Bacon-Wrapped Dates

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A perfect cocktail party snack, bacon-wrapped dates are chewy, crispy, sweet, savory, and smoky all at once. Plump and tender Medjool dates are stuffed with a mixture of blue cheese and cream cheese, and a toasted walnut stands in for the pit. Fresh goat cheese could easily be swapped for the blue cheese, and roasted salted almonds can replace the walnuts. For sweeter stuffed dates, drizzle them with honey before serving.

By
Anna Painter
Anna Painter

Anna Painter is a trained culinary professional who has been testing, developing, and writing recipes for a decade. She was an associate editor at Food & Wine. Anna has worked on such freelance projects as The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and Gluten-Free Girl Everyday. She is currently the culinary manager at Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon.

Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on July 20, 2023
Tested by
Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.
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Bacon-wrapped dates
Photo:

Photographer: Kelsey Hansen, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Yield:
2 dozen
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 24 Medjool dates

  • 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

  • 1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted and halved lengthwise

  • 6 thin slices of bacon, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces

  • Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish

  • Honey and extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

Directions

  1. Cut a lengthwise slit in the side of each date and remove the pits.

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the blue cheese with the cream cheese, salt and pepper. Using a hand mixer, beat at medium speed until thoroughly blended and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate the blue cheese filling until firm, about 30 minutes.

  3. Preheat the oven to 425°. Place a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Using a small spoon, stuff each date with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the blue cheese filling, then tuck in a piece of toasted walnut. Wrap each date with a piece of bacon, secure it with a toothpick and transfer to the rack.

  4. Bake the wrapped stuffed dates for about 15 minutes, turning them with tongs once or twice so the bacon crisps on all sides. Transfer the dates to a platter, garnish with thyme leaves and serve warm, with a drizzle of honey and olive oil.

Make Ahead

The stuffed and wrapped dates can be refrigerated overnight before baking.

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