Fontina-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates
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This is quite possibly the most amazing appetizer I have ever made; I have never seen anything gobbled up by a crowd so quickly. Although it’s certainly not surprising as to why – combining moist, sweet dates with creamy cheese and salty, crisp bacon creates a flavor combination that is nothing short of fabulous. In addition to being one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted, this appetizer is a snap to throw together and takes mere minutes in the oven. You can easily prep the dates – stuffing and wrapping them – and as soon as guests show up, pop them in the oven. Unique and classy, this appetizer will impress guests and have them raving!
I had first planned to make two dates per person, since I was serving another relatively substantial appetizer (polenta pizza, which I will be sharing soon!). After fixing up the dates and having quite a bit left, I decided to bump it up to three per person and added more to the baking sheet. I could have easily planned on making four or five per person – these disappeared almost instantly.
If you can’t find fresh dates you could go ahead and use dried, but if available, I think the fresh are so much more flavorful. They are also moister, which provides a great contrast to the crispy bacon.
More great appetizers:
Traditional Hummus
Cheddar Ale Spread
Chicken Spread
1 year ago: Croissants
Fontina-Stuffed, Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Yield: Prepare 3-4 dates (or more!) per person
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Fresh dates
Fontina cheese, cut to fit inside the dates
Bacon, cut into 3" piecesDirections:
1. Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slit the dates open, keeping the bottom in tact. Place a piece of cheese inside each date. Wrap bacon around the stuffed date, overlapping the ends on the bottom.
3. Broil for approximately 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn!
(Inspired by The Left Over Queen)
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Did you precook your bacon at all or just use it straight from the package?
This looks delicious!
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Hi Kaytee – Thank you! I did not precook the bacon at all – just used it straight from the package.
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These look AMAZING!! I’m always on the lookout for great appetizers – that are quick – and that don’t require your guests to come to your aid in actually making them (been there, done that , ‘nuf said).
I louuuvvveee me some Fontina too…
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I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
Isn’t it just fab?
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Hi Jenn – Yes, absolutely, totally 100% fab!! Thanks so much for posting it!
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This looks amazing with the oozing cheese. I had something similar in a restaurant but they stuffed it with some sort of sweet chutney instead of cheese, they are called devils on horseback.
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Any date wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese is a great date to me!
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I LOVE bacon wrapped dates. These look great.
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That would be a great appetizer. There’s salty, sweet, something creamy. I love fontina cheese too. I think guests will be blown away by these combination.
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This is pretty, you’re so creative
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yum, yum yum! One of my fav restaurants, AOC, has amazing bacon-wrapped dates, and these look even better than theirs.
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I don’t eat pork, but for a split second I considered it… that’s how mouthwatering these look!
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Linda – That’s such a compliment, thank you! You’ll have to make these and let me know how they compare!
Amy – Wow, thanks! Almost had you, huh?
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They look delicious! I actually just made bacon-wrapped fingerling potatoes.
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Dates and Bacon always go very well together, very well tought! Bacon goes very well with melon as well. Pour a bit of Porto on it and you have the perfect appetizer
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Those little gems looks heavenly!
Well done!
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Never had them with the cheese. I like that. Great idea.
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Just found fresh dates for the first time ever, and bought them. Now I know what to do with them! If only I can figure out an easy way to pit them…hmm. Maybe I need to suck it up and buy a pitter. These look SO good!
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OH WOW that sounds so amazing!!
Do you think you are going to the foodbuzz fest in SF?? I think I’m going to go!
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Having been part of the crowd that devoured them, I can vouch for their awesomeness. Thanks for making them, cuz!
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I love these little bites too. I use Asiago cheese, and applewood bacon, and brush the bacon with paprika before I wrap and BAKE them. A little twist worth trying!
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I can see why these disappeared so quickly, they look super tasty! Love the cheese in them too.
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We make these at my restaurant in DC except we stuff them with a mixture of blue cheese, cream cheese and chives. After they’re baked we drizzle a little balsamic glaze on top that’s infused with chai tea (simple syrup with a couple chai tea bags steeped in, then combined with balsamic and reduced by half).
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Lisa – that cheese mixture sounds FABULOUS! And with a balsamic glaze? Bliss! Which restaurant in DC?
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I’ve made these stuffed with walnut halves and they are also very good. I will try your fontina version. Looks Yummy!
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Had some recently in New Hope, PA stuffed with blue cheese and also topped with a pesto oil.
Also, I there are so many different kinds of dates (along with prices). Which kind did you use? I’ve found the firmer date is a little better for stuffing than the softer ones.
I also had better success with pre-cooking the bacon in the microwave for one minute before wrapping to ensure the bacon cooks thoroughly before the date and stuffing starts to burn.
Thanks for the great article!
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These look amazing & I can’t wait to make these. A friend & I used to indulge ourselves with Bacon-wrapped Smoked Oysters. If you like smoked oysters, give it a try some time. Just wrap & broil.
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I made these for a bachelorette party this weekend and they were amazing! These were soo simple to make and I got tons of compliments! I will definitely be making these again soon!
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Came across this recipe by chance and it looks yummy!
Any idea on good bacon replacement? Since i don’t eat pork 
Great recipe though! 
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Trent — Stuffed dates topped with pesto oil sounds fabulous!
I used regular pitted dates, bought from a local Italian grocery.
Thank you for the tip on precooking the bacon, I will definitely try that next time!
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Sarah – So glad everyone enjoyed these! They’re a great crowd-pleaser, aren’t they? Thanks for stopping back and sharing your results!
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Avriesa – What about substituting turkey bacon?
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Sounds like a fabulous flavor combination
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I have never had a date in my life but I loved the idea of them so I made them the other night. My husband and I had them 2 nights straight!! They are amazing. The only thing is I subsituted turkey bacon for regular bacon because I cant stand regular bacon. They were delicious though!!!!!
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I made these for a Fat Tuesday party. I used regular old cream cheese, though. I didn’t really care for them (but some of my friends fell in love), and now I have leftover dates to use before they expire.
They did fulfill my goal of getting everyone to eat something new, so thanks for the recipe!
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Hi there Michelle. I have tried several of your recipes, even added my own flare to a couple and I absoultely love everything I’ve made from your recipes. I’m wanting to try this one this weekend, I’ve been looking all over for fontina cheese though and I’m having a hard time. Is there a substitute you could recommend?
Thanks Michelle!
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Michelle on September 29th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
Hi Michelle, You could really substitute any favorite cheese that melts well – white cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss, Gruyere, etc.
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These are delicious! I made them for my family at thanksgiving and they were devoured!
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Making these for a Christmas party tonight. Googled “bacon wrapped dates” and this is what I got. A great tapas restaurant in Atlanta used to make these- “Dream Dates”, they were called. It’s since closed, so I’m hoping these are a great substitute. Thanks for the great recipes!
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These were great! People were unsure about trying them but once they did they couldn’t stop. Thanks!
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Just wondered if there is an Italian name for this wonderful appetizer.
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Michelle on June 8th, 2012 at 10:32 am
Hi Connie, Not that I’m aware of… whatever Italian is for “amazingly delicious and addictive”!
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A hit!! I used the precooked bacon. I put ithem in the oven at 350 for 5 minutes, then turned the broiler on. Cheese was melted without burning the bacon.
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I made these for the first time last Friday for a birthday brunch and it was the favorite thing on the buffet. So simple to make, and SO simple to come across as a gourmet chef – teehee! I couldn’t find Fontina cheese, so I used Gouda. Fantastic! I will definitely be making these again, and I won’t give up on the Fontina search. Thanks, Michelle!
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