Stuffed Mini Peppers (3 Ingredients) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

My friend, Alla, showed me how to make these cream cheese stuffed mini peppers a few years ago, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. They’re healthy, delicious, and equally perfect for lunch boxes, appetizers, or healthy snacks. They remind me of jalapeño poppers, but with mini sweet peppers instead — because sometimes I don’t want the heat, and my kids certainly don’t. Make them with me!

Why You Need My Stuffed Mini Peppers Recipe

• Crunchy mini sweet peppers + creamy cheese – If you like dunking fresh veggies into creamy dips like taco dip or spinach dip, you’ll love this combo.
• Just 3 ingredients – These are the perfect healthy way to satisfy a snack craving. And you can throw them together in about 10 minutes.
• No heat required – I like that I can make cold stuffed peppers without using my stovetop or oven. Perfect for summer, or other times of year when you’re cooking other dishes for an occasion.
• Meal prep friendly – These store really well, so they’re a great option to make ahead for a party (or a lunchbox).
• So many ways to customize – Stuffed mini peppers are easy to change up with seasonings and fillings. I have both cold and hot ideas below!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my mini sweet peppers recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Mini Bell Peppers – I like a variety pack that contains different colors (red, orange, and yellow). Any color works, though. If you like heat, you can use jalapeño peppers instead, but they’ll be very spicy since we’re not cooking them.
• Cream Cheese – I use plain, but feel free to experiment with flavors, such as smoked salmon or garlic herb. You can also make those flavors yourself by stirring in lox, minced garlic or garlic powder, or fresh herbs. Other soft cheeses, like goat cheese, Neufchâtel, or ricotta, would also work.
• Everything Bagel Seasoning – My favorite topping for these stuffed mini bell peppers! I’ve got other flavors below if you want to change it up.

How To Make Stuffed Mini Peppers

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Prep the peppers. Cut them in half, and remove the ribs and seeds.
2. Stuff with cream cheese. Fill the pepper halves with the cream cheese.
3. Add the topping. Sprinkle with the everything seasoning for the classic version, or use your garnish of choice (see my ideas below).

Recipe Variations

There are endless ways to make stuffed mini peppers — any fillings that work for larger sweet pepper recipes also work for minis! If your filling has multiple components, just stir them in a bowl first.

Cold Options:

When it’s too hot to cook and I want something different, these are my favorite cold options:

• Mediterranean – Mix crumbled feta into the cream cheese. Top the mini bell peppers with sliced olives, diced fresh tomatoes and red onions, and fresh basil. (You can also use these toppings to make my Mediterranean chicken for a main dish.)
• Caramelized Onion – Stir together my caramelized onion dip and scoop inside. I top these with a sprinkle of thyme.
• Crab – Spoon my cold crab dip into your mini sweet peppers. Chives are the perfect topping for this one.
• Ranch – Sprinkle with ranch seasoning, or mix it into the cream cheese filling.
• Bacon Cheddar – Stir cheddar cheese and sliced green onions in with the cream cheese, and top with crumbled bacon. (This is like a cold, sweet version of jalapeño poppers.)

Warm Options:

Want your stuffed mini peppers warm? Mix up one of the fillings below (make sure to pre-cook any proteins first), then bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F, or pop them on the grill.

• Sausage – Mix together cooked Italian sausage with the cream cheese (and maybe a dash of Italian seasoning), add to the peppers, and top with mozzarella.
• Buffalo Chicken – Stuff mini peppers with my buffalo chicken dip if you like some heat.
• Spinach Artichoke – Spoon my spinach artichoke dip inside, and top with extra mozzarella.
• Taco – Spread a thinner layer of cream cheese on the bottom, then top with taco meat and shredded cheese.

See Also

Parmesan Potato StacksParmesan Roasted Carrot FriesTacos selber machen: Die besten Rezepte auf einen BlickRoasted Garlic Butter Parmesan Potatoes

Storage & Meal Prep

• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in refrigerator for 2-3 days.
• Meal Prep: I love to meal prep these a few days ahead, because they store very well. The peppers do soften a tiny bit, so if you want them extra extra crisp, you can scoop out the seeds in advance (this part takes the longest) but add the filling right before serving.
• Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing cold stuffed mini peppers (it runs their texture), but you can freeze my cooked variations above for up to 3 months.

More Cold Appetizer Recipes

If you like these cream cheese stuffed mini peppers, you might also like some of my other cold appetizers:

Gratitude Moment

This picture is one of my favorite moments from our trip this month. (We actually took this trip with my friend, Alla, who introduced me to these stuffed mini peppers, but she hates pictures, so you get flowers instead. ;))

Anyway, on one of our hikes, my girls picked a few flowers for me. We had to have a conversation (again) about leaving nature the way we found it. But at the same time, that “I picked this for you, mama” phrase floods me with all the feels. I probably don’t have very long left before they stop doing this, so I want to remember it.