These Halloween jalapeño poppers are wrapped in thin strips of low carb tortilla so they look just like little mummies, with creamy cheese peeking out between the "bandages" and a pair of googly eyes on top. They're a fun, low carb twist on Halloween wraps and pinwheels, and they're always the first thing to disappear at a Halloween party!
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If you've enjoyed my low carb Halloween Chips and Halloween Quesadillas, you'll love these poppers! The idea started with a "Mammoth Jalapeño" plant that was less than a foot tall when it went in the ground in late July. Just as everything else in the garden was dying back for winter, it kept growing, and growing, and producing peppers.
With a pile of fresh jalapeños to use up, poppers were the obvious answer. Mummy poppers are usually wrapped in crescent roll dough, which is loaded with carbs, so I swapped in my most trusty ingredient: low carb wraps. Cut into skinny strips, they bake up golden and slightly crisp, and they wrap around the peppers just like mummy bandages. The wrapping takes a little patience, but the cooking time is quick and the results are SO worth it.
Want a no-wrap version? Try my Keto Crispy Jalapeño Poppers too!
Key Ingredients for Mummy Jalapeño Poppers
- Fresh jalapeños. Pick peppers that are fairly straight and similar in size so they bake evenly and are easy to wrap. Larger jalapeños hold more filling and give you more room for the mummy bandages.
- Cream cheese. Full-fat cream cheese makes the creamiest filling and holds its shape in the oven. Let it soften on the counter first so it mixes smoothly.
- Shredded cheese. I used an Italian blend, but cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack or a Mexican blend all work. Pepper jack adds an extra kick if your crowd likes heat.
- Low carb tortillas. Small, fajita-size wraps are the easiest to cut into strips. I used Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita tortillas, which have about 3g net carbs each. Check out The Best Low Carb Wraps if you'd like to compare brands.
- Candy eyes (optional). Edible googly eyes are what turn these into mummies, but they aren't sugar free. One teaspoon has about 4g net carbs, which is roughly four eyes, so a pair per popper adds very little. See the Variations below for a sugar-free option.
How to Wrap Mummy Jalapeño Poppers
Cut each jalapeño in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pith (more on handling the heat below). Place the halves cut side up on a baking tray lined with a silicone baking mat.
Mix the cream cheese and shredded cheese together in a bowl, then spoon the mixture into each jalapeño half.
Cut the low carb wraps into 8-10 strips each. Thinner is better for wrapping! Wind two strips around each jalapeño, crisscrossing them like bandages and tucking the ends underneath or pressing them into the cheese to hold them in place. I definitely got better at this as I went, and went back to redo the first few.
Bake at 400°F for about 8 minutes, until the cheese starts to brown. While the cheese is still warm, press a pair of candy eyes into a gap between the strips on each popper so your mummies can peek out.
Helpful Tips
Wear gloves when seeding the jalapeños. The oils in hot peppers cling to your skin and can burn for hours, and they're very unpleasant if you touch your eyes afterward. A pair of food-safe disposable gloves solves the problem. If you go gloveless, wash your hands well with soap (a little oil or dish soap helps lift the capsaicin) and keep your hands away from your face.
Use a small spoon to seed them. A teaspoon or a grapefruit spoon scrapes out the seeds and white ribs cleanly without tearing the pepper. Most of the heat lives in those white ribs, so the more thoroughly you scrape, the milder your poppers will be.
Control the heat for your crowd. Jalapeños vary a lot. For kids or spice-shy guests, scrape the ribs completely and pick larger, smoother peppers, which tend to be milder. For more heat, leave a few ribs in or use pepper jack in the filling. The creamy cheese mellows the burn either way.
Cut the strips thin. Narrow strips (about ½ inch wide) bend around the peppers easily and look more like mummy bandages. Wide strips crack and are harder to tuck. If your wraps feel stiff, warm them for 10 seconds in the microwave before cutting.
Watch them closely at the end. Tortilla strips go from golden to dark quickly at 400°F. Start checking at 7 minutes and pull them out as soon as the cheese is bubbling and the wraps have some color.
Variations
- Bacon-wrapped mummies. Swap the tortilla strips for thin strips of bacon (half a slice per popper, cut lengthwise) and bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. They look less like mummies, but they're lower in carbs and very hard to resist. See my Bacon Wrapped Sausages for another easy bacon-wrapped party snack.
- Air fryer mummy poppers. Cook them in a single layer at 375°F for 5-7 minutes, until the strips are golden. Don't crowd the basket, and tuck the ends of the strips well so they don't blow loose.
- Sugar-free eyes. Skip the candy eyes and pipe two small dots of cream cheese on each mummy, then top each dot with a tiny piece of black olive.
- Meaty filling. Stir cooked, crumbled sausage, chopped bacon or shredded chicken into the cheese mixture for a heartier popper.
- Mini sweet peppers. For a no-heat version, use halved mini bell peppers instead of jalapeños. Keep in mind that they add a few more carbs.
Serving Ideas
Pile the mummies onto a platter and serve them warm, with ranch or sour cream for dipping. They're great alongside other spooky finger foods like Low Carb Mummy Hot Dogs and an Owl Veggie Tray.
For a grown-up Halloween party, pair them with a Glitter Halloween Cocktail. They also make a fun after-school snack on Halloween day, before the trick-or-treating starts.
Make-Ahead & Storing
Make ahead: You can seed and fill the jalapeños up to a day in advance. Cover them and keep them in the fridge, then cut the tortilla strips and wrap them just before baking, so the wraps don't soak up moisture and turn soft. Add a minute or two to the baking time if they go into the oven cold.
Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven or the air fryer for a few minutes to crisp the wraps back up. The microwave works in a pinch, but the strips will be soft.
Freezing: I don't recommend freezing the baked poppers, because the tortilla strips go soggy and the jalapeños turn limp once thawed. If you want a head start, freeze the filled (unwrapped) jalapeño halves for up to a month, thaw them in the fridge, then wrap and bake as usual.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many carbs are in jalapeño poppers?
It depends on how they're made. Each of these mummy poppers has about 4g total carbs and 2g fiber, so about 2g net carbs per popper, or around 8g net carbs for a serving of four (not counting the candy eyes). Classic breaded and deep-fried jalapeño poppers are much higher, because the flour and breadcrumb coating adds carbs. A plain cream cheese-stuffed jalapeño with no wrapping is lowest of all, at around 1g net carb per half.
Are these like Halloween wraps or pinwheels?
They're a close cousin! Instead of rolling a filling up in a tortilla and slicing it, you wrap strips of low carb tortilla around a cheese-stuffed jalapeño, so each one looks like a little mummy. If you love pinwheels, try my Low Carb Pinwheels with Cheese and Pesto too.
Are mummy jalapeño poppers spicy?
Only mildly, once the seeds and ribs are scraped out. The cream cheese filling cools them down a lot, so most people (including many kids) find them mild. Leave some ribs in if you want more heat.
More Low Carb Halloween Appetizers
If you loved these mummies, here are a few more spooky snacks for your Halloween spread:
- Low Carb Monster Bites - a Halloween appetizer!
- Halloween Spider Web Dip
- Halloween Spider Deviled Eggs
- Low Carb Halloween Recipes
📖 Recipe
Low Carb Halloween Jalapeño Poppers
Ingredients
Equipment
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Wearing gloves, cut each jalapeño in half lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds and white ribs with a small spoon. Arrange the halves cut side up on the baking sheet.
- Mix the softened cream cheese and shredded cheese together in a bowl until combined, then spoon the mixture into the jalapeño halves.
- Cut each tortilla into 8-10 thin strips (about ½ inch wide). Wrap two strips around each jalapeño half, crisscrossing them like mummy bandages and tucking the ends underneath or pressing them into the cheese. Leave a small gap near one end for the eyes.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the tortilla strips are lightly golden and the cheese starts to brown.
- While the cheese is still warm, press two candy eyes (if using) into the gap on each popper. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is my best approximation. Net carbs are calculated as the total grams carbs minus the total grams of fiber.
STACEY says
These are so adorable! The kids would like making these too.
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
This is a cute idea. Your plant IS getting big, lol. I remember one year when I was a girl and my parents jalepeno peppers and heirloom Italian peppers crossed. The sweet peppers were hotter than the spicy ones! I'm a fan of poppers, so this recipe sounds great to me.
Sarah says
Such a cute idea! Thanks for sharing!
Nancy says
To keep these savory I made them with eyes made from slices of small pimento stuffed olives...makes eyes of fire, so still Halloween themed.
Georgina says
Awesome idea!
Katrin says
With these cute googly eyes, they are just awesome! I just showed these to my kids and there were begging me : Mummy, can you make us some mummies?"