Crispy wonton shells with a creamy, cheesy jalapeno popper filling. These baked jalapeno wonton cups are a quick and easy appetizer or snack. These wontons are crunchy and creamy, filled with cream cheese and bacon, and with just enough spice from the fresh jalapeno peppers. Perfect on an appetizer, these are great for parties or game day. They can be enjoyed hot or cold and keep well in the freezer.
Jump to:
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchase
What are Jalapeno Popper Wonton Cups?
Jalapeno popper wonton cups are a tasty and easy appetizer that takes less than an hour to prepare and serve.
The cups are made with wonton wrappers pressed into a mini muffin tin. Then they are filled with a filling of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapenos, and garlic. They are baked in the oven, where the wontons become crispy, and the filling becomes melted, hot, and creamy.
They have a nice spice from the jalapenos and just enough salt from the bacon.
Because these jalapeno popper wontons are made using fresh jalapenos, they will vary in spice level depending on the peppers. Jalapeno peppers range in heat from mild to hot depending on the variety of the pepper, where they are grown, the season they are grown in, and many other factors.
For a spicier appetizer, you can leave the seeds and ribs in the peppers rather than removing them before dicing the jalapenos.
Using the mini muffin tins makes these cups the perfect size for finger food on an appetizer platter. But if you want a larger size, you can use a standard-size muffin tin instead.
Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
These tasty little wonton cups come together with just a few ingredients.
Wonton wrappers – Wonton wrappers can be purchased in most grocery stores. Often they are sold in the fresh produce department. I can usually find them near the bean sprouts and hot peppers. You may find them in the frozen aisle if you can’t find them there. If you can not find wonton wrappers, you can use eggroll wrappers, but you will need to cut them down to fit the muffin tin.
Cream cheese – You can use full-fat or light cream cheese. I usually use the soft, spreadable kind, but you can also use the blocks, allowing them to soften first, so it is easier to mix.
Jalapeno peppers – Choose fresh jalapenos for the best flavour. Look for peppers that are firm and bright green. Jalapenos will vary in heat depending on where they are grown, the season, and the variety. For milder flavour make sure you remove the spicy ribs and seeds. For spicer wonton cups, you can leave the seeds in the peppers before dicing.
Bacon – This recipe calls for pre-cooked bacon. I always have some bacon slices cooked and in the fridge for use throughout the week, but if you don’t, you can cook some before assembling the wontons or use store-bought crumbled bacon. You will need 3-4 slices of cooked bacon to equal half a cup of crumbled or chopped bacon.
Cheese – I like using aged cheddar cheese for these jalapeno popper wontons, but you can use any cheese you like. Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack work well, or you can use a pre-shredded blend.
You will also need fresh chopped green onion and a clove of garlic.
Step by Step Instructions
Step One – Begin by seeding and dicing the jalapenos, slicing the onions, and shredding the cheese. Then add the cream cheese, chopped vegetables, bacon, cheese, and garlic to a medium-sized bowl.
Step 2 – Mix the ingredients until well combined.
Pro-Tip: While freshly shredded cheese is recommended in most recipes, you can substitute pre-shredded in this recipe without affecting the results. Pre-shredded blends like Tex-Mex, Taco, or cheddar would be delicious in this recipe and cut down on prep time.
Step Three – Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray. Separate the wonton wrappers and press one wrapper into each muffin cavity.
Step Four – Scoop approximately one tablespoon of the cream cheese filling into each wonton.
Place the tray on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the wontons are golden and crispy and the cheese filling is melted.
Once the wontons are baked, remove the pan from the oven. Allow them to cool for a few minutes, making them easier to handle. Then remove the wontons from the pan and serve.
Pro-Tip: You will notice that the wontons will be a bit ruffly and have some overlap in the muffin tin cavities. This is ok, they will still bake perfectly fine, and the thicker sides will give them more rigidity when served.
Storage
Leftover wontons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about three days.
You can store prepared wontons in the freezer for a couple of months.
Top Tips & FAQS
You can prepare the wonton cups ahead of time by filling the wontons and storing the tray in the oven until you are ready to bake. However, I don’t recommend making them more than a day ahead of time.
You can freeze prepared wonton cups. Store them in a single layer in an airtight container. They should keep for several months.
You can reheat frozen wonton cups in the oven. Place the cups on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F until heated through.
More Easy Appetizers
Printable Recipe
Jalapeno Popper Wonton Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup (2.5 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup crumbled or diced, cooked bacon 3-4 slices
- 3-4 jalapenos seeded and diced
- 3 tablespoon green onions sliced
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 24 wonton wrappers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray two 12-cavity mini-muffin tins or one 24-cavity mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray.
- Separate the wonton wrappers and press one wonton wrapper into each muffin cavity. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, mix the cream cheese, shredded cheese, diced bacon, diced jalapenos, green onions, and crushed garlic until well combined.
- Scoop approximately one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into each wonton wrapper.
- Place the muffin tins on the center rack of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the wontons are golden and crispy and the filling is hot and melted.
- Remove from the oven and allow the wontons to cool for a few minutes to make them easier to handle, then remove from the muffin tins and move to a serving platter.
- Garnish, if desired, with sliced jalapenos, diced bacon, or green onion.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.