¼ cupBacon Bitsabout 3-4 strips if making from scratch
½ cup Freshly Shredded Cheddar
½ cupFreshly Shredded Mozzarellablock-style, not fresh
3-4Green Onionsthinly sliced
3 Jalapeñossmall dice
1packageWonton Wrappersor egg roll wrappers cut into ¼s
1-2tablespoonAvocado Oilor more as needed
Water
Instructions
Mix cream cheese, mayo or sour cream, and garlic powder in a medium mixing bowl until uniform.
8 oz Cream Cheese, ½ cup Mayonnaise or Sour Cream, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Add all mix-ins, gently stirring until evenly distributed.
¼ cup Bacon Bits, ½ cup Freshly Shredded Cheddar, ½ cup Freshly Shredded Mozzarella, 3-4 Green Onions, 3 Jalapeños
Place a small (roughly 1 teaspoon) amount of filling in the middle of a wrapper. (Keep other wrappers under a damp towel as you work to prevent them from drying out.)
1 package Wonton Wrappers
Wet the outside edges of the wrapper using your forefinger dipped in a bowl of water, then fold into a triangle. Seal by pressing the tines of a fork around the edges. NOTE: You can freeze these for later after this step. Line a sheet tray or plate with parchment and freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag and removing as much air as possible. They'll keep well for up to 3 months.
Water
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place wontons on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly spritz with avocado oil (or use a pastry brush to brush the tops).
1-2 tablespoon Avocado Oil
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-18 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Serve warm & enjoy! Feel free to offer a dipping sauce on the side if you'd like.
Notes
Expert Tips
Use freshly shredded cheese for the best results. The pre-shredded kind gets coated in starch to prevent it from glomming together in the bag, but the starch affects how well it melts.
Make sure to thoroughly wash your hands after handling jalapeños—you don’t want to accidentally touch your eyes or use the restroom with all that spiciness on your hands!
Crimp the edges of the wontons with a fork to prevent the cheesy filling from busting out the sides when you bake them!
Storage & Reheating
Unbaked jalapeno wonton poppers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Note that they will have a tendency to stick together, so it's important to separate them with parchment and store in a single layer.
To freeze raw wontons, place them on a parchment-lined plate in a single layer, then pop the plate in the freezer for about an hour. Once the wontons are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, allow to defrost overnight in the fridge or for an hour or so at room temperature, then bake as directed. Make sure you lay them out on your parchment-lined sheet pan before defrosting so they don't glom together.
Allow any leftover baked wontons to cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. They'll keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or can be frozen for up to a month.
Optional Variations
Dairy-Free - Use vegan cream cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella to keep things dairy-free.
Vegan - Go dairy-free with your cheese and use vegan bacon bits to make these snacks totally plant-based and vegan-friendly.
Jalapeno Popper Wonton Cups - Want to cut down on prep work? Make your jalapeño wontons a slightly different way! Spritz a mini muffin tin with cooking spray, then line the wells with square wonton wrappers. Spoon in the filling, brush the exposed pastry with oil, and bake into crispy wonton cups.
Deconstructed Wontons - Make the filling, but bake it in a small oven-safe bowl for an easy jalapeño popper dip. Serve with either baked or deep fried wonton chips and/or tortilla chips!
Adjust the Heat - Not a fan of spicy foods? Remove and discard the white membranes and seeds from the jalapeños before dicing. Why? Capsaicin (the compound that makes jalapeños taste spicy) is most prominent in those parts of the fruit, so removing them will cut down on the heat!