Gluten-Free Jalapeño Poppers for the Freezer

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Poppers for the Freezer

When the jalapeños start piling up in the garden, these gluten-free jalapeño poppers are one of my favorite ways to use a bunch at once.

I make at least a double batch, stuff them all at once, and freeze most of them before baking. Later, I can pull out exactly what we need for an appetizer, potluck, breakfast, or easy side dish.

And unlike a lot of jalapeño popper recipes, there’s no need to beat the cream cheese or sprinkle extra cheese over the tops. Just mix, stuff, freeze or bake.

Streamlined garden veggie preservation at its finest.

My family loves these, including those of us, myself included, who don’t particularly love a lot of heat. Removing the seeds and membranes keeps the heat level pretty manageable.

My eldest son, who is both our heat-lover and our most adventurous eater, has even been known to eat these stuffed jalapeños raw.

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Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Jalapeño Poppers

• A great way to use up a large jalapeño harvest
• Naturally gluten-free
• Easy to make in big batches
• Freezer-friendly before baking
• No mixer or extra topping step required
• Works as an appetizer, side dish, potluck contribution, or breakfast addition
• Bacon, cheddar, garlic, and cream cheese make even garden jalapeños pretty irresistible

Ingredients

Fresh jalapeños
Garden-fresh jalapeños are perfect here. Slice them lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes for a milder popper.

Cream cheese
Let it soften at room temperature so it’s easy to mix by hand.

Cooked bacon
Chop it fairly small so it distributes evenly throughout the filling. I use our homegrown bacon!

Freshly grated cheddar cheese
I recommend raw cheddar when you can find it. Freshly grated cheese also melts much better than pre-shredded.

Garlic
Fresh minced garlic adds plenty of flavor without making the filling complicated.

Unrefined sea salt
I use Redmond Real Salt.

Use code KEEPITREAL for 15% off your order of my favorite unrefined sea salt, including this tasty organic season salt, and no-junk electrolytes.

Onion powder
Adds another layer of savory flavor.

Black pepper
Just enough to round everything out.

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How to Make Gluten-Free Jalapeño Poppers

Prep the Jalapeños

Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise and remove the stems, seeds, and membranes.

Mix the Filling

Add the softened cream cheese to a bowl. No need to whip it, just use the back of a metal spoon to smoosh and spread it around a bit.

Add the bacon, cheddar, garlic, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Stir until evenly combined.

Fill the Jalapeños

Use a small spoon to fill each jalapeño half with the cream cheese mixture.

Bake

Arrange the filled jalapeños on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes (only 5-8 minutes in an air fryer/toaster oven!), or until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot and bubbly.

No whipping the cream cheese and no extra layer of shredded cheddar on top.

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How to Freeze Jalapeño Poppers

This is where these really earn their place in my garden preservation routine. Instead of trying to eat an entire harvest of jalapeños at once, I assemble several batches of freezer jalapeño poppers and save them for later.

Arrange on a Tray

Place the filled, unbaked jalapeño halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray.

Flash Freeze

Freeze overnight, or until completely firm.

Transfer for Storage

Move the frozen poppers to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Because they’re already frozen individually, they won’t stick together.

Bake Later

Thaw the jalapeño poppers in the refrigerator, then bake as usual.

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How to Turn Jalapeños Poppers Into Dinner

These gluten-free jalapeño poppers don’t have to be reserved for parties.

I often serve them alongside a simple weeknight dinner of meat and vegetables.

They’re especially good with:

• Steak
• Salsa Shredded Chicken
• Roasted Chicken
• Burgers
• Shortcut Pork Carnitas
• Slow-Smoked Pastured Pork
• Slow Cooker Pork Roast
• Oven Roasted Potato Wedges

They also make a surprisingly good addition to breakfast.

Serve them alongside eggs, breakfast meat, and either vegetables or potatoes for a hearty savory breakfast.

Serving Ideas for Jalapeño Poppers

Jalapeño poppers are an easy choice for:

• appetizers
• potlucks
• game-day food
• cookouts
• holiday gatherings
• simple weeknight sides
• savory breakfasts

Because they freeze so well, you can keep a stash ready instead of starting from scratch whenever you need something to bring or serve.

Storage and Freezer Notes

Store baked leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat until warmed through.

For longer storage, I prefer freezing these before baking.

Flash freeze the filled jalapeños on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

During garden season, I usually make at least a double batch at one time. Once you already have the cutting board, bacon, cheese, and jalapeños out, it makes sense to put a good number away for later. By the time cold weather arrives and puts a stop to pepper production in my garden, I’ve stashed away quite a supply of these delicious poppers for the months to come.

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More Ways to Use Up Jalapeños

If the garden is still giving you more jalapeños than you know what to do with, here are a few more ways I like to use and preserve them:

• Sriracha for a homemade fermented hot sauce
• Salsa for fresh eating or canning
• Hot pepper jam for serving with meat, cheese, crackers, or appetizers
• Chicken Taco Soup Starter for an easy freezer meal
• Freeze-dried jalapeños chopped and preserved for later use in soups, sauces, eggs, tacos, and more. I especially like chopping and freeze drying jalapeños because they take up very little space and are easy to grab by the handful later.

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Gluten-Free Jalapeño Poppers for the Freezer

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• Author: Kathleen | Roots & Boots
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 24 poppers 1x

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Description

Easy gluten-free jalapeño poppers stuffed with cream cheese, bacon, cheddar, and garlic. Make a big batch and freeze some for later.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 12-24 fresh jalapeños, depending on size
• 7–8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 4–6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
• 2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese (I prefer raw)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1. Heat oven or air fryer/toaster oven to 400°F.
2. Slice jalapeños in half lengthwise. Remove stems, seeds, and membranes.
3. Place softened cream cheese in a bowl and use the back of a metal spoon to soften and spread it.
4. Stir in bacon, cheddar, garlic, salt, onion powder, and pepper.
5. Spoon filling into each jalapeño half.
6. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for up to 20 minutes (only 5 minutes in an air fryer/toaster oven), or until hot and bubbly.

To Freeze

1. Fill jalapeños but do not bake.
2. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray.
3. Freeze until firm, preferably overnight.
4. Transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.
5. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking as directed.

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