Easy Bacon Wrapped Dates (with Blue Cheese)

Looking for party appetizers with bacon? Look no further because these stuffed dates are the perfect party food.

One taste of this finger food 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 casual appetizers, or they make a lovely presentation on a passed tray of hors d’oeuvres.

When to Serve Them

These are easy to prepare and you hardly need any special measurements to make as many as you want.

• Serve them as a light bite before you sit down to any dinner party menu.
• These are fantastic for a Christmas cocktail party.
• Because of the ingredients, they make fabulous breakfast appetizers on a breakfast buffet.
• These are great tapas for a Sangria & appetizers party.
• Add them to a Moroccan theme party or a Greek theme dinner party.
• Include them on a party cheese board when you’re entertaining at home.

EXPERT TIP: Use Deglet Noor pitted, dried dates. They’re smaller and easier to eat, and the combination of salty and sweet is more balance.

How to Make Bacon & Blue Cheese Dates 

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.

You only need 3 simple ingredients to make these.

• Whole Dried Dates. Many recipes I’ve seen recommend using Medjool dates, however I suggest you use dried, pitted Deglet Noor dates. Medjool dates are huge and meaty and very sweet, while Deglet Noor dates are more bite-size, slightly less sweet, and hold up well when stuffed and baked.
• Mild Blue Cheese. My go-to blue cheese is 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 many palates.
• 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.

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 back up.
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.

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.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use goat cheese instead of blue cheese, or make half with blue cheese and half with goat cheese.
• Try these with cream cheese or slices of Manchego or Parmesan cheese for even more variety.
• 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. Pistachios, almonds, or walnuts would be good choices.
• Drizzle the cooked appetizers with honey as a finishing touch before serving.
• Want an extra hit of salty? Add a light pinch of flake finishing sea salt on the appetizers as soon as they come out of the oven and are still bubbly. Or add it on top of the honey drizzle.
• Drizzle with balsamic glaze or maple syrup instead of honey.

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!