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Stuffed Dates

Stuffed dates with bacon and creamy goat cheese are baked at 400°F until the bacon turns crisp. Medjool dates are slit, filled with a roasted almond and goat cheese, then finished with a honey drizzle.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 170
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Medjool dates
  • 24 Medjool dates, pitted
Goat cheese
  • 4 oz goat cheese
Almonds
  • 24 whole roasted almonds
Bacon
  • 12 slices bacon, halved crosswise
Honey
  • 1 tbsp honey
Garnish
  • 1 Fresh thyme or flaky sea salt for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and fill the dates
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Slit each date open along one side, then fill with a small spoonful of goat cheese and one roasted almond.
  3. Wrap each stuffed date in a half slice of bacon and place them on the baking sheet seam-side down.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes, turning once, until the bacon is crisp.
  2. Drizzle the hot dates with honey, garnish with thyme or flaky sea salt, and serve warm.

Notes

For neater bacon wrapping, keep the bacon at room temperature for a few minutes so it bends easily, and don’t overfill the dates (a little goat cheese helps the bacon seal). Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; rewarm on a sheet pan in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes to re-crisp the bacon. Freezing isn’t recommended for the best texture. For a lighter option, use turkey bacon (or a lower-fat bacon) while keeping the same bake time and temperature.