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Simple Recipes for Every Day

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with Spiced Honey

dates stuffed with goat cheese and crispy, drizzled with spiced honey and sprinkled with sea salt and black pepper.
  • Serves:  8
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  20 min

Ingredients

Stuffed Dates

  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 6 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
  • 24 Medjool dates, pitted and sliced lengthwise on one side
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, for serving
  • Flaky sea salt, for serving

Spiced Honey

  • ¼ cup honey
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position. 
  2. Place the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon crisps and the fat is rendered, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to handle, finely crumble the bacon.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the crumbled bacon and goat cheese until evenly distributed. Carefully stuff each date with about 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese mixture. 
  4. Arrange the stuffed dates on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake until warmed through and the cheese is slightly softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, make the spiced honey. Place the honey, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Set the heat to low and warm, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs.
  6. Transfer the warm dates to a serving platter. Drizzle generously with the spiced honey, then season with pepper and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve immediately.

Notes

Make-Ahead Tip: The dates can be stuffed up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring them to room temperature before baking and add 2 to 3 minutes to the cook time.