Air Fryer Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers (2024)

Air Fryer Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers are a creamy cheesy bite of joy for anyone who loves a good appetizer. Whip them up for any occasion to share with friends, family or go to town on your own…no one’s judging. 😉

Have you ever seen the bags of sweet mini peppers in grocery stores and been intrigued but not know what to do with them?

Well.

I have the answer for you and it’s quite lovely and simple. Stuff them with cream cheese, bake them up, give them to your friends, and be the talk of the town.

One of the first recipes I posted on this site was my Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers. Oddly enough, this recipe continues to be one of the most popular recipes on my site.

After buying my Ninja Air Fryer a few weeks ago I knew one of the first things I wanted to try was an air fryer cream cheese stuffed peppers recipe.

They turn out great! The peppers soften up, the cream cheese becomes nice and melty and you’re left with the perfect bite to pop in your mouth.

I probably don’t need to tell you that cream cheese stuffed sweet peppers are epic crowd pleasers…what’s not to love about perfectly seasoned creamy cheese overtaking your senses with the perfect tang of pepper and a touch of heat to bring it all full circle?

Here’s what you need to make these beauties happen.

Air Fryer Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers Ingredients:

Mini Sweet Peppers: The star of the show! Mini sweet peppers can be found in the produce section of the grocery store in a bag. There are typically 12 to 14 inside with an assortment of colors (red, orange, and yellow).

Don’t mistake mini sweet peppers for chilis! Although stuffed jalapenos and stuffed poblanos are also amazing, they are much spicier and don’t have the sweetness of mini peppers.

Avocado Oil: I drizzle a small amount of avocado oil over the peppers after cutting them to ensure that they stay well-lubricated during the air frying process. This is optional, but I think the oil helps bring out the flavor of the whole appetizer. Skip it if you’d like. 🙂

Cream Cheese: The supporting role of the show…or arguably the star of the show, depending on your views of cream cheese. Cream cheese, when baked with mini sweet peppers, creates an inviting, gooey, creamy, tangy bite. It’s one of those appetizers everyone loves because the flavors are just so spot on.

I always go with the full-fat version of cream cheese, but feel free to choose a lower fat option if that’s your jam.

Mozzarella Cheese: Adding mozzarella cheese to the stuffing mixture adds a more complex cheesy flavor and also bonus goo. You can replace it with your cheese of choice if you’d like.

Jack, cheddar, and gouda cheese would be amazing too if you want to change up the flavor profile. You can actually omit this ingredient altogether if you’d like – it’s not mandatory, just encouraged.

Green Onion: Mandatory! Finely chopped green onions bring a fresh zing to the cream cheese. The concept is similar to a sour cream and onion dip…it’s just that amazing nearly indescribable flavor that seems to jive so well.

Garlic Powder: Another flavor maker, garlic powder levels up the

Sea Salt: To enhance flavor! Sea salt brings out all of the flavors involved in this appetizer so feel free to choose the salt level according to your personal preference.

Sriracha: A little heat to counterbalance the decadent cream from the cream cheese and mozzarella. Sriracha is optional but I love adding even a small amount to create more flavor complexity even if I’m keeping it fairly mild.

For those of you who love spicy food, feel free to ramp up the amount of sriracha you use. You can also go with your favorite hot sauce – Frank’s red hot, Tapatio, tabasco, and Cholula are all great options.

How to Make Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers in the Air Fryer:

Pro Tip: Bring the cream cheese out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you want to prepare the peppers to ensure it’s nice and softened. This will make it easier to mix with the other ingredients.

Add the ingredients for the cream cheese filling to a mixing bowl and stir well until combined. If you have an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, either one will come in handy here.

Slice the tops off of the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove any seeds that are present.

Drizzle avocado oil over the peppers and use your hands to toss them together until everything is coated with a bit of oil.

Stuff the peppers with the cream cheese filling. Transfer 6 or so of them to the air fryer (in a single layer).

Press the Bake setting (not the Air Fry setting) and adjust the temperature for 360 and set the time for 8 minutes.

Allow the peppers to bake then carefully remove them from the air fryer and transfer to a plate. Repeat for the remaining peppers.

Serve and enjoy!

And that’s it! Quick, simple yet HUGE on flavor and all the cheesy creamy goodness in one bite!

Make these easy air fryer cream cheese stuffed mini peppers for any occasion!

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More Appetizer Recipes:

Animal Style Fries – Sweet, tangy Chili Lime Glazed Grilled Shrimp can act as an appetizer or main entrée! This quick and easy recipe requires only a few basic ingredients and hardly any time to prepare!

Chili Lime Glazed Shrimp Skewers – Sweet, tangy Chili Lime Glazed Grilled Shrimp can act as an appetizer or main entrée! This quick and easy recipe requires only a few basic ingredients and hardly any time to prepare!

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds with Guacamole and Bacon– Roasted sweet potato rounds with guacamole and bacon are the perfect healthy appetizer for serving guests!

Hummus Flatbread with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Spinach, and Pesto – Hummus flatbread with sun-dried tomatoes, feta, spinach, pine nuts, and pesto sauce makes for an easy-to-prepare appetizer or snack.

Enjoy!