Say hello to our all time favorite party appetizer: Bacon Wrapped Dates!
- Salty, sweet snacks that you can eat with your hand. AKA: the best thing to serve at dinner and cocktail parties!
- 4 simple ingredients and some tooth picks are all you need!
- The mix of crunchy (bacon and marcona almonds) with chewy (sweet dates) cannot be beat!
Ingredient Notes
- pitted medjool dates
- marcona almonds (pictured below are truffle marcona almonds from Trader Joe’s, but use any type of nut you have on hand that isn’t too large!)
- blue cheese (cheese substitutions listed below!)
- bacon or prosciutto
That’s it! Four ingredients!!
Assembling Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Use a paring knife to split the dates in half lengthwise. Open up like a book, then stuff with about 1 tsp of blue cheese and 1 marcona almond. Press back together to close.
- Take strips of uncooked bacon and slice them into thirds. Take 1 stuffed date, place it at the end of a piece of bacon, then wrap until fully enclosed.
- Secure by placing a toothpick through the bacon and date.
Which Dates Should I Use?
There are many different types of dates, but we recommend medjool dates, which are rich, sweet, and soft. These dates are delicious eaten raw or cooked.
If you can’t find medjool dates, deglet noor, with a sweet, delicate flavor, are also wonderful!
Types of Cheese
We recommend blue cheese, but the following would also work well:
- goat cheese
- manchego
- cream cheese
- gorgonzola or gorgonzola dolce
Alternatively, you could fill with chorizo for a smokier flavor!
To Cook
Preheat oven to 350F, then place secured bacon wrapped dates on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake, turning the dates over carefully every 5-6 minutes, until bacon is crispy on all sides, about 25-35 minutes.
Could not be easier!
What Effects Cook Time?
There’s a 10 minute range on cook time based on the thickness of the bacon (big difference between thick cut and regular bacon!).
Also, dates come in various sizes. Smaller dates and thinner slices of bacon will likely be done in 25 minutes, while thicker cut bacon and larger dates might take closer to 35 minutes.
Make Ahead
Best part about this recipe? It’s totally easy to make ahead! While we absolutely recommend eating stuffed dates fresh from the oven — that crunch! — they can be prepped ahead of time and then cooked.
Assemble everything right up until you bake, then either place in a refrigerator (if cooking same day) or place in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze.
To cook from freezer, expect to add about 5 minutes to your overall cook time.
Tips For Making The Best Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Don’t wrap multiple times with bacon — the dates will overcook and dry out by the time the bacon finishes cooking.
- Secure each stuffed date with a toothpick so the bacon stays in place.
- Use any type of bacon you like — applewood, black pepper, maple, Whole30! Just note that cook time will vary based on the thickness.
Honestly, this recipe could not be simpler to make! Five minutes of prep time, and eaten just as quickly. Shout out your favorite filling for stuffed dates below!
If you make Bacon Wrapped Dates, let me know by leaving a rating and review below!
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For more simple appetizers, check out the following recipes:
- Phyllo-wrapped feta appetizer with truffle honey
- Everything crackers made from store-bought phyllo
- Baked brie phyllo cups (holiday appetizer!)
- EASY tomato confit with garlic and shallots
- Spiced cocktail nuts (holiday!)
- Homemade crackers
And if you’ve got leftover dates, highly recommend you make yourself this easy sticky toffee pudding — one of my all time fav desserts ever!
Bacon Wrapped Dates Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 medjool dates pitted
- 4 oz blue cheese
- 24 marcona almonds (truffle flavored from Trader Joe's used here)
- ½ lb uncooked bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Slice dates in half lengthwise and open like a book. Stuff each with 1 tsp blue cheese and 1 marcona almond, then close as best you can.
- Cut each uncooked slice of bacon into thirds. Take one stuffed date and place it at the end of a cut piece of bacon, then wrap until fully sealed. Secure the date closed with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining dates. At this point, dates can be cooked immediately or placed in an airtight freezer-safe container and frozen. If cooking from frozen, expect to add 5 minutes to cook time below.
- Place bacon wrapped dates on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, then cook for 25-35 minutes, carefully turning each date over every 5-6 minutes. Dates are finished when bacon is crispy on all sides. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Let us know your thoughts!