Jalapeño Popper Mummies Easy Halloween Appetizer

Name: Jalapeño Popper Mummies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 10 medium to large jalapeño peppers; 8 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature); 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or a Mexican blend); 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent roll dough; 20 candy eyeballs; 1 large egg (beaten with 1 tablespoon of water)

Published:

October 22, 2025

By:

C. Motter Cindy

Jalapeño Popper Mummies : Jalapeño Popper Mummies Easy Halloween Appetizer

From Our Kitchen to Yours: A Story of a Spooky, Silly, and Delicious Tradition

Have you ever noticed how the first truly cold night of autumn changes everything? Here in Bend, the air suddenly carries the sharp, clean scent of pine and the distant promise of woodsmoke. It’s a signal, a quiet invitation to trade sandals for slippers, iced tea for warm cider, and sprawling summer afternoons for cozy evenings gathered around the kitchen island. For our family, that first chill always sparks the same conversation, usually started by one of the kids, “Is it almost time to make the spooky snacks?” And by spooky snacks, they almost always mean it’s time to make our annual batch of Jalapeño Popper Mummies. There’s a certain magic in creating food that’s a little bit silly and a whole lot of delicious. It’s a reminder that the best recipes aren’t just about nourishment; they’re about connection, laughter, and creating memories that stick with you long after the last crumb is gone.

This tradition started years ago, on a whim. The kids were small, Halloween was approaching, and I wanted to make something more exciting than just another bowl of candy. I remembered the classic cream cheese jalapeño poppers my grandmother used to make for every family gathering, a recipe that felt like the epitome of comfort food. But how could I make them fun for the kids? How could I turn a simple appetizer into a story? The answer was in a tube of crescent roll dough, a few slices cut here and there, and a couple of candy eyeballs. That first batch of mummy jalapeño poppers was a hilarious mess. Some were perfectly wrapped, looking like tiny, dignified mummies. Others looked like they’d had a very rough day, with cheese oozing from their bandages. But as we pulled them from the oven, golden and bubbling, the kitchen filled with the scent of toasted pastry, spicy peppers, and melting cheese, and I knew we had a winner. Ethan, my husband, captured the moment with his camera, the kids’ faces lit up with pure joy. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours. It was a memory being baked right into our family’s story. That’s the heart of what we do here at MisterRecipes; we believe that cooking is about chasing connection, not perfection.

Why You’ll Love This Jalapeño Popper Mummies Recipe

There is a simple, undeniable joy in making these little savory creatures, and I know your family will feel it too. They’ve become one of our most requested Halloween party food ideas because they manage to be both adorable and incredibly tasty. This is more than just a recipe; it’s an experience. It’s the perfect kitchen project to get everyone involved, from the little ones who can place the candy eyes to the older kids who love wrapping the dough bandages. We are not just making Halloween jalapeño poppers; we are crafting edible characters, each with its own quirky personality. It’s a wonderful way to slow down during a busy season and share a moment of simple, creative fun. Here’s why this recipe will become a treasured tradition in your home, just as it has in ours.

Perfectly Balanced Flavors: The beauty of these jalapeño popper mummies is the incredible harmony of flavors. You get a gentle, mellow heat from the jalapeños, which is perfectly balanced by the rich, tangy cream cheese filling. This is all wrapped in a buttery, flaky crescent roll crust that toasts to a beautiful golden brown. It’s a symphony of spicy, creamy, and savory that is completely addictive.
Incredibly Easy and Fun: This is truly an easy jalapeño popper mummies recipe. With just a handful of common ingredients, you can create a show stopping appetizer. The process is simple enough for beginner cooks and is a fantastic recipe for kids to help with. Wrapping the “bandages” around the peppers is a playful activity that turns cooking into crafting. You can find more fun recipes like these in our collection of spooky party snacks.
The Ultimate Party Food: Are you looking for the star of your next get together? These little mummies are guaranteed to be a hit. They serve as fantastic finger foods for parties, are easy to eat, and are a wonderful conversation starter. Whether it’s for a Halloween bash, a game day gathering, or just a fun family movie night, these poppers bring a sense of fun and festivity to any occasion. They disappear from the platter almost as soon as you set them down.
Customizable to Your Taste: You have complete control over this recipe. If you’re serving a crowd that loves heat, leave a few of the jalapeño seeds in for an extra kick. For a milder, more kid friendly jalapeño popper mummies recipe, be sure to remove all the seeds and white membranes. You can also get creative with the filling by adding shredded cheddar, cooked bacon bits, or a dash of garlic powder.
Visually Adorable: Let’s be honest, these are just plain cute. The little candy eyeballs peeking out from the crescent roll bandages make them irresistibly charming. They are one of those rare treats that look as good as they taste, making them perfect for sharing on social media or for impressing guests at your next event. They are a much more playful cousin to our Easy Mummy Hot Dogs.

Ingredients for Jalapeño Popper Mummies

The ingredient list for this delightful recipe is wonderfully short and simple. It’s all about using quality, accessible ingredients to create something truly special.

10 fresh jalapeño peppers, medium to large size
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or a Mexican blend)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent roll dough
20 candy eyeballs
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water (for an egg wash)

Substitutions:

For the cheese: Feel free to use Monterey Jack, Colby, or a spicy pepper jack for an extra kick in your homemade jalapeño popper mummies with cream cheese.
For the dough: If you can’t find crescent roll dough, puff pastry cut into thin strips also works beautifully for these crescent roll appetizers, though the texture will be a bit flakier.

How to Make Jalapeño Popper Mummies

Here is where the fun truly begins. Think of these steps as a quiet ritual, a lovely rhythm of preparation that leads to a delicious and joyful result. Put on some music, gather your helpers, and let’s bring these little mummies to life.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare Your Workspace: Begin by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. This little step makes cleanup a breeze, leaving more time for enjoying your spooky creations.
Ready the Peppers: Put on a pair of disposable gloves to protect your hands from the pepper oils. Carefully slice each jalapeño in half lengthwise, from the stem to the tip. Use a small spoon to gently scoop out the seeds and the white membranes. This is the key to controlling the heat. For milder poppers, be thorough; for a spicier kick, you can leave a few seeds behind.
Mix the Magical Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together with a spatula until it’s smooth and wonderfully creamy. This is the warm, savory heart of our mummies. Take a small taste and adjust the seasoning if you like. This will become your go to homemade jalapeño popper filling.
Stuff the Peppers: Now, take your creamy cheese mixture and generously fill each jalapeño half. You want to mound it slightly, creating a nice rounded top. Place the filled jalapeño halves onto your prepared baking sheet.
Create the Mummy Bandages: Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate it into the precut triangles. Using a pizza cutter or a small knife, slice each triangle lengthwise into thin strips. Don’t worry about making them perfectly uniform; the variations in thickness will make your mummies look more authentic and charming. This part of making Pillsbury crescent roll jalapeño popper mummies is always the kids’ favorite.
Wrap Your Mummies: This is the most creative part! Take one strip of dough at a time and wrap it around a filled jalapeño half. Crisscross the strips, leaving a small gap near the top (the wider end of the pepper) where the eyes will go. Let some of the cheese filling peek through the bandages. Each one will have its own unique personality. Repeat until all the peppers are cozily wrapped.
Give Them a Golden Glow: Gently brush the tops of the dough strips with the prepared egg wash. This is our little secret for getting that beautiful, shiny, golden brown finish in the oven. It makes them look absolutely irresistible.
Bake to Perfection: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crescent dough is golden brown and puffed, and the cheese filling is hot and bubbly. The aroma that fills your kitchen will be absolutely heavenly.
Bring Them to Life: Remove the baking sheet from the oven. While the mummies are still warm, gently press two candy eyeballs into the space you left for them. The warm cheese will help them stick in place. Let them cool for just a few minutes before serving, as the filling will be very hot.

Pro Tips & Variations

Over the years, we’ve learned a few little tricks that take these jalapeño popper mummies from great to absolutely unforgettable. Here are some of our family secrets, along with a few fun variations to inspire your own culinary creativity.

Tame the Heat: The real spice of a jalapeño lives in its white membranes and seeds. To ensure your mummies are mild enough for everyone, including kids, be extra diligent when scraping out the insides. You can even blanch the pepper halves in boiling water for one minute and then immediately plunge them into an ice bath. This softens the pepper slightly and mellows its heat even further.
Achieve the Perfect Filling: Room temperature cream cheese is your best friend. If your cream cheese is cold, it will be lumpy and difficult to mix. If you forget to set it out, you can unwrap it and microwave it in a safe bowl for about 15 to 20 seconds. This will ensure your filling is smooth, creamy, and easy to stuff into the peppers. For a classic, non spooky version, you can follow a trusted recipe like this one for Jalapeño Poppers from Allrecipes to master the basic filling.
Don’t Overwrap: It’s tempting to completely cover the poppers in dough, but resist! The magic is in the imperfection. Allowing some of the cheesy filling to peek through the “bandages” not only looks more authentic but also lets you see when the cheese is perfectly melted and bubbly. A light, crisscross pattern is all you need.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Popper Mummies: For an extra layer of savory, smoky flavor, add bacon! You can either add cooked, crumbled bacon to the cream cheese mixture or take it a step further. Before wrapping with crescent dough, wrap each stuffed pepper half in a slice of par cooked bacon. Then, add the dough bandages on top. It’s a decadent twist that is always a huge hit.
Air Fryer Jalapeño Popper Mummies: Yes, you can make these in the air fryer! This is a fantastic option if you’re making a smaller batch or want to free up oven space. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Place the wrapped mummies in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they don’t touch. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is melted. They come out wonderfully crispy.

Serving Suggestions

These little spicy mummy appetizers for Halloween are perfect on their own, but pairing them with the right accompaniments can turn them into a full blown feast. We love setting up a little dipping station when we serve these at parties. It encourages guests to gather around and mingle. You can also build out a larger spread of Halloween appetizers to create a truly memorable and festive table.

Dipping Sauces: A great dipping sauce for jalapeño popper mummies is essential. A simple ranch dressing provides a cool and creamy contrast to the spice. For a spooky effect, you can serve them with a side of marinara or raspberry jam, which looks like “blood.” A sweet chili sauce also pairs beautifully with the savory filling.
A Spooky Appetizer Board: Create an amazing Halloween platter by surrounding your mummies with other themed treats. They would look wonderful next to our Easy Ghost Popcorn Bags or some spooky spiderweb dip. Add some dark-colored grapes, black olives, baby carrots, and crackers to fill out the board.
A Halloween Main Course: If you are looking for spooky dinner ideas for Halloween night, serve these mummies as a starter before a main course of “Witch’s Brew Soup” (a simple green vegetable soup) or a hearty “Graveyard Shepherd’s Pie.” It sets a wonderfully festive tone for the entire meal.
More Party Ideas: For a bigger party, it’s always great to have a variety of options. Finding more inspiration is easy with fantastic roundups like this ultimate list of 100 Best Halloween Recipes from Food Network, which can help you plan a full menu from drinks to desserts.

Storage & Reheating

While these poppers are definitely best enjoyed fresh from the oven, leftovers are still a wonderful treat. Here’s how to store and reheat them to bring back some of that freshly baked magic.

Refrigerating: Store any leftover jalapeño popper mummies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The crescent dough will soften a bit, but they will still be delicious.
Freezing: If you’re wondering, can you freeze jalapeño popper mummies, the answer is yes, but it’s best to do it before baking. Assemble the mummies completely (but do not add the egg wash or eyes), and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer until firm. Once solid, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. You can bake them directly from frozen, just add about 5 to 7 minutes to the baking time.
Reheating: The best way to reheat these is in the oven or air fryer. Preheat your oven or air fryer to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they are warmed through and the dough has crisped up again. Avoid using the microwave, as it will make the dough soft and soggy.

FAQ about Jalapeño Popper Mummies

How do I control the spiciness of the jalapeños?
The key to controlling the heat is to be very thorough when removing the seeds and the white “pith” or membranes from inside the jalapeño halves. That’s where most of the capsaicin, the compound that makes peppers spicy, is concentrated. For a very mild version, you can even briefly blanch the pepper halves in boiling water for 60 seconds before stuffing them.

What cheese to use for jalapeño popper mummies?
The classic recipe calls for a mix of cream cheese and cheddar, which provides a perfect balance of creamy texture and sharp flavor. However, feel free to experiment! Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend all work beautifully. For an extra kick, try using a pepper jack cheese.

Can I make ahead jalapeño popper mummies for a party?
Absolutely! This is one of the best make ahead jalapeño popper mummies tips. You can prepare them up to 24 hours in advance. Stuff the peppers and wrap them with the crescent roll dough. Place them on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store them in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake, just brush them with the egg wash, pop them in the oven, and add the candy eyes after baking.

How long to bake jalapeño popper mummies?
In a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven, they typically take about 12 to 15 minutes to bake. You’re looking for the crescent roll dough to be beautifully puffed and a deep golden brown color, and the cheese filling should be hot and bubbly. Keep a close eye on them during the last few minutes, as oven temperatures can vary.

Final Thoughts on Jalapeño Popper Mummies

There’s a gentle quiet that falls over the house after a day of festive cooking. The baking sheets are washed, the lingering scent of melted cheese and pastry hangs in the air, and the kitchen is finally still. It’s in these moments that I realize we didn’t just make jalapeño popper mummies. We wove another small, warm thread into the story of our family. We created a little pocket of joy, a silly, cheesy, delicious memory that will surface years from now when one of the kids says, “Remember when we used to make those mummy poppers?”

That’s the whole point, isn’t it? To cook not just for nourishment, but for memory, for connection, and for meaning. These little appetizers embody that philosophy perfectly. They are simple, they are imperfect, and they are full of love. So I encourage you to embrace the chaos, get a little flour on the counter, and make these with the people you love. Chase that connection.

If you make these silly, spooky treats, please let me know! I would love to see your creations. Leave a comment below or tag us on social media. And don’t forget to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it next year when that first autumn chill rolls in.