These goat cheese stuffed dates are sweet, tangy, and a little crunchy from pistachios. It’s an elegant appetizer that takes about 20 minutes and is always a winner.
Stuffed Dates At A Glance
- ⏱ Ready In: 15 minutes (25 minutes if warming in the oven)
- 🍽 Serves: 6-8 (makes 18 stuffed dates)
- 🌱 Diet: Vegetarian, gluten-free
- 💪 Nutrition Highlights: Naturally sweetened, good source of fiber from the dates, protein from the cheese
- 🥕 Main Ingredients: Medjool dates, goat cheese, cream cheese, honey, pistachios
- 🔥 Flavour Profile: Sweet, tangy, creamy, with a crunchy pistachio finish and a hit of flaky salt
- 🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly: Assembled dates keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours
- 🍷 Best Served With: A cheese board, before a roast dinner, or alongside drinks at a party. Great with buttery Chardonnay.
Make a batch of these when you’re short on time but want something that looks impressive. Plus, these goat cheese stuffed dates come together in about 20 minutes with barely any cooking involved.
The dates bring natural caramel sweetness, the goat cheese and cream cheese mix goes soft, salty and tangy against that, and the pistachios add the bit of crunch that stops each bite from being one-note. A drizzle of honey and a pinch of flaky salt at the end tie the whole thing together. They’re just as good served cold straight from the fridge as they are slightly warmed, so there’s no bad way to serve them if you’re pressed for time.
👩🍳 You might also like these appetizer recipes:
→ Corn Fritters With Whipped Feta
→ Parmesan Crusted Zucchini
→ Whipped Feta Cheese Dip
→ Cantaloupe, Prosciutto and Burrata Salad
→ 30 Best Fall Appetizers
→ 30 New Year’s Eve Appetizers Ideas
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this goat cheese stuffed dates recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Medjool dates — look specifically for Medjool, not regular dried dates. They’re bigger, softer and more caramel-sweet, and they hold the filling without splitting.
- Goat cheese — brings the tang. Softened at room temperature so it mixes smoothly.
- Cream cheese — mellows out the goat cheese if you don’t want it too sharp. Swap the ratio in favor of goat cheese if you love that tangier flavor.
- Honey — adds sweetness to the filling and doubles as a finishing drizzle.
- Lemon zest — brightens the whole filling so it doesn’t taste flat.
- Black pepper and sea salt — a small amount goes a long way in balancing the sweetness.
- Pistachios — roasted and finely chopped, for crunch and color. Pecans or walnuts work as a swap.
- Fresh thyme and flaky sea salt — for garnish, but don’t skip them — they make the platter look finished.
How To Make Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here’s the quick rundown of how it comes together.
- Slice each date lengthwise and remove the pit, keeping the date otherwise intact.
- Mix the goat cheese, cream cheese, honey, lemon zest and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
- Spoon the filling into each date, slightly overfilling so it’s visible.
- Press chopped pistachios into the exposed filling.
- Arrange on a platter, finish with thyme leaves and a pinch of flaky salt.
- Serve straight away, or chill for up to 24 hours and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Optional: warm through in the oven for a softer, gooier filling.
Recipe Tips
- Use Medjool dates specifically, as regular dried dates are smaller and drier and won’t hold the filling the same way.
- If you’re a big goat cheese fan, shift the ratio toward more goat cheese and less cream cheese. If you prefer it milder, do the opposite.
- Bring these to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving; straight from the fridge, the filling firms up and the dates lose some of their sweetness and softness.
- Hold off on the honey drizzle and flaky salt until just before serving if you’re making these ahead, so they don’t go soggy.
- For a warm version, place the stuffed dates on a baking sheet and warm through in the oven just before serving — the filling goes slightly gooey, which is genuinely lovely.
Serving Suggestions
These are built for a grazing table or cheese board, but they also work well plated as a starter before a bigger meal. The sweet-tangy-salty combination is a nice contrast if the main course is rich or savory. Serve them with other finger food like a whipped feta dip or a simple crostini spread, or let them sit on their own platter with a bit of extra honey on the side for drizzling.
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Ingredients
- 18 Medjool dates about 450 grams
- 4 oz goat cheese, softened 115 grams
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened 85 grams
- 2 teaspoons honey, plus extra for drizzling 10 ml
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped 45 grams
- Fresh thyme leaves for garnish
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Carefully slice each date lengthwise and remove the pit, keeping the date intact.
- In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese, cream cheese, honey, lemon zest and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Fill each date with a small spoonful of the goat cheese mixture, slightly overfilling so the filling is visible.
- Sprinkle or press chopped pistachios into the exposed filling so they stick.
- Arrange the stuffed dates on a serving platter. Finish with fresh thyme leaves and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Serve immediately, or chill for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving for the creamiest texture.
- Optional: place on a baking sheet and warm through in the oven (180°C/350°F) for about 10 minutes for a softer, gooier filling.
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