Description
If you love the spicy, creamy, cheesy goodness of jalapeño poppers, these jalapeño popper cups are about to become your new obsession. They're crispy, savory, and packed with flavor - plus they're easy to make and even easier to devour!
Ingredients
- 3-4 fresh jalapeńos (will depend on size of peppers)
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 ounces white cheddar cheese, fine shredded
- 3 ounces (1 cup) crispy bacon, chopped (about 10 strips)
- 1 box frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed according to package instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Lightly butter the bottom and sides of 24-36 mini muffin cups.
PREP THE JALAPEÑOS
- De-stem and de-seed the jalapeños.
Don't touch your face or eyes - gloves are recommended for this step. - Set aside until assembly.
MIX THE FILLING
- Add cream cheese and shredded white cheddar cheese to a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or a heavy duty spoon to mix until well combined.
- Add diced jalapenos and crispy, diced bacon to the cheese mixture and stir until well mixed.
- Set aside until ready to assemble. This can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
MAKE PUFF PASTRY CUPS AND ASSEMBLE
NOTE: Puff pastry should be thawed according to package directions but kept cold while working to retain the flaky layers. If it starts getting warm, refrigerate for 10 minutes before resuming.
- Place 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured board and use a rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle about 12 inches x 10 inches. You want the pastry thinner than when it comes out of the box.
- Use a biscuit cutter that is 1” larger in diameter than the bottom of your muffin cups and cut out puff pastry rounds. We used a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.
- Gently place one round over a muffin cup and press into the cup using your fingers, bottom of a small shot glass, or a tart tamper (our favorite). Repeat with all of the cut circles.
- Roll, cut, and form the cups with the other puff pastry square.
- Once all the pastry cups are formed, use a small scoop or spoon and fill the pastry cups with jalapeño cheese mixture. It’s fine to have the cheese cup full and even a little heaping on top - the cheese will melt and it will shrink down a little.
- Place in a 400°F oven for 10-15 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven, transfer the individual pastry cups to a serving platter and serve warm.
Notes
Substitutions. Swap the white cheddar for pepper jack, yellow cheddar, goat cheese, or a mix of other cheeses that melt easily. Use turkey bacon or omit the bacon for a vegetarian option. In a pinch you can use crescent roll dough, pie dough, wonton wrappers, or phyllo dough cups instead of puff pastry. The flavor and texture will be different but still good.
Make ahead of time. Make filling up to 2 days in advance. Assemble cups up to a day before baking. Store in airtight containers in the fridge.
Use a spoon to remove the pastries from the tins. While still hot, run the spoon around the outside of the pastry, scoop under the cup, and lift the cup out of the muffin tin.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pastry cup
- Calories: 43
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 53.9 mg
- Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.9 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 8.8 mg
