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Stuffed Dates

Stuffed dates with bacon and creamy goat cheese, baked until the bacon turns crisp and the dates warm through. Medjool dates are slit, filled with goat cheese and a whole roasted almond, then finished with a honey drizzle for a glossy, savory-sweet bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Medjool dates
  • 24 Medjool dates, pitted Pitted and ready to stuff.
Cheese and almonds
  • 4 oz goat cheese Use as a creamy filling.
  • 24 whole roasted almonds One almond per date.
Bacon and honey
  • 12 slices bacon Halved crosswise for wrapping.
  • 1 tbsp honey For drizzling after baking.
Garnish
  • 1 Fresh thyme or flaky sea salt for garnish Choose thyme or flaky sea salt to finish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

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

Notes

Make sure the bacon seams face down so they stay in place while baking. For best texture, serve right after baking; refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days and rewarm in a 350F oven until heated through. Freezing is not recommended because the bacon can lose crispness after thawing. For a lower-saturated-fat option, use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon while keeping the same bake time and honey finish.