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Here’s an easy finger food: goat cheese stuffed dates! Quick to make, the sweet and savory combo keeps everyone coming back for more.

Stuffed dates
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Want our new favorite trick for entertaining? Goat cheese stuffed dates! Yes, these beauties are incredibly easy to make, and the flavor of this simple pairing is outrageous. There’s the sweet caramel chewiness of Medjool dates. Pair that with tangy, fluffy goat cheese, and the sweet-savory combo is out of this world. Top them with a dusting of pistachios and a sprinkle of smoked paprika, and wowza! It also works as a quick snack or “side” for a healthy lunch, and involves no cooking at all.

Easy stuffed dates

What you need to make stuffed dates

These stuffed dates are so easy to make, they’re perfect as a finger food for a party or a no-think snack when you’re hangry. Honestly, Alex and I love these so much: and our 3-year-old Larson does too! Our favorite recipes are quick and simple pairings like this one, that taste way greater than the sum of their parts. Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

  • Medjool dates: These dates are very large and have a sweet caramely flavor. They’ve become very popular because they’re used in energy bars like Larabars (here’s our homemade version) and other no-bake treats.
  • Goat cheese: Use your favorite soft goat cheese for this recipe.
  • Pistachios: Pistachios crushed into a dust are used for the topping here
  • Smoked paprika: Spanish smoked paprika or pimentón brings a smoky savoriness: don’t even think about omitting it! You can find it in the spice aisle at your local grocery.
  • Salt & pepper: Flaky sea salt and fresh ground pepper round out the toppings.
Making stuffed dates

Topping stuffed dates: a few tips!

All you have to do for this recipe is pit the dates, then spoon in a little fluffy goat cheese. Here are a couple simple tips to think about as you make these goat cheese stuffed dates:

  • Use room temp goat cheese, or soften it up with your hands. It’s easiest to work with the goat cheese when it’s at room temperature and not cold right out of the refrigerator. If you don’t have time to let it sit on the counter for a few minutes, you can just use your hands to massage it right in the package. This softens it up and makes it easier to get spoonfuls!
  • A little smoked paprika goes a long way! When you add the smoked paprika, a little goes a long way. You can use the tiniest sprinkle, and still taste the delicious smokiness. We did this to simulate the flavor of bacon, which is often used in combination with dates.
Drizzling honey

Alternative to goat cheese stuffed dates: nut butter!

If you eat vegan or plant based, try nut butter instead of goat cheese in these stuffed dates. It’s irresistibly good and tastes a bit like a treat. Even better, top with a sprinkle of sea salt! Here are a few ideas for a plant based option; you can stuff dates with

Enhance the flavor with honey (optional)

If you want to take these stuffed dates to the next level: top with a very tiny drizzle of honey! Now, this is totally optional. When we tried this, Alex didn’t like the honey version as much as I did. So try it and see what fits your personal tastes! To me, it elevated the flavor and enhanced everything, much like salt would to a savory dish.

Again, be careful: you only need the smallest drizzle of honey! Too much and the honey overwhelms the flavor.

Goat cheese stuffed dates recipe

When to serve stuffed dates

There are so many occasions when you could serve these goat cheese stuffed dates! Here are some ideas:

Medjool date recipes

Fun fact: Medjool dates are fresh fruits!

Here’s a fun thing we learned about Medjool dates when making this stuffed dates recipe. Contrary to what you might think, they’re not a dried fruit! Medjool dates are actually fresh fruits. They’re harvested from the date palm tree and then packaged immediately. There’s no processing, so they’re not dried at all!

Where to buy Medjool dates?

Looking for Medjool dates? They’ve become quite popular lately, and you can find them at most mainstream grocery stores in the US. Look in your grocery in the produce aisle (many times next to the bananas), or near the dried fruits. You can also order them online.

How to store Medjool dates? Store them at room temperature for 1 to 2 months, in the refrigerator for up to 6 months, and about 1 year frozen. (Source) You may notice that some dates will develop a white powder on the outside. It’s perfectly normal, not mold! It’s just the natural sugars in the date rising to the skin.

Goat cheese stuffed dates

More recipes with Medjool dates

Outside of these stuffed dates, what else can you make with Medjool dates? So many things! Here are some of our favorites:

This easy stuffed dates recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, use peanut butter or almond butter.

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Easy Stuffed Dates

Stuffed dates
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4.7 from 3 reviews

Here’s an easy finger food: goat cheese stuffed dates! Quick to make, the sweet and savory combo keeps everyone coming back for more.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 24 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Raw
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

Scale
  • 24 Medjool dates
  • 4 ounces soft goat cheese (helpful if it’s come to room temperature*) or nut butter** for vegan
  • 3 tablespoons pistachios
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • Smoked paprika
  • Optional: honey

Instructions

  1. Use a knife to make a lengthwise slit into the dates, then remove the pits. Use a spoon to fill them with goat cheese.
  2. Crush the pistachios with a rolling pin.
  3. Top each with a tiny sprinkle of black pepper, sea salt and the tiniest bit of smoked paprika (just a tiny sprinkle has big flavor). Sprinkle on pistachio dust. If desired, add the tiniest drizzle of honey (again, use a small amount to heighten the flavor; too much and it overwhelms).

Notes

*The goat cheese is easier to work with at room temperature. If you don’t have time to set it out, just use your hands to mash it around in the package a little bit so it becomes softer.

**For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free diets, try any type of nut butter: nut butter, peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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16 Comments

  1. Carolyn hill says:

    How much in advance can I make these?

  2. Forsey says:

    How would crushed walnuts taste with feta?

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Excellent!

  3. BJ Martin says:

    Do you think roasted crushed pumpkin seeds would work in lieu of the pistachios, I am unable to eat any nuts?

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Yes, that should work!

  4. Mia Matusow says:

    Can these be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, or am I better off waiting until the day of my event to put them together?

    1. Sonja Overhiser says:

      Great question! Goat cheese can dry out when refrigerated. We think you’d be safe making them the day before and refrigerating in a sealed container; just make sure to let them come to room temperature before serving (the dates get pretty hard when they’re cold). If you can, it’s nice to make them fresh right before the event. Let us know how it goes!

  5. Carla Ackerson says:

    I plan on making this tonight. It sounds great. Are the pistachios roasted and salted?






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Yes!

  6. Diane Bartholomew says:

    Very popular…so good and so easy!






  7. Suzi says:

    I was assigned an appetizer for a family meal at the last minute. I had to find something I could make with ingredients I already had on hand. Oh my gosh!!!! These are amazing! The only substitute I had to make was to use pecans instead of pistachios since that’s what I had. I already ate 2 of them – I had better get to that party soon or they will all be gone!

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed it!

  8. Amy Sigmon says:

    I made these last night for our cooking club appetizer. So good!

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed!

  9. Brittany says:

    Yes! My mom used to make me dates stuffed with peanut butter for a snack as a child. I loved them and now make them for my son. We sprinkle sesame seeds on top for a bit of fun. It is such a great snack.

    1. Rebecca says:

      Absolutely delicious to have on a festive spread of nibbles