Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese
Published 12/9/2022 • Updated 11/5/2024
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These bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese are an easy appetizer everyone will enjoy! 3 ingredients, and made in under an hour.
Best Appetizer Ever
Dear, bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese…will you marry me? This truly is the perfect appetizer — it’s a little sweet, a little savory and ready to serve in under an hour.
Why you’ll love ’em!
Fancy finger food: spear these bacon wrapped dates with toothpicks to keep the sliced bacon neatly wrapped, and make it easy for people to pick up.
3-ingredient: these bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese are just that! Bacon, dates and goat cheese — easy peasy!
Sweet & savory: we love a good app that is equal parts sweet and savory 😀
Why Medjool Dates
When it comes to bacon wrapped dates it’s all about the date! We are obsessed with medjool dates. Why?
- They are naturally sweet and delicious.
- Medjool dates are always plump and full of flavor.
- You can buy them in bulk at a great price!
Ingredients for Bacon Wrapped Dates
This recipe is pretty simple. We love it because it is the most perfect mixture between sweet and savory! You’ll need:
Medjool Dates: We are big fans of medjool dates, but feel free to use whatever dates you have or are able to find. You just wand to make sure the dates are pitted and soft.
Here’s a tip–> If your dates are a little hard, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes to soften them up. Soak up access moisture from the dates and proceed with the recipe.
Goat Cheese: A perfectly tart and soft goat cheese is what we’re looking for to stuff the dates! If you are a honey or herbed goat cheese fan, go for it.
Bacon: There are many different options when it comes to bacon. We prefer a maple bacon, but an applewood bacon would be delicious, too.
try it!
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
If you love these bacon wrapped dates, you have to try our bacon wrapped shrimp recipe!
Simple Instructions
Par-bake bacon
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place a metal rack on top of a baking sheet. Place the bacon on the wire rack and season with freshly ground black pepper. Par-bake the bacon for 10 minutes in the oven.
Stuff Dates
While the bacon is in the oven, stuff each date with goat cheese. The amount of goat cheese in the middle of each date will vary by the size of the date, but stuff about ½-1 teaspoon of goat cheese in the middle of each date.
Wrap Dates with Bacon
Remove the bacon from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, place a stuffed date at the end of a piece of bacon and carefully wrap the stuffed date with a piece of bacon. Stick the bacon and date with a toothpick and place it back on the wire rack.
Finish Baking Dates
Place the bacon wrapped dates back in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is browned and fully cooked.
Let rest & Enjoy!
Remove the bacon wrapped dates from the oven and let the rest for 10 minutes before eating.
Why Cook Bacon First?
It’s important to cook your bacon slices first because the dates and bacon have different cooking times. The goat cheese stuffed dates will take about 10 minutes to cook to perfection in the oven, while bacon takes 10-15 minutes.
That’s why in our recipe, we cook the bacon a bit first before wrapping it around the dates. Otherwise, you’d have hard, overcooked dates or floppy, undercooked bacon, depending on your choice of cooking time.
Our #1 Tip
So, how do you get crispy bacon on the outside but super tender dates on the inside? Our #1 tip is a metal baking rack!
Placing the bacon wrapped dates on top of a rack allows the bacon grease to drip off the dates and onto the bottom of the baking sheet. Otherwise, the bacon would have difficulty crisping up if the dates sat in the grease.
First, line your baking sheet with tin foil (for easy cleanup), then place a metal baking rack on top!
Make-Ahead Bacon Wrapped Dates
Make your bacon wrapped dates ahead of time by prepping everything through step 3, and then store your partially prepared bacon wrapped dates in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Then, all you need to do is the last step right before serving your yummy bacon wrapped dates: bake for 10 minutes at 400ºF, and serve!
Storage
To store your bacon wrapped dates, let them cool completely. Then, transfer to an airtight container and seal. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.
Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 9 pieces of thin bacon, cut in half so you have 18 pieces of bacon
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 18 medjool dates, pitted but kept whole
- 4 oz. plain goat cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and place a metal rack on top of a baking sheet. Place the bacon on the wire rack and season with freshly ground black pepper. Par-bake the bacon for 10 minutes in the oven.
- While the bacon is in the oven, stuff each date with goat cheese. The amount of goat cheese in the middle of each date will vary by the size of the date, but stuff about ½-1 teaspoon of goat cheese in the middle of each date.
- Remove the bacon from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, place a stuffed date at the end of a piece of bacon and carefully wrap the stuffed date with a piece of bacon. Stick the bacon and date with a toothpick and place it back on the wire rack. Repeat this step until all of the dates are wrapped with bacon.
- Place the bacon wrapped dates back in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is browned and fully cooked. The time will vary based on how thick your bacon is and by the oven.
- Remove the bacon wrapped dates from the oven and let the rest for 10 minutes before eating.
Tips & Notes
- If you want your bacon crispier, par bake the bacon a bit longer. Be careful not to fully crisp your bacon or else your bacon won’t be soft enough to roll.
- A great variation on this recipe is to mix the goat cheese with 1 teaspoon of za’atar seasoning before stuffing the dates.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Looking GORGEOUS! Low protein and high fat but i would try for the taste, thanks sir!
Do you serve these cold/room temperature? I am thinking about making these ahead of time for a party, but not sure if I should reheat or just serve as is. Thanks!
I serve them hot! If you can, I would make them right before serving!
Could I prep them before hand to bake tomorrow???
Hi Ashley! So sorry for the late response. My answer would have been YES.
Three of my favorite foods all in one!! Cannot wait to try these 🙂
This sounds like such a delicious combination! AND easy to make? Yeah! I cannot wait to try them!
Hi Lee!
I just wanted to say that I’ve been a blog reader for a while, and I adore your writing and your photography. Recently I made a compilation of some of my favourite blogs (which I had to feature yours in!), and you can check it out here: https://cookiesnchem.com/2016/10/19/my-top-22-favourite-food-blogs/
Thanks for making your blog so easy to read, exciting, and creative. Hope the rest of your day is amazing!
Cindy
Awww thanks Cindy! Totally made my day! <3
Ah YES. We had bacon wrapped dates as an appetizer at our wedding and everyone loved them! No goat cheese though… but I bet these are freaking incredible because I do love me some goats cheese.
OMG YES. Any wedding that has bacon wrapped dates musta been a fun one 😛
I don’t eat bacon but I LOVE dates and goat cheese so HOLLAAAAA.
😛 Sub the bacon for tofurkey bacon?! Is that a thing?
These looks heavenly! I’m always looking for healthier appetizers to bring to game days or holidays. They look fancy, but are actually so simple!
YES!
These look good. Do you eat them hot or cold or both?
I eat them hot…right out of the oven!
So SIMPLE and so DAMN GOOD! I love this combo, but anything with cheese…Get in my BELLY!
RIGHT?! Especially goat cheese. And the dates give it that sweet touch <3