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These mummy jalapeño poppers have become my signature Halloween appetizer ever since I discovered how cute they look wrapped in strips of dough with those little candy eyes peeking out. The combination of spicy jalapeños, creamy cheese filling, and soft, pillowy Greek yogurt dough creates this perfect balance of flavors and textures that makes them disappear faster than candy corn at a kids' party. I love that they're baked instead of fried, which makes them feel slightly less indulgent while still being incredibly satisfying and delicious.
My kids used to refuse anything with jalapeños until they tried these at a neighbor's Halloween party, and the combination of the fun mummy appearance and the mellowed heat from all that cheese converted them instantly. Now they actually request spicy food, which I never thought I'd see happen.
Ingredients You'll Need
- All-purpose flour (for the dough, about 1.5 cups): Creates the structure for the Greek yogurt dough that wraps around each jalapeño; you can use whole wheat or even gluten-free flour if needed
- Baking powder (about 1 teaspoon): Gives the dough a slight rise and makes it tender instead of dense and heavy
- Kosher salt (a pinch for the dough): Enhances the flavor of the dough and prevents it from tasting flat
- Non-fat plain Greek yogurt (about 1 cup, brands like Fage or Stonyfield): The magic ingredient that creates a tender, easy-to-work-with dough without needing yeast or rising time
- Fresh jalapeño peppers (eight large peppers, halved and seeded): Provides that characteristic heat and flavor; wear gloves when handling them to protect your hands
- Light cream cheese (softened, about 4 ounces): Forms the creamy base of the filling that cools down the jalapeño heat
- Grated Parmesan cheese (about a quarter cup): Adds sharp, salty flavor and helps bind the filling together
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese (part-skim, about half a cup): Contributes more cheesy goodness and melts beautifully when baked
- Scallions (green parts only, from about 4 scallions, sliced thin): Adds fresh onion flavor and little green flecks throughout the filling
- Egg white (one, beaten, or use a whole egg): Brushed on the dough before baking to create a golden, shiny finish
- Candy eyes (16 eyes total, two per popper): The finishing touch that transforms these from regular poppers into adorable mummies
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare your jalapeños:
- Turn your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let it preheat completely while you prep everything else, which ensures even baking throughout. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and if using parchment, spray it lightly with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Put on a pair of disposable gloves to protect your hands from the capsaicin in the jalapeños, then use a sharp knife to slice each pepper in half lengthwise from stem to tip. Use a small spoon to scrape out all the seeds and white membrane from inside each pepper half, which is where most of the heat lives, creating little boats ready to be filled.
- Mix the cheese filling and stuff the peppers:
- In a medium bowl, combine your softened cream cheese, grated Parmesan, shredded cheddar, and sliced scallions, stirring everything together until well mixed and uniform. Use a small spoon or offset spatula to scoop the cheese mixture into each hollowed-out jalapeño half, filling them generously and mounding the filling slightly above the edges. Pack the filling in firmly so it doesn't fall out during wrapping and baking, but don't overstuff them so much that the filling oozes out everywhere. Set the filled jalapeño halves aside on a plate while you make the dough.
- Make the Greek yogurt dough:
- In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt until the dry ingredients are evenly combined with no clumps of baking powder hiding in there. Add the Greek yogurt all at once and use a fork or sturdy spatula to mix everything together, working the yogurt into the flour until the mixture looks like small crumbles and no dry flour remains at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will look quite shaggy and rough at this stage, which is completely normal and exactly what you want.
- Knead the dough until smooth:
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour and turn the shaggy dough out onto it, then knead the dough with your hands for about fifteen times, folding it over on itself and pressing it together. You'll feel the dough transform from rough and crumbly to smooth and cohesive as you work it, with the texture becoming more uniform. The dough is ready when it feels tacky but not sticky, meaning it's slightly moist to the touch but doesn't leave dough stuck to your hands when you pull away. If it's too sticky, sprinkle on a bit more flour; if it's too dry and cracking, your hands probably had enough moisture to bring it together with continued kneading.
- Roll and slice the dough into strips:
- Dust your work surface and rolling pin with more flour to prevent sticking, then roll your dough out into a thin rectangle roughly 13 by 9 inches and about an eighth of an inch thick. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough into strips about half an inch wide, cutting lengthwise down the rectangle so you end up with long, thin strips. You'll need several strips per jalapeño to create that wrapped mummy effect, so make sure you have plenty of strips ready before you start wrapping.
- Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with dough strips:
- Take one filled jalapeño half and start wrapping it with the dough strips, crisscrossing them over the pepper in a random, haphazard pattern that looks like mummy bandages. Leave a small gap unwrapped near the top where you'll add the candy eyes later, which becomes the mummy's face. The dough strips don't need to cover every bit of the pepper or look perfect because messy, uneven wrapping actually looks more authentic and mummy-like. Tuck the ends of the strips underneath the pepper or press them gently to seal, then place the wrapped jalapeño on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat this wrapping process with all remaining jalapeños and dough strips, spacing them about an inch apart on the sheet.
- Brush with egg wash and bake until golden:
- Beat your egg white in a small bowl until it's slightly foamy, then use a pastry brush to gently brush the egg wash all over the exposed dough on each wrapped jalapeño. This egg wash creates that beautiful golden-brown color and slight shine when they bake. Slide the baking sheet into your preheated oven and bake for about thirty minutes, checking around the twenty-five-minute mark to see how they're browning. The mummy poppers are done when the dough is golden brown and cooked through, the jalapeños are tender and hot, and the cheese filling is bubbly and melted. Pull them from the oven and let them cool for just a minute or two before adding the eyes.
- Add candy eyes and serve warm:
- While the poppers are still warm but not burning hot, press two candy eyes into the unwrapped gap on each mummy, positioning them so they look like the mummy is staring out at you. The slight warmth helps the candy eyes stick better than if the poppers were completely cool. Arrange all your mummy jalapeño poppers on a serving platter and serve them while they're still warm and the cheese is melty, watching as everyone smiles at how cute and spooky they look before devouring them.
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I made the mistake of not wearing gloves the first time I prepped jalapeños for these, and I spent the next two hours with my hands in a bowl of ice water because they burned so badly. Now I keep a box of disposable gloves in my kitchen specifically for pepper prep, and I've never made that painful mistake again.
Understanding Greek Yogurt Dough
Greek yogurt dough is one of those magical discoveries that makes baking so much easier and more accessible than traditional yeast doughs. The combination of self-rising properties from baking powder and the tang and moisture from Greek yogurt creates a dough that's tender, flavorful, and requires no rising time whatsoever. The protein in the yogurt helps create structure while keeping things moist, and the slight tanginess complements savory applications beautifully. This dough is incredibly versatile beyond just these poppers, working for bagels, pizza, breadsticks, and all sorts of wrapped appetizers. It's also more forgiving than traditional dough, so if you overwork it slightly or the measurements are a bit off, it still turns out well.
Adjusting the Heat Level
The spiciness of these mummy poppers can vary dramatically based on how you prepare the jalapeños and what variety you're using. Removing every single seed and all the white membrane creates fairly mild poppers where you get jalapeño flavor without intense heat, making them accessible to most people including kids. Leaving some seeds in gives you noticeable spice that heat lovers will appreciate without being overwhelming. If you want them quite spicy, leave most or all of the seeds and membrane, or even use serrano peppers instead of jalapeños for more intense heat. You can also make a mixed batch with some mild and some spicy, marking them somehow so people know which is which.
Making Components Ahead
The make-ahead potential of these poppers is what makes them so practical for entertaining, since you can do most of the work well before your guests arrive. Slice and seed the jalapeños up to two days ahead, storing them in an airtight container in the fridge. Make the cheese filling and the Greek yogurt dough the day before, keeping them separately wrapped and refrigerated. The morning of your party, stuff the jalapeños with the filling and wrap them with the dough strips, then cover and refrigerate until you're ready to bake. Just add five to ten minutes to the baking time if they're going in cold from the fridge, and you'll have fresh, hot poppers ready whenever you need them.
Alternative Dough Options
While I love the Greek yogurt dough for its flavor and texture, you can absolutely use other doughs if you prefer or need a shortcut. Refrigerated pizza dough from the store works beautifully and saves you the step of making dough from scratch, just roll it thin and cut it into strips. Crescent roll dough creates a buttery, flaky wrapper that's more indulgent and rich. Puff pastry makes them extra fancy and impressive, though it adds significant calories. Phyllo dough creates a super crispy, delicate wrapper that shatters when you bite into it. Even pie crust can work in a pinch. Each option creates a slightly different final product, so choose based on what you have available and what texture you prefer.
Cheese Filling Variations
The cheese filling is endlessly customizable based on what you have in your fridge or what flavors you prefer. Swapping the cheddar for mozzarella makes them milder and even more melty. Adding cooked, crumbled bacon to the filling creates a smoky richness that bacon lovers go crazy for. Mixing in some diced cooked chicken or sausage makes them more substantial and filling. A spoonful of salsa or diced tomatoes with green chiles adds moisture and more Southwestern flavor. Fresh cilantro instead of scallions changes the flavor profile completely. Some people even add a bit of ranch seasoning mix to the cream cheese for extra flavor. The base of cream cheese and some kind of melting cheese works with almost any addition you can imagine.
Serving and Presentation
While these are adorable and fun on their own, a few simple touches make them even more impressive for parties. Arrange them on a black serving platter if you have one, which makes the mummies stand out dramatically and adds to the Halloween atmosphere. Surround them with fake spider webs or plastic spiders for extra spooky decoration that photographs well. Serve them with small bowls of ranch dressing, sour cream, or even guacamole for dipping, giving guests options for cooling down the heat. Label them with a fun, punny name on a little card like "Jalapeño Business" or "Wrapped Up in Flavor" to add to the festive vibe. If making these for a large party, consider setting up a station where people can build their own, with plain baked peppers and various fillings and toppings.
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These mummy jalapeño poppers have become such a hit at our Halloween gatherings that people now specifically ask me to bring them, and I love how something that looks so creative and impressive is actually quite simple once you understand the basic techniques. The combination of being genuinely delicious, fun to make, impressive-looking, and adaptable to different tastes and dietary needs makes them the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in anyone's party appetizer rotation, Halloween or otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I make these jalapeno poppers ahead of time?
- Yes, you can stuff the peppers and wrap them in dough a few hours before baking. Keep them covered in the fridge, then add the egg wash and bake when ready to serve.
- → How do I make these less spicy?
- Make sure to remove all the seeds and white membranes from inside the jalapenos. You can also soak the pepper halves in cold water for 30 minutes before stuffing to reduce heat.
- → Can I use store-bought dough instead?
- Absolutely! Pizza dough or crescent roll dough work great and save time. Just roll it thin and cut into strips like the recipe describes.
- → Where can I find candy eyes for decorating?
- You can find candy eyes at craft stores like Michaels, most grocery stores in the baking aisle, or online through Amazon, especially around Halloween.
- → How do I store leftover mummy poppers?
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes to keep the dough crispy.
- → Can I freeze these before baking?
- Yes, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month. Bake from frozen, adding about 5-10 extra minutes to the cooking time.