Friend, this is my all-time FAVORITE appetizer for the holiday!
Actually, it’s my all-time FAVORITE appetizer for any day.
If you come to my house for dinner, you can rest assured that you’ll be greeted with the aroma of bacon-n-dates wafting from the oven. It’s SO easy to make these savory-&-sweet bites ahead of time - I like to wrap them up the day before - and keep them in the fridge until your guests are 20 minutes out. Pop them in the oven and not only will the house smell heavenly, and you and your guest will be in for a big treat.
When it comes to appetizers, our healthy diets can often fly out the window, which is why I really like these stuffed dates. While this is certainly a treat and not something to include in your daily diet, each date contains protein, fat and complex carbs. Additionally, these ingredients are wholesome and simple, not deep-fried, and not containing a laundry list of additives and fillers.
A word of advice: make a double batch! These disappear quickly...
12 bacon strips, uncured pork
24 Dates (get the kind with pits, these are softer)
½ cup Goat Cheese
24 walnut halves
24 toothpicks
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the bacon strips in half, width-wise.
Remove the seed from each date and stuff with a teaspoon of goat cheese and a walnut. Squish it together.
Wrap each stuffed date with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick and place on the prepared baking sheet. (You can store in the fridge up to a day once wrapped. It’s nice to make the day before your party!)
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the bacon is cooked through and crispy. Enjoy immediately!
Feel free to leave out the walnut, or to use pecans if you’d prefer. It’s also entirely possible to leave the bacon off as a vegetarian option!
Calories: 96
Fat: 6g
Carbohydrates: 6g
Sodium: 237mg
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 5g
Sugar: 5g