A couple of weeks ago, I went to a friend’s 30th birthday party and someone brought a tray of bacon-wrapped dates. I grabbed one, took a bite, and had that immediate “oh no… these are dangerous” moment. I spent the rest of the night working my conversations around how to get back to be closer to the food spread so I could eat more… and then trying to figure out who made them so I could get the recipe.
I tracked down the chef, got her recipe, went home, and made my own version. This is that version (not that there was a single thing wrong with hers!).
What Makes These So Good
It’s crazy that a recipe with only 5 ingredients can be this delicious. You get the sweet chewiness of the dates, the creamy centre from the Boursin, the salty crisp bacon, and then the honey-rosemary glaze that’s just so sweet and shiny and sticky and perfect.
Ingredients
You’ll need:
- 16 Medjool dates – soft, sweet, easy to stuff stuffed
- 1/2 wheel of Boursin (about 3 oz) – the garlic-herb one works well
- 10 slices of bacon, cut in half – half the strips so they don’t wrap too much, or they won’t get crispy
- ¼ cup honey – we warm it so it coats everything easily
- Fresh rosemary – tiny amount, big flavour boost
- Salt + pepper
- Toothpicks – to hold it all together
How to Make Them
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet.
Slice each date along one side and remove the pit. Stuff with a teaspoon-ish of Boursin. Wrap each date with half a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
In a small bowl, warm the honey in the microwave for 10–15 seconds so it becomes pourable. Stir in chopped rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Brush each bacon-wrapped date with the glaze (or gently toss them in a bowl).
Bake for 10 minutes, flip, then bake for another 5–10 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and caramelized.
Serving Ideas
These are tiny flavour bombs. Serve them:
- As a pre-dinner bite with a glass of wine
- As part of a bigger holiday spread
- For a casual weekday lunch for yourself, like I did
They’re great warm but also hold their own at room temp, so they are truly perfect if you’re hosting or bringing them to a party.
Variations
- Cheese: goat cheese, cream cheese, or blue cheese
- Glaze: swap honey for maple syrup or try hot honey if u dare
- Herbs: rosemary is my top pick, but thyme or chili flakes work too
- Bacon: kind of a tough one to sub – pancetta may work nicely though
Make Ahead + Freezing
One of the reasons I love these is you can fully prep them ahead of time.
Make ahead:
- Assemble everything, keep in the fridge, glaze + bake when needed
- Or fully bake, then reheat later
Freezing:
They actually freeze quite well! Freeze assembled (pre-baked) or baked dates on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
To bake from frozen:
- Unbaked: 375°F for 18–22 minutes, flipping halfway
- Baked: 350°F for 10–12 minutes to warm them up again
Video & Recipe
Here’s a short video that shows the prep steps:
Happy baking!
Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Boursin & Honey-Rosemary Glaze
Ingredients
- 16 Medjool dates
- 3 oz Boursin cheese about half a wheel
- 8 slices bacon halved
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp chopped rosemary
- salt + pepper
- Toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper (the honey glaze caramelizes as it bakes, and having a layer on your baking sheet makes cleanup so much easier.)
- Take each Medjool date and slice it lengthwise on one side. Don’t cut all the way through; you’re making a little pocket. Pull out the pit and gently open the date with your fingers.
- Scoop about a teaspoon of Boursin into each date – just enough to fill the centre. Pinch the date to re-seal it.
- Cut each slice of bacon in half. Wrap one half-strip around a stuffed date, overlapping just enough for the bacon to hold. Avoid wrapping too tightly or with too much overlap — the bacon needs room to crisp up in the oven. Secure the whole thing with a toothpick inserted through the centre.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, warm the honey for 10–15 seconds until it becomes thinner and more pourable. Add the chopped rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Tip: warming the honey makes it coat the bacon more evenly and helps everything caramelize beautifully.
- Place all of the bacon-wrapped dates into a mixing bowl, pour the glaze over top and gently toss with a spoon or your hands until each date is lightly coated.
- Place the coated dates on your baking sheet, making sure they’re spaced out and not touching. Bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the tray and carefully flip each date so they brown on all sides.
- Return to the oven for another 5–10 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. The glaze will bubble and darken slightly. This is what we want!
