Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese and Basil

These bacon wrapped dates stuffed with creamy whipped goat cheese and fresh basil just might become your new favorite appetizer! They’re easy to make, with only 4 ingredients.

You’ll love the tasty combination of savory, crispy bacon paired with sweet dates, tangy chevre cheese and peppery fresh basil.

Check out the easy recipe for more flavorful variations, including dates stuffed with Brie, Boursin cheese, blue cheese, cream cheese or ricotta plus three sweet glaze options.

If you love hors d’oeuvres with the savory flavor of bacon, be sure to check out our roundup of 52 Best Bacon Appetizers!

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Why This Recipe is Worth Making

• These tasty hors d’oeuvres are easy to make and serve.
• The ingredients are readily available at most grocery stores.
• People go crazy for these delicious small bites!
• Mix up the flavors with one of our 7 variations (see below).

Types of Dates

These are some of the common date varieties dates you might find at the grocery store:

Medjool – The most widely available dates, Medjools are generally very sweet and may be a little sticky.

Deglet or Deglet Noor – the second most common date, these are a little less sweet than Medjool dates and are often sold pitted.

Halawi or Halawy – These medium-sized dates have a sweet, honey flavor.

Any commonly-available date will work perfectly for this recipe!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are the ingredients we used for these goat cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon:

Regular sliced bacon – The standard strips are thin and flexible, perfect for wrapping. They’ll cook faster than thick sliced bacon, which helps not to overcook the dates.

Dates – The dates I used for this recipe are organic Deglet dates. You can use whatever dates are available in your area.

Goat cheese – Also known as chevre, the flavor of goat cheese ranges from mild to very tangy, with a texture that can be smooth or crumbly. If yours is more on the crumbly side, you can add a little milk to the cheese to make a spreadable mixture.

Fresh basil leaves – You’ll need about 24 small basil leaves (one for each appetizer), or the equivalent of larger leaves that you can cut or tear. During cold-weather months, look for live basil plants in the produce section, or small packages containing the fresh leaves.

Equipment Needed

• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Small bowl
• Paper towels
• Toothpicks
• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum foil

Step by Step Instructions

1. Cut the dates in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Remove the pit, if necessary.

Mash up the goat cheese in a small bowl (add a little milk if necessary), and whip it with a fork until fluffy. Spread it on the halved dates, and top one half with a basil leaf.

Arrange the bacon strips on double layers of paper towels.

Pre-cook the bacon strips in the microwave for about 90 seconds on high, to render some of the fat.

Wrap the stuffed dates with bacon strips overlapping by about 1/2 inch. Secure with toothpicks.

Arrange the appetizers on the foil-lined baking sheet and cook at 375 degrees F, turning once during cooking, until crispy and browned, about 20-25 minutes.

Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Pro Recipe Tips

The dates can be fully assembled up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake them. 

Soak the toothpicks in water for 1 hour (drain on paper towels before using) if you don’t want them to darken during baking.

You can also remove the toothpicks that were used during baking and replace them with fancy bamboo cocktail picks for serving if you like.

Recipe Variations

Instead of goat cheese, try stuffing these bacon wrapped dates stuffed with any of these cheeses. Bring to room temperature first for easier spreading:

• Brie or Camembert cheese
• Boursin cheese
• Blue cheese
• Ricotta cheese
• Softened cream Cheese

Sweet Glaze Options

Brown sugar – Sprinkle the appetizers with light or dark brown sugar on both sides before baking.

Apricot jam – Heat apricot jam in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until melted. Brush the appetizers with the jam before baking.

Honey – Drizzle the cooked appetizers with honey before serving.

How to Store Leftovers

While we’ve never had any leftover bacon wrapped dates, it could happen. Wrap them tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the dates on the pan and bake in the oven at 375 F degrees until hot, about 10 minutes. Cool for a minute or two and serve.

FAQs

More Popular Bacon Wrapped Recipes

If you love wrapping things in delicious bacon, you might enjoy these favorites:

Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Bacon Weave Meatloaf

Bacon Wrapped Corn on the Cob

33 Best Bacon Wrapped Recipes

Here’s the full, printable recipe:

Got questions? Just ask! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this bacon wrapped dates recipe, I’d be thrilled if you clicked the little stars above and gave the recipe a 5-star rating.

For a quick overview, you might viewing the bacon wrapped dates web story.

If you post your creations on social media, tag #BENSABaconLovers so I can share! Thank you for your support. – Eliza

Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist, and any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.

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