1-Step One: Preheat and Prepare Start by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper this makes cleanup a breeze and prevents sticking. If you don’t have parchment paper, a light coating of cooking spray on foil works too. The parchment really helps with removal after baking, so I highly recommend it.

2-Step Two: Prep the Dates Take each Medjool date and slice it lengthwise with a sharp paring knife. You want to cut just deep enough to open it up and remove the pit, keeping the date intact on one side. Think of it like opening a tiny book. Remove the pit and discard it (or save for gardening date pits can actually be planted!). Work with one date at a time to keep track of which ones are pitted it’s surprisingly easy to miss one!

3-Step Three: Stuff with Cheese Now comes the fun part! Take about 1 teaspoon of your chosen cheese blue cheese, goat cheese, or feta and gently press it into the cavity of each date. Don’t overstuff or the cheese will ooze out during baking. You want just enough to fill the space without bulging. A light touch works best here. If you’re using blue cheese, the natural crumbles make this step super easy. For goat cheese, you may need to slightly soften it at room temperature for easier handling. Feta works beautifully crumbled, but you can also cut small cubes if you prefer a more uniform look.

4-Step Four: Partially Pre-Cook the Bacon This step is crucial for perfect bacon wrapped dates! Lay your bacon slices on a separate parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. You’re not cooking it fully just rendering some fat and getting it started. The bacon should shrink slightly and turn lightly golden but still remain pliable. Why pre-cook? If you skip this, the dates will over-bake before the bacon crisps, and you’ll end up with either raw bacon or mushy dates. Trust me, this extra 10 minutes makes all the difference in the world. Once partially cooked, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain excess grease. Let it cool for about 2 minutes just enough so you can handle it without burning your fingers.

5-Step Five: Wrap the Dates Take one partially-cooked bacon slice and cut it in half crosswise. Each half will wrap one stuffed date. Wrap the bacon snugly around the middle of each date, overlapping slightly. The bacon should adhere to itself, but if you’re concerned, secure with a toothpick. Place each wrapped date seam-side down on your prepared baking sheet. Leave a little space between each one for air circulation overcrowding leads to uneven cooking. You should end up with 20 beautifully wrapped dates ready for the oven.

6-Step Six: Final Bake Slide the baking sheet into your 375°F oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. Halfway through cooking (at the 8-10 minute mark), flip each date using tongs for even browning on all sides. Watch them closely during the last few minutes bacon can go from perfectly crispy to burnt quickly! You’re looking for bacon that’s crispy and golden brown all over. The dates will soften and caramelize slightly, and the cheese inside will become warm and gooey. Your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible.

7-Step Seven: Season and Serve Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and flaky sea salt while they’re still hot. The seasoning adheres better to the warm bacon. Let them cool for about 5 minutes they’ll be extremely hot inside! Remove toothpicks if you used them, and transfer to a serving platter. These bacon wrapped dates taste amazing warm, but they’re also delicious at room temperature, making them perfect for parties.