Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls
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A spicy, cheesy filling, surrounded by a buttery flakey crust, you can’t go wrong with these Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls! They’re easy to make with 6 ingredients and perfect for a party appetizer or game day snack!
Thank you to my friends at Cabot for sponsoring today’s post!
Table of contents
Whether you’re getting ready to host a party, or it’s just a regular ol’ Tuesday, you HAVE TO make these Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls! They may seem simple (and they are!) but the combination of flavors and textures is perfection!
Cream cheese combined with Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese gives these rolls the ultimate cheesy filling. While canned crescent roll dough wraps around the cheesy filling for a buttery, flakey exterior. The rolls are brushed with garlic butter before they go in the oven, so they’re topped with even more delicious flavor!
It only takes 15 minutes to prep these rolls, then in the oven they go! They’re perfect for a party, or great to snack on while watching the big game. I’ve already made them a dozen times and simply served them as an appetizer before dinner with friends. They’re so easy to make, and you probably already have most of the ingredients on-hand, so you can whip them up anytime!
Ingredients
- Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese – this cheese is slightly spicy and so flavorful, with a super smooth texture. It melts perfectly in the rolls to add a wonderful cheesiness and flavor to the recipe!
- Cream cheese – combined with the shredded pepper jack cheese, these two cheeses are smooth, creamy and delicious!
- Diced jalapenos – for this recipe, I kept things simple by using canned diced jalapenos. You can use these, or use fresh diced jalapenos. You could also roast 2-3 whole jalapenos under the broiler in the oven, then peel and dice them to add to the recipe.
- Salt – a pinch of salt added to the cheese filling really brings out all of the delicious flavors!
- Crescent rolls – using canned crescent roll dough keeps this recipe quick and simple! You can purchase canned crescent dough sheets, or crescent rolls. If using crescent rolls, you’ll want to push the perforations together to seal up the dough for this recipe.
- Butter + garlic powder – a little garlic butter on top of these rolls really adds to the flavor. You could also use 4 fresh crushed garlic cloves, instead of the garlic powder, if you prefer.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Add a softened block of cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. I recommend setting the cream cheese on the counter to soften for 15-20 minutes before starting this recipe. If you need to soften it quickly, place it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Shred an 8 ounce block of Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese and add it to the mixing bowl with the cream cheese. Drain a can of diced jalapenos, then add them to the bowl, along with ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Combine the ingredients. Use a sturdy spatula to mix the cheeses and jalapenos together in the mixing bowl, until well combined.
- Spread out the 2 cans of crescent roll dough on a large cutting board. If using rolls, instead of sheets of crescent roll dough, press the perforations together using your fingers, to form two solid sheets of dough.
- Spread the cheese mixture on the crescent roll dough. Gently spread the cheese mixture evenly over each of the sheets of crescent roll dough, making sure to cover them completely.
- Roll up the dough. Starting with the short side of the dough, roll up each sheet of crescent roll dough tightly over the cheese mixture.
- Once both sheets of dough are rolled up tightly, you should have two long rolls on the cutting board.
- Slice each long roll of dough into 8 rolls using a serrated knife. Each roll should be approximately 1 inch thick, for a total of 16 rolls.
- Place the rolls, cut side up, in a greased baking dish. I recommend a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish. You want the rolls slightly touching, but not smashed together.
- Cover the rolls in garlic butter. In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave, then mix in garlic powder. Brush this mixture over the rolls in the baking dish. Place in a preheated 375°F oven and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Substitutions and additions
- Remove the jalapenos. If you love the cheesy goodness of the rolls, but you want to cut down on the spice, you can simply leave out the can of diced jalapenos.
- Spice it up! On the other hand, if you love spice, you can add an additional can of diced jalapenos. And to really spice things up, use Cabot Habanero Cheddar, instead of the pepper jack cheese.
- Add bacon. Mix in 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon to the cheese mixture to add a salty crunch inside the rolls! Follow this blog post for how to cook bacon in the oven that’s crispy and delicious.
- Add chicken. If you want to add some protein to these rolls, and even make them into a main dish, stir in 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken into the cheese mixture. This can be chicken pulled from a rotisserie chicken, or you can use this super easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe to make flavorful chicken to add to the rolls.
- Serve with a dipping sauce. These rolls are delicious on their own, or dipped into ranch dressing, cilantro lime sauce or creamy chipotle sauce.
How to store and reheat
- To store: any leftover rolls should be placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Since these rolls contain dairy, they should not be stored on the counter at room temperature.
- To reheat in an air fryer: this is seriously my favorite way to reheat everything these days. Just pop these rolls from the fridge to the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes and they’re crispy on the outside, with a delicious warm cheesy filling inside!
- To reheat in the oven: place the rolls in a single layer on a baking sheet and into a 400°F oven for 6-8 minutes.
- To reheat in the microwave: place the rolls on a microwave safe plate, in an even layer, and reheat for 30-60 seconds, until warmed through.
Recipe tips
- The cheesy filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before making the rolls.
- If you want a crispy texture on the outside of all of the rolls, bake them separated on a baking sheet, instead of in a casserole dish. This way, every side of the roll will be exposed to the heat, crisping them up on all sides of each roll. Be sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray it with cooking spray first. You will also need to reduce the cooking time, since the rolls will be exposed to heat on all sides, they will cook faster, than touching in a baking dish. I recommend 10-12 minutes.
- You can prepare and bake the rolls ahead of time, then heat them up before serving at a party. I recommend using an air fryer or oven to reheat them for the best texture.
- This recipe makes 16 rolls, but you can easily cut it in half and only make 8 rolls, if you’re making the recipe for a small family snack or dinner appetizer. Simply use one can of crescent roll dough, then cut the other ingredients in half to make the filling and garlic butter.
More cheesy recipes
It’s easy to make delicious appetizers even better with the addition of Cabot cheese! Check out these other easy cheesy appetizer recipes.
Be sure to visit CabotCheese.coop for even more cheesy recipe ideas and to learn where to find their products at a grocery store near you!
Cabot is 100% owned by family farms throughout New England and New York. That means that each time you purchase Cabot products, 100% of the profits go back to the hard-working farmers that help make the worlds best cheddar! Support a farmer and eat delicious cheese, that’s a win in my book!
Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 8 ounce Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
- 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
- 4 ounce can diced jalapenos, drained
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces crescent roll dough, each can is 8 ounces
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Shred an 8 ounce block of Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese. Add it to a mixing bowl with the softened cream cheese, diced jalapenos and salt.
- Stir to combine all of the ingredients.
- Roll out both cans of crescent roll dough and press the perforations together.
- Spread the cheesy jalapeno mixture evenly over the crescent roll dough.
- Starting with the short side of the dough, roll up each sheet of crescent roll dough tightly over the cheese mixture.
- Use a serrated knife to slice each roll into 8, approximately 1 inch rolls (for 16 total).
- Arrange the rolls in a greased 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish.
- Combine the melted butter and garlic powder in a small bowl, then brush it evenly on top of the rolls.
- Place in the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
- To store: any leftover rolls should be placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Since these rolls contain dairy, they should not be stored on the counter at room temperature.
- To reheat in an air fryer: this is seriously my favorite way to reheat everything these days. Just pop these rolls from the fridge to the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes and they’re crispy on the outside, with a delicious warm cheesy filling inside!
- To reheat in the oven: place the rolls in a single layer on a baking sheet and into a 400°F oven for 6-8 minutes.
- To reheat in the microwave: place the rolls on a microwave safe plate, in an even layer, and reheat for 30-60 seconds, until warmed through.
- The cheesy filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before making the rolls.
- If you want a crispy texture on the outside of all of the rolls, bake them separated on a baking sheet, instead of in a casserole dish. This way, every side of the roll will be exposed to the heat, crisping them up on all sides of each roll. Be sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray it with cooking spray first. You will also need to reduce the cooking time, since the rolls will be exposed to heat on all sides, they will cook faster, than touching in a baking dish. I recommend 10-12 minutes.
- You can prepare and bake the rolls ahead of time, then heat them up before serving at a party. I recommend using an air fryer or oven to reheat them for the best texture.
- This recipe makes 16 rolls, but you can easily cut it in half and only make 8 rolls, if you’re making the recipe for a small family snack or dinner appetizer. Simply use one can of crescent roll dough, then cut the other ingredients in half to make the filling and garlic butter.
Nutrition Facts
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21 Comments on “Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls”
I made these tonight, exactly as written. They were fantastic. My oven took about 30 min, in a pyrex 9×13 dish, to get them done. One question though… I want these as an appetizer. Right now they’re at least one bite too big. Do you think if I roll them starting at the long end, that would work for cutting down the size without losing structure?
I’m very excited for everyone to try them.
Hi Molly, yes, I think that would work just fine to make a smaller version of the appetizer. So glad you enjoyed them!
This is a great, easy recipe. I used Hatch green chilies.
I made a double batch of these for a 4th of July picnic. They all went within minutes! With rave reviews!!!! I made them with the crescent sheets and added a few jalapeños to the tops before I made them… so only minor changes. Definitely adding these into my repertoire!!!
These were absolutely delicious!! I did add some real bacon bits and it worked perfectly. My husband wasn’t sure about this recipe when I explained what I was making for the Super Bowl, but after he tasted them, he loved them! I can’t wait to make this for my next party. I know it will be a hit! Thanks for sharing;)
Thanks for sharing Lee! So glad you all enjoyed them!
Need to add crumpled cooked bacon to this recipe for it to be truly a jalapeño popper crescent rolls!
I made these for a holiday party and they were a huge hit! So easy and delicious!
Tried it and the crescent rolls didn’t stay together too well. Taste was great added a few more fresh jalapeños. Maybe make and refrigerate bf baking.
I’m going to try this. Looks simple enough. Fast and easy too
Wonderful, enjoy Terry!
Can’t I use the pizza dough insead of crescent roll dough?
Hi Sue, yes, you could use pizza dough instead of crescent roll dough. You may just have to adjust the cooking time slightly. I would just watch them in the oven, since I haven’t tested the recipe with pizza dough. Enjoy!
These came out very good. Because of my nonspice eating wife I did some with just cheddar and some pepper jack with no jalapeños. Very nice recipe.
So glad you both were able to enjoy the recipe David, thanks for sharing!
This was awesome. The person suggesting you lower the bake time must have done hers different. I baked mine 28 minutes and it was perfect. I did crowd min into a baker but they are beautiful
Wonderful, I’m so glad you enjoyed them Heather! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Hi Whitney,
Do you happen to have a cook time to do this in an air fryer? That is what I use to “bake” when camping.
Thanks!
Hi Whitney, I’ve only reheated them in the air fryer, but to bake them I’d recommend air frying them with space between each roll at 380°F for 10 minutes. Let me know how it works on your next camping trip!
Great ingredients but I think you miss wrote the cooking time. Instead of 28 to 30 minutes I set my oven for 18 minutes and place the rolls on parchment paper on a baking sheet. After 14 minutes I check them and they were totally burnt on the bottom. Common Sense should have let me know that you don’t cook crescent rolls for 28 to 30 minutes. Just a heads up do you think the time could be wrong?
Hi Beth, I’m sorry that you had that issue, but I’ve made this recipe over a dozen times, always cooking them for 28-30 minutes. If you bake them where the rolls are touching in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, this is the time it will take to bake the rolls. I have not tested it on a baking sheet with parchment paper, but I’m guessing that the rolls were not touching and since they weren’t in a baking dish, the heat circulated around the rolls and cooked them faster.
I have updated the notes in the recipe with this information. Thank you for the feedback.