I never met a date I didn’t like! Especially when they’re stuffed with even more deliciousness, like these Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates.
These little beauties are the perfect healthy appetizer or snack, and they’re always a crowd pleaser. It’s that sweet/salty flavor combination that people just love, myself included!
These stuffed dates are made with just four simple ingredients: dates, goat cheese, pecans or any of your other favorite nut and just the tiniest drizzle of honey on top of each of them.
I like to use medjool dates for this recipe and most any other recipe I make involving dates. Medjool dates are the bigger, sweeter dates, and I prefer their softer texture over other varieties like deglet noor dates. The deglet noors are smaller, a little less sweet and their texture is much firmer than the medjool. However, medjool dates are slightly more expensive than deglet noors. Deglet noors will also work just fine in this recipe, the bites will just be a little bit smaller.
I definitely consider one or two of these Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates a sweet treat. But the good news is that they’re only sweetened with the natural sugar in the dates, and a tiny bit of honey. There are some nutritional benefits from eating raw honey, in moderation. While refined sugar is 100% empty calories, high quality raw honey is rich in both antioxidants and beneficial enzymes.
Eating my favorite treats in moderation (which includes dates and other natural sweets!) is one way I stay on track and find balance in my weight, and this is one of the main pillars I teach in my signature program, Wellness For Weight Loss. When we restrict foods we love, we end up bingeing on them eventually and that’s definitely not a great way to live the balanced lifestyle.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 12 Medjool dates, pits removed and halved lengthwise
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 24 pecan halves
- Honey to drizzle (I prefer raw honey)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the date halves open side up on a baking sheet. Stuff each date with about a teaspoon of goat cheese. Press a pecan half snugly into the goat cheese in each date.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove dates from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Drizzle each date with a tiny bit of honey.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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