Description
These Sweet-Heat Pepper Jelly & Cream Cheese Phyllo Cups are bite-sized, bakery-beautiful appetizers that bring creamy, tangy richness and a pop of sweet spice in every crisp, flaky bite. Buttery phyllo shells cradle a smooth, herbed cream cheese filling, finished with a jewel-like spoonful of pepper jelly for an easy party starter that looks fancy with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 package (12 oz) phyllo dough, thawed
- Cooking spray or melted butter, for brushing
- 1 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sweet-heat pepper jelly
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a mini muffin tin and set aside.
- Unroll the thawed phyllo dough and cover it immediately with a slightly damp kitchen towel to keep it from drying out.
- Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface. Lightly brush with melted butter or spray with cooking spray.
- Lay a second sheet of phyllo directly on top and repeat the brushing or spraying. Continue layering until you have 4 sheets stacked, each lightly coated.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the stacked phyllo into roughly 4 x 4-inch squares (adjust size to fit your mini muffin cups).
- Gently press each phyllo square into the cups of the prepared mini muffin tin to form small cups, pleating the edges as needed.
- Bake the phyllo cups in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cups cool, make the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, chopped green onions, garlic powder, and salt.
- Beat or stir until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and well combined.
- Once the phyllo cups are cool, spoon or pipe the cream cheese mixture into each cup, filling generously.
- Top each filled phyllo cup with about 1 teaspoon of sweet-heat pepper jelly, letting it gently mound over the filling.
- Serve immediately for maximum crispness, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Keep phyllo covered with a damp (not wet) towel to prevent cracking and drying as you work.
- Let the cups cool completely before filling so the cream cheese mixture stays firm and doesn’t melt.
- If making ahead, keep the baked cups and filling separate, then assemble close to serving time to preserve the crisp texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snack, Party Food
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 phyllo cup
- Calories: 150 kcal (approx.)
- Sugar: 7 g (estimate, depends on pepper jelly)
- Sodium: 200 mg (estimate)
- Fat: 10 g (estimate)
- Saturated Fat: 6 g (estimate)
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g (estimate)
- Trans Fat: 0 g (estimate)
- Carbohydrates: 13 g (estimate)
- Fiber: 0.5 g (estimate)
- Protein: 3 g (estimate)
- Cholesterol: 25 mg (estimate)
Keywords: pepper jelly phyllo cups, cream cheese phyllo bites, sweet heat appetizers, holiday party appetizer, bite size snacks