Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates Recipe

Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates are a perfect combo of sweet and salty and couldn’t be easier to make. They’re perfect for just about any gathering. 

I Have to Come Up With the Perfect Appetizer

Now, any time of year is the right time of year for delicious appetizers, but the end-of-year holiday season through the Super Bowl is where things really start to ramp up. Thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl game day and Valentine’s Day are all prime-time opportunities where you may be asked to bring your favorite appetizer.  

But that’s the question we dread, isn’t it! Many of us don’t have a go-to easy appetizer we can just whip up on a moments notice. Well, don’t worry, I have you covered today.

Try These Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

So, you’re looking for the perfect appetizer to bring to a holiday party or other gathering. What would be a great party food that would appeal to a number of people? These bacon wrapped goat cheese stuffed dates are perfect for pretty much any occasion.

My inspiration for this appetizer comes from one of my favorite appetizers – BBQ Bacon Water Chestnuts. They’re easy to make and the combination of bacon, BBQ sauce and the mild, crunchy water chestnut is so good.

But, that’s been done before, so what to do here? I definitely wanted to wrap something in bacon because – bacon! I love a good salty bacon in so many things.

Bacon-wrapped dates seemed like a great idea as the savory bacon taste would compliment the sweetness of the dates. Also, you have a great texture combo between the chewy dates and the crispy bacon. But, why stop there?

We’ve all seen cheese-stuffed olives and we tend to flock to those tasty morsels of goodness. Well, if it works for olives, it should work for these dates!

I thought a creamy goat cheese would be perfect in this recipe. It is tangy, but not too over-powering. Also, the soft goat cheese is easy to work with in stuffing the dates.

I think a plain goat cheese is best for this recipe as it compliments the sweetness of the dates and the saltiness of the bacon. 

What If I’m Not a Fan of Goat Cheese?

The reason I love this easy appetizer recipe is that you can easily modify to your own tastes. If a tangy goat cheese is not to your liking, you can use any soft cheese to stuff the dates. I would just stay away from herbed cheeses (like an herbed goat cheese) which could bring in too many flavors at once.

Cream cheese is good if you like a milder cheese flavor. Blue cheese or feta cheese have bigger flavors that work well with the sweet dates. Even a brie cheese would be a fun alternative.

The point is, pretty much any cheese that is soft enough to stuff into the dates will work in this recipe. Have fun and experiment!

Time to Make the Dates!

There’s no better time than now to make these delicious stuffed dates. Big flavor and so easy to make that you still have plenty of time to enjoy a glass of wine or two with your friends and family at your get-together!

​These Dates Sound Delicious. Do You Have Other Appetizers We Can Try?

Absolutely! If you scroll down below, you will find a section entitled More Delicious Party Appetizers. You will definitely find a tasty appetizer or two (or three or four!) in that list. And, if that isn’t enough, here are several more you will definitely want to try:

• Philly Cheesesteak Flatbread
• Warm Caprese Toast
• Classic Swedish Meatballs
• Rosemary Garlic Fries
• Cheesy Bloomin’ French Bread
• Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
• Chicken Taco Pinwheels
• Baked Chicken Taquitos
• Cowboy Caviar Dip
• Garlic Summer Sausage Pretzel Bun Sliders

Tips and Tricks for Making Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

• If you don’t have goat cheese on hand or don’t care for it, blue cheese or feta cheese would be good substitutes. They are also both salty with a bold flavor, which balances out the sweetness of the dates.
• Thinner bacon will work better than thick-cut bacon as you need to easily wrap it around the smaller date. It will also crisp up quicker in the oven.
• Line your sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up.
• These can be made up to a couple of days ahead of time. Simply put them into an airtight container or cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate (do not freeze).
• If they’ve been refrigerated before you’re ready to serve, reheat them in a 350 degree oven just long enough to re-crisp the bacon, about 5-10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when you can see the bacon start to sizzle.

Ingredients Needed to Make Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

Full instructions are found in the recipe card below

• Medjool dates
• Goat cheese
• Bacon
• Toothpicks

How to Make Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Using a paring knife, cut a small slit, lengthwise into each date.
• Remove pits.
• Stuff dates with goat cheese.
• Wrap each date with a bacon third and secure with a toothpick.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
• Top with a baking rack, if you have one
• Place prepared dates on baking rack.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until bacon is crispy.
• Serve immediately.

More Delicious Party Appetizers

• Fried Ravioli with Marinara
• Instant Pot Cranberry Barbecue Meatballs
• Chicken and Waffle Bites
• Mini Pretzel Dogs
• Dorothy’s Holiday Ball
• Easy Butter Board
• Greek Bruschetta
• Easy Pizza Knots

ENJOY!