Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese is legitimately one of my favorite appetizers. It's sweet, savory, cheesy and meaty! They're always a hit and beyond easy to make! Sometimes I even serve them a bouquet and they're even more perfect! And best of all, they make the cutest gift for the cheese and charcuterie lover in your life!

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese

Every Valentine's Day, I make bacon wrapped dates. It's kind of like my own little love tradition that I started back when I lived in Brooklyn. There's just something so perfect about these little sweet and savory morsels that just makes my heart all warm and fuzzy.

Last year, when I catered my soon-to-be sister in law's party, I served them like little edible bouquets. They were such a hit and of course they were absolutely delicious and made the perfect table centerpiece!

This year, I wanted to make them even more delicious so I stuffed them with Point Reyes Blue Cheese.

This is one of my favorite American-made blue cheeses. It's a relatively bold blue cheese with earthy notes and a salted caramel finish. When it's baked, it even becomes mild enough for those of you who don't like stinky cheeses.

To be honest, I could eat an entire block of it by itself! But when you bake them with the dates and the bacon, it becomes even more irresistible. Oh, and if you can find the Point Reyes Bay Blue where you live, go ahead and do yourself a favor and buy one of those! It's one of my favorite cheeses in the world!

And if you're looking for other appetizers to serve them with, check out my Guide on How to make a Cheap yet Attractive Cheese Board, my Easy English Sausage Rolls or my Cheesy Gorgonzola Jalapeno Bread! I think you might also like my favorite retro appetizer - dried beef cheese ball! 

How to make Bacon Wrapped Dates 

Making bacon wrapped dates (also known as devils on horseback) is super easy!

First, heat your oven 375F and line a baking sheet with tinfoil and place a wire baking rack on top.

The baking rack will keep the grease and extra cheese from oozing out, sticking, and burning. If you don't have a baking rack, you can also try folding a bunch of tinfoil strips into long rolls to create a little ledge for them to sit on.

If you don't have a baking rack,  you could skewer them and rest them against the sides of the pan - basically you just want to try to keep them from sitting in their own drippings.

Once your baking sheet is set up, stuff the dates. Carefully cut a tiny slit down the side of each date. Open it up and stuff each one with a tiny wad of blue cheese.

Press the date halves back together -- the cheese will act like the bonding agent. If you don't like blue cheese, you could either leave it out completely or you try another cheese like goat cheese or manchego.

Next, wrap each cheese-stuffed date with a half a slice of thick cut bacon. 

When you add them on the baking sheet, you'll want to place the bacon seam on the bottom with the cheese slit facing up. This will help the cheese from oozing out while keeping the bacon wrapped around each date.

Line the bacon wrapped dates on the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through. Remove them from the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes.

These can be made up to a day in advance - just be sure to keep refrigerated.

RECIPE: Bacon Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese

Recipe

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese

Making Bacon Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese is one of my favorite appetizers because it's easy to do and delicious to eat!

4.30 from 10 votes

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Ingredients

  

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• 12 oz pack of Pitted Medjool Dates about 20 large pitted dates
• 1 lb thick cut bacon cut in half
• 4 oz Point Reyes Blue Cheese

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Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil and place a cooling rack on top.
• Cut the side of each date (being careful not to cut all the way through) and add a pinch of blue cheese and stuff it inside. Press the date back together and wrap each date with a half slice of bacon. If at all possible, try to keep the cheese cut-side facing up, with the bacon cut-side facing down. This will help keep the cheese from cooking out while also keeping the bacon wrapped around each date.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through. Remove from heat and let cook for 10 minutes.
• **OPTIONAL** If you're making the bouquet - Skewer each bacon wrapped date and place them in a small vase. If you’re having trouble with them slipping down, try to skewer it through the bacon as it's thick texture holds up the best.

Notes

If you're making the bacon bouquet, simply spear each one with a kebab stick through the bottom and serve them in vase.

If you can't find Point Reyes Blue Cheese you can most definitely use another brand. And if you don't like blue cheese you can leave it out completely or swap it for another cheese like Manchego. 

 

 

Keyword bacon, blue cheese, bouquet, charcuterie, dates, DIY, Valentines Day

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