Jalapeno Popper Dip is my go to party appetizer. Rich cream cheese, spicy diced jalapenos and sharp cheddar are topped with crispy Panko bread crumbs and baked until warm and gooey. The result is the most incredible dip, reminiscent of the appetizer we all love so much!
There are very few things I love more than cheese. It is, by far, my favorite food and you’ll find no shortage of cheese recipes here! I also love anything with a little heat so, of course, I naturally love Jalapeno Poppers!
This easy appetizer takes the delicious flavors of Jalapeno Poppers and makes them into a totally delicious scoopable bite. Quick, easy, and totally addictive, this is the perfect party dip for any time of year and can be made up to 3 days ahead of time.
This Jalapeno Popper Dip first appeared on the blog in early 2013 and I can’t even count the number of times I’ve made it since then! It’s literally my daughter’s favorite recipe on my whole site and it’s the one thing that people ask me to bring to parties over and over again!
You can use fresh jalapenos or canned in this recipe. I usually use canned jalapenos because I prefer the flavor. If you’d like to use fresh jalapenos, I’d suggest roasting them first. This dip bakes until it gets warm and melty so if the jalapenos aren’t pre-cooked they’ll still be crunchy.
And just a note, I have successfully replaced the sour cream in this recipe with Greek yogurt several times. If you’re a bacon fan, you can add about 1/4 cup crisp chopped bacon into the mixture.
To prepare this jalapeno popper dip ahead of time, combine the ingredients as directed and spread it into the dish and refrigerate. Combine the topping ingredients and place them in a separate container or sandwich bag and sprinkle them on just before baking.
We like to serve this with bagel chips, tortilla chips, crackers or bread. It’s also delicious spooned into crisp wonton cups or rolled up in crescent rolls and baked.
Jalapeño Popper Dip
Ingredients
- 4 ounces diced jalapenos well drained OR 4-6 fresh jalapenos, roasted and diced (include seeds if you like it really spicy)
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Topping
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F.
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With a mixer on medium, combine cream cheese, garlic powder and sour cream until fluffy.
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Add cheddar cheese, ¾ cup parmesan cheese, and diced jalapenos, mix well.
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Spread into an 8x8 baking dish.
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Combine bread crumbs, melted butter, ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese, and parsley.
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Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cream cheese mixture.
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Bake 15-20 minutes, or until hot and breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Tex Mex
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Definite crowd pleaser and super easy to throw together! I think this will be at many events in our future!
I couldn’t search through the comments; how big is one serving? Trying to figure out how much to make for work.
Hi Chelsea, a serving is approximately ⅓ to ½ of a cup. Enjoy!
I’m making this dip right now to bring to camp! I’m wondering about the parmesan. The parm I have is in the shaker, but it’s “grated”. Would that be okay? Or does it need to be a block of parm that’s shredded? I’m wondering if the “powdered/grated” would give it a grainy texture.
This recipe works best with shredded parmesan cheese since it melts better for this recipe but powdered could work in a pinch.
Great recipe! I’m wanting to do a crockpot variation and bring this to work. Has anyone tried that?
You won’t get the breadcrumb topping crispy if made in the crockpot but I would say about 2-3 hrs on low should be enough to melt all the cheese!
This dip was extremely bland, I have no idea what I did wrong. The reviews all seem to adore it. The only change I made was adding bacon which certainly shouldn’t make it less flavourful. Is it because I was too cheap to shell out for the name brand cream cheese?
I don’t think that would be it, Jodie. This recipe pulls a lot of flavor from the cheese though so I find picking a nice flavorful cheddar cheese adds some flavor. I have also used Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for the topping to add some extra flavor as well.
Hi!
It’s not the bacon or the name brand cheese because I have found mine to turn out great. One thing I did find helps with flavor is to use canned diced jalapeños and add some of the juice for a little bit of extra kick. Also, make absolutely sure you’re using diced jalapeños and not diced green chilies when using anything canned. I accidentally did this once and there was very little kick, still good but definitely not what I recall it tasting like the first time I made it.
Like you did with the bacon, don’t be afraid to play around with the jalapeño quantity because that is where the flavor comes from.
I stupidly started baking this even though I have to bring it to work in the morning… Do I just refrigerate it and then reheat it? I’m wondering if the crumbs will get soggy.
You can refrigerate and reheat it. If you reheat in the oven the crumbs should crisp up just fine!
Do I use pickled sliced jalapeños?
Yes, or fresh jalapenos!
The recipes are awesome and I will be trying as my go to recipes.
This was really good. I used spicy red peppers (malagueta) as I didn’t have jalapeños and I didn’t add the topping, to keep it low carb, and it was delish! Will definitely make this again. What a great base for any kind of dip. Swap peppers for another vegetable. Thank you!
Dip tasted good but the topping didn’t taste blended. Tasted like i was just eating panko crumbs from the box. I used ingredients as directed. Any suggestions? Would like to try this again
Sorry to hear that the topping wasn’t as expected. Make sure the butter is melted to help combine all the ingredients before topping the dip. I make this dip in an 8×8 baking dish but if using a smaller dish you may want to reduce the topping as it won’t be spread out as expected in the recipe. I hope that helps!
great recipe!! I used this recipe and added some corn and bacon (had to use up some ingredients because I don’t like wasting food). it was a cross between jalapeno popper dip and Mexican street corn LOL! Your recipe alone was fantastic though! definitely going to make again!
This was delicious! Everyone loved this dip! Will definitely make again!
About to make this for a Super Bowl party. I have a recipe very similar to this from my SIL but she uses mayo not sour cream. What are your thoughts on this? Also you didn’t specify hot canned jalapeños in your recipe and neither did she. Should I use hot? Thanks!
I prefer hot because I like the spice, I have always made it as written with rave reviews and I’ve not used mayonnaise in this recipe.
Thanks for answering so quickly. Do you see any problem with doubling the recipe for a larger crowd?
This recipe doubles well (you may need to add about 5 minutes to the cooking time)!
This a great dip. The first time I made I double the recipe and it was a big hit it was gone within 30 minutes. Everyone requested that I make it again.
Great dip! I usually roll my eyes at commenters suggestions but I did add some cooked and crumbled bacon into the mix and I substituted crumbled ritz crackers for panko. Ritz cracker topping is superior. Great dip!!! Thanks for the recipe.
I followed it exactly and I’m not sure what I did wrong, but it was really bland and just not a good dip.
I’m sorry to hear that, Julie! This recipe is usually a hit. I wonder if your jalapenos were mild?
Can you warm this up in the microwave?
Yes you can heat this up in the microwave, but the bread crumbs may not be crispy.
This was delicious! How many days post making this is the dip good for? Also has anyone tried freezing? What has the experience been?
This dip will last about 5 days in the fridge.
Thank you so much for posting the recipe! Very easy to follow and my family loved it!