Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates With A Walnut Crusted Dry Rub

These bacon wrapped dates are not only stuffed with goat cheese but they are rolled in a gingery- spicy, walnut crusted dry rub. Wow. That might have been a lot to take in, but that only goes to show much flavor is packed into these adorable bitesized apps.

What I love about these bacon wrapped dates is that they SO easy to make! And, if you’re hosting friends or family over, you can make them ahead of time and just pop them in the oven for 5 minutes before company arrives! They are everything you want an appetizer to be, sweet, savory, crunchy, and made with bacon.

What Are Dates?

Before we get into creating these delicious bites (did I mention they were covered in bacon?), what the heck is a date anyway? Most of us know them as the ubiquitous fruit our grandmothers urged us to eat as kids. In fact, as always, granny’s suggestion was right as they’re pretty good for you. Despite them having a high sugar content, dates are high in fiber and contain many essential vitamins and antioxidants.

OK – Now that we’re a bit more knowledgeable about what a date is let’s get to the recipe!

How to prepare the dates

You’ll want to cut each date lengthwise but not all the way through. You’ll just need to cut enough to fill the center with the goat cheese.

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Once you’ve filled each date, you’ll want to get started with the bacon and the dry rub .

Cut each strip of bacon in half and roll each date in each half.

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In a separate bowl, mix together the dry rub spices and crush about a half cup of walnuts. I would recommend placing the walnuts in a plastic bag to avoid them from going all over the place.

The dates are very sweet so don’t be shy on your savory spices. Once all your ingredients are combined, you’re ready to dip the dates in the dry rub then walnuts.

If you make these, don’t forget to tag me at @krispXkristin and share what you think!

Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates With A Walnut Crusted Dry Rub

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Ingredients

• 12 medjool dates 
• goat cheese 
• 6 strips of bacon
• 1/2 cup of walnuts 
• 1/8 tsp cayenne peper 
• 1/4 tsp paprika 
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp dried thyme 
• 1/4 tsp smoked salt 
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger 
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves 

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 380 degrees and cover baking sheet in parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Cut your Medjool dates lengthwise. Don't cut all the way through. Stuff with goat cheese.
3. Cut each strip of bacon in half and roll each stuffed date in each half of bacon. Set aside.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all of your dry spices and loosely mix together.
5. Place your walnuts inside a plastic bag and crush them finely with a meat mallet.
6. Dip each stuffed date in the dry rub mixture, then in the crushed walnuts.
7. Place on baking sheet and cook in oven for 25 minutes at 380 degrees.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 387Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 470mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 6gSugar: 48gProtein: 11g

The information shown is an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.