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Jalapeño Popper Bites are a savory, cheddar cheese cookie filled with cream cheese and topped with homemade jalapeño jelly.
These Jalapeño Popper Bites are a great way to enjoy some of that homemade Jalapeño Jelly we shared here.
As we were eating some of that addictively good jelly, Jack and I started brainstorming ideas for how we could serve it – and that’s when we came up with the idea for these Jalapeño Popper Bites.
How do you make Jalapeño Popper Bites?
These Jalapeño Popper Bites start with the idea of a typical thumbprint cookie – but we added a delicious, savory twist.
We baked up a nut-coated cheddar cheese cookie, pressing the dough in the middle with our thumb (hence the name ‘thumbprint cookie’) to create a well for a dollop of jelly. Building on the idea of everyone’s favorite jalapeño poppers appetizer, we added a dollop of cream cheese, then a spoonful of our homemade Jalapeño Jelly.
You’re going to love these Jalapeño Popper Bites! The salty, cheesy cheddar cookie with the cool and creamy cream cheese, then the sweet and spicy jelly is an addictively good snack or appetizer for any party!
Note: Our recipe today was adapted from one found on FiveHeartHome. When we were brainstorming ideas for this Jalapeño Popper Bites recipe, we found that my friend and fellow-blogger Samantha had already created a very similar recipe. We changed up the recipe a bit, adding diced pickled jalapenos to spice up the ‘cookie’ batter even more, and also added cream cheese to make it popper-style. Even with the changes, we wanted to give Samantha a lot of credit for the execution behind our recipe today. Check out her version here.
You might enjoy these other Appetizer recipes:
- Baked Jalapeño Poppers
- Mini Shepherd’s Pie Bites
- Baked Fig Crostini
- Black Garlic Bulgogi Beef Crostini
- Lamb and Eggplant Crostini with Salad
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Jalapeño Popper Bites
Ingredients
8 ounce block sharp white cheddar cheese
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup drained pickled jalapeños, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 whole eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups pecans
6 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Jalapeño Jelly, see recipe here
Instructions
Shred the cheddar into a food processor and add melted butter, chopped jalapeños, Parmesan cheese, egg yolks, all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, salt, cumin and coriander. Process until the mixture comes together into a ball, about a minute or less.
Lay out a long sheet of plastic and roll the dough into a log about 18” long on the plastic then wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
While the dough is under refrigeration for 30 minutes, process the pecans to a fine crumb and pour into a wide small bowl.
Whisk the two egg whites slightly and place into another small bowl.
After the dough sits for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and set oven rack in top position.
Line two sheet trays with parchment paper.
Unwrap the dough log and cut in half, then each half in half, then each quarter in half. Take the eight pieces and cut each into three which will yield a total of 24 pieces.
Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Then dip a few at a time into the egg whites, drain then roll in the pecan crumbs. Get a good coating of nuts on each one.
Place 12 evenly spaced on the two prepared pans.
Use a half teaspoon measurer and make an indent into each one, pressing down deep enough to accommodate a little less than a teaspoon of cream cheese. Neaten up the sides and top so they are even and smooth.
Fill each cavity to the top with cream cheese dividing the cream cheese between the 24 cookies.
Bake one pan at a time for 14-15 minutes until slightly golden. The bottoms get dark quickly so do not bake more than 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately drop a dollop of jalapeño jelly over the top of each one keeping it centered above the cream cheese. I used about a half teaspoon of jalapeño jelly on each.
Remove to a rack to cool.
Bake the second pan and repeat with the jelly and move to a rack to cool.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Best served warm or at room temperature.
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I made this for Tex-Mex night. My husband Joseph thought it was fabulous. It was great to have the kids help out. These recipes helped me get back into the kitchen. I’m so excited to make this again.
Thank you Jolene!