Easy to make and even easier to eat, these cheesy Baked Jalapeño Popper Phyllo Cups are the ultimate appetizer! Everyone is sure to adore this jazzed up, bite-sized, crowd-pleasing recipe!
I’ve got some serious rambling to do today, so I’m foregoing the typical food blogger protocol of making you endure my blabbering before rewarding you with a recipe.
Eff that noise.
Here’s the good stuff:
Baked Jalapeño Popper Phyllo Cups
This recipe is crazy easy to double, triple, or even quadruple to feed a large crowd!
Make a little… or a LOT!
Baked Jalapeño Popper Phyllo Cups
Easy to make and even easier to eat, these baked jalapeño popper phyllo cups are the ultimate appetizer! Everyone is sure to adore this jazzed up, bite-sized, crowd-pleasing recipe!
Ingredients
- 45 frozen phyllo shells (3 packages of 15)
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 4 oz softened cream cheese
- 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese (see notes)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar
- 1/3 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a baking sheet by lining with foil and spritzing with a little olive or oil to prevent sticking. Feel free to use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper instead. All will work.
- Arrange phyllo cups on your baking sheet and set aside.
- Combine greek yogurt and softened cream cheese in a bowl.
- Add freshly grated cheeses, pickled jalapeños, and garlic powder (optional but delicious!)
- Spoon mixture into cups and bake for approx 13 minutes or until crispy and melty. Feel free to switch the oven or toaster oven to broil for a minute or so for a golden topping!
- I may or may not have eaten a few before popping them in the oven. Holy yum! They’re actually great chilled too! Yes I was so desperate as to try them every which way. I’ll eat them upside down if I have to! SO GOOD!
- Craving an extra kick? Top with some zesty red pepper flakes. You can also garnish with fresh sliced (or pickled!) jalapeno slices! Yum!
Recipe Notes
Habanero cheddar and Jalapeno cheddar cheeses work great as well as the Pepper Jack cheese – Choose your favorite!
Need a smaller serving? Feel free to halve the recipe or simply make the full amount and freeze the leftovers! You can also simply fill as many fillo shells as you need, then save the remainder of the filling for a delish dip to snack on later. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and taste great!
Need a make-ahead appetizer? This one has your back! For best results prepare the filling and refrigerate for up to 48 hours in advance. Then simply fill the cups and bake to bubbly perfection! Need to shave even more time? You can fill the shells before popping them in the fridge then bake when you’re ready to nosh the following day.
BONUS RECIPE!
This is totally one of those bonus recipe inception type of deals with a recipe within a recipe. You can follow the full schpiel and make the jalapeño bites as written above or simply serve the filling up as a dip with a small mountain of tortilla chips, some fresh bakery baguette, and a pile of crunchy veggies. Easy peasy!
I usually jump back and forth between the two, but my favorite dip delivery method is by far via phyllo cups! They’re so flaky and cruncy and perfect for the easy cheesy jalapeño dip!
I’ve always served this dip in a baking dish, and have been making it for parties for the past several years. If you’re anything like my friends you’re screaming “WHY IS THIS NOT ON THE BLOG!?” and quite possibly shaking a fist in the air menacingly while you do so.
I know, I’m the worst. I let my food blogger insecurities get the best of me and couldn’t get a decent photo of my dip to save my life. I’ve tried everything under the sun to make this dip look pretty and each and every time I’m left with an un-photogenic hot mess. A delicious hot mess, but un-photogenic to say the least.
Hello understatement of the century.
But you guys know how it works, sometimes the most delicious dishes are the ugliest ones. My Madras Lentils and black bean dip can surely attest to that. Terrible on the eyes; delicious in the face! I’ve always lumped my beloved jalapeño popper dip into that category and simply let it be.
Until now.
Now my dip is pretty. AND in it’s own crunchy little bite-sized bowl-o-yum. Perfection! I may or may not have scarfed over a dozen of these in a sitting. No regrets!
Can’t find premade fillo cups or shells? No problem! Make your own at home with this super simple technique from Bless This Mess and The Kitchn.
If you get a chance to try these Baked Jalapeño Popper Phyllo Cups, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Rizzo
Do you remove the seeds from the jalapeños? Do you use sharp or x-sharp cheese? Thanks!
Jenn
Hi Rizzo! If I’m making it for just my husband and I to snack on, I let the seeds in on the fun. If I’m making it for friends, I’ll usually skip the seeds. Cheese can be interchanged based on what you have handy! I wrote this recipe using sharp but extra sharp can work as well. Also Cabot brand pepper jack is my favorite to use here. So melty and good! Hope this helps. xoxo
Michelle
Has anyone ever made this with canned jalapeños that are NOT pickled?
Mar
Are the jalapeño peppers drained?
Jenn
Great question Mar! Ok so I kind of do partial drain, and when I scoop out each tablespoon from the jar I tilt it a little against the inside rim of the jar to pour off any extra liquid, but not like a full drain until dry sort of thing. I feel like a little of the liquid adds flavor!
Gayle
Could these be made in an air fryer?
Jenn
Hi Gayle! I’m not sure as the cups are already crispy that all they need is a quick bake. I don’t have an air fryer to test it with but LMK if you experiment! xo
Alisha Wagenbach
Hi! Were you Phyllo cups prebaked before you filled them? THanks!
Jenn
Hi Alisha! The ones I buy are already crisped/baked and then stored in the freezer section of my grocery store. I use them straight out of the package without pre-baking them since they’re already light and crispy! The kind I buy are called “Athens Mini Fillo Shells” – Hope this helps! xoxo
Alisha Wagenbach
That exactly what I wanted to know, thanks! They look amazing, can’t wait to try them!
Jenn
Yay! Soooo excited for you to try them! xoxo
Kristin
One of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth. All the deliciousness of poppers in a creamy, gooey dip. We didn’t have phyllo cups, but it worked perfectly as a dip for corn tortilla chips. The bowl was practically empty in minutes.
Total fan girl of this recipe and will be keeping it on hand as a definite crowd-pleaser.
Jenn
Ahhhh yay! So super stoked you enjoyed the popper dip!
Rebecca Hubbell
These were such a hit at the party I threw last weekend, so easy too!
Julie Evink
I love jalapeno poppers but hate all the work! These were so delicious and so much easier. Going to make these while watching football all fall!!
Jen
I absolutely love this recipe! It has become my app go-to for parties. I use fresh jalapeños instead of canned and add a little crispy turkey bacon. There’s never any left! Next stop…the Super Bowl. Thanks so much!!
Jenn
So so SO glad you love it! And hooray for fresh jalapeños! The ones here have been especially good lately so I’ve been buying them by the cartful! <3 Hope you have a fabulous weekend Jen -- Thanks for the super sweet review! 🙂
Sunny
Are these good served @ room temperature?
Jenn
My friends and I love them hot or room temperature, as long as they’re out we can’t stop eating them! <3
Jessica
This looks delish! Do you think I could sub the greek yogurt for a light sour cream?
Jenn
Thanks Jessica! Absolutely! Not long after I published this post I switched to using Greek Yogurt in place of sour cream entirely – I’m obsessed with Fage’s plain nonfat and 2% Greek yogurts!
Jana
These look great…would you recommend freezing before baking or after?
Jenn
I tried both and it worked great either way! Freezing before will be the easier of the two methods so I’ll be doing that from here on out 🙂 Hope you adore them!
Linda Lamb
have not been able to find Greek Yogurt pepper jack cheese. Can you tell me a brand so that I can follow up with mfg to see if it is stocked anywhere in my area?
Jenn
Hi Linda! Absolutely! Regular Pepper Jack works absolutely fabulous in this recipe but the yogurt cheese is amazing as well. I’ve been buying the same brand for just about a year now. It’s called “The Cultured Way” and around here they have it at Publix and Harris Teeter, and I think I’ve seen it another place as well! It’s DELISH!
Cheryl Zimmerman
Jalapeno and cheese is one of my favrite combinations, but phyllo cups are a little out of my budget. Do you suppose I could use wonton wrappers? I’ve used them for mini baked snacks before, and they make nice “cups” for things.
Thanks, Cheryl 🙂
Jenn
Thanks Cheryl! I feel ya, I stock up and freeze them in my deep freezer when they’re ridiculously on sale. There’s a link to a homemade phyllo cup recipe using phyllo sheets in the post. It’s super easy and the phyllo sheets are cheaper than wonton wrappers for the amount you end up with. Won-ton cups will absolutely work too if you have them handy already! Have fun with it! <3
Kalee @ The Crowded Table
This dip sounds amazing! And how have I never heard of yogurt cheese? I will have to try and track some down. 🙂
Jenn
I can’t recall the brand to save my life right now but I’ll write it down next time I purchase a block! It’s over in the fancy cheese section of the supermarket but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg! I’m obsessed! It’s basically really yummy cheese with probiotic cultures <3
Anne
I’m laughing – that whole constant blog problem. Food that Looks Good and food that Tastes Good are not always the same! And so many readers are convinced otherwise…
Your cute little cups are a great workaround.
Jenn
Thanks Anne! I have to get creative to get the bowls-o-slop to look as delicious as they taste! My phyllo shell addiction proved a bit useful 😉
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I think this summer be should have operation eat all the cheese run in tandem with operation eat all the veggies.
Debbie Spivey
Oh my GAWD!!! I am obsessed with this recipe. YUM!
amanda @ fake ginger
Ooooh, I’m so making these for football season this year!
Amber @ Slim Pickin's Kitchen
OMG! How amazing do these look?!? So.much.yum.
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