.
- This jalapeno popper filling makes 24 mini wonton cups or 12 standard cups. If scooping into regular sized muffin try add a tablespoon of mixture.
- It’s best to re-bake the filled wonton cups in the muffin tray to help them hold their shape and prevent the filling from spilling over. However, if the wonton shells are sturdy enough, you can place them on a large baking tray. Just be careful when transferring them to avoid any tipping.
Nutrition
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