This Jalapeño Popper Dip is warm, creamy, spicy and cheesy with a crispy crunchy cracker topping. Packed full of cream cheese, bacon bits, jalapeño peppers and cheese, it’s the ultimate appetizer to serve at parties, holidays or during the big game.
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Jalapeno Popper Dip Video Tutorial
Best Jalapeño Popper Dip with Bacon
If you like jalapeño poppers, you will love this Jalapeño Popper Dip. Just about every time we make it, someone asks for the recipe.
It’s got all of the same flavors as jalapeño poppers, plus bacon and an assortment of snacks for dipping. This dip is also much easier to prep - just mix your ingredients, spread into a baking dish, top with a buttery cracker crumb and pop in the oven. No need to prep and assemble individual peppers.
You can even make the majority of this dish ahead of time. Just be sure and add the crunchy topping right before it goes in the oven to be sure it stays super crunchy. Serve warm with an assortment of your favorite chips, veggies and snacks and you are good to go. Easy peasy!
How to Serve
It’s nice to serve Jalapeño Popper Dip with an assortment of things to dip with, so that there is a little something for everyone’s tastes. Some of our go-to dippers include:
- Pita Chips
- Tortilla Chips
- Raw veggies
- Crackers
- Sliced French Bread
- Pretzels
Ingredients in Jalapeño Popper Dip Recipe
- Cream Cheese - you want to be sure this is at room temperature before you try and make the dip. If you think of it, pull the cream cheese from the fridge a few hours beforehand. Otherwise, you can transfer to a microwave-safe container and microwave for about 10 seconds at a time until softened (but not melted!).
- Sour Cream - either full fat or lite will work. You can also substitute mayonnaise.
- Shredded Cheese - we typically use a mixture of mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese, but you could also use Monterey Jack, pepper jack or any combination of these.
- Diced Green Chilis - you will find these canned in the Mexican aisle.
- Diced Jalapeños - we like the more mild flavor of the canned jalapeños in this recipe, but if you want to use fresh jalapeños you absolutely can. Just keep in mind it will increase the spiciness! Be sure you remove the seeds and mince.
- Green Onions - these should be sliced thin. You can use both the white and the green parts of the onion.
- Bacon Bits - you can make these ahead of time and store in the fridge if you’d like.
- Ritz Crackers - these buttery crackers make a great crumb topping. You can also use panko bread crumbs as a substitute if you’d like.
- Parmesan Cheese - grated Parmesan cheese adds a great flavor to the crumb topping.
- Butter - this should be melted and mixed in with the crackers and Parmesan cheese for the topping.
- Toppings - we like to garnish this with fresh chopped parsley (or cilantro), thinly sliced jalapeños and more bacon bits.
How to Make Easy Jalapeño Popper Dip (Step-by-Step)
- Make the cream cheese mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese and sour cream. Using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed until fluffy and well-combined. Add the mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, green chilis, jalapeños, green onions, and bacon bits and mix again to combine. Spray an 8"x8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish.
- Make the crumb topping. In a separate bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and butter and mix well. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly on the edges and golden brown on top.
- Garnish and serve. Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped parsley, thinly sliced jalapeño peppers, and reserved bacon bits. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, sliced French bread, or veggies. Enjoy!
Tips
- A tasty way to use up leftovers is to serve over baked chicken breast.
- If you want an extra crispy panko or cracker crust, pop this under the broiler for a minute or two. Just be sure and keep a close eye on it because it can burn very quickly!
- Whether you use sour cream or mayonnaise is really about your personal preference. They will both make great dip.
- If you want to make your dip extra spicy, either increase the amount of canned jalapeños or toss in some fresh, deseeded and minced jalapeños. The fresh ones also add a nice bit of crunch.
Can I Make Jalapeño Popper Dip Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can mix your cream cheese and jalapeño mixture and spread into a prepared casserole dish. At this point, cover and refrigerate up until 24 hours ahead of time. Once you are ready to bake, pull the dish from the fridge and preheat the oven to 375 while you let the dip come to room temperature.
In the meantime, you can prepare the crumb topping, sprinkle over the top and bake as directed. You want to be sure and add the crumb topping at the last minute so that it doesn’t get soggy.
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: you can store leftover Jalapeño Popper Dip in the refrigerator, covered with plastic, for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: you can freeze this dip after it has been baked if you want. Make sure to let it cool completely before wrapping it tightly and storing in the freezer for up to 2 months. The night before you plan to eat, transfer from the freezer to the fridge to thaw.
- Reheating: in order to reheat, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and pull the baking dish out to room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to putting in the oven. Warm for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through. The time will depend on how large of a portion you are reheating.
Here are some more easy dip recipes that we love!
Jalapeño Popper Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1 4-oz can Diced Green Chilis drained
- 1 4-oz can Diced Jalapeños drained
- ¼ cup Green Onions sliced thinly
- ½ cup Bacon Bits about 6 slices (reserve 2 Tablespoons for garnish)
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup Ritz Crackers crushed
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
- ¼ cup Butter melted
Garnish
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley finely chopped
- ¼ whole Jalapeño Pepper deseeded and sliced thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese and sour cream. Using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed until fluffy and well-combined.
- Add the mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, green chilis, jalapeños, green onions, and bacon bits and mix again to combine.
- Spray an 8"x8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, Parmesan cheese and butter and mix well. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cream cheese mixture.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly on the edges and golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped parsley, thinly sliced jalapeño peppers and reserved bacon bits. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, sliced French bread or veggies. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Here are some more easy dip recipes that we love!
- Layeed Bean Dip
- Guacamole
- Spicy Corn Dip
- Artichoke Dip
- Queso Dip
- Warm Bean Dip
- Cherry Chocolate Dip
- Cheesecake Dip
- Chocolate Chip Dip
- Buckeye Dip
- Everything Bagel Dip
- Bacon Ranch Dip
- Jalapeno Popper Dip
- Caramel Cream Cheese Dip
- More Dip Recipes
- More Appetizer Recipes
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If you like jalapeño poppers, you will love this Jalapeño Popper Dip. It's warm, creamy, spicy and cheesy with a crispy crunchy cracker topping.
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