These Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cream Cheese are the perfect party/get-together appetizer. They’re spicy, sweet, herby, creamy, wrapped in crispy bacon, and drizzled with hot honey! Made with Medjool dates, cream, cheese, bacon, honey, cayenne, and rosemary, you’ll love the complex taste of this appetizer.
If you’re in the mood for an elevated appetizer that’s sure to impress everyone – these bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese are the answer! They’re quick to make, as they’re ready in less than an hour (including prep and chill time!). These dates are also easy to scale, so you can bring them to gatherings of any size.
If you have leftover cream cheese from this recipe, consider using it in one of these recipes: Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, Easy Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili, or Everything Pigs in a Blanket with Cream Cheese.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy – These bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese and bacon require minimal kitchen tools.
- Quick – Prep time is only 15 minutes for these yummy dates.
- Bacon – Adding bacon helps make these dates more filling and flavorful.
- Kick of heat – Using hot honey and cayenne pepper adds a slight heat to this appetizer.
- Sweet – The sweetness from the honey and Medjool dates balances out the saltiness of the bacon and the heat from the cayenne.
- Herby – Adding fresh rosemary helps create a bold flavor in these bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese.
- Great for parties – Since these cream cheese stuffed dates are easy to scale, they’re great for holidays, parties, and even game day gatherings.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Dates: Buy pitted dates for a quicker prep time when making these bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese. If pitted dates aren’t available, use a small pairing knife/your hands to remove the pits from the dates.
- Cream Cheese: If you cannot find an everything bagel flavored cream cheese or dip at the grocery store, simply mix the cream cheese with everything bagel seasoning before stuffing the dates. You can also use goat cheese to create a creamy filling for the dates.
- Cayenne Pepper: Add more or less cayenne powder depending on your heat tolerance. If you’re unsure how much to add, start with a smaller batch and less cayenne pepper. If it’s not spicy enough, you can add more in the next batch.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese
Quick Overview
- Stuff dates.
- Preheat oven.
- Assemble/bake.
Step by Step Instructions
Slice the dates lengthwise to fill them more easily.
Use the same number of toothpicks on each date.
Step 1: Stuff each date generously with the cream cheese and place them on a plate lined with parchment paper. Pop these in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2: Optional: While the dates chill, add the honey, cayenne, and rosemary to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off. Once the dates have chilled, wrap each tightly with a half slice of bacon. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.
Step 3: Place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 4: Drizzle each date with some of the hot rosemary honey. If the honey is hard to drizzle, warm it up again until it loosens. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked to your liking.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish these bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese with more fresh rosemary, jalapeño slices, or chopped walnuts.
I love serving these cream cheese-stuffed dates with other finger foods for gatherings. Here are a few ideas:
- Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket with Crescent Rolls
- Air Fryer English Muffins Pizzas
- Jalapeño Popper Egg Rolls
Expert Tips
- Scale the recipe as needed. This bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese recipe is great for events since you can scale it up or down easily. For family dinners, consider making half the recipe. If you’re going to a larger get-together, you can double or triple the recipe.
- Use already pitted dates. Save yourself prep time by buying already pitted dates from the grocery store. This tip will save you about five minutes.
- Chill the dates. Once you fill the dates with cream cheese, I recommend chilling them for about 20-30 minutes. This step will help the cream cheese harden, making the dates easier to work with as the filling won’t be squishing out.
Additions & Variations
- Brown sugar: If you don’t want to make the hot rosemary honey, you can sprinkle brown sugar on the dates before baking them for extra sweetness. As these bacon wrapped dates cream cheese (brown sugar-version) bake, the brown sugar will become a delicious glaze.
- Jalapeños: For extra heat, add roasted or pickled, finely chopped jalapeños to the cream cheese mixture before stuffing the dates. You can also add thin slices of jalapeños as a topping to these bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese.
- Feta: Use half feta and half cream cheese for a more elevated version of bacon wrapped stuffed dates.
- Walnut: Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top before baking to create an extra crunch.
Recipe FAQs
It takes about 20-25 minutes for the bacon dates to cook in the oven. They are ready when the bacon is fully cooked and made to your desired consistency. Leave them in the oven for longer for crispier bacon.
Typically, bacon-wrapped dates are made with bacon, dates, and a creamy cheese. Some recipes include other toppings (like sliced jalapeños and honey). Bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese are such a fun appetizer as you can adjust the flavors to your liking.
No, dates and figs are different fruits. Dates are typically sweeter and stickier, as they have more natural sugar.
I recommend using cream cheese for bacon wrapped dates since it has a more subtle flavor. That means you can season it as you’d like. For example, I added hot honey, rosemary, and cayenne to this version. You can also use goat cheese or feta mixed with cream cheese if you enjoy a bolder cheese flavor.
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Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cream Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- 32 Medjool dates pitted
- 8-10 ounces container La Terra Fina Everything Bagel Dip & Spread or cream cheese*
- 16 slices bacon, not thick-cut, cut in half
Hot Rosemary Honey, optional
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
- 3-4 sprigs rosemary
Instructions
- Stuff each date generously with the spread or cream cheese and place them on a plate lined with parchment paper. Pop these in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.32 Medjool dates, 8-10 ounces container La Terra Fina Everything Bagel Dip & Spread or cream cheese*
- While the dates chill, add the honey, cayenne, and rosemary to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat off.1/2 cup honey, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper*, 3-4 sprigs rosemary
- Once the dates have chilled, wrap each tightly with a half slice of bacon. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.16 slices bacon, not thick-cut, cut in half
- Drizzle each date with some of the hot rosemary honey. If the honey is hard to drizzle, warm it up again until it loosens.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked to your liking.
Notes
- Dates: Buy pitted dates for a quicker prep time when making these bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese. If pitted dates aren’t available, use a small pairing knife/your hands to remove the pits from the dates.
- Cream Cheese: If you cannot find an everything bagel flavored cream cheese or dip at the grocery store, simply mix the cream cheese with everything bagel seasoning before stuffing the dates. You can also use goat cheese to create a creamy filling for the dates.
- Cayenne Pepper: Add more or less cayenne powder depending on your heat tolerance. If you’re unsure how much to add, start with a smaller batch and less cayenne pepper. If it’s not spicy enough, you can add more in the next batch.
- Scale the recipe as needed. This bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese recipe is great for events since you can scale it up or down easily. For family dinners, consider making half the recipe. If you’re going to a larger get-together, you can double or triple the recipe.
- Use already pitted dates. Save yourself prep time by buying already pitted dates from the grocery store. This tip will save you about five minutes.
- Chill the dates. Once you fill the dates with cream cheese, I recommend chilling them for about 20-30 minutes. This step will help the cream cheese harden, making the dates easier to work with as the filling won’t be squishing out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are so easy to make and the flavor is outstanding. Can’t wait to make them again.
I really loved this bacon wrapped dated recipe! Can’t wait to make it again soon.
This is just the best appetizer that everyone loves! I’m going to get my kids to make it for Mother’s Day!
There’s just something about the combination of sweet dates, sour cream cheese, and smoky salty bacon that is absolutely irresistible. Making these again for a baby shower coming up in a few weeks.
Now I see what all the fuss is about. These are the tastiest little sweet and salty things ever. Obsessed!