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Snacks · American

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Everything good about jalapeño poppers, without stuffing a single pepper.

Hands-on
10 min
Hands-off
25 min
Oven preheat
10 min
Total
35 min
Makes
12 1/4-cup servings (about 3 cups)
Serves
12

Oven 190 °C · 170 °C fan (375 °F)

Pan 1 L baking dish or glass pie plate (US: 1-quart baking dish or glass pie plate)

  • easy
  • game-day
  • party-food
  • dip
  • baked

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Jalapeño Popper Dip
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: medium bowl · small bowl · spatula · 1 L (1-quart) baking dish or glass pie plate · oven mitts · trivet

Contains: milk · wheat

Method

  1. Heat the oven

    Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, 375°F) and spray the baking dish with cooking spray.

    Ready when: The oven's ready light or display shows it has reached temperature.

  2. Mix the base

    In a medium bowl, mix 227 g (8 oz) softened cream cheese, 227 g (1 cup) sour cream, 113 g (1 cup) cheddar and 2 tsp crushed jalapeño until well blended. Spread it evenly in the dish.

    Otto tried this firstOtto tries to beat the cream cheese straight from the fridge and gets stubborn lumps. Softened cream cheese blends smooth in seconds.

  3. Make the crunchy top

    In a small bowl, mix 12 g (1/4 cup) panko, 14 g (1 tbsp) melted butter and the remaining 1/2 tsp crushed jalapeño. Sprinkle it evenly over the dip.

  4. Bake

    Bake for 20-25 minutes.

    Ready when: Bubbling across the whole surface, including the middle, and lightly browned on top.

  5. Serve warm

    Set the hot dish on a trivet and serve warm with chips or vegetables.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Get leftovers into the fridge within 2 hours (1 hour if the room is above 32°C / 90°F), in a covered container, and eat them within 3-4 days.
Reheat
Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, 74°C (165°F). The topping softens in the fridge.

Good to know

  • Want it hotter? A different version uses chopped pickled jalapeños in the dip and scatters seeded fresh jalapeño on top after baking.
  • At a party, warm dip must stay at 60°C (140°F) or hotter, or be thrown away after 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F). Some warmers only reach 43-49°C (110-120°F), so check yours. Swap in a fresh dish rather than topping up a half-eaten one.

Safety

  • Chili flakes and fresh jalapeños sting eyes and skin. Wash your hands with soap after handling them, and don't touch your face.
  • The dish comes out bubbling hot and molten cheese sticks to skin. Use mitts, set it on a trivet, and let it sit a few minutes before kids dig in.
  • Panko contains wheat. Check the chips for allergens too.