Vegan Jalapeno Poppers

Filled with creamy, spicy vegan cheese and topped with light breading, Vegan jalapeno poppers taste incredible. Baked or air-fried, these bite-sized treats are the perfect appetizer for game day! You will love this vegan jalapeno poppers recipe.

Whenever football season approaches, my husband asks about "football food," and I start thinking of ways to wow the boys. So today, in the spirit of all things football, I made a vegan jalapeno poppers recipe. Since jalapeno poppers aren't technically vegan, I veganized them with a new vegan jalapeno popper recipe. As a result, the jalapeno poppers disappeared in minutes. 

Jump to:

• How to Make Healthy Vegan Jalapeno Poppers
• Vegan Jalapeno Popper Ingredients
• Vegan Jalapeno Popper Ingredient Substitutions
• Baking Instructions
• Vegan Jalapeno Popper Dipping Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips:
• Great Appetizers for Game Days  
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Because jalapeno poppers aren't typically considered vegan food, making healthy vegan jalapeno poppers is the best way to enjoy the foods we love without sacrificing health. That said, vegan jalapeno poppers are a much healthier alternative to eating traditional jalapeno poppers. 

How to Make Healthy Vegan Jalapeno Poppers

• The first step in making delicious vegan jalapeno poppers is cutting and de-seeding the jalapeños.
• Removing the seeds from jalapenos reduces the spiciness.

• Always wear gloves to avoid burning the skin, eyes, or other body parts.
• Then, cut the stems off the ends of the jalapenos and cut lengthwise down each jalapeno. 

• Next, carefully remove each jalapeno piece's seeds and veins using gloves or the knife's sharp edge. 
• Set each carved-out jalapeno half on a cookie sheet or a-sided pan to prevent rolling. 

Vegan Jalapeno Popper Ingredients

• Jalapenos: Like people, peppers wrinkle as they age, and as they do, they are more likely to be spicy. So if you're after heat, choose peppers with fine lines and perhaps slacker skin for more kick. Likewise, look for younger, smooth-skinned jalapeños for a tamer bite.
• Raw Cashews: Raw cashews are used to create a creamy vegan cheese stuffing.
• Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is full of vitamin B 12 and tastes vegan cheesy.
• Lemon Juice & Zest: I prefer using fresh lemon and lemon zest.
• White Miso Paste: White miso paste supplies the umami flavoring to the cheese mixture.
• Salt: I like seas salt to enhance the flavors in the vegan jalapeno poppers recipe.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is dried ground garlic. It is much stronger than fresh garlic.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder is ground-dried onion.
• Agar-Agar: Agar-Agar powder is a gelling agent extracted from red algae, which is mainly used for setting jellies. Because gelatine is made from animal collagen, agar makes a viable vegetarian alternative. 
• Water: Water thins the mixture.
• Adobo Chili Pepper: Chipotles in adobo are smoked and dried jalapeños rehydrated and canned in a sweet and tangy purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and other spices.
• Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs are available canned, but I make mine by toasting brad and grinding in a small food processor.

Vegan Jalapeno Popper Ingredient Substitutions

• Serrano peppers are similar in flavor as well as size.
• If you don't like spicy, try stuffing baby bell peppers instead. Baby bell peppers are sweet, not spicy, and come in various bright colors.
• For a nut-free option, substitute the cashews with sunflower seeds, white beans or silken tofu.
• Use bottled lemon juice if you don't have fresh juice. To make up for the lemon zest, add an additional teaspoon of lemon juice.
• If you don't have any nutritional yeast, try adding more miso paste or substituting with soy sauce or Tamari for a gluten-free option.
• Yellow miso paste is an excellent substitute for white miso paste.
• Use 1 medium garlic clove to substitute for ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Instead of onion powder, use about ½ cup of fresh onion for every tablespoon of onion powder.
• Agar agar is an algae-based thickener that acts like a vegan form of gelatin. It requires a little more prep than most replacements, but you can swap it with xanthan gum in a 1:1 ratio.
• Or, substitute 1:1 for cornstarch. Agar agar flakes are odorless, tasteless sea vegetable gelatin. Substitute 1 tablespoon of agar for 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
• The best substitutes for Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are poblano peppers, ancho chilies, and any other smoked red pepper you can find.
• Make bread crumbs by toasting bread and crumbling it in a small food processor. This works for gluten-free bread as well.

• Once the cheese firms up in the refrigerator (about an hour) and hardens, it's time to fill the poppers.
• Next, fill each half of the carved-out jalapenos using a spoon and sprinkle with the bread topping. 
• Now, it's time to cook the poppers. Then, bake or air-fry the vegan jalapeno popper recipe. 

Baking Instructions

Oven

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Using a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, line a baking sheet. 
• Bake the jalapeno poppers for 16 minutes.
• Transfer to a serving platter and serve with your favorite vegan dipping sauce. 

Air Frying

• Cooking in batches, place individual filled poppers in the base of the air-fryer. 
• Cook at 325 degrees for 8 minutes.
• Repeat to cook all the poppers in a second batch.
• Choose your favorite dipping sauce and serve popper on a platter or plate. 

Vegan Jalapeno Popper Dipping Suggestions

My family loves vegan ranch dressing; however, if you aren't a ranch fan, there are many other dipping options.

• Mustard Dipping Sauce
• Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
• French Dressing
• Blackberry Dijon Sauce
• Maple Dijon Dressing
• Vegan Southwest Dressing

Recipe FAQs

Tips:

• Always use gloves while cooking with jalapenos.
• Remember, the second batch cooks more quickly when air-frying because the air-fryer is preheated.
• Try to select jalapeno peppers of similar size, so they cook evenly
• Prepare the poppers up to two days before cooking
• When freezing poppers, cook them first.
• If you don't like jalapenos or spice, use baby bell peppers instead of jalapenos and skip the adobo chili peppers in the cheese mix.
• I prefer to flash-freeze the jalapeno poppers individually on a baking sheet. Then, transfer them to a freezer-friendly container or bag. Next, reheat individual poppers or several poppers at one time. 
• Fresh jalapenos last 1-2 weeks refrigerated.

For game day or just a fabulous snack, try this vegan jalapenos popper recipe!

Great Appetizers for Game Days  

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