Keto Jalapeño Poppers with Prosciutto

You'll love these Keto Jalapeño Poppers! They're stuffed with cream cheese and prosciutto, topped with seasoned Parmesan cheese and drizzled with melted butter!

I'm proud to say these were my mom's favorite appetizer. If she arrived at my home for a family gathering and didn't see these prosciutto jalapeño poppers, she made sure to inquire what the heck happened.

"You didn't make them??!"

What a compliment!

And what's not to love? They're crisp-tender and buttery on the outside, creamy on the inside, with a salty accent from the Parmesan and prosciutto. The occasional jalapeño seed provides a little kick of heat.

Plus, they're low-carb jalapeño poppers!

I hope you enjoy them as much as my mom always did!

"The poppers were AMAZING!"

- Christine

Recipe ingredients

Jalapeños: These small, long, green peppers are chili peppers with medium heat. Their seeds and membranes provide most of the heat though, so if you remove them, the jalapeños should be somewhat mild.

Look for firm, deep green, glossy jalapeños with green stems. Any striped or flecked ones are older and will be spicier. (Just like people, haha!)

Cream Cheese: Use full-fat or light cream cheese. You can buy a block or the kind in the tub.

And if you love cream cheese with jalapeños, don't miss this Cream Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin!

Prosciutto: Little cubes of prosciutto add salty, savory flavor here. I buy them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near the imported cheese.

If you can't find them there, ask a deli worker to slice prosciutto ¼-inch thick. Then, you can cut it into cubes at home.

Parmesan: To make these gluten-free jalapeño poppers, instead of bread crumbs, we're using Parmesan cheese seasoned with paprika and garlic powder. It's the same combination I use in recipes like my Gluten-Free Onion Rings and Baked Parmesan Crisps.

How to make keto jalapeño poppers

See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.

Prep the jalapeños

1. Use a paring knife (affiliate link) to cut the jalapeños lengthwise. Leave the stems to use as handles and for a nice presentation.
2. Scrape out the membranes and seeds.

Fill the jalapeños

1. Mix softened cream cheese and prosciutto cubes in a bowl.
2. Stuff the empty jalapeño halves with the prepared filling.
3. Combine the Parmesan cheese and seasonings.
4. Press the filled jalapeño halves into the topping and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with melted butter and bake.

Recipe tips

• If you have food-safe gloves, (affiliate link) wear them when cutting jalapeños to protect your skin from the irritating capsaicin compound in chili peppers.
• Be careful not to touch your face or eyes after cutting the jalapeños, because you'll feel a burning sensation. Wash your hands very well after handling the peppers, even if you wore gloves.
• If you prefer spicy-hot poppers, you can leave one or more seeds inside each jalapeño half. The more seeds, the more heat!

Make-ahead option

Up to one day before baking them, you can stuff the poppers and top them with the seasoned Parmesan. Cover and refrigerate them.

Take the stuffed jalapeño poppers out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking them. Drizzle on the melted butter and bake as directed in the recipe card.

How to serve them

I like to arrange these poppers in a circular pattern, with the stems at the edge of the round plate. They'll look like the petals of a flower.

They're the perfect starter for a meal featuring turkey black bean chili, Carolina pulled pork, Crockpot spare ribs or garlic cilantro shrimp.

Bring them to any game night or barbecue and watch them get devoured!

How long do they last in the refrigerator?

Refrigerate these jalapeño appetizers in a sealed container for up to four days.

Can you freeze them?

Yes, you can freeze jalapeño poppers! Wait until they've cooled off, then freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan.

Once they've frozen, transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag. Store them in the freezer for up to three months for the best quality.

How to reheat them

Microwave: You can use the microwave for quickly reheating jalapeño poppers, even from frozen. They'll turn out a bit soft, but still will taste good.

Air Fryer: If you want to retain the poppers' crunch, reheat these in the air fryer. Arrange them in a single layer and air fry at 350 degrees F for five minutes or so until they're heated through.

Oven: If you have extra time, you can use a regular oven set to 350 or 400 degrees F. Allow 20-30 minutes to bake them from frozen. Otherwise, it should take around 10 minutes to bake them right out of the refrigerator.

More appetizer recipes you'll love

• Stuffed Dates with Cream Cheese
• Keto Stuffed Mushrooms
• Cream Cheese Log with Pecans
• Mushroom Egg Rolls
• Gorgonzola-Stuffed Dates with Bacon
• 65+ Italian Appetizer Recipes

If you try this Keto Jalapeño Poppers recipe, please leave a comment and a rating!

(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C. Originally published on January 27, 2018 and updated now with additional photos and information.)