Pineapple Jalapeno Popper Recipe – Sweet and spicy jalapeño poppers filled with a pineapple cream cheese spread, wrapped in bacon and baked to a golden finish.
These Pineapple Jalapeño Poppers are a delicious balance of sweet, creamy, and spicy with a salty, smoky bacon finish. They make a great appetizer for game day, parties, or any gathering where you want an easy, crowd-pleasing bite. The filling is a pineapple jalapeño cream cheese spread that adds a touch of sweetness to tame the heat, and wrapping each pepper half in bacon gives a crisp, savory contrast when baked.
I prepared a batch of the cream cheese spread earlier in the day for lunch and ended up with just enough left over to make a tray of poppers for the evening. If you prefer milder poppers, remove most of the seeds from each jalapeño half; if you like them hotter, leave some seeds or use smaller, spicier peppers.
To assemble, I halved and deseeded the jalapeños, filled them with the pineapple cream cheese spread, wrapped each half with a strip of bacon, and secured them with a toothpick before baking. Bake time will vary slightly depending on how crispy you prefer the bacon; watch the pan toward the end of the baking time so you remove them when they’re done to your liking.
When baked, let the poppers rest a few minutes so they firm up slightly and are easier to handle. Remove them from the baking sheet by toothpick or with a spatula and transfer to a serving plate. A small dish of pepper jelly on the side or lightly brushed on top while they cool gives a glossy finish and an extra layer of sweet heat that pairs beautifully with the bacon.
Pineapple Jalapeño Popper Recipe
Yield: 12 poppers | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise with seeds removed (leave some seeds if you prefer extra heat)
- Pineapple jalapeño cream cheese spread (enough to fill the 12 jalapeño halves)
- 12 slices bacon, cut in half (one half-slice per stuffed jalapeño)
- Pepper jelly, optional, for brushing or serving alongside
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the jalapeños: slice each pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes to reduce heat if desired. Rinse and pat dry.
- Fill each cleaned jalapeño half with the pineapple jalapeño cream cheese spread. Take care not to overfill—too much filling will spill out while baking.
- Wrap each stuffed jalapeño half tightly with a half-slice of bacon. If needed, secure the bacon with a toothpick to hold it in place.
- Arrange the wrapped poppers on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, seam side down if possible so the bacon stays wrapped around the filling.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the bacon is cooked through and reaches your preferred level of crispiness, about 15 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on bacon thickness and oven performance; check often toward the end.
- Remove from the oven and allow the poppers to cool for about 5 minutes. If you like, brush the tops with pepper jelly while they cool or serve the jelly in a small bowl for dipping.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
Notes and tips
- Adjust heat: Removing seeds and white membranes reduces heat. Keep some if you prefer spicier poppers.
- Bacon selection: Thinner bacon tends to crisp faster; thicker bacon will be chewier and can take longer to cook. Partially cook thicker bacon before wrapping if you prefer very crispy poppers.
- Make ahead: Prepare the filled jalapeños and refrigerate them until ready to wrap and bake. Assemble shortly before baking for best texture.
- Serving suggestions: Pepper jelly adds sweet-spicy contrast, but a simple honey drizzle or a cooling yogurt dip also works well.
Nutrition (approximate per popper)
- Calories: 100 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Fat: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
Nutrition information is calculated automatically and should be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo