The Best (Lighter) Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

Just when you thought stuffed jalapeno poppers couldn't get any better, this recipe happened!

These lighter bacon cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers are the best appetizer recipe!  Everyone will love them and no one will notice they're a healthier snack option!

I've always had kind of a love/hate relationship with stuffed jalapeno poppers.  I love all of the ingredients that make them up:  peppers, cream cheese, and of course....bacon!

 

But the two issues I have with them is that the traditional jalapenos wrapped in bacon are super fatty/greasy and the bacon doesn't cook evenly, so sometimes you can't really even eat it....and anytime you have to throw away bacon, it's a sad, sad day. 

 

So in my effort to lighten up this super yummy and popular appetizer, I made a couple of swaps and OH MY GOODNESS these things are the absolute BEST!!!! 

These lighter bacon cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers are the best appetizer recipe!  Everyone will love them and no one will notice they're a healthier snack option!

I've made this version three times so far for my family, and these little poppers are practically gone before I put the platter down! 

 

So what makes them so good (plus a little better for you)?  First, I used reduced fat whipped cream cheese, which isn't all that much lighter, but saves a few calories and the whipped version is so much easier to spread than the regular stuff.  

These lighter bacon cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers are the best appetizer recipe!  Everyone will love them and no one will notice they're a healthier snack option!

Then comes the biggest and best change to the recipe.  The bacon.  Don't worry, I didn't take out the bacon or replace it with anything weird. ;)  

 

But I decided to add little bits of cooked bacon (not bacon bits, actual cooked bacon) to the cream cheese itself.  This did two amazingly wonderful things...  

These lighter bacon cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers are the best appetizer recipe!  Everyone will love them and no one will notice they're a healthier snack option!

First, the bacon is all cooked, so there are no weird raw bacon pieces to pick through.  Second, you get bacon in every single bite, but overall there is less bacon used in the recipes - so you get more bacon experience plus it's healthier, which means you can eat more of them!! :D

 

You can prep and stuff these little beauties the day before everyone comes over for the big game, then just pop them in the oven about 20 minutes before you're ready to serve them.  Enjoy, and happy jalapeno popping!! 

These lighter bacon cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers are the best appetizer recipe!  Everyone will love them and no one will notice they're a healthier snack option!

The Best Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

Makes 8-10 servings

 

Ingredients:

  • 12 jalapenos (halved and seeded)*
  • 1 8-ounce container reduced fat whipped cream cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled into small bits

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and garlic powder.  Add the bacon, and continue to mix until the bacon is evenly distributed throughout the cream cheese mixture. 
  3. Use a spoon to scoop about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into each jalapeno half.  Place the stuffed jalapeno halves on a baking sheet lined with foil and lightly sprayed with cooking spray. 
  4. Bake the jalapeno poppers for 15-20 minutes, or until the cream cheese is golden on top and the peppers are tender. 

*Tip:  Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and veins from the inside of the jalapenos to remove most of the heat from the pepper.

 

 Happy Eating!

~Amber


These bacon cream cheese jalapeno poppers are a lighter twist on the beloved classic pepper-poppers.  This healthy, gluten free appetizer is the perfect game day recipe!

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Comments: 2
  • #1

    Serena (Wednesday, 03 February 2016 08:31)

    These look addictive! I've made before - but never thought to use whipped cream cheese. Great idea

  • #2

    Amber @ Homemade Nutrition (Thursday, 04 February 2016 20:25)

    Thanks Serena! Addictive is the perfect way to describe these little poppers, they are SO good! And the whipped cream cheese is way easier to mix and spread than the regular stuff. :)