The bacon should come out browned and crisp, but the center of each date stays soft, with goat cheese tucked inside rather than spilling across the pan. I like how little prep these bites take: open the dates, fill them, and wrap each one with half a slice of bacon.
Using half a slice per date gives the bacon room to brown without burying the sweet, chewy fruit or the tangy cheese. I keep the filling inside the natural slit and set each wrapped date seam-side down; that way, the bacon stays where I put it while it bakes. After a short rest, these bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese are warm, savory-sweet bites with a crisp outside and a creamy center.
Kitchen Note
Give the dates their full 5-minute rest on the baking sheet. The cheese is molten when they first come out, and that brief pause lets the filling settle before you pick them up.
Save these bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese for an easy party bite: crisp bacon, a soft date, and a tangy center.
Why Each Date Gets Half a Slice of Bacon
These bites work because no single ingredient takes over. Medjool dates are large and sweet, goat cheese brings a tangy, creamy middle, and bacon adds a salty, savory wrap. Using half a regular-cut slice for each date gives you enough bacon to cover the filling while leaving plenty of date visible in each bite.
A whole slice would make a thicker layer around a small piece of fruit, and thick bacon can be harder to crisp in the time these dates need. The half-slice portion also makes the recipe easy to divide: each of the 8 bacon slices wraps 2 dates. That proportion keeps the bites consistent, so you don’t end up with a few dates that are mostly bacon and others with a thin, fragile wrap. Keep the cheese tucked into the slit, too; the goal is a little creamy contrast in every bite, not a mound of filling that pushes the bacon out of place.
What to Look for in the Dates, Cheese, and Bacon
- Medjool dates — Their generous size gives you room for the goat cheese and a bacon wrap, while their soft, chewy texture contrasts with the crisp outside. Choose dates that feel pliable rather than dried out. The recipe uses pitted dates; if yours still have pits, remove them before filling. Smaller date varieties won’t hold the same amount of cheese and are harder to wrap with the same bacon portion.
- Goat cheese — Softened cheese spreads into the date slit without requiring you to force the fruit open. A plain goat cheese log works well; an expensive brand isn’t necessary here, but choose one with a fresh, clean smell and no dried edges. Keep it plain so its tang comes through. If it’s cold and firm, let it soften before filling the dates; a crumbly, cold filling is more likely to catch on the fruit as you spread it.
- Regular-cut bacon — The thinner, flexible slices are easy to cut in half and wrap around each date, and they have time to brown during the bake. A standard grocery-store pack is fine; you don’t need specialty bacon for this simple appetizer. Thick-cut bacon isn’t a like-for-like swap because its thicker strip takes longer to crisp.
From Filling the Dates to Crisping the Bacon
Set Up the Baking Sheet
Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. The rim helps keep bacon drippings contained, and the parchment makes the finished dates easier to lift off the pan. Get the sheet ready before filling the fruit so the wrapped dates can go straight onto it. Keep the dates in a single layer when you arrange them.
Fill Along the Natural Slit
Open each pitted date along its existing slit, keeping the fruit intact at the sides. Divide the softened goat cheese evenly among the dates and press it into the center. The cheese should sit within the opening rather than bulge well past the edges. If a date resists opening, ease it apart gently instead of pulling hard on the ends.
Wrap and Set Seam-Side Down
Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise, then wrap one half around each filled date. Place every date seam-side down on the prepared sheet so the loose end rests against the parchment. Keep the wrap snug enough to stay in place, but don’t squeeze the date so hard that the cheese is forced out. Arrange them with a little room around each one for the bacon to brown.
Bake Until the Bacon Is Browned and Crisp
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The bacon should look browned and crisp rather than pale or floppy, especially along the edges. Start checking at the shorter end of the range, since bacon thickness and ovens can vary. If the bacon still looks soft, continue baking until it reaches that browned, crisp finish.
Let the Filling Settle
When the bacon is crisp, take the sheet out of the oven and leave the dates on it for 5 minutes. The hot filling is delicate, so moving the bites immediately can make the cheese spill. After the rest, transfer them carefully to a serving plate. They’ll still be warm, with the bacon holding its shape around the date.
Simple Ways to Change the Cheese-to-Date Balance
Dairy-Free Dates with Bacon
Leave out the goat cheese, then wrap and bake the pitted Medjool dates with the bacon as usual. You’ll get a simpler, sweeter bite without the creamy, tangy center. The date won’t need filling, so keep the slit gently closed under the bacon wrap.
A More Date-Forward Bite
Use a thinner layer of softened goat cheese in each date, keeping the filling inside the slit before wrapping. The fruit’s sweetness comes through more clearly, and the center feels less rich. This is a handy adjustment if you want the cheese to act as a small tangy accent rather than the main filling.
A Creamier Center
For a richer cheese center, use a fuller portion of goat cheese in each date while keeping it contained in the natural opening. The filling will taste more prominent against the sweet fruit, so take care not to let it spread onto the outside where it can escape during baking.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. The bacon softens in the refrigerator, and the dates become a little firmer when cold.
- Freezer: They can be frozen in an airtight container, though thawed bacon won’t be as crisp and the cheese may turn crumbly. Thaw them in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm them on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven until the centers reach 165°F. Avoid the microwave if you want to preserve the bacon’s texture.
Questions That Come Up When Making These Dates
Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Open each date along its slit and fill with goat cheese, dividing it evenly among the dates.
- Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise, wrap one half around each date, and place the dates seam-side down on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the bacon is browned and crisp.
- Let the dates rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.