Bacon-Wrapped Dates

By Ali Slagle

Updated Dec. 1, 2021

Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(799)
Comments
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A bacon-wrapped date is sweet, smoky, squidgy and crisp, all in one bite-size package. The trick is getting the bacon to cook before the date burns, and you can do that by starting in a cold oven so that the bacon slowly renders its fat and evenly crisps. While this appetizer was en vogue in the 1970s and 1980s, it has never gone out of style. In fact, it dates back to Victorian England, when bacon-wrapped oysters or prunes (also known as angels or devils on horseback) were eaten before or after a meal. (“Horseback” referred to their being served on toast.) Sometimes the prunes were soaked in tea or liqueur, and stuffed with chutney, cheese, or nuts. You can do the same if you like.

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Ingredients

Yield:16 dates
  • 8slices bacon
  • 16medium Medjool dates, pitted
  • Black pepper (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

248 calories; 11 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 32 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 218 milligrams sodium

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

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Using scissors, cut each slice of bacon in half crosswise at a diagonal, like cutting ribbon. (This will help secure the bacon to the date.) Starting at the straight end of the bacon, roll the bacon around the dates. Tuck the point under the wrapped bacon to secure. Place seam side down on a baking sheet.

  2. Step 2

    Place in the oven, and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook until golden brown all over, another 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bacon.

  3. Step 3

    Season with black pepper (if desired), then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to crisp and cool slightly.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
799 user ratings
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Comments

Maureen

We've been making these for years stuffed with a whole almond. My sister-in-law dubbed them "Fatal Attractions" because inside is a date with a nut!

Ryan

Love these appetizers, even if they're a bit laborious (pitting the dates, if you can't find them pre-pitted; laying out the bacon and cutting it). I stuff them with bleu cheese, and then skewer them with a toothpick before laying them on parchment paper (because now they're sticky AND greasy). Top tip: mix a little brown sugar and chipotle, sprinkle on top before putting into the oven.

Juliet

I’ve been making these for years (I’m from England) and I always secure the bacon with a toothpick. It helps to soak the toothpicks in warm water for a couple of hours beforehand so they don’t burn in the oven. Also, cook them on a rack placed over a foil lined sheet pan to catch the dripped bacon grease. (If you don’t use foil, the pan will be very hard to clean.)

How tall should cake be?

Anyone try prosciutto instead of bacon?

Jane

I learned about these from a chef I worked with decades ago and have made them dozens and dozens of times. I've baked them low & slow, in a hot oven and even broiled them (in a rush!). I've used regular bacon, maple bacon and thick cut applewood smoked bacon. I've used deglet and medjool dates. You cannot ruin them unless you burn them, and even then, they're not bad! You must watch them like a hawk and, as mentioned, line your pan with foil. You will have no choice but to make them for every party you give once friends try them.

Anne J

These are delicious - they disappear like the snow under the June sun. I buy the dates split and seeded and stuff them with goat cheese. I use the precooked bacon you can get in the deli because it’s thinner and does not make a mess in your oven or pan. They cook quickly because the bacon is precooked already.

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