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Whipped Goat Cheese with Warm Candied Bacon and Dates, the no-fuss holiday appetizer that’s addictive, festive, and perfect for entertaining! It’s quick, easy, and everyone loves this creamy goat cheese dip with spicy-sweet candied bacon and dates. We’ve got bacon tossed with a little sugar and spice, then baked up with dates until it’s candied and completely delicious. There never seems to be enough of this easy dip…addictive, festive, and perfect for holiday entertaining!
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It’s officially appetizer season! I’ve said this before, but my appetizer recipes are lacking compared to dinners and sweet treats. I have no idea why, but I just don’t share enough appetizers…except for when the holidays roll around. In which case I love a good appetizer recipe.
For the last few weeks I’ve been really scratching my brain thinking up holiday recipes. I want this year’s recipes to really be some of the best! So I looked back at some old favorites. The ones our moms and grandmas would make. I asked myself, how can I reinvent these a bit. Make them even more delicious? Possibly easier?
Some recipes were kind of a lost cause, but there were others that gave me so much inspiration.
Bacon wrapped dates are one of those vintage-style recipes that many people love to serve at holiday parties. It’s funny because in general, dates are not the most popular food, but when you wrap them up in bacon?
Everyone loves them.
I wanted to reinvent the classic appetizer and turn it into an easy-to-make dip. I had to rework this one a bit, but I’m so in love with the recipe. It’s delicious.
The bacon
Start with the bacon, I love a spicy-sweet candied bacon so I knew I needed to incorporate that here. The bacon gets tossed with fresh rosemary, a small amount of brown sugar, honey…and then a good pinch of cayenne. It’s spicy, sweet, and with hints of rosemary, so delicious.
Toss that all up on a baking sheet, add some plump torn dates, and bake everything together until the bacon caramelizes.
The goat cheese
While the bacon is cooking, mix up the goat cheese. Add the goat cheese to a food processor with cream cheese, olive oil, and salt. Then whip everything together until the cheese is light and creamy, it’s easy.
Then mix up some honey with rosemary and cayenne for serving.
Serve it up
Spoon the creamy goat cheese into a nice shallow bowl, then spoon the warm bacon and dates over the cheese. Drizzle with the sweet and spicy honey, then enjoy and serve to guests with toasted bread for dipping.
Honestly, it’s pretty close to being the perfect holiday appetizer. And the rosemary keeps them flavorful and festive too with that pop of green. It gets you right in the holiday mood.
Just as great for Thanksgiving as it will be for all upcoming holiday gatherings. I know I’ll be making this over and over throughout the holiday season. We already love whipped goat cheese…this is just BETTER!
Looking for other easy holiday appetizers?? Here are my favorites:
Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates
Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders
Lastly, if you make this Whipped Goat Cheese with Warm Candied Bacon and Dates, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Whipped Goat Cheese with Warm Candied Bacon and Dates
Ingredients
- 6-8 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, using more or less to taste
- 12 plump Medjool dates, pitted and torn
- 1 log (10 ounce) creamy goat cheese, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. On the baking sheet, toss together the bacon, 1 tablespoon rosemary, the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon honey, and the cayenne. Arrange in an even layer. Tear the dates and scatter them around the bacon. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the bacon is crisping.3. Meanwhile, combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. The goat cheese mix can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, but bring to room temp before serving. 4. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup honey, 1 tablespoon rosemary, a pinch of cayenne – to taste, and a pinch of salt. 5. Spoon the goat cheese into a serving bowl and then top with the warm bacon and dates. Drizzle over a little the rosemary honey. Serve with bread or crackers.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
When making the recipe ahead of time, on the day of serving, how would you heat up the bacon/dates: in the oven? Microwave?
The oven! xTieghan
Thank you for these delicious recipes. I look forward to trying them out.
Bon apitie,
Swan
Thanks so much, I hope you love these recipes! xTieghan
Don’t like goat cheese. What can I substitute with?
Feta or Ricotta! 🙂 xTieghan
This one’s a keeper! Everyone licked it up and my main course was really blah compared to this. 🙂 Initially I thought it was too much honey so I kept some on the side but the rosemary honey complemented the goat cheese perfectly and we ended up using it all. Will definitely make this again during the Christmas season!
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Does this use dried dates or fresh? Thanks. Going to make it for dinner party this weekend.
Hi there! This uses dried dates 🙂 xTieghan
OmGoodness! The first person at the GNO book club party who tasted it immediately yelled, “Ladies! Get over here and taste this now!”
Need I say more?
Hey Anne! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Monday ? xTieghan
I am going to do this for Christmas eve and add some candies cranberries for a burst of color. Looks fab.
Oh yum that would be delicious! 🙂 xTieghan
I love the sound of this recipe, but really don’t care for Rosemary. Is there another herb that can be subsituted?
We don’t care for Rosemary either and I’ve been struggling to find a substitute. Would love suggestions. TI!
I used thyme to avoid a rosemary allergy in my house and it was really good! I personally don’t love rosemary to begin with so if I ever need to swap it out, thyme almost always works. 🙂
Hey Kris! You could use basil or oregano if you’d like! Or really your favorite herb! 🙂 xTieghan
I have an allergy to bees so I can’t eat dates. Do you have a substitute?
Dried figs, berries, cherries, really whatever dried fruit you prefer! 🙂 xTieghan
Am I the only one who no longer sees Pinterest links for HBH recipes? I used to pin so many. I’d rather keep all recipes on my Pinterest boards rather than keep a separate file of HBH ones in a Recipe Box on this site.
Jules – same here! I can no longer see Pinterest links and also prefer keeping all my recipes in one place….
When browsing for the perfect recipe I often do not think of/remember all the different places I have recipes saved…
I wonder why they removed them? It’s so strange — plus I’ve had other people copy my pins, so surely it’s in the site’s best interest to reach people who might not be familiar with the blog. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi Jules! If you hover over any of the photos in the recipes, a little Pinterest logo should pop up in the left hand corner and you should be able to pin it directly to your board! Hope this helps 🙂 xTieghan
Looks delicious! We don’t eat pork – any recommended substitutes for the bacon?
Thanks Tiegen!
Sorry I spelled your name wrong – I blame autocorrect! I meant Tieghan. 🙂
Oh no worries at all! Haha thanks! xTieghan
Read on for my top choices for bacon substitutes you can really sink your teeth into.
Prosciutto. Pederson’s Natural Farms. …
Turkey bacon (and duck) : BWFolsom
Capicola.VitalyEdush /
Salmon bacon. …
Carrot ‘bacon’ …
Tempeh strips. …
Mushroom ‘bacon’
Hey Aly! Thanks so much! I would suggest maybe included some yummy spiced/candied nuts to give it the same crunch as bacon 🙂 xTieghan
Is there anyway to do this without the cream cheese? Cow’s milk is a no-go for me, and I really want to try this recipe!
Brands that offer vegetarian, rennet-free cheese.
Organic Valley.
Applegate.
Horizon.
Amy’s.
Laughing Cow.
365 Whole Foods.
Trader Joe’s.
Cabot.
Thanks so much Tacy, this is so helpful to everyone! 🙂 xTieghan
Hey Sandy! I would say the cream cheese is pretty crucial to the dish, so I would try to find a dairy free cream cheese if possible! 🙂 xTieghan
Yum Tieghan, this is a good one! I’ll definitely give it a try this holiday season.
Hey there! Hope you love this recipe! 🙂 xxTieghan
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I love goat cheese but my family, not so much. Could I substitute feta for the goat cheese in this recipe?
try her Honey Whipped Feta with Garlic Herb Roasted Olives recipe! its a crowd pleaser
Hi there! Yes, you could substitute feta or ricotta 🙂 xxTieghan
Oooh similar to the whipped feta dip which was a hit! I will be making this.. yum.
Hey Megan! Hope you love this 🙂 xxTieghan