Bacon-Wrapped Dates

These bacon-wrapped dates are stuffed with cheese and baked until crisp. They're sweet, salty, and delicious. Perfect for a holiday party appetizer.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 32 people

Calories 2959.2 kcal

Equipment

1 Baking Sheet With sides to catch grease
1 Paring Knife For slicing dates
1 Cutting Board
1 Pack of Toothpicks For securing bacon

Ingredients

Main

1 pound pitted dates
4 ounces blue cheese
1 pound sliced smoked bacon cut in half

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Slice dates in half and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese and place them into the center of dates; press date halves together to close. Wrap each date with a half-slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.
Bake in the preheated oven until bacon is crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.

Notes

For optimal results, select plump, soft Medjool dates, as their larger size and moisture content better accommodate the cheese and prevent drying during baking. To achieve maximum bacon crispness while ensuring even cooking, consider arranging the dates on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. This allows fat to drip away and air to circulate. If blue cheese is too pungent, a milder goat cheese or herb-infused cream cheese can be substituted. A final drizzle of balsamic glaze or hot honey after baking elevates the sweet-salty profile and adds a gourmet touch.