Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Dates make the perfect holiday or anytime appetizer. Sweet Medjool dates stuffed with creamy goat cheese and diced jalapeno, wrapped in salty, smoky maple, black pepper, and cayenne bacon.
This Bacon Wrapped Date recipe has everything going on! Deliciously rich with so many flavors and textures. A little sweet, spicy, salty, creamy, and crispy. They make a great gluten-free and dairy-free appetizer. Perfect for your next holiday or anytime gathering.
Ingredients in Spicy Bacon Wrapped Dates
How to remove the date pit
If pitted dates aren’t available you will need to remove the pits. Luckily, the pits are easy to remove. Slice each date lengthwise on one side then remove the pit.
How Spicy are the Bacon Wrapped Dates?
They have just a little heat, but it all depends on the heat of the jalapeno. I have made this recipe with a mild jalapeno and again with a hot jalapeno. But the goat cheese helped to tone down the heat a little. So they are not super hot. If you want them spicier, leave the seeds in the jalapeno and increase the cayenne pepper.
How to Make Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Dates
- In a small bowl, combine goat cheese and diced jalapeno. Stuff each pitted date with the goat cheese mixture using a butter knife or spoon. After stuffing, close the date slightly to prevent the cheese from melting out.
- Wrap each date tightly with a bacon half. Wrapping seam side down, or secure with a toothpick if desired.
- Combine maple syrup, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Brush mixture over each wrapped date.
- Bake approximately 30 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.
Place on a paper towel-lined plate to remove the excess grease (if desired), let cool for a couple of minutes. Serve.
Tips
- Regular and thinner cut bacon works best for this recipe. I used Kirkland Signature Bacon for this recipe.
- Wrap the bacon semi-tight and place the bacon seam down so they don’t come unraveled. Alternatively, you can secure the bacon with a toothpick.
- For easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Some cheese may melt out.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. They can also be frozen then thawed to room temperature before reheating in the oven.
Products Used:
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- Natural Delights Pitted Medjool Dates
- Bamboo Knot Picks
- Wilton Non-Stick Bakeware Large Cookie Sheet
- OXO Good Grips Basting and Pastry Brush
More Appetizers
Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Dates
Equipment
- cookie sheet
- parchment paper or foil
- small bowl
- marinade brush
- toothpicks (optional)
Ingredients
- 16 Medjool dates
- 6 ounces goat cheese
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 8 slices bacon cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Remove the pits from the dates if needed. Slice the dates lengthwise to remove the pit.
- In a small bowl, combine goat cheese and jalapeno. Stuff each date with the goat cheese mixture. Close the date as much as possible to prevent the cheese from melting out.
- Wrap each date tightly with half a bacon, seam side down, or secure with a toothpick.
- Combine maple syrup, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Brush mixture over each wrapped date.
- Bake approximately 30 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess grease (if desired). Let cool for a couple of minutes. Serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
This will be such a great appetizer for Thanksgiving. I will be definitely giving this a try. Thanks!
Definitely a great Thanksgiving appetizer Kalu, enjoy!
OMG these sound so good. I can almost taste the sweet date and the spicy tangy goat cheese. Add the salty bacon? Swoon!!
Haha thanks Cindy, they pretty much have it all going on!