Your favorite spicy appetizer just got a healthy makeover! These Gluten-Free Baked JalapeΓ±o Poppers are not only poppin', but vegan, top-8 allergy-free, and require no oil. Filled with a delicious creamy hummus and crusted for crunchy perfection, this recipe will be gone in a flash!
Get ready to PARTAY on this fine Monday! I am super pumped to share these jalapeΓ±o poppers with you, not only because they are delicious (and spicy), but because there is a very funny story that goes with them. When I say these poppers are POPPIN', I'm not using that word lightly. It's a cautionary tale. One of jalapeΓ±os and a microwave...
It all started as I was innocently working away in the kitchen on these baked jalapeΓ±o poppers. I'd already took the risk in slicing and deseeding the hot peppers without gloves. I was careful (but breathing in the peppers for so long...not so good). They smelled and tasted delicious, mind you, that wasn't the problem. I spent awhile tweaking the recipe and then photographing them; all while they obviously got cold and would need to be reheated again before anyone else could try them out.
My brother happened to be home from work, as this was 2 days after Christmas, so I called upon him to be my recipe tester guinea pig. He loves the spicy foods and of course all things with "game day" and "tailgating" in mind. I told him to grab one off the plate and heat it up a bit in the microwave. He grabbed a popper by the stem, threw it on a plate, and into the microwave for 20 seconds. And that's when...it happened. I'm standing at the kitchen counter and out of the corner of my eye I see a FLASH and a SPARK. FIRE in the microwave!
This electrical burning smell and smoke starts filling the kitchen. My brother runs over and stops the microwave, opens the door, and allows all the smoke to really seep out. Thank goodness the smoke detector somehow didn't get triggered (that thing is so loud and a pain to turn off). This all happened in just a few seconds, but my first thought was that he must have put something metal (like a fork or maybe foil) in the microwave. Upon closer inspection (after I opened all the windows, allowing the freezing December air to flow in and the acrid smell to flow out), it was the STEM of the jalapeΓ±o that somehow caught on fire. Still can't figure out why though. This jalapeΓ±o had already been breaded and baked in the oven and unless I'm just really out of the loop, jalapeΓ±o stems are not made of metal.
The world may never know, but my word of caution...cut the stem off if you're going to reheat these in the microwave...Maybe the spiciness is just so "next-level", any added heat fro the microwave is just "too much" π We are using some super crunchy and delicious salsa flavor Mozaics popped veggie and potato chips as our baked breaded and topping; along with some amped chili, cheezy, spiced Veggicopia hummus for that creamy popper filling! The typical jalapeΓ±o popper is filled with cheese and more cheese, then breaded and deep-fried. There is no dairy, no gluten, no egg, and no oily frying on Strength and Sunshine, so I had to health-ify and fix these up to be food allergy and celiac approved! I accomplished when I set out to do...microwave explosions and all!
Gluten-Free Baked JalapeΓ±o Poppers
Gluten-Free Baked JalapeΓ±o Poppers (Vegan, Allergy-Free)
Your favorite spicy appetizer just got a healthy makeover! These Gluten-Free Baked JalapeΓ±o Poppers are not only poppin', but vegan, top-8 allergy-free, and require no oil. Filled with a delicious creamy hummus and crusted for crunchy perfection, this recipe will be gone in a flash!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- Hummus Filing:
- 1 Cup Veggicopia Original Hummus (about 4 serving cups)
- 1 TB Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp Dried Cilantro
- Β½ Tsp Cumin
- Β½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
- For JalapeΓ±os & Breading:
- 8 JalapeΓ±o Peppers (Sliced lengthwise and seeds removed)
- 1 3.5oz Bag Mozaics Salsa Popped Chips (finely crushed)
- β Cup Corn Starch
- 2 Flax Eggs (2 TB Milled Flax Seed + 6 TB Water)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350Β°F.
- In a bowl, combine all the hummus mixture ingredients together and set aside.
- To prep the rest of your work flow for breading the jalapeΓ±os, pour the crushed bag of chips on a plate, place the corn starch in a shallow bowl, and mix together the flax egg in a separate bowl (allow to sit at least 5 minutes to gel).
- Place your sliced and deseeded peppers on a parchment lined baking sheet for easy access.
- Use and spoon and fill each of the jalapeΓ±os with the hummus mixture. Then dip the skin side of the jalapeΓ±o in the corn starch, then the flax egg, and then roll in the crushed chips. Repeat this process for all jalapeΓ±os.
- Sprinkle the excess crushed chips on the top of the jalapeΓ±os and press the crushed pieces down a bit so they stick to the exposed hummus.
- Bake the jalapeΓ±o poppers in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
And that, my friends, is how you make a POPPIN' jalapeΓ±o popper! Perfect for game day eats, the Super Bowl, any party or gathering, etc. Some call it a "man's food", some call it a super spicy bite, I call it delicious with a dash of danger (if you know what I mean π ). During these cold winter months the more heat we can bring, the better, right? And health-ifiying those loaded American classics seems to be an easy job to conquer when we break out the Mozaics!
So tell me:
+Β Have you ever actually started a fire in your kitchen? There's been some close calls π
βββββββββββββββ-
Stay connected: Facebook: Strength and Sunshine Twitter: @RebeccaGF666 Instagram: rebeccagf666 Pinterest: RebeccaGF666 Bloglovinβ: Strength and Sunshine Google+: Rebecca Pytell * This post is sponsored by Deliciousness, the makers of Mozaics Organic Popped Chips and Veggicopia Hummus. I am proud to be partnering with them and sharing the βdeliciousnessβ!
Menaka Bharathi
These look totally amazing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Mummy and the Mexicans (Ruth)
These sound amazing and very healthy! How strange about the microwave explosion!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, right? Lessons learned!
Karren Haller
Poppers are one of my husband's favorites!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That is great to hear!
Miz Helen
Your Jalapeno Poppers look amazing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Bianca / Elephantastic Vegan
OMG, these look amazing! I never had jalapeΓ±o poppers!! WHAT?!! I don't understand how this isn't a thing here.. so I really have to make my own soon because they look so good! Love the crunchy chips topping! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You need to make it a thing over there!! Trend starter π
indah nuria Savitri
I will certainly love it and always enjoy the spicy food!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's great to hear!
Heather LeGuilloux
This is such a fun finger-food snack! I'm a bit of wimp when it comes to spicy foods.. I wonder how much heat there would be?
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You'll have to find out for yourself!
Megan
These look and sound amazing! I've had jalapeno bites before (the ones with cream cheese - so not vegan) but never heard of these and they sound much more tasty! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
No jalapeno poppers are vegan unless you make them so, haha! Nor are they GF...but now they can be!
Kyra
Omg these look amazing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you! They are so fun!
Heather
I LOVE jalapeno poppers, and have been thinking that we need to start making them from scratch instead of buying the boxed stuff at the store. It's so much more healthy!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You can buy them in a grocery store?
Laurel | Catching Seeds
These are going to be a HUGE game-day hit in my family! So glad to finally have a football recipe that I can enjoy too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! Everyone can enjoy some good healthier eats!
stacey
That is so crazy that it caught on fire. I would have freaked out. This receipt sounds so good I will definitely have to try it.
xoxo
Stacey
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I know! I thought he'd put a fork in there!
Christina
Hahahaha, glad your kitchen fiasco turned out OK. Don't feel bad though, I successfully started and extinguished my first grease fire this year. Talk about scary stuff but everything was OK in the end. Your baked poppers look amazing! I'm pretty sure jalapenos are my favorite food π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Lesson learned...cut stems off before microwaving!
Thank you! Wow, you are a spicy lover then!
t
Love this healthy upgrade! These are perfect party food!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! All the guests will love!
nicole
This looks like the perfect food for the Super Bowl! Yummm!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Sure is! What I made them for π
Valerie Z
What a creative and healthy twist on the classic popper! Yum!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes, thank you!
neil@neilshealthymeals.com
Fireworks in the Microwave eh? And no doubt taste fireworks in my mouth! Yum Yum! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, that can't be denied π
Anna
hah, a true popping jalapeno popper! π They look so delicious, and I just love the fact they have crushed chips on top, that must give them such an extra crunch! Yum!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Super crunchy, super popping, super delish π
Jamie King
OMG, those look amazing, I've never thought to make homemade poppers before, very inspired! These would be great to serve at a little party or event! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
A great easy party dish!
Erin Haugerud
These look amazing!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Kate
How fun! Jalapeno poppers are always a party food hit!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They are! But this was only my first time making them, haha!
Amber
Yum, loving the idea of hummus instead of cream cheese. These look and sound really tasty
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
So much MORE flavor and so much lighter, but still creamy and delish!
Yolanda
THese look WAY better than any jalapeno popper I've ever had! I love that you chose hummus filling with smoked paprika. Delicious!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! So much healthier with out the typical cheese and frying!
Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
Sounds like these babies are on fire! Too soon? π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, they so are π
Felicia @ The Starving Chef
I. freaking. love. these!! They sound amazing whether you have to stick to gluten free or not!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thank you so much!
Renee
Oh ma gosh! These are definitely on a to-make list! Super Bowl time!?! Whoop whoop!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They'll get the party started!
Karen
These look delicious! Im totally thinking theyd be great for superbowl!!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's what I made them for!
Cindy
I haven't started a fire, but I sure have burned myself! You went to great lengths for these poppers (including a fire), but they look like they were worth it! YUM!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, well I was safe, it was my brother with the problems π
Danielle @ A Sprinkle of Joy
I bet my husband would love these!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Definitely a man's favorite!
emily anne
I'm drooling a lil bit...these look delicious!! Definity making these!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thank you!
Claudia
I love Hummus! I want to try them with a huge glass of beer aside π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It's the perfect party munching π
Nicole Taggart
poppers are my favorite football watching snack! Win!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Perfect!! Poppin' time!
Nicole
Food is always more memorable when it has a story like this linked to it. I'm sure every time you see a jalapeno popper, you think of that day. They look fantastic!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, exactly!! I always love telling the story behind the recipes and hearing about them too!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
Jalapeno poppers are usually too spicy for me, but these would definitely be the hit of any Super Bowl party!A
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
The hummus cools it off rather nicely π
Suzy
Brilliant idea! thanks for sharing.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Danielle
Jalapeno poppers are one of my favorite apps! I love that these are baked, too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Perfect! Well these are sure a fun version to add to the rotation!
rebecca
Oh my gosh i have GOT to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, well thanks! I hope you do!
Kate
These look amazing! Would be the perfect appetizer for entertaining guests!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Just what poppers are for!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
My husband would love these!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's great!
Jen
You are so clever to swap out the heavy cream cheese with hummus! I bet this taste fresh and amazing! I'll have to try this soon!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! Lightened way up, but so delicious!
Tanvi Rastogi
I would love these since I LOVE spicy food and I am a vegetarian. In Indian cuisine we do this with various vegetables. Great pictures too.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Stuffing any type of pepper or veggie is bound to be delish!
Penny
Wow, how hot are those Jalapenos?!? Setting your microwave on fir and all.
Seriously, these seem like something I have to try very soon. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, right? They're REALLY poppin' poppers!
Susan @ Culinary Envy
These will be scrumptiously perfect for the Super Bowl Game!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You bet! They'll be gone in a flash!
Megan
The hummus filling looks delicious! What a great game day treat.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It's a great way to still have the creaminess but be so much healthier!
Allie
Mmmh! This looks so yummy! Would love to try these at home !! My man loves Jalapeno and As we're doing a Whole30 totally gluten free it's a good deal!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Great! But these may need to wait than as legumes are not Whole 30 approved!
Maja
These look Yum yUm YUMMM! π I will try this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Awesome! Hope you enjoy!
Nicole Kauffman
These look AMAZING! I love adding Gluten free things to my list for my friends who cannot have it π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
These make for a fun appetizer!
Nico @ yumsome
I burned the wooden handle of one of my cast iron skillets once, when I placed it under the grill to brown the food I was cooking. Every smoke alarm in my house was linked, so I had four storeys of smoke alarms going off - I think my neighbours must have hated me! Ha ha!
Your jalapeno poppers look fantastic, and I love that they're stuffed with hummus - these are definitely going on my to-make list! xx
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, how on earth does a cast iron skillet catch fire!
A much healthier and delicious version!