Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cream Cheese
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.
Servings: 32 dates
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
Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g