If you've never had a date stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon, you're in for a real treat. Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese are an easy to make, delicious appetizer. Stuffed dates are a perfect party appetizer and you'll want to make them for all of your special occasions and holiday parties.

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Why This Recipe Works
- Sweet Medjool dates, creamy, tangy goat cheese, and smoky, salty bacon all combine in this tasty appetizer for a perfect combination of flavours.
- Bacon wrapped dates are a perfect appetizer to make ahead. You can assemble them and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to pop them in the oven, up to a couple of days ahead.
- You only need 4 ingredients, and all of them are items that will keep for a while in the fridge. (Perfect for a last minute appetizer for your next party)
- These little bites are quick and easy. Only 10 minutes prep time!
- These stuffed dates are so delicious, they may become your favorite appetizers.
Here's What You Need
- Medjool dates: you can buy pitted dates or you can pit them yourself, which is easy to do. You can usually find fresh Medjool dates in the produce section at the grocery store.
- Goat cheese: some of the flavoured ones are wonderful. I used a cracked black pepper goat cheese here, but plain is good too.
- Bacon: A thinner cut bacon works best for these. Thick-cut bacon takes much longer to crisp and is harder to wrap firmly around the dates.
- Cranberries: Fresh or dried cranberries work equally well.
How To Pit Dates
If you buy Medjool dates with pits intact, you can easily pit them yourself. With a small paring knife, cut a slit the length of each date, gently open it and remove the pit. Be sure not to cut the date completely in half. You just want a nice pocket that will contain the filling. If you bought pitted dates that pocket will already be there, and you can skip this step.
How To Make Them
Making bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese is so easy! Now that they are pitted, the first step is to fill the cavity of each date with cheese. Use about a teaspoon of cheese per date. You don't want to overfill them because the cheese will just ooze out when they are baking.
Next, push a cranberry into the center of the dates. You can skip the cranberry altogether, or you can try one of the variations listed later in this post.
Now, gently push the edges of each date together to close up the pockets full of filling. One by one, lay each cheese stuffed date on the end of each half-slice of bacon and roll until each one is encased in a bacon blanket.
Secure the wrapped dates with toothpicks and bake until the bacon is crisp and browned.
Helpful Tips For Making This Appetizer
- You can stuff and wrap the dates ahead and store them in the fridge, covered in plastic until you're ready to bake them.
- You can also bake them ahead and store them in the fridge fully cooked, then reheat them in a 350ยฐ oven for 5-10 minutes.
- Toothpicks are not required. However, they do make the dates easier to turn while they are baking for more even browning. Toothpicks are also handy for serving. If you don't have toothpicks, just put each bacon wrapped date with the seam side down.
- Turn your dates often while they are baking to get them browned and crisp on all sides.
- Use parchment paper or foil to line your baking sheet for easy cleanup.
Variations For Bacon Wrapped Dates
Try using prosciutto or pancetta instead of bacon for the wrapping.
Medjool dates are especially delicious wrapped in bacon because they are softer and sweeter than regular dates, (also called Deglet Noor). But, feel free to use regular dates. They will still be delicious and they will still disappear fast. Check out Medjool Dates vs Deglet Noor for the difference in the two varieties of dates.
You can omit the cheese for a non-dairy option, filling the dates with nuts, or even not filling them at all.
If you do want to fill the dates, almost any soft, crumbly, or creamy cheese will work. Try blue cheese, cream cheese, ricotta, feta or manchego cheese.
Other additions to the date filling that works in place of cranberries: apple slices, especially tart apples like a Granny Smith. Pears that aren't overly ripe are great, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can reheat already cooked stuffed dates. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and reheat them in an oven preheated to 400ยฐ for 5-6 minutes.
You can! The easiest way is to place the cooked and cooled dates in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet pan. Place in the freezer to flash freeze for 30-60 minutes until firm, before packing them into freezer safe containers or bags. Use within three months.
More Appetizer Recipes
Looking for more delicious appetizers? Try these:
- Classic Stuffed Mushrooms
- Fried Goat Cheese Balls
- Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms
- Merlot Meatball Appetizers
- Pear Gorgonzola Appetizer Bites
- Mini Quiche Appetizers
Recipe
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Bacon Wrapped Dates
Ingredients
- 12 Medjool dates pitted
- ยผ cup goat cheese
- 12 cranberries
- 6 slices bacon cut in half, crosswise
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ยฐ
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
- Using a small spoon, stuff each date with cheese (about 1 teaspoon per date)
- Push a cranberry into the center of the date
- Gently push the edges of each date pocket closed around the filling
- Wrap each date in a half slice of bacon, rolling to enclose it completely.
- Secure each bacon wrapped date with a toothpick and place on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through until bacon is brown and crisp.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a serving plate.
Aditi Bahl
what a great idea. The recipe looks lovely. I see myself trying this soon.
Colleen
I would love to hear how it goes for you, Aditi!
Sam
Such an easy and delicious appy. The step by step photos are so helpful. It looks easy to prepare and perfect for the upcoming holidays.
Colleen
Hi Sam. I'm so happy that you find the photos helpful, and I hope you do enjoy these over the holidays!
Veronika Sykorova
These look so good! I always loved rum-soaked prunes wrapped in bacon but I havent tried dates yet!
Jo
In love with this new way to enjoy dates. It looks absolutely delicious! The cheese stuffing and bacon! Bacon definitely makes everything so much better.
Colleen
Hi Jo! It's always better with bacon, and these are delicious!
Jenny
Ok, full disclaimer, I can not resist these! As far as I am concerned they are the perfect appetizer, snack, amuse bouche whatever you want to call them, they are perfect. Made some as a test drive because I wanted to try them and OMG they were so good. I am making them again today for game night appetizer. Fantastic recipe!
Colleen
Hi Jenny. I'm so happy that you tried these out and loved them. They really are so hard to resist! Thanks for letting me know, and enjoy these and game night!
Heidy
These bacon-wrapped dates were sooooo sooooo darn good! I could have eaten every single one of them myself. My entire family raved about your recipe and we will be making this over and over. If I could rate this recipe a solid 10 I would!!!
Colleen
That's so awesome, Heidy! Thanks so much for letting me know that you & your family loved these!