Description

A crowd-pleasing party appetizer, Jalapeño Popper Bread combines spicy pickled jalapeños, creamy cheese, and garlic butter on a crusty French loaf. This easy-to-make baked bread is loaded with melty mozzarella, cream cheese, and optional smoky bacon crumbles for a flavor-packed snack perfect for sharing.

Ingredients

Scale

Bread and Spread

1 loaf French bread
1/2 cup garlic butter, softened or melted
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream

Peppers and Seasoning

1/2 cup pickled jalapeño peppers
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Toppings

2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbles (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the bread.
Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Chop Jalapeños: Chop half of the pickled jalapeño slices finely to mix into the spread and reserve the remaining slices for topping the bread later.
Slice Bread: Cut the French bread loaf in half lengthwise and place both halves cut side up on the prepared sheet pan. Brush the surface generously with softened garlic butter. Bake for 5 minutes to warm the bread and crisp the edges.
Mix Cheese Spread: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, chopped jalapeños, sea salt, and black pepper using a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
Add Bacon Optionally: If desired, fold cooked bacon crumbles into the cream cheese mixture or reserve some to sprinkle on top later.
Assemble the Bread: Remove the partially baked bread from the oven and spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over both halves. Then sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese generously over the top. Arrange the reserved jalapeño slices decoratively on the cheese layer.
Bake to Melt Cheese: Return the bread to the oven and bake for an additional 6-10 minutes, until the mozzarella is melted and bubbly.
Cool and Slice: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool slightly on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing.
Serve: Cut the bread into individual servings and enjoy warm as a spicy, cheesy appetizer or party snack.

Notes

For garlic butter, you can use a store-bought melted butter mixed with 1 teaspoon garlic powder or prepare homemade garlic butter for extra flavor.
Cook bacon until crispy before adding to the recipe, either folding into the cheese mixture or sprinkling on top for added texture.
Adjust the amount of jalapeños based on your preferred spice level.
Best enjoyed fresh from the oven to keep the bread crisp and cheese melty.
Share your creation on Instagram with the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes to connect with other fans of this recipe!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Appetizer
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Jalapeño Popper Bread, cheesy jalapeño bread, party appetizer, spicy bread, cream cheese jalapeño bread, bacon jalapeño bread