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–+ servings
Vegan jalapeño poppers on baking tray.
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Jalapeño Poppers Recipe

Vegan Jalapeño Poppers are tangy, spicy, salty, and absolutely irresistible! Made with eggplant “bacon” and cashew cream cheese, these popable bites are Whole30 compliant + paleo + gluten-free + dairy-free.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Vegan
Cuisine: American
Keyword: allergy free, appetizer, cajun, cashew cream cheese, cream cheese, dairy free, gluten free, jalapeno, jalapeno poppers, low carb, paleo, party food, vegan, vegan bacon, vegan cream cheese, whole 30, whole30
Servings: 24 poppers
Calories: 69kcal
Author: Bethany Galloway

Ingredients

Eggplant Bacon:

  • 1/2 medium eggplant sliced (see instructions)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke
  • 1/2 tablespoon coconut aminos

Cashew Cream Cheese:

  • 250 g cashews soaked*
  • 1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice to taste

Other ingredients:

  • 12 jalapeños
  • 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning

Instructions

Eggplant Bacon:

    The night before:

    • Using a mandoline slicer if you have one, or a knife, slice the eggplant into thin strips lengthways.
      A hand holding up thinly sliced eggplant.
    • Cut the slices in half lengthways. You'll have two long, thin pieces of eggplant per slice.
      Eggplant sliced in half.
    • Mix the smoky paprika, maple syrup, liquid smoke and coconut aminos together.
      Vegan bacon marinade in a white bowl with a spoon.
    • Mix the eggplant with the marinade and marinate the eggplant overnight.
      Pouring marinade over eggplant.

    Next day:

    • Preheat the oven to 110°C/230°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
    • Bake the eggplant in a single layer for 10 minutes. It should be cooked but not crispy.
      Eggplant on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
    • Allow the eggplant to cool.

    Vegan Cream Cheese:

    • Soak cashews in boiled water for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight).
    • In a medium bowl, add the drained cashews, nutritional yeast, unsweetened almond milk, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
      Cashew cream cheese ingredients in a large white bowl.
    • Blend it together until it forms a paste with either a hand blender or a food processor.
      Blended vegan cream cheese in a white bowl with an immersion blender.

    Assemble the Vegan Jalapeño Poppers:

    • Turn the heat on the oven up to 160°C/320°F (or see below for air fryer option).
    • Cut the jalapeños in half lengthways. I usually leave the stem on because I like how it looks, but feel free to cut the stems.
      Halved jalapenos, deseeded.
    • Remove all the seeds and veins with a spoon.
      Scooping seeds and veins from a jalapeno pepper with a spoon.
    • Spoon vegan cream cheese into jalapeño halves OR Fill a piping bag with vegan cream cheese and pipe cream cheese into jalapeño halves.
      Spooning cheese mixture into jalapeno halves.
    • Wrap eggplant bacon around jalapeños and filling.
      Jalapeno popper wrapped in eggplant bacon.
    • Place on greaseproof/parchment lined baking tray.
    • Sprinkle with cajun seasoning.
      Jalapeno poppers sprinkled with cajun seasoning.
    • Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

    Air fryer instructions

    • Preheat the air fryer to 160°C/320°F.
    • Spray some olive oil if needed and carefully add the jalapeño poppers to the air fryer basket.
    • Air fry them for 10-15 minutes until they begin to turn golden brown.
    • Remove the air fryer jalapeno poppers from the basket and allow them to cool for a few minutes before eating.

    Video

    Notes

    • Cashews: I prefer to soak the cashews overnight but if you're pressed for time, soak for 30 minutes in boiled water.
    • Bread crumbs: You can sprinkle some regular, panko breadcrumbs, or gluten-free breadcrumbs over these easy vegan jalapeno poppers for a crispy topping!
    • Cheese: You can't really replace the creamy cheese filling with vegan cheddar cheese or even regular vegan cream cheese. It just melts into a puddle. I did try! Stick to the recipe for the creamy filling!
    • Extra cheesy filling: If you have some cream cheese leftover (or happen to make double!) it makes an excellent dipping sauce with tortilla chips!
    • Wear gloves: Jalapeno peppers can be pretty spicy food and when you're slicing them they can actually burn your hands (speaking from experience!). You can avoid this by wearing gloves while you slice them and remove the seeds and veins. Take care not to touch your face, especially your eyes after handling hot peppers.

    Storage instructions

    • Fridge: Vegan Jalapeno Poppers will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, and they also taste great cold!
    • Reheat: If you want to reheat them, just pop them back in the oven on a baking sheet, microwave, or air fry them for 10-15 minutes at 160°C/320°F, or until they’re warm.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 258mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g