this post may contain affiliate links
Whipped goat cheese with candied bacon and dates is one of the best appetizers I’ve ever eaten. It’s a creamy base of whipped goat cheese, cream cheese, slightly sweetened with honey. You also caramelize bacon and dates and put that on the cheese and top it all with a sweet and spicy honey. It’s a symphony of flavors and textures. You have sour whipped cheese, sweet honey, savory herbs, heat from the cayenne and those sticky pieces of salty candied bacon and dates.
If you’re looking to impress guests, this is definitely the appetizer to do it with. You can serve it with toasted baguette (highly recommend), crackers, slices of firm granny smith apples or pears. I got this recipe from Half Baked Harvest but felt it needed some tweaking to meet its full potential. Cooking on the stovetop rather than the oven makes the process much easier. I doubled the toppings other than the dates. I also took the liberty to add honey to the cheese as it needed a little sweet to curb the sour. It was a perfect addition. You can make this any time of year, but it especially tastes great over the holidays.
While you’re here check out more appetizers here!
Tips for the Best Whipped Goad Cheese with Candied Bacon and Dates
- Use a good food processor to whip the cheeses while they’re still cold.
- Make the whipped goat cheese last.
Whipped Goat Cheese with Candied Bacon and Dates
Ingredients
Toppings
- 12 slices bacon chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 12 pitted dates small ones quartered, large ones cut into sixths
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 2 good drizzles of honey
Honey
- 1/3 C honey
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Whipped Cheese
- 10-11 oz soft goat cheese cold
- 4 oz cream cheese cold
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat a pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until 90% done. Drain the fat.
- Add the dates, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary, cooked bacon and good drizzle of honey in the pan. Cook until the bacon is crisp, the dates are softened and everything is coated and begins to "candy." This takes about 4-5 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside.
- To a bowl mix 1/3 C honey, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1/4 tsp kosher salt.
- To a food processor add cold goat cheese, cold cream cheese, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Process until everything is smooth and creamy. Spread evenly in an 8x8 or 9x9 dish.
- Drizzle half the honey mixture over the whipped cheese mixture then top with all the candied bacon and dates.
- Drizzle the second half of the honey mixture over the candied bacon and dates.
- Serve with warm baguette and crackers.