Soft, slightly tangy yogurt dough wraps around seeded jalapeño halves stuffed with a creamy mix of light cream cheese, sharp cheddar, grated Parmesan, and scallions for a melty, savory bite with a playful mummy look.
They bake in about 30 minutes and take roughly 60 minutes total; this recipe yields 16 servings and is perfect for a Halloween spread. To save time, you can swap the homemade yogurt dough for store-bought pizza or crescent roll dough as noted below.
Why You’ll Love These
These poppers are a kid-friendly Halloween hit: the cheesy filling, golden baked dough, and candy eyes make them festive and fun. For another party-ready savory option, try the Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower Flatbread.
Perfect for Halloween parties, classroom treats, or an easy appetizer that looks more complicated than it is.
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Mummy Poppers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; if using parchment, lightly spray it with oil to prevent sticking.
- In a medium bowl combine the light cream cheese, part-skim sharp cheddar, grated Parmesan, and sliced scallions. Mix until smooth, then spoon or press the cheese mixture into each seeded jalapeño half.
- In a separate medium bowl whisk together the unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Add the non-fat plain Greek yogurt to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork or spatula until the mixture breaks into small crumbles—this is the start of the dough.
- Lightly dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out. Knead just a few times (about 15 turns) until the dough is smooth and tacky but not sticky; it should not stick to your hand when you pull away.
- Dust the rolling pin and work surface with more flour, then roll the dough into a thin rectangle about 13 x 9 inches.
- Slice the rolled dough into 1/2-inch-thick strips.
- Wrap each filled jalapeño half with a dough strip, leaving a small gap where the cheese filling is exposed for the candy eyes; place the wrapped poppers on the prepared sheet pan.
- Brush each wrapped popper with the beaten egg white and bake for 30 minutes, until the dough is golden and the peppers are hot.
- After baking, press candy eyes into the exposed filling of each popper and arrange on a platter to serve warm.
Yogurt Dough Tips
The yogurt dough is forgiving but relies on the right texture: it should come together into small crumbles when mixed, then become smooth and tacky after a few turns of kneading.
Avoid overworking: too much kneading makes the dough tough, while too little leaves it crumbly and hard to wrap.
- Mix until small crumbles form, then transfer and knead about 15 turns.
- Dust the surface and rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking; add flour sparingly so the dough stays tender.
- If the dough feels dry, press it together with a little more yogurt; if it’s sticky, dust with a touch more flour.
Prep Jalapeños Safely
When seeding jalapeños, remove the stem and scrape out the membranes and seeds to reduce heat. Wear gloves or wash hands thoroughly after handling to avoid eye/skin irritation.
Seeded jalapeños are much milder and usually fine for children; keep the removed membranes if you want to add a few spicier poppers for adults.
- Cut peppers lengthwise and use a small spoon to remove seeds and membranes.
- Wear disposable gloves or wash hands with soap and water immediately after prepping peppers.
- If you accidentally touch your face, rinse with water—do not rub the area.
Shortcut: Store-Bought Dough
To save time, substitute store-bought pizza dough or crescent roll dough for the yogurt dough. This removes the mixing/rolling step and cuts prep time substantially.
With purchased dough you may skip rolling thin; simply slice or stretch the dough into strips and wrap around the filled jalapeños as directed.
- Use pizza or crescent dough straight from the package; slice into 1/2-inch strips and wrap around the peppers.
- Expect to shave about 15–25 minutes off prep time depending on how quickly you can unroll and slice the dough.
- Baking time remains about 30 minutes, but check for a golden brown finish as store-bought doughs vary.
Top Tips
Dough texture cue: Knead the dough just until it’s smooth and tacky—about 15 turns. It should feel slightly sticky at first but should not leave dough clinging to your fingers.
Mild for kids: Removing the seeds and inner membranes removes most of the heat. Taste a small piece of a seeded pepper if you’re unsure and reserve spicier membranes for adults.
Egg wash option: Use a whole beaten egg in place of the egg white if you prefer a deeper golden color on the dough.
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Final Notes
These Mummy Jalapeño Poppers are an easy, showy appetizer for Halloween gatherings—make the dough ahead, or grab store-bought dough to keep stress low and the snacks coming.
Arrange them on a platter while warm so the cheese is still melty and the dough has its best texture.
Mummy Jalapeno Poppers
Equipment
- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour whole wheat or gluten-free mix, plus more for dusting (5 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt I recommend Stonyfield or Fage 0%
- 8 jalapeño peppers sliced in half lengthwise, seeded and stemmed
- 3 ounces light cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- 4 medium scallions green part only, sliced
- 2 ounces part-skim sharp cheddar about 1/2 cup
- 1 egg white beaten (whole egg works fine too)
- candy eyes available at Michaels, Amazon or most supermarkets
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; if using parchment, lightly spray it with oil to prevent sticking.
- In a medium bowl, combine the light cream cheese, part-skim sharp cheddar, grated Parmesan, and sliced scallions. Use a small spoon or spatula to fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add the non-fat plain Greek yogurt and mix with a fork or spatula until the mixture forms small crumbles.
- Lightly dust a work surface with flour, transfer the dough to the surface, and knead a few times (about 15 turns) until the dough is smooth and tacky but not sticky; it should not stick to your hand when you pull away.
- Dust the work surface and a rolling pin with additional flour.
- Roll the dough out thin into a rectangle about 13 x 9 inches, then slice the dough into 1/2 inch-thick slices.
- Wrap the dough around each filled jalapeño half, leaving a small gap for the candy eyes, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining jalapeños and dough.
- Brush each wrapped jalapeño with the beaten egg white and bake for 30 minutes, until the dough is golden and the peppers are hot.
- Press candy eyes onto the exposed filling of each popper.
