Wow friends and family with the ultimate appetizer: Light Jalapeño Popper Dip. It's a satisfying and savory dish and can be served with your choice of crackers, chips, or veggies!
The most delicious jalapeño cheese dip
From gatherings with friends and sports viewing Sundays to dinner parties and plain old snacking, there is always a reason to break out the appetizers. And when you want something with a bit of heat that tastes savory and oh so satisfying, this light jalapeño popper dip is the way to go.
This app is just what it sounds like: like the flavors and layers of jalapeño poppers were turned into a dip! We're achieving this by using ingredients like cream cheese, cracker crumbs, and of course, jalapeños, all of which are staples in the classic appetizer.
Let's get into it!
Ingredients in light jalapeño popper dip
Jalapeño popper dip is made in two parts. We'll start with the base consisting of cream cheese, yogurt, loads of cheese, and more, and then we'll top it off with a cracker and bacon mix!
Dip
- Cream cheese: First thing's first: cream cheese! You'll need 1 block of your favorite brand. Be sure it's a light version, and let it soften before beginning your recipe
- Greek yogurt: Next, you will need 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt. This is a swap for sour cream and it makes a delicious result!
- Jalapeños: For the jalapeños, use 1 whole jar. Dice them up into tiny pieces.
- Cheese: Finally, the cheese! Start with 1 cup of your favorite shredded cheddar.
- Parmesan: Supplement the cheddar with ¼ cup of parmesan for extra flavor and texture.
- Seasonings: To add flavor to the dish, include ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Topping
- Crackers: For the top layer of the dip, begin with 1 4oz box of crackers or some panko breadcrumbs. Consider almond flour for a gluten free option! I used Simple Mills Almond Flour, and it was great.
- Butter: 2 tablespoon of melted butter will help the top layer reach the perfect consistency.
- Parmesan: Throw in another ¼ cup of parmesan cheese for flavor.
- Turkey bacon: Add a delicious layer to the dip with 4 slices of cooked and diced turkey bacon.
- Jalapeños: Finally, complete the dip with some jarred jalapeño slices!
Tools used to create this recipe
You'll need a handful of kitchen items to bring this recipe to life. Before getting started, grab your cutting board, chopping knife, a large mixing bowl, a stirring utensil, cake, pan, spatula (to spread out the dip layers), and a food processor or blender.
For measuring, you will need ½ tsp, 1 tbsp, ¼ cup, and 1 cup.
How to make this jalapeño popper dip recipe
Jalapeño dip is very simple to create. We'll start by preparing the cream cheese base, and then we'll get into the top layer before baking everything for half an hour!
Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F.
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and the Greek yogurt.
Next, add the diced jalapeños, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Spread the dip into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish or an 8-inch cake pan.
Using a food processor, blend the crackers, melted butter, and parmesan cheese until it all becomes fine crumbs.
Cook and chop the turkey bacon.
Spread the crumb mixture in an even layer on top of the dip. From there, add the crumbled bacon and some jalapeño slices.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
Serve with crackers, chips, or veggies!
How this jalapeño cheese dip is lighter
To create a lighter version of this dip recipe, I made a few key ingredient swaps.
Cream cheese
The first switch was so easy and doesn't alter the taste - light cream cheese! It's the easiest swap to make and doesn't change the dish at all.
Greek yogurt
Next, I used Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. This is a healthier option that creates a great consistency and tastes delish!
Turkey bacon
Finally, I went with turkey bacon over regular bacon. This is usually a go-to for me as I love the crispiness and the flavor! The swap is less fat and slightly lower in calories too.
You can further lighten this dish by serving with an array of veggies like celery, carrots, and cauliflower (versus chips and crackers).
Substitution Tip
Here are a few commonly asked questions that may help you as you create your own jalapeño popper dip recipe!
Can I use regular bacon?
Absolutely. This is a simple swap - prep everything in the same way and add the bacon when the recipe calls for turkey bacon.
What can I add?
One ingredient that adds a lot of flavor and is easy to incorporate is finely diced white onion. Simply chop it up and add it during step 3.
How should this be stored?
Store leftover jalapeño dip in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 2-3 days for the best flavor.
If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!
Craving some more mouth-watering appetizers? Try these!
- Honey Pecan Bacon Baked Brie
- Chicken Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Healthier Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Healthy Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
Ingredients
- 1 block light cream cheese softened
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup jarred jalapeños diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 4 oz box crackers I used Simple Mills Almond Flour to make this GF alternatively use panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 4 slices turkey bacon cooked and diced
- jalapeno slices from jar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and yogurt.
- Add in diced jalapenos, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
- Spread dip into bottom of 8x8 baking dish or 8 inch cake pan.
- In a food processor, blend together crackers, melted butter, and parmesan cheese until fine crumbs.
- Cook and chop your turkey bacon.
- Add crumb mixture to top of dip, spreading evenly, then add crumbled bacon and jalapeno slices.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
- Serve with crackers or veggies!
Nutrition
Per serving. Nutrition is an estimate.
Leave a star rating below and tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!
Rate This Recipe
Amy says
Delicious!
Erin says
Hi Amy, so happy you liked it!
Talia Marley says
I just love how simple Erin’s recipes are! So easy to be doctored to your palet or allergies. My favorite dip right now is the jalapeño dip!
Erin says
Hi Talia, so glad you loved it so much! 🙂
Kelly says
There are no words for how good this was! We used multigrain ritz crackers for the topping and it was BEYOND good. Stole the Super Bowl appetizer show. Also- no one at the party had any idea it was a “light” dip which I love. So much flavor there were no compromises.
Erin says
Hi Kelly, so happy you loved it so much!!
Britney Hodges says
This recipe was a huge hit and so delicious! I used regular crackers, and sour cream instead of the yogurt and it was amazing!
Erin says
Hi Britney, so glad you loved it and made it your own!!
Abby S says
Yummmm! Love the ritz cracker crust! Might be adding less jalapeños next time because wow….. it had a strong kick to it!
Erin says
Hi Abby, so happy you liked it!!
Liz says
I think ELW has made me the “dip girl” in our family thanks to her recipes. Absolutely delicious and easy to make! A crowd pleaser (but also great to devour alone).
Erin says
Hi Liz, so happy you all loved it! 🙂
Whitney says
Made for a few friends coming over a month ago. It was a hit and delicious. Making again today!
Erin says
Hi Whitney, so happy you all enjoyed it! 🙂
Audrey says
This was so tasty. I made it just for me, and munched on it throughout the week. So good!
Erin says
Hi Audrey, so glad you loved it!!
Kelsey says
An Easter weekend hit!! I will certainly be making again. Thank you!
Erin says
Hi Kelsey, so glad you loved it!!
Jenny says
LOVED this recipe! We made this as a super bowl app, but it has continued to be a favorite in the household through March Madness weekends 😂 so so good and as always, so easy!
Erin says
Hi Jenny, so happy it was such a hit!!
Tara says
This was incredible! I love jalapeño poppers, and this did not disappoint. Well definitely be making this again. It was a huge hit!
Erin says
Hi Tara, so glad you loved it!! 🙂
Beth says
Loved it!!!!
Erin says
Hi Beth, so happy you enjoyed it!!
Bridget says
Simply incredible!! Made this last night for a dip-themed super bowl party and I could’ve eaten the whole thing myself. I used veggie bacon on top instead of turkey bacon. So so good!
Erin says
Hi Bridget, so happy you loved it and great idea!!
Marissa says
I made this for the Super Bowl and it was a hit! So easy and delicious. Your recipes never disappoint. 🙂
Erin says
Hi Marissa, so happy you loved it!!
Beckie maddox says
This was great! I loved how you made a list of super bowl recipes and it made it so easy to find something to make.
This was super easy and not as Spicy as I thought it would be with those jalapeños.
I baked it a bit at home and then finished it off at the party location so it travels well if needed.
This would a great app for any sort of gathering. I served it with red and yellow bell peppers.
Erin says
Hi Beckie, so happy you loved the dip and great idea!! 🙂
Lexi says
I made this for a family get together and it was a hit! Everyone absolutely loved it and the cream cheese and Greek yogurt mixture balanced out the heat from the jalapeños so even the people that typically don’t like spicy food still really enjoyed it. This will definitely be a go to recipe for appetizers and gatherings!
Erin says
Hi Lexi, so happy everyone loved the dip!! 🙂
casey colodny says
As someone who LOVES jalapeno, i was so pumped for this dip!! left out the bacon and it was so spicy, creamy good!!
Erin says
Hi Casey, so glad you enjoyed it!!