Pepinos Locos (Mexican Crazy Cucumber Cups)

These Pepinos Locos combine cool, crisp cucumber with crunchy jicama and Japanese peanuts, tangy lime, spicy hot sauce, and sweet gummy worms for a fun Mexican street food snack.

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Three Pepinos Locos cucumber cups filled with chamoy sauce, peanuts, and gummy candies, served on a platter with tortilla chips, lime wedges, and jicama pieces.

Pepinos Locos 🌶️🥒 are Mexican street food made with cucumber cups filled with crunchy jicama, peanuts, lime, hot sauce, and sweet or spicy toppings.

Like Tostilocos, there are no strict rules. Mix and match your favorite flavors to make them your own.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️

No cooking required. Just prep the cucumber cups and add your favorite toppings.
Sweet, spicy, tangy, and crunchy. Every bite has a little something different.
Easy to customize. Add fruit, candy, cueritos, extra hot sauce, or whatever you like.
Perfect for parties. Set out the ingredients and let everyone make their own.

-Maggie

🥒 Ingredients

Cucumbers – Choose firm, crisp cucumbers without wrinkled skin.
Chamoy – Any flavor chamoy will work for this recipe. It’ll act like glue for Tajín.
Tajín – If you like it spicier, use ground chile de arbol.
Jicama – Cut into small cubes that fit easily inside the cucumber cups.
Japanese Peanuts – These are crunchy peanuts that are so delicious.
Gummy Worms – You can also use gummy bears or sour candy.
Hot Sauce – Valentina, Cholula, Tapatio, or use whatever you prefer.
Lime Juice – In Mexico, it is common to use key limes. Regular limes or lemons are fine to use.

A picture of a peeled cucumber next to a peeler and the shaved peel.

👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions

Peel the skin of the cucumber.
Discard the skin.

Look for crisp cucumbers, that are firm. Old ones will fall apart easily.

For parties, you can make the cups a day ahead.

A collage showing how to make cucumber cups.

Remove the ends and slice into three large pieces.
Remove the fleshy seeds, creating a “cup.”
Discard the fleshy interior.

A melon baller or a small spoon works great for this task.

A hand showing how much of the inside of the cucumber to remove.

Do not go all the way through when making the fresh cucumber cups.

Leave about 1 inch on the bottom.

A collage showing how to make the chamoy rims with Tajin.

Dip the rim of the cucumber cup in chamoy sauce.
Then dip the cup in the Tajín.
Make sure to go around the entire rim of the cucumber, covering first with chamoy and then with Tajín.

Tajín is a chile-lime seasoning. It’s tangy and slightly spicy.

The cool fresh cucumbers will tame down some of the heat.

Can’t find Tajín? Use chile powder instead.

A collage showing how to fill the cucumber cups.

Fill the cups with layers of jicama, Japanese style peanuts, squeeze of lime, and hot sauce.
Repeat until the cup is full.

This Pepinos Locos recipe can be spicy because of the hot sauce, chamoy, and Tajín. Use less or leave them out if you prefer a milder snack.

You might see people put Clamato juice (or tomato juice) into the cups. Even a splash of beer or tequila.

Pepinos Locos on a serving platter with chips and other ingredients.

Variations

Add spicy potato chips and top with Chaka Chaka or other tangy tamarind candies.

Tamarind candy (or pulparindo candies), fresh fruits like mango cubes or pineapple, or pig skins (or cueritos) all make great additions.

Let your imagination run wild when making Pepinos Locos.

Storing Instructions

They will get soggy. Instead, store everything separately.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

What are Pepinos Locos?

Pepinos Locos, or “crazy cucumbers,” are a popular Mexican street food snack made with hollowed-out cucumber cups and a mix of sweet, sour, spicy, and crunchy toppings.

What can I put inside Pepinos Locos?

Jicama, Japanese peanuts, gummy candy, fresh fruit, hot sauce, lime juice, chamoy, Tajín, tamarind candy, and cueritos are all popular choices. You can mix and match the toppings you enjoy.

Are Pepinos Locos spicy?

They can be! The heat comes mainly from the hot sauce, chamoy, and Tajín. Use less or leave them out if you prefer a milder snack.

Can I make Pepinos Locos ahead of time?

You can prepare the cucumber cups ahead of time, but wait to add the fillings until you’re ready to serve. The cucumbers and toppings will become soggy if they sit too long.

What is the difference between Pepinos Locos and Tostilocos?

Both are Mexican street food snacks with a mix of crunchy, spicy, sour, and sweet ingredients. Pepinos Locos use a hollowed-out cucumber as the base, while Tostilocos are made with chips.

Pepinos Locos served next to corn chips, limes, and gummy bears.

🍴 More Mexican Appetizers

These Pepinos Locos are meant to be messy, colorful, and fun. Add your favorite toppings, grab a fork—or just dig in—and enjoy this Mexican street food snack at home.

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