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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.