Baked Mini Peppers Stuffed with Cheese

Baked Mini Peppers Stuffed with Cheese are colorful little appetizers filled with a creamy, savory cheese mixture and baked until the peppers soften and the filling turns lightly golden.

They’re simple to prepare, easy to pick up, and naturally bite-sized, which makes them ideal for parties and holiday appetizer platters.

Sweet mini peppers are particularly good for stuffing because there’s no strong pepper heat competing with the cheese. Instead, baking brings out their natural sweetness.

Add a creamy cheese filling, a little garlic, and fresh herbs and you’ve got a warm appetizer that takes surprisingly little effort.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There’s no complicated preparation here. Slice the peppers, remove the seeds, mix the filling, stuff, and bake.

The peppers don’t even need to be precooked.

They’re also naturally colorful. Using a mixture of red, yellow, and orange mini peppers creates a bright appetizer platter without needing much decoration.

And they’re just as useful for a casual party as they are for Thanksgiving or Christmas entertaining.

Ingredients

This recipe makes approximately 24 stuffed pepper halves, serving about 6 people as an appetizer.

• 12 sweet mini peppers, about 12 oz (340 g)
• 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (50 g) mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

Look for small peppers that feel firm and have smooth, shiny skin. Using different colors won’t substantially change the flavor, but it does make the finished platter more attractive.

Let the cream cheese soften before mixing. Cold cream cheese is difficult to combine evenly with the mozzarella and Parmesan.

Choosing the Cheese

Cream cheese makes up the base of the filling because it stays creamy while the peppers bake. It’s mild enough to let the sweetness of the peppers come through while also providing enough body that the filling doesn’t simply run out.

Mozzarella adds a little stretch and that familiar melted-cheese texture. Freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella is preferable here because it melts nicely without introducing too much liquid.

Then there’s Parmesan.

You don’t need much, but its salty, nutty flavor makes the otherwise mild filling considerably more interesting. Freshly grated Parmesan also blends into the cream cheese more smoothly than larger shreds.

Together, the three cheeses give you creaminess, melt, and a little sharpness without overpowering the peppers.

How to Make Baked Mini Peppers Stuffed with Cheese

1. Prepare the Mini Peppers

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.

Wash and dry the peppers, then slice each one in half lengthwise. You can leave the little green stems attached for appearance or remove them.

Scoop out the seeds and any obvious white membrane.

Pat the cut sides dry with paper towels if there’s moisture inside. Why does this matter? Excess water can make the cheese filling looser as the peppers bake.

2. Make the Cheese Filling

Place the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the grated mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, chives, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and a small pinch of salt.

Mix until evenly combined.

The filling should be thick, creamy, and easily scoopable. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth; seeing a few mozzarella shreds is absolutely fine.

Don’t go heavy on the salt before tasting the mixture. Parmesan already brings quite a bit of saltiness.

3. Stuff the Peppers

Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet.

Spoon the cheese mixture into each pepper cavity. You’ll need approximately 1–2 teaspoons per half, depending on the size of your peppers.

Fill them generously, but don’t create enormous mounds of cheese. Too much filling can bubble over the sides during baking.

Lightly drizzle the peppers with the olive oil.

4. Bake Until Tender

Bake for 15–18 minutes.

The peppers should soften while still retaining enough structure to pick up easily. Meanwhile, the filling should be hot and creamy with some light golden coloring across the surface.

Want a little more browning?

Place the peppers under the broiler for 1–2 minutes after baking. Watch them constantly because the cheese can go from golden to burnt pretty quickly.

5. Rest and Serve

Let the peppers rest for approximately 5 minutes before serving.

This short rest gives the hot cheese filling time to settle and makes the peppers easier to pick up.

Serve them warm rather than piping hot.

Cheese Substitutes and Variations

There are plenty of ways to change the cheese filling.

Goat cheese can replace some or all of the cream cheese. It gives the peppers a tangier, slightly more sophisticated flavor and works especially well with fresh herbs.

Feta is another option, but don’t replace all of the cream cheese with it. Feta doesn’t melt into the same creamy consistency. Instead, crumble about 1/3 cup into the cream cheese mixture for little salty pockets throughout the filling.

Cheddar can replace the mozzarella if you want a sharper, more pronounced cheese flavor. Mild or medium cheddar works particularly well.

Monterey Jack is a good choice if you want something mild and especially melty.

For a slightly spicy version, use Pepper Jack instead of mozzarella.

Ingredient Substitutions

Fresh parsley can replace the chives, while finely chopped fresh basil gives the filling a more pronounced Italian-style flavor.

If you don’t have fresh garlic, about 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder works. Avoid adding too much because garlic powder can quickly dominate such a small amount of filling.

You can also add finely chopped cooked bacon, toasted breadcrumbs, or chopped walnuts to the cheese mixture for additional texture.

Just don’t add watery ingredients without draining them first. Excess moisture is one of the easiest ways to turn a thick cheese filling into a runny one.

What to Serve with Baked Mini Peppers Stuffed with Cheese

These peppers work particularly well as finger food alongside other appetizers.

Serve them with a cheese board, charcuterie platter, olives, crostini, crackers, marinated vegetables, or a simple selection of dips.

They’re also a good appetizer before roast chicken, beef, pork, or a pasta dinner.

Their red, orange, and yellow colors make Baked Mini Peppers Stuffed with Cheese particularly attractive for parties, Thanksgiving, and Christmas gatherings.

They’re best served warm, but they’re still tasty as they cool toward room temperature, which makes them useful on a buffet.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can prepare and stuff the peppers up to 24 hours ahead.

Arrange the uncooked stuffed peppers in a covered container or directly on the baking sheet, cover tightly, and refrigerate.

Wait until just before baking to drizzle them with olive oil.

You can bake the peppers directly from the refrigerator. They may need an additional 2–3 minutes in the oven.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store leftover stuffed peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8–10 minutes, or until the cheese filling is hot.

An air fryer also works well. Heat them at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 4–5 minutes.

You can use the microwave if you’re in a hurry, but the peppers become softer and the cheese can get a little oily.

Freezing isn’t recommended. Both cream cheese and cooked peppers can change texture considerably after freezing and thawing.

Final Thoughts

The biggest trick with Baked Mini Peppers Stuffed with Cheese is simply controlling moisture. Dry the peppers after cutting them, use low-moisture mozzarella, and avoid loading the filling with watery additions.

Also, don’t bake the peppers until they’re completely soft. Keeping just a little structure gives you a much better contrast against that warm creamy filling, and more importantly, makes them considerably easier to eat with your hands.