These stuffed dates are the perfect marriage of sweet and savory. Tangy goat cheese inside a juicy date drizzled with hot honey and finished off with a garnish of mint leave chiffonade. Super simple to make, these dates come together in no time at all! Perfect for your Ramadan iftar party or any other dinner party for that matter!
I just love dates because they are a nutrient rich, single ingredient super food. Be mindful of how much you consume however, it’s hard to stop at just one!
Ingredients & Variations
Dates: Stuffed dates are best when you use big, soft dates like Medjool or other plump variety. I have used honey dates as well and they have worked out just fine.
Goat cheese: So goat cheese is definitely an acquired taste but if it is too tangy for you, you can use cream cheese instead (if you can tolerate dairy) or use plant based cream cheese.
Hot honey: Hot honey is having its moment! It is available in stores but so easy to make at home. As a variation, you can even drizzle plain honey on top and sprinkle the crushed red pepper after. I was just feeling fancy! Plus there are so many uses for the left over hot honey. In salad dressings, on top of roasted veggies etc.
Mint leaves I love the freshness that mint imparts but have seen dill being used with goat cheese as well so you can experiment with that too.
How to make goat cheese stuffed dates
First make sure to have the goat cheese at room temperature. This just makes it easier to work with and doesn’t crumble as you stuff the dates.
Begin by making the hot honey. I used this recipe
Next, make slits in the dates and pit them. You can get pitted dates to cut the prep time but they cost a little more.Take about 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese and fill the date. Lay onto a platter in a single layer and continue filling the rest of the dates. Once all the dates are filled, Drizzle the hot honey and finish off by garnishing with the mint leaves.
Tips for assembling and storage
- Make sure to take the goat cheese out of the fridge and bring to room temperature about 20 minutes before you start assembling these stuffed dates. It tends to crumble less and is easier to work with.
- Enjoy these at room temperature as they tend to be
softer and creamier. - You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days but best to enjoy them straight away.
Other stuffing ideas to try
- Nut butter and chocolate: Fill your date with nut butter of choice and dunk in melted chocolate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes on a parchment lined sheet and enjoy chilled.
- Whole nut: Keep it simple by just stuffing with your nut of choice; cashews, almonds, walnuts and pecans all work really well.
- Cream cheese and crushed pistachios: My aunt stuffs her dates with cream cheese and then garnishes with chopped pistachios. You can garnish with some cardamom powder and rose petals for a South Asian flair.
Here are some more fancy yet healthy recipes to try
If you try this recipe, I’d appreciate it so much if you would rate it! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. If you are on social media, share your pics with me on Instagram by tagging me @eatdrinkpure so I can see and repost it on my stories!
Stuffed Dates
Equipment
- 1 pairing knife
- 1 large plate/platter
Ingredients
- 20 Medjool dates
- 4 ounces goat cheese
for garnish
- hot honey
- mint leaves
Instructions
- Begin by making the hot honey. I used this recipe.See notes for short cut.
- Then make slits in the dates, remove the pit and take about 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese and fill the date. Lay onto a platter and continue filling the rest of the dates.
- Once all the dates are filled, drizzle with the hot honey and finish off by garnishing with the mint leaves.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can cut the prep time by buying the hot honey from the store or simply drizzle plain honey and sprinkle red pepper flakes on top.
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