Bacon Wrapped Dates
These unctuous Bacon Wrapped Dates are salty, sweet, and tangy. Medjool dates are stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in bacon, and baked until they are golden and crispy. Then right out of the oven, these piping hot appetizers are brushed with a Maple Bourbon Glaze that seals in all that wonderful flavor.
Bacon Wrapped Dates are the perfect choice for your next gathering. This appetizer recipe has only 5 ingredients and takes just a few minutes to prepare. These blissful bites will have your guests asking for more. Read more about how to make this easy appetizer kid-friendly, in the Pimp Our Recipe section of our Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe updated as of 3/23/22
BACON WRAPPED DATES
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the center of your oven, then preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil, and place a oven safe wire rack on top of the baking pan, and set aside.
- With a sharp paring knife, split open each date lengthwise to create a pocket, and remove the seed (and the stem flower, if still attached). Be sure not to cut all the way through. In a small mixing bowl, stir softened goat cheese to create a smooth and creamy texture. Stuff each date with a small amount of goat cheese, and close the date to ensure the stuffing doesn’t leak out when it’s baking.
- Stack bacon, and cut into thirds crosswise (you will end up with 18 short pieces). Place a stuffed date face side down onto one piece of bacon. Wrap bacon around each stuffed date, and secure the overlap with a toothpick by piercing down into the top center of the date and straight through so it slightly pierces the bottom flap of the bacon (long end of the toothpick should be on top).
- Place each bacon bundle face up on the prepared baking pan (on the wire rack) so they stand up (toothpick is vertical), and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. While the dates are baking, make the glaze. Add bourbon whiskey and pure maple syrup to a small glass bowl, stir, and set aside (see Note #2). Remove dates from the oven, and carefully flip the dates onto their side (see Note #3), and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes (see Note #4). Remove from oven, flip dates to the other side, and bake again for 5 - 10 minutes (see Note #3), or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven, and immediately glaze each date with a pastry brush using the Bourbon Maple Glaze (coat a few times, if needed). Cool for 5 minutes before serving, and enjoy!
Notes
- To save time, some stores carry pre-scored and pitted dates.
- To make these appetizers kid-friendly, simply omit the Bourbon in the Maple Bourbon Glaze.
- To secure the bundles on their side while they are baking, stick the end of the toothpick under the wire rack to hold it in place.
- We recommend extra crispy bacon for this appetizer, which will take a total of 30-35 minutes. If you prefer soft bacon, then bake for a total of 20-22 minutes (10-12 minutes first, then about 5 minutes per side when flipped).
- Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd.
- 8 Servings (2 dates per serving).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
236.16Fat (grams)
6.09Sat. Fat (grams)
3.10Carbs (grams)
41.12Fiber (grams)
3.22Net carbs
37.90Sugar (grams)
36.40Protein (grams)
6.42Sodium (milligrams)
211.68Cholesterol (grams)
15.06Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Place the oven rack in the center of your oven, then preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet pan with aluminum foil, and place a oven safe wire rack on top of the baking sheet, and set aside.
STEP 2
With a sharp paring knife, split open each date lengthwise (16 Medjool dates) to create a pocket, and remove the seed (and the stem flower, if still attached). Be sure not to cut all the way through. In a small mixing bowl, stir 4 ounces of softened goat cheese to create a smooth and creamy texture. With a small silicone spatula or teaspoon, stuff each date with a small amount of goat cheese, and close the date to ensure the stuffing doesn’t leak out when it’s baking.
Note: To save time, some stores carry pre-scored and pitted dates.
STEP 3
Stack 6 slices of bacon (not thick cut), and cut into thirds crosswise (you will end up with 18 short pieces). Place a stuffed date face side down onto one piece of bacon. Wrap bacon around each stuffed date, and secure the overlap with a toothpick by piercing down into the top center of the date and straight through so it slightly pierces the bottom flap of the bacon (long end of the toothpick should be on top).
STEP 4
Place each bacon bundle face up on the prepared baking pan (on the wire rack) so they stand up (toothpick is vertical), and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. While the dates are baking, make the glaze. Add 1 ½ tablespoons bourbon whiskey and 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup to a small glass bowl, stir, and set aside (see Note “a” below). Remove dates from the oven, and carefully flip the dates onto their side (see Note “b” below), and bake for another 5 - 10 minutes (see Note “c” below). Remove from oven, flip dates to the other side, and bake again for 5 - 10 minutes (see Note “c” below), or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven, and immediately glaze each date with a pastry brush using the Bourbon Maple Glaze (coat a few times, if needed).
Notes: a) See Notes Section below for kid-friendly version. b) To secure the bundles on their side while they are baking, stick the end of the toothpick under the wire rack to hold it in place. c) We recommend extra crispy bacon for this appetizer, which will take a total of 30-35 minutes. If you prefer soft bacon, then bake for a total of 20-22 minutes (10-12 minutes first, then about 5 minutes per side when flipped).
SERVE
Cool for 5 minutes before serving, and enjoy!
Notes:
To make these appetizers kid-friendly, simply omit the bourbon in the Maple Bourbon Glaze. For vegetarian option, see the Pimp Our Recipe section in our Blog Comments & Tips below.
Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd.
8 Servings (2 dates per serving).
VIDEO
How to Make these Quick and Easy Bacon Wrapped Dates!
Blog Comments & Tips
Angels and Devils on Horseback...oh my!
Have you ever heard of “Angels and Devils on Horseback?” I never realized the term was in reference to an appetizer until I started doing research on the origin of this recipe! It turns out that bacon wrapped bundles are an old British delicacy that goes back to the Victorian era.
For those of you who are as surprised as I am about this revelation, the original version of “Devils on Horseback,” are tea-soaked prunes that are wrapped in bacon and grilled. Victorians served them on toast as a finish to their meal. Back in the day, the prunes were unstuffed, but today they are often served stuffed with mango chutney to intensify the sweet and salty flavors. Another variation of this appetizer is “Angels on Horseback,” which are oysters that are wrapped in bacon and grilled or baked. And, then there is Rumaki...yet another spin off on a bacon wrapped appetizer.
Although I’ve never tried Angels or Devils on Horseback, they sound quite delicious. Using prunes instead of dates is definitely an interesting twist from our appetizer recipe. The two dried fruits are very similar, so I can see it working. Like dates, prunes are sweet, sticky, and slightly chewy when grilled or baked. However, I prefer the idea of using dates only because they won’t turn mushy when baked.
Whichever way you like your bacon wrapped bundles, you must give our Bacon Wrapped Dates a try. These appetizers use only 5 ingredients including the glaze, and they are so simple to make. In true Pimp My Recipe style, we pimped up the traditional recipe by stuffing them with goat cheese, and brushing them with a Maple Bourbon Glaze. Then we baked them on a wire rack to make sure they came out crispy and not greasy. If you need to make this recipe kid-friendly, just take a look at the Pimp Our Recipe section below.
They may have been synonymous with entertaining decades ago, but as far as I’m concerned these Bacon Wrapped Dates are never out of style! There are versions of this appetizer where the dates are stuffed with almonds, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, blue cheese, or even stilton cheese. I’ve tried them all, but my favorite is still the tangy combination of bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese. It hits all the sweet, savory, and tangy notes that an appetizer like this should.
Now you have the recipe, ingredients, and equipment, but how do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 5 tips to making great Bacon Wrapped Dates:
Use classic bacon that is regular thickness.
Soften your goat cheese at room temperature before stuffing the dates, then stir to make it smooth and creamy.
Lining your baking pan with foil will give you an easy clean up, then place a wire rack on top of the lined baking pan.
If you like crispy bacon, bake these Bacon Wrapped Dates on a wire rack. This will allow the bacon drippings to go into the baking pan.
Brush them with the Maple Bourbon Glaze when they are right out of the oven, and they are piping hot. This will help the bacon to absorb the glaze and make it extra tasty.
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Spicy: Mix in a pinch of cayenne pepper into the Maple Bourbon Glaze.
Make it Kid-Friendly: Simply omit the bourbon in the Maple Bourbon Glaze. Brushing the bacon with pure maple syrup will give them a delicious flavor, without the alcohol.
Make it Vegetarian: Omit the bacon. Then stuff the goat cheese into the dates, and push an almond into the goat cheese. Drizzle the glaze directly onto the goat cheese & almond stuffed dates before baking. Total baking time will be reduced to 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to brush on that Maple Bourbon Glaze when they are right out of the oven!
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