Vegan Jalapeño Poppers
User Reviews
4.3
Vegan Jalapeño Poppers
Description
This recipe uses soaked cashews pureed with sautéed onion and garlic, nutritional yeast, cumin, vegetable broth, and optional green chilies to create a creamy filling for halved jalapeños. Removing the seeds reduces heat slightly while maintaining spicy flavor.
The jalapeños are brushed with olive oil and baked at 400°F, optionally topped with toasted crushed tortilla chips for crunch. The filling’s smooth, cheesy texture contrasts with the tender, slightly charred peppers.
This vegan version approximates the creaminess and zest of traditional jalapeño poppers without dairy, making it suitable for dairy-free diets. The filling consistency can be adjusted by adding broth or cashews to reach the desired smoothness.
Soaking cashews overnight yields the creamiest texture, but quick soaking or using a powerful blender can reduce preparation time. Nutrition estimates are for one of twenty poppers with the topping included.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cashew nuts soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight*, then drained, raw
- 1/2 medium white onion diced, or yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth (plus more as needed)
- 1 ounce green chilies optional, canned
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste, sea salt
- 10 medium jalapeños (halved and seeds/stem removed)
- olive oil
For Garnish (optional)
- 1/2 cup tortilla chips crushed, toasted
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and prep your jalapeños, splitting in half, removing the tops, and then spritzing or brushing them with a bit of olive oil. Place in rows facing up (see photo).
- If you’re using crushed tortilla chips as a topper (recommended), toast them while prepping your cheese sauce by spritzing them with olive oil and baking them for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, watching closely as they can burn fast.
- To a small saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic with a bit of olive oil and cook until just softened and fragrant – about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Add soaked cashews, garlic, onion, nutritional yeast, cumin, vegetable broth, green chilies, and salt to a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and smooth, using the “liquify” or “puree” option if you have it. If the sauce is too thick, thin with more vegetable broth. If too thin, add a handful of raw cashews and blend again. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt to taste, nutritional yeast for more cheesiness, or cumin for smokiness.
- Spoon or pipe the cheese mixture into the jalapeños, generously filling. You’ll have leftovers, which you can reserve for nachos or just dip. Top with crushed, toasted tortilla chip crumbs and bake for 15 minutes or until the jalapeños are soft and the cheese has deepened in color.
- Place the pan on the top rack and broil for the last minute or two for an even more intense color/flavor.
- Serve immediately, sprinkling with a bit of red pepper flake for garnish (optional). Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to a few days, reheating in the microwave or a 350-degree F (176 C) oven until warmed through (though best when fresh).
Notes
- Soak cashews for 4-6 hours or overnight for a creamy filling; quick soaking in hot water for 20-30 minutes or using a high-speed blender can reduce time.
- Removing jalapeño seeds reduces heat but preserves flavor.
- Toast crushed tortilla chips for topping to add crunch and texture.
- Adjust filling thickness by adding vegetable broth or raw cashews as needed.
- Nutrition estimates are approximate, based on 1 of 20 poppers including topping.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 37 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1popper | |
| Calories | 37 | 2% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.5g | 1% |
| Protein | 1.1g | 2% |
| Fat | 2.3g | 4% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.5g | 3% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1.1g | 6% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 105mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 58mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.6g | 2% |
| Sugar | 2.3g | 5% |
| Vitamin A | 21IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 8.6mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 6.8mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.4mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.3
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