Bacon Wrapped Dates (3-Ingredient Sweet and Savory Appetizer)
If you love sweet and savory flavors coming together in one perfect bite, Bacon Wrapped Dates are about to become a favorite appetizer. Crispy, smoky bacon paired with juicy Medjool dates and creamy goat cheese makes the easiest appetizer to impress your guests. Perfect for dinner parties, cheese boards, holiday gatherings, or any time you want a show-stopping bite that comes together in less than thirty minutes.
Bacon-Wrapped Dates
I’m telling you right now… this is one of those appetizers that looks fancy but tastes even fancier, and nobody will believe how easy it was to make. I love, love, LOVE the combination of flavors here – the saltiness of the bacon, the creaminess of the goat cheese, and the slight sweetness of the dates just balance each other out perfectly. And I’m not even a fan of dates most of the time.
But these little bites are a favorite at our house because they’re simple enough for a casual game day party but elegant enough to serve at your next holiday gathering.
The best part? You can make them ahead and reheat them, which means less stress when your guests arrive. They’re naturally gluten-free, take just a handful of ingredients, and even if you don’t like dates, I’d be willing to bet you’ll love these!
Why You’ll Love Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
These Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates are so easy and delicious and there are so many reasons to love them…
Perfect balance of flavors. Sweet dates meet salty bacon, with tangy goat cheese. This perfect appetizer packs a lot of big flavor!
Seriously easy to make. There’s no special technique here. Stuff, wrap, bake. This simple recipe comes together in less than thirty minutes from start to serve.
Great appetizer for entertaining. These look impressive on a platter, but they’re really so simple to make. You can even make them ahead, then pop them in the oven just before you want to serve them, and you’re done.
Tools Needed
- Small paring knife
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Paper towels
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
You only need three main ingredients for this simple appetizer.
- Medjool dates
- Goat cheese (or any soft cheese you love — feta, cream cheese, or even a soft cheddar will work!)
- Thin-cut bacon
- Sea salt, optional
- Honey, optional
Find the full recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Dates
This dates recipe turns into an easy appetizer that everybody will love and it only takes a few minutes to pull together.
Step 1 – Prep your dates. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat for easy cleanup. Take each date and cut a small lengthwise slit along one side. Gently remove the pit — you want to keep the date intact but create an opening in the center of the date so you can stuff it.
Step 2 – Stuff them. Spoon a little goat cheese into each of the pitted dates, then gently press the sides together to close it. You don’t need a lot of cheese — just enough to add that creamy, tangy flavor.
Step 3 – Wrap with bacon. Cut the strips of bacon in half. Wrap one half slice of bacon around each of the stuffed dates and secure it with a toothpick. The toothpick holds everything together while they bake.
Step 4 – First bake. Arrange the dates on a rimmed baking sheet with the cheese side facing up. (This keeps the cheese from hitting the pan and leaking.) Bake for 10 minutes. Use the toothpicks to carefully turn each date onto its side.
Step 5 – Keep baking. Bake for another 5–8 minutes, then turn each date onto its other side and bake for another 5–8 minutes. You’re rotating them so you get crispy bacon on all sides. The bacon should be golden brown and crispy when you’re done.
Step 6 – Finish and serve. Transfer the dates to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any extra bacon grease. Let them rest for about 5 minutes – they’ll be hot! Drizzle with honey and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt – ENJOY!
Pro Tips
Use a wire rack or rimmed baking sheet. The raised edges keep all that bacon grease from spilling into your oven (trust me, you don’t want to clean that up).
Don’t skip the rotation. Turning them every 5–8 minutes helps the bacon cook evenly and keeps it from burning on one side.
Thick-cut bacon works too. If you only have regular bacon instead of the thin-sliced kind of bacon, just add a few minutes to the baking time.
Make them ahead. You can stuff and wrap the dates the night before, cover them, and refrigerate. Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if they start cold from the fridge.
Variations
Try different cheeses. Tangy goat cheese is my favorite, but blue cheese lovers could absolutely swap that in. Feta cheese or cream cheese are delicious too.
Add heat. A tiny sprinkle of black pepper or red pepper flakes before baking adds a nice kick if you like a little spice.
Turkey bacon option. Prefer turkey bacon? Go for it. Just keep an eye on them since turkey bacon can cook faster than regular bacon.
Air fryer method. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Arrange the bacon wrapped dates in a single layer and cook for 8–10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. They’ll come out crispy and delicious.
Drizzle with hot honey or maple syrup. After your bacon-wrapped dates finish baking and cool for a couple of minutes, drizzle them with a little hot honey or maple syrup. The sweetness of the honey or syrup combined with the salty, crispy bacon is absolutely incredible. If you want to get fancy, add a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on top of the honey drizzle — that sweet and salty combo is next level.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these warm right from the oven for that perfect crispy-bacon texture. They’re beautiful on a cheese board alongside fresh fruit, crackers, and other cheeses. They also work great as a stand-alone appetizer before dinner, passed around on a pretty platter.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop them in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes until they’re warmed through and the bacon is crispy again. They won’t be quite as crispy as the first day, but they’re still really good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead? Absolutely! Stuff and wrap them the night before, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Bake them fresh when you’re ready. Just add a couple extra minutes of cooking time since they’ll be cold.
What if I don’t have a toothpick? You can use a small skewer or even gently tuck the bacon end under itself and hope it stays put while baking. A toothpick just makes it easier and guarantees everything stays in place.
Can I use a different type of date? Medjool dates are the sweetest and plumpest, so they work best. Deglet Noor dates are smaller, so you might need to adjust how much cheese you use.
Are these gluten-free? Yes! Bacon, dates, and goat cheese are all naturally gluten-free, so feel free to serve these to anyone avoiding gluten.
Can my kids help make these? Yes! Kids can definitely stuff the dates and wrap them in bacon. Just watch them with the knife when they’re pitting the dates, and help with the oven part.
Stuffed Dates with Goat Cheese
These bacon-wrapped dates are one of my favorite go-to appetizers because they prove that fancy doesn’t have to mean complicated.
You’ve got all the colors, all the flavors, and all the elegance of something that took hours… but really, it took you less than thirty minutes. Feel free to make them your own with different cheeses or a little extra flavor. Your guests will love them.
Bacon Wrapped Dates (3-Ingredient Sweet and Savory Appetizer)
Description
Crispy bacon wrapped around juicy Medjool dates stuffed with creamy goat cheese — an easy, elegant appetizer that impresses every time. Perfect for parties and cheese boards.
Ingredients
- 16 Medjool Dates
- 4 ounces of goat cheese
- 8 slices bacon (thin-sliced)
- Toothpicks
- Honey and Flaky Sea Salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut a small slit lengthwise into each date and remove the pit.
- Stuff a little goat cheese into each date, then gently press the sides together to close it.
- Cut the bacon slices in half. Wrap each stuffed date with a piece of bacon and secure it with a toothpick.
- Arrange the dates, cheese-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Be sure to use a pan with raised edges to keep the bacon grease from spilling into your oven!
- Bake for 10 minutes, then use the toothpicks to turn the dates onto their sides. Bake for another 5–8 minutes.
- Turn each date onto its other side and bake for another 5–8 minutes, or until the bacon is browned and crispy to your liking.
- Drizzle with hot honey and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt
- Transfer the dates to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make ahead: Stuff and wrap dates the night before, refrigerate, then bake fresh.
Pro tip: Rotate the dates every 5–8 minutes so the bacon crisps evenly on all sides.
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes.
Substitutions: Use any soft cheese you like — feta, cream cheese, or blue cheese all work great.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 dates
- Calories: 303
- Sugar: 36.5 g
- Sodium: 251.2 mg
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.7 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
