Description
Flaky puff pastry wraps around a spicy cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeño, and bacon filling, then twists into golden spirals that bake up crispy outside and gooey inside. These crowd-pleasing appetizers disappear fast at every party, game day, or holiday spread.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but kept cold
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 3–4 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
- 6–8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the cream cheese, ¾ cup of shredded cheddar, diced jalapeños, crumbled bacon, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Lay the cold puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Spread the cream cheese filling in a thin, even layer over one half of the pastry sheet all the way to the edges.
- Fold the unfilled half of the pastry over the filling. Press firmly along all edges to seal the layers together.
- Cut the folded pastry into strips about ½ inch wide using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Keep cuts even and clean.
- Pick up each strip by both ends. Twist in opposite directions to form a tight spiral. Press the ends gently onto the parchment to anchor them in place. Leave at least 1 inch of space between each twist.
- Brush each twist thoroughly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of cheddar cheese over the top of every twist.
- Bake on the middle rack for 18–20 minutes. Rotate the pan once halfway through. Pull the twists from the oven when they turn deep golden brown and the cheese bubbles on top. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 twist
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Jalapeno Popper Twists, appetizer, party food