Bacon-wrapped Dates Recipe
Make Bacon-wrapped Dates Recipe: stuff Medjool dates with goat cheese, wrap in bacon, roast until crisp and serve warm.
Ingredients
- 24 large Medjool dates, pitted (about 9 oz / 255 g)
- 24 whole roasted unsalted almonds (optional, for added crunch; 1 almond per date)
- 3 oz (85 g) soft goat cheese, at room temperature
- 2 oz (56 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional, for brightness)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 slices thin-cut bacon (about 12 oz / 340 g), each slice cut in half crosswise to make 24 shorter pieces
- 24 small wooden toothpicks
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (optional, for glaze)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional, for glaze)
- 1 small pinch cayenne pepper (optional, for a mild heat in the glaze)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
Step 1: Prep the oven and the baking station
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, then place a metal wire rack on top so rendered bacon fat can drip away and the pieces crisp evenly. Keep a small pair of tongs and a flat baking spatula nearby on the same surface for later—these will persist as the logical tools through the next panels.
Step 2: Prepare the dates and optional almonds
Using a small sharp knife, make a lengthwise slit in each Medjool date and gently remove the pit, keeping one side intact so the fruit can close around a filling. If using the roasted almonds, tuck one almond into each pitted date’s cavity and press the date closed so a small pocket remains for cheese. Arrange the pitted (and almond-filled) dates in a tidy cluster on the quartz surface beside a small glass jar of honey and a small ceramic ramekin holding the almonds.
Step 3: Make and spoon the cheese filling
In a small matte off-white ceramic bowl combine soft goat cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest (if using), honey, salt and pepper. Mash and stir with a small stainless spoon until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy. Using the spoon or a small piping bag, fill each date with about 1–1½ teaspoons of the cheese mixture so a little creamy peak shows but the date can still close. Keep the mixing bowl and the same stainless spoon visible nearby as evidence of continuity.
Step 4: Wrap with bacon and secure
Cut each thin-cut bacon slice in half crosswise. Place a filled date near the end of a bacon piece and roll it so the bacon fully encircles the date; secure each with a small wooden toothpick pushed through the seam. Lay each wrapped date seam-side down in orderly rows on the wire rack set over the prepared rectangular baking sheet, about ½ inch apart. Show the bacon pieces aligned and the tines of the tongs resting beside the rack.
Step 5: Roast, turn, glaze and rest
Bake on the rack until the bacon begins to render and color (first stage), then turn each piece with tongs and continue roasting until the bacon is deep golden and crisp and the cheese is just bubbling. If using the optional maple-balsamic-cayenne glaze, brush each hot date lightly and return to the rack briefly until the glaze is shiny and slightly caramelized. After removing from the oven, let the dates cool on the rack for 5–10 minutes so the filling sets slightly. Arrange several finished pieces on the rack showing glossy glaze, crisp ridges, and a tiny puddle of caramelized glaze at the base of a date.
Step 6: Transfer and serve on a rectangular platter
Carefully transfer the warm bacon-wrapped dates to a low rectangular matte-white ceramic platter that echoes the baking sheet’s geometry. Keep a few toothpicks inserted, sprinkle finely chopped flat-leaf parsley for a bright, green contrast, and let the platter sit on the same Calacatta-mimic quartz surface. Capture a very-close eye-level view that highlights the crispy bacon texture, the shiny glaze, and the creamy cheese just peeking from a split date.
Notes
- Use plump Medjool dates for best texture and easy stuffing.
- If dates are firm, soak in warm water for 10 minutes and pat dry before using.
- Keep bacon slices thin-cut for quicker, even crisping.
- Assemble ahead but bake just before serving for peak crispness.
- Reheat on a wire rack in a 350°F oven to re-crisp bacon.
- Use a piping bag for neater filling if making a large batch.