Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers (Dairy-Free)

Name: Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers (Dairy-Free)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup raw cashews; 1 cup hot water; 1/4 cup unsweetened cashew milk (or almond milk); 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt; 12 small jalapeño peppers; 8 slices prosciutto

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Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers are a dairy-free twist on a game day staple! They’re filled with homemade cashew cheese and wrapped in crispy prosciutto. You only need 7 ingredients and they take just 10 minutes in the air fryer!

If jalapeño poppers are usually a part of your game day menu, you’ll want to try this air fryer version with cashew cheese and prosciutto.

Up close and overhead view of air fryer jalapeño poppers on a grey plate.

I’ve taken some liberties with the classic recipe, leaving out the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and panko crumbs, but I think you’ll enjoy this twist.

The cashew cheese still gives you a creamy and ‘cheesy’ filling, and the prosciutto adds just the right amount of saltiness to complement the spicy jalapeños.

What is cashew cheese?

Cashew cheese is a plant-based cheese alternative that uses cashew nuts as a base ingredient instead of milk. While you can make or buy cultured cashew cheese, you can also quickly make it by soaking cashews in hot water and blending them together with nutritional yeast and seasonings.

In this recipe, we’re using smoked paprika which pairs with the nutritional yeast to create a smokey, cheesy flavour. Feel free to change it up and add different spices and/or herbs.

Ingredients to make jalapeño poppers arranged individually and labelled.

Details on the ingredients

You only need 7 ingredients to make these dairy-free jalapeño poppers!

Jalapeños – While I usually make these poppers with green jalapeños, the day I photographed them, I used black jalapeños. They’re pretty similar to traditional green jalapeños, except they’re flesh is a darker colour green (almost black) and they have a slightly milder taste than the green variety.

Cashews – I used raw and unsalted whole cashews for the cashew cheese, and soaked them in hot water for 30 minutes. I haven’t tested this recipe with salted or roasted cashews. I imagine the results would be similar, it just may change the taste of the cashew cheese.

Prosciutto – This is just thinly sliced, dry-cured ham. When it’s cooked, it gets crispy like bacon.

Nut milk – I added a quarter of a cup of cashew milk to the cashew cheese mixture to make it more creamy and spreadable (and it also helps blend it up). You can use almond milk or another type of nut or seed milk. Just make sure it is unsweetened and unflavoured.

Nutritional yeast – This is deactivated yeast that has a cheesy flavour and flaky texture.

Smoked paprika – This will give the cashew cheese a smokey flavour. I don’t recommend substituting regular paprika as it has a sweeter taste.

Salt – Just a pinch goes into the cashew cheese.

Homemade cashew cheese in a small bowl with a knife inserted into it.

How to make jalapeño poppers without cream cheese

Soak your cashews in hot water.

Drain the cashews and blend them together with some cashew milk, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika and salt.

Cut your jalapeños in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes.

Fill each jalapeño half with cashew cheese and wrap with prosciutto.

Air fry in a single layer on 325F for 10-12 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the prosciutto is crispy. (You may need to air fry in two batches).

Jalapeño halves arranged on a plate, being stuffed with cashew cheese and wrapped in prosciutto.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best temperature for jalapeño poppers in the air fryer?

These stuffed jalapeños are best air fried at 325F. That’s a lower temperature than I normally use for my air fryer, but air frying these poppers on a higher temperature usually results in the prosciutto burning before the peppers are cooked.

How long does it take to air fryer dairy-free jalapeño poppers?

At 325F, it will take 10-12 minutes per batch for the peppers to get tender and the prosciutto crispy. If you have a larger capacity air fryer, you may be able to air fry them all in one batch. If your air fryer is smaller, you will need to air fry in two batches.

What type of air fryer was this recipe tested in?

This recipe was tested using a Philips 2.75 quart air fryer. If you’re using a different brand, model and/or size, you may need to adjust the temperature or air frying time slightly. You will also need to air fry the jalapeños in multiple batches, particularly if your air fryer is the same size as mine or smaller.

Can you make these air fried jalapeño poppers in advance?

You can prepare the cashew cheese the day before and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can even stuff and wrap the jalapeños a few hours in advance. Just cover and refrigerate until you are ready to air fry them.

Stuffed jalapeños wrapped in prosciutto and arranged on a plate.

Storage and reheating leftovers

If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and they should last for 1-2 days.

To reheat, you can warm them in the microwave for a few seconds or place them on a sheet pan and bake in the oven on 350F for 4-5 minutes.

Pre-cooked jalapeño poppers arranged in a single layer in an air fryer basket.

What to serve with jalapeño poppers

We love these poppers served on their own with a drizzle of honey.

If you don’t mind dairy, you can serve them with ranch dressing or sour cream.

For a double dose of jalapeños, serve them with a creamy jalapeño dip.

Or for a double dose of cashew cheese, pair them with a dairy-free cashew queso.

For the ultimate game day eats, add them to the menu with some nachos, tortilla chips and/or pizza.

Air fried jalapeño poppers in an air fryer basket.

Key recipe tips

When removing the seeds and membrane from the jalapeños, I suggest wearing gloves to project your hands from getting spice burns.
To make cashew dips and cheeses, I recommend using a high-powered food processor or blender. If you don’t have a powerful one, you may just need to blend the mixture for a little longer or try soaking the cashews overnight instead of just for 30 minutes.
The cashew cheese only has a minimal amount of salt added. I did this as the prosciutto is salty and I didn’t want a salty flavour to overpower the spicy jalapeños. If you like it saltier, feel free to add more to the cashew cheese.
The cashew cheese puffs up while air frying, so be sure not to overfill the jalapeños.
I suggest not over doing it on the prosciutto. If you wrap too many layers around the stuffed jalapeños, the prosciutto will end up chewy instead of crispy.
Be careful not to air fry your jalapeños for too much longer than the recommended time. The peppers may get soft and mushy and the prosciutto will start to burn.
You don’t want to overcrowd the air fryer either, so I recommend air frying the jalapeño poppers in at least two batches.

Dairy-free jalapeño poppers arranged on a grey plate next to some honey and glasses of beer.

Other air fryer snack recipes

Other jalapeño recipes

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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