As we begin planning our holiday menus, I am always looking for festive nibbles for appetizers or cocktail fare.  Bonus points if they are easy and also decadently delicious.

Bacon Wrapped Dates, definitely fall into that category.  They are also inexplicably sometimes called Devils on Horseback (no one seems to know why, exactly).  They are far more heavenly than devilish, but Angels on Horseback was already taken by the Brits for bacon wrapped oysters….again, who named these and WHY?? 

In any case, bacon wrapped dates are an addictive appetizer for the holidays…or for anytime really.  A perfect combination of salty and sweet, they will automatically make a celebration out of any gathering!

These make a superb addition to a charcuterie platter.  And if you don’t use the blue cheese to stuff them, I suggest serving your wedge of blue cheese with crackers and a drizzle of local honey…another salty-sweet heavenly combo.  

But bacon…c’mon, I mean, who DOESN’T like bacon?  I would argue that bacon improves nearly everything with its salty fatty deliciousness.  Wrap it around a sweet sticky plump date and the combination is unbeatable.  

Stuff the middle of the date with a delightful surprise and these will disappear at an alarming rate and you will be the most popular host/hostess on the block.  

Super easy and flexible, the only downside is these are best served warm (but no one is gonna turn one down at room temperature either!)  And if you need to boost the temp a bit before serving, you can always pop them in the microwave for a short reheat…this will crisp the bacon nicely too, just don’t overdo it and burn the bacon!

The dates need to be pitted if you didn’t buy them that way so no one breaks a tooth on a date pit. It is quite simple to do (pitting a date, I mean, not breaking a tooth!), just cut the date lengthwise halfway through and pick out the pit.  They need to be cut in any case to stuff easily with anything other than nuts.

I have tried making these with a variety of stuffings.  My first foray into these called for almonds, and pointy nuts are super easy to stuff in - they can just be poked in through the ends.  Since then, I’ve branched into cheese stuffings.  We’ve tried goat cheese for a creamy gooeyness, sharp cheddar, feta, and salty blue cheese.  I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite - you really can’t go wrong! I’ve also tried adding fresh herbs - a fresh sage leaf is lovely with the blue cheese.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates

What you need:

• Pitted large plump dates - I use Medjool dates.  They can usually be found at the grocery store, but nuts.com (affiliate link) has wonderful ones as well.  I am addicted to Nuts.com.  They have beautiful dried fruit and nuts and I keep a bunch of their diced dates, apricots and candied ginger on hand for baking and cooking.

• Bacon strips, cut in half crosswise - medium or thin sliced works best.  1/2 piece of bacon per date

• Stuffings: 

  • Cheese - any kind you like - 1 oz will stuff ~ 4-5 dates

  • Nuts - 1 to 2 per date - almonds are a favorite, but pecans or walnuts could also work

  • Fresh herbs - you can experiment here, but fresh sage works well with the salty sweet combo.  I think fresh rosemary would be another nice option

• Rimmed baking sheet - rimmed is important because otherwise bacon grease will drip all over the oven and best case make a mess/worst case catch fire

• Toothpicks to secure the assembled dates

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF

• Slice the dates halfway through.  

• Stuff with the filling(s) of your choice - cheese, herbs, or nuts, or two of these or all three!  

• Squeeze the date closed around the filling

• Wrap a half slice of bacon around the filled date, secure with a toothpick pushed straight through the bacon, filling, and date to the other side

• Arrange the bacon wrapped dates on the rimmed baking sheet

• Bake until bacon is crispy, turning over halfway through for even crisping ~20 minutes total

• Let cool slightly and serve warm - Reheat in microwave if needed

Although I have yet to try it, I see no reason these could not be made ahead and frozen before baking.  

Holiday Appetizer Dips

As an alternative to these I also tried a recipe for a goat cheese-bacon-date dip that is very tasty.  All the same salty sweet flavors in a crowd pleaser size dip.  The recipe can be found HERE at The Original Dish. It is goat cheese, Greek yogurt, honey and olive oil mixed to a smooth consistency in a food processor and topped with a combo of crisped bacon and fresh rosemary and shallots fried in the rendered bacon fat and combined with chopped dates, cider vinegar, and a bit more honey.  

This is fabulous served with homemade crostini.  Homemade crostini is really easy to make and SO much better than the dried out stuff you can buy commercially.  The secret to making it can be found in THIS recipe from Chef Nick at the Signature Kitchen Suite test kitchen. 

That post has 3 other delicious dip recipes as well!  The parmesan dip is SO addictive and can be made in less than 5 minutes, and keeps well in the fridge, so don’t miss that one - it is another great addition to your holiday appetizer spread!

Party On!