Jalapeño Poppers

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2 min read
Summary

Spice up your dinner party with this tasty pop-in-your-mouth appetizer. Cashews serve as the base for cream cheese, and chickpeas pose as a crunchy breadcrumb topping in this dish. Be forewarned, Jalapeño Poppers may be what turns your friends and family on to plant-based eating!

Yields4 ServingsPrep Time15 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time1 hr

Jalapeño Poppers

Ingredients

Cashew Cream Cheese
 1 cup cashews (soaked in water for 4–6 hours or overnight)
 ¼ cup water
 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
 ½ tsp onion powder
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
Chickpea Breadcrumbs
 ¾ cup chickpeas (minced manually with a knife or pulsed with a food processor)
 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
 ½ tsp garlic powder
  tsp salt (optional)
 20 medium jalapeño peppers

Directions

1

Make the Cashew Cream Cheese: Drain and rinse the cashews. Add all of the cream cheese ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This might take 3–4 times of scraping the sides and blending since there isn’t much liquid in the cheese. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

2

Make the chickpea breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3

Add the minced chickpeas to a medium bowl along with the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt, if using. Mix well.

4

Spread out the chickpea mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly browned, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

5

Assemble the Jalapeño Poppers: I suggest using gloves to work with the peppers (otherwise, the spice will get on your hands and you might later burn your eyes!). Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise, then use a small spoon to scoop out the membranes and seeds and discard.

6

Scoop about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the jalapeños (amount will depend on the size of your jalapeños).

7

Sprinkle the chickpea breadcrumbs on top of the cream cheese. You might have to press them down a bit so they stick to the cream cheese.

8

Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.

Chef's Notes

Make ahead
Make the Cashew Cream Cheese ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Make the chickpea breadcrumbs ahead of time and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nut-free
Use sunflower seeds in place of cashews.

Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ingredients

Cashew Cream Cheese
 1 cup cashews (soaked in water for 4–6 hours or overnight)
 ¼ cup water
 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
 ½ tsp onion powder
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
Chickpea Breadcrumbs
 ¾ cup chickpeas (minced manually with a knife or pulsed with a food processor)
 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
 ½ tsp garlic powder
  tsp salt (optional)
 20 medium jalapeño peppers

Directions

1

Make the Cashew Cream Cheese: Drain and rinse the cashews. Add all of the cream cheese ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This might take 3–4 times of scraping the sides and blending since there isn’t much liquid in the cheese. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

2

Make the chickpea breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3

Add the minced chickpeas to a medium bowl along with the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt, if using. Mix well.

4

Spread out the chickpea mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly browned, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.

5

Assemble the Jalapeño Poppers: I suggest using gloves to work with the peppers (otherwise, the spice will get on your hands and you might later burn your eyes!). Slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise, then use a small spoon to scoop out the membranes and seeds and discard.

6

Scoop about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the jalapeños (amount will depend on the size of your jalapeños).

7

Sprinkle the chickpea breadcrumbs on top of the cream cheese. You might have to press them down a bit so they stick to the cream cheese.

8

Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.

Jalapeño Poppers