Easy Bacon Wrapped Dates (with Blue Cheese or Goat Cheese)

Looking for party appetizers with bacon? Look no further because these stuffed dates are the perfect party bite or brunch finger food. One taste and you’ll be hooked! The combination of salty bacon, creamy cheese, and sweet dates is addictive and you can’t eat just one!

You can make them and serve them at room temperature which is always a bonus. They’re right at home on a buffet with other appetizers, or they make a lovely presentation on a passed tray of hors d’oeuvres.

These are easy to prepare and you hardly need any special measurements to make as many as you want. Add them to a Moroccan theme or a Greek theme dinner party.

Ingredient Notes

• Whole Dried Dates. I suggest you use dried, pitted Deglet Noor dates. I see a lot of recipes recommending Medjool dates, but they are huge and meaty and very sweet. Deglet Noor dates are smaller and easier to eat, slightly less sweet so the combination of salty and sweet is more balanced, and hold up well when stuffed and baked.
• Cheese. While I highlight blue cheese in this post, I do frequently use goat cheese instead. My go-to blue cheese is a creamy Gorgonzola Dolce as it’s mild, slightly sweet, and so delicious. My second favorite is Danish blue which is also mild and flavorful. I stay away from anything too strong like Roquefort or Stilton as they can be overwhelming to the palate.
• Bacon. I like to use Center Cut bacon because there’s less fat and they wrap easily. You’ll cut the strips in half so you get two appetizers per slice. You could use regular sliced bacon too, but thick cut bacon is too bulky for this recipe.

How to Make Them 

When I first shared this recipe in 2013, I recommended par-baking the bacon before wrapping the dates, but with this updated method there’s no need to do that. You simply cook them at 400 degrees F, for less than 30 minutes.

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to catch the fat drippings and any cheese spills. Place a flat baking rack or cooling rack on top to cook the wrapped dates on.

2. Cut dates down the middle but not all the way through, so you have a little boat or open book shape. Add enough cheese to fill the inside, and close it slightly.
3. Wrap the bacon around the date and secure with a toothpick. Place them on a prepared baking rack and cook, turning them over near the end.

Tips & Tricks

• Use a paper towel to dab off the bacon grease as soon as they come out of the oven, to reduce fat.
• Give your guests variety; make half with blue cheese and half with goat cheese. Try them with cream cheese or slices of Manchego or Parmesan too.
• Substitute the bacon with prosciutto and reduce the cooking time to about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add chopped nuts to the cheese mixture for added flavor and texture. Pistachios, almonds, or walnuts are great choices.
• Drizzle the cooked appetizers with honey, balsamic glaze, or maple syrup as a finishing touch before serving.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Assemble them up to a day ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake and serve.

Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for about 3 days and then reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds to give them a refresh. Or reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5 minutes.

More Bacon Finger Food Recipes

Add these appetizers with bacon to any happy hour or brunch gathering.

• Easy jalapeno poppers with blue cheese wrapped with bacon are a game day favorite.
• These bacon wrapped chicken bites have so much texture and flavor, there’s no way you can eat just one!
• Amazing bacon wrapped crackers are easy and delicious and you can make sweet or savory combinations.
• Make plenty of these bacon wrapped appetizers with apricots and almonds because they tend to disappear fast!