Description
This 3-Ingredient Bacon Wrapped Dates recipe is incredibly easy to make and always a crowd favorite!
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 slices bacon
- 20 Medjool dates
- 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (or goat cheese or feta*)
- freshly-ground black pepper and flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prep oven and baking sheet. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Precook the bacon.* Lay the bacon strips side by side on the baking sheet. Cook for about 10 minutes. (Cook time may vary depending on the thickness of your bacon, so keep an eye on it. The idea is for the bacon to be about halfway cooked yet still soft enough to easily wrap around the dates.)
- Stuff the dates. While the bacon is precooking, use a paring knife to make a shallow cut lengthwise in the top of each date, careful not to cut all the way through. Remove the pits, then fill each date with a spoonful of cheese, and use your palm to gently squeeze the date so that it is mostly closed.
- Wrap the dates. Once the precooked bacon is cool enough to handle, slice the bacon strips in half. Wrap a strip of bacon around each date and secure it closed with a toothpick.
- Bake. Remove the previous sheet of parchment paper (and any leftover grease) from the baking sheet, and layer on a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Arrange the dates evenly on the baking sheet and season with a few twists of black pepper. Bake for 5-7 minutes per side, flipping the dates halfway through until the bacon is cooked and slightly crispy. (Keep a close eye though so that it does not burn.) Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and sprinkle the dates with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Serve. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Type of cheese:It’s important to use a cheese that won’t immediately melt and ooze out of the stuffed dates. I prefer a bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese, a crumbly blue cheese or feta cheese, but feel free to use whatever cheese you love best. (Manchego, Parmesan, or a good aged cheddar are also great options!)
Precooking the bacon: You can skip this step and purchase precooked bacon if you prefer, which is typically still flexible enough to wrap around the dates.
Recipe update: This recipe was updated slightly in 2022 to include the step of pre-baking the bacon.