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Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese
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Sweet Medjool dates stuffed with creamy, tangy goat cheese and wrapped in shattering bacon that caramelizes as it crisps. Three ingredients. Zero leftovers. The appetizer that empties the platter before you've finished your first glass of wine.
The Spanish understand dates in ways Americans are only beginning to grasp. In tapas bars from Seville to San Sebastián, you'll find dátiles con bacon on nearly every menu, the marriage of sweet fruit and cured pork as natural as bread and butter. This version adds goat cheese to the arrangement, a tangy counterpoint that elevates the combination from merely delicious to absolutely compulsive.
Three ingredients. That's all you need. But technique separates the version guests devour standing at your counter from the soggy disappointments found at catered affairs. The bacon must crisp without burning. The cheese must stay inside the date. The timing must allow you to serve them warm, not nuclear hot or disappointingly lukewarm.
I've watched students fuss over far more complicated appetizers that generated half the enthusiasm these little parcels inspire. The ratio of effort to reward here is absurdly favorable. An hour of assembly, fifteen minutes of baking, and you've produced something that vanishes faster than any dish requiring three times the work.
Make them ahead. Make them in quantity. Make them the centerpiece of your appetizer spread or the only thing you serve with drinks. They reward all approaches equally.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary AdvisorIngredients
large Medjool dates
Quantity
24
fresh goat cheese
Quantity
4 ounces (115g)
at room temperature
thin-cut bacon
Quantity
12 slices
halved crosswise
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large Medjool dates | 24 |
| fresh goat cheeseat room temperature | 4 ounces (115g) |
| thin-cut baconhalved crosswise | 12 slices |
Equipment Needed
- •Rimmed baking sheet
- •Parchment paper
- •Sharp paring knife
- •Wooden toothpicks (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the dates
Use a sharp paring knife to slice each date lengthwise along one side, cutting just deep enough to remove the pit. Work your knife around the pit and pop it out cleanly. The goal is a pocket, not two halves. Keep the opposite side intact so the date holds its shape and cradles the cheese.
Medjool dates are essential here. Deglet Noor and other varieties lack the size, moisture, and caramel sweetness this dish demands. Look for plump, glossy dates that yield slightly when pressed. - 2
Stuff with goat cheese
Using a small spoon or your fingers, fill each date cavity with about one teaspoon of goat cheese. The cheese should fill the pocket generously but not overflow the edges. Press the date gently closed around the cheese. It won't seal completely, and that's fine. The bacon will hold everything together.
Room temperature goat cheese is far easier to work with. Cold cheese crumbles and resists shaping. Set it out thirty minutes before you begin. - 3
Wrap in bacon
Take one bacon half and wrap it around a stuffed date in a spiral, starting at one end and working toward the other with slight overlap. The bacon should cover most of the date while leaving the ends exposed. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, spacing them one inch apart.
- 4
Secure the parcels
If your bacon seems determined to unravel, secure each date with a wooden toothpick inserted through the seam. Angle the toothpick so it passes through both bacon and date, anchoring everything in place. Remove toothpicks before serving, or warn your guests if you prefer to leave them.
Soak wooden toothpicks in water for ten minutes before using. This prevents them from scorching in the oven. - 5
Bake until crisp
Position a rack in the upper third of your oven and preheat to 400°F. Bake the dates for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The bacon should be deeply golden and crisp, the fat rendered and slightly caramelized where it meets the sweet date. Underdone bacon is flabby and unpleasant. Better to err toward darker.
- 6
Rest and serve
Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the dates rest for five minutes. This is not optional. The cheese inside is volcanic when they emerge from the oven. After resting, arrange on a serving platter. They're best warm, but remain excellent at room temperature for up to an hour.
Chef Tips
- •Thin-cut bacon wraps more easily and crisps more reliably than thick-cut. Save your artisanal slab bacon for breakfast. Here, supermarket thin-cut performs beautifully.
- •For larger parties, double or triple the recipe freely. The math is simple: one date per bacon half, one teaspoon cheese per date. Fifty dates require twenty-five bacon slices and roughly ten ounces of goat cheese.
- •These pair magnificently with a crisp, dry sherry or a sparkling wine. The bubbles and acidity cut through the richness while complementing the dates' sweetness.
- •If you encounter dates that are dry or firm, soak them in warm water for fifteen minutes, then pat completely dry before stuffing. This restores their supple texture.
- •Blue cheese lovers can substitute Gorgonzola dolce or Roquefort for the goat cheese. The flavor profile shifts from bright and tangy to earthy and pungent. Both versions have their devotees.
Advance Preparation
- •Dates can be stuffed with cheese up to two days ahead. Store covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before wrapping with bacon.
- •Fully assembled dates can be wrapped and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. Add 3 to 5 minutes to baking time if baking from cold.
- •Baked dates reheat well in a 375°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes. The bacon re-crisps nicely, though they're never quite as perfect as fresh from the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 31g)
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