Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese

This Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese recipe is easy to make, gooey, delicious, and the perfect comfort food.

This is another exclusive recipe from my new cookbook. It was one of the recipe testers’ favorite recipes and is ideal blend between two of my favorites: grilled cheese and jalapeño poppers.

If you’ve been following Vegan Reset for a while, you’ll know that the majority of the recipes in my meal plans and my first cookbook are centered around whole foods and generally exclude store-bought cheeses, meat alternatives etc. I did that for two main reasons: 1. I knew that processed vegan foods weren’t always available outside of bigger cities (keep in mind that I started creating my meal plans nearly a decade ago) and 2. I wanted the recipes to be on the healthier side because I personally had always had a very hard time liking healthy foods and I wanted to show how delicious they can be.

That said, I never turned my back on comfort foods and I think that when it comes to longterm success on a vegan diet and lifestyle, balance is key. I also want people to know that there isn’t just one way to eat vegan. That balance and versatility is much more present in my second cookbook, but if you loved the plant-centric recipes from the first book, you’ll still find plenty of those in the Best of Vegan Cookbook too. On this blog, you’ll find about 80% healthyish and about 20% indulgent recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The perfect comfort food
Even better with a bowl of soup
Quick & Easy to make
Can be adapted to be kid-friendly (simply replace the jalapeños with chopped bell peppers)
Can be made gluten-free by opting for gluten-free bread

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Note: This recipe is from the comfort food chapter in the new cookbook, so the main goal is for it to be delicious, and not necessarily nutritious. If that’s not your thing, no worries! There are plenty of wholesome recipes in the book and on this blog as well. Simply browse the Recipe Index and check out the cookbook‘s other chapters.

Ingredient Notes

Vegan cream cheese: I used a soy-based cream cheese, but any vegan cream cheese will do (opt for a tree-nut free version if needed)
Chives: chives complement the other ingredients perfectly. If you don’t have any at hand, feel free to either omit or use green onions instead.
Jalapeños: as noted in the recipe card below, the exact amount will depend on your desired amount of heat. If you’re making this for kids (or don’t like jalapeños), you can use chopped bell pepper instead (about 1/4 bell pepper per jalapeño)
Garlic & onion powder: I used powder here to make it more practical, but you could also used minced garlic cloves and a bit of very finely chopped shallot or onion instead.
Sea salt & ground black pepper: with the jalapeños, you don’t really need any other seasonings other than garlic, onion, salt and pepper, but if you’re feeling adventurous, don’t hesitate to add other spices.
Vegan butter: vegan butter is ideal, but you can also use olive or avocado oil instead.
Vegan cheese shreds: such as cheddar and mozzarella style, nut-free if desired. Try to use vegan cheese that melts well. Some of my favorite vegan cheese brands are Forager Project, Violife, Follow Your Heart, Daiya, and So Delicious.
Sourdough bread: gluten-free if desired. If your slices are very big, you can use 2 and cut them in half. Any bread will do, just make sure it doesn’t contain milk, eggs, or honey to keep it vegan.

Recommended Equipment

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Clik here to view.

How to Enjoy These Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

These sandwiches are rich enough to be enjoyed by themselves, but you can also enjoy them with a bowl of soup, for a cozy lunch or dinner. I’d highly recommend eating the Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheeses rich away so the cheese is still melted, but the cream cheese not too melted yet. As I mentioned when I shared the Double Chocolate Raspberry Muffins from the cookbook, each recipe in the book comes with its own playlist to listen to while you’re cooking and/or eating. Here’s the one for this recipe.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.TIP: This grilled cheese is best eaten right away, by itself or with a bowl of soup.

More Recipes You Might Like

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade cashew cheese sauce?

I highly recommend using vegan cheese shreds instead as the homemade sauce might be too liquid. That said, some people have told me that they used homemade cheese that they froze and then grated and that that worked well.

How spicy is the recipe?

If you use both jalapeños and keep the seeds in, it’s quite spicy. If you want less heat, you can use only one jalapeño, remove the seeds, or use bell peppers for a much milder version.

Can this be made gluten-free?

Yes! Simply use gluten-free bread instead.

About the Best of Vegan Cookbook

Best of Vegan Cookbook open page: grilled cheese

This cookbook is a bird’s eye view of vegan cuisine, showcasing just how versatile plant-based recipes can be.
It includes 5 chapters: comfort food, cultural food, wholesome food, desserts, and basics.
Each recipe from a different culture was created in collaboration with someone from that culture.
Each song comes with a playlist to listen to while you’re cooking and/or eating.
The book comes with additional bonus content, so if you decide to get a copy, be sure to forward your order confirmation or send a picture of your receipt to cookbook@bestofvegan.com.
CLICK HERE to find out more & order a copy.

Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Recipe Card

Use this recipe card to save, pin, or share this recipe. You can adjust the servings to your liking. If you have any questions, please comment below and I’ll respond asap!

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Clik here to view. Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese

Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

The only thing that’s better than jalapeño poppers or a grilled cheese is a ialapeño popper grilled cheese. The combo of vegan cream cheese and melted cheese simply brings it all to the next level. If you don’t love spicy food, simply swap out the jalapeños for chopped bell peppers!

Course Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine plant-based

Prep Time 5

Servings sandwiches

Author Kim-Julie Hansen

Ingredients

½ cup 120 mL vegan cream cheese nut-free if desired
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 or 2 jalapeños very finely chopped or sliced (see Note)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 pinch of sea salt
1 pinch of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 cup 100 g vegan cheese shreds such as cheddar and mozzarella style, nut-free if desired
4 slices sourdough bread gluten-free if desired (if your slices are very big, you can use 2 and cut them in half)

Instructions

Mix the cream cheese, chives, jalapeño, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper in a small bowl using a fork or spoon. Set aside.
Place about half the vegan butter in a large nonstick pan set over medium-high heat.
Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the vegan cheese shreds to the pan in two piles (about ½ cup/50 g each) in the shape of the bread slices.
While the cheese is melting, spread the cream cheese mixture onto each of the 4 bread slices (about 2 tablespoons per slice).
Once the cheese is melted, top each pile with a slice, cream cheese side facing down, and gently press down.
Using a turner, carefully flip the bread and cheese, add a little more butter to the pan, and then place the remaining two slices on top (cream cheese side facing down).
Gently press down again and cook for 1 minute, then flip the whole sandwiches and cook for 30 to 60 more seconds on the other side (you want the bread to be toasted and the cheese melted, but the cream cheese shouldn’t be too melty).

Notes

Use just 1 jalapeño (and scrape out the seeds) for less heat. You can also cut up a bell pepper wedge instead of jalapeño to make the sandwiches less spicy/ more kid-friendly.

Don’t hesitate to comment below if you have any questions or feedback. And if you try this recipe, it would mean the world to me if you could leave a review below.

Disclaimer: Please note that this site contains affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through those links at no extra cost to you.

The post Vegan Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese appeared first on vegan reset.

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