Stuffed Dates with Goat Cheese, Nuts, Honey and Thyme (Vegetarian)
Enjoy these delicious vegetarian stuffed dates with creamy goat cheese, crunchy nuts, a sweet drizzle of honey, and savory pop of thyme - the best easy appetizer!
Ingredients
- Dates - large Medjool dates preferred-
- Goat cheese - soft and spreadable, not a firm block. (I used about one 11-ounce log of goat cheese to stuff about 40 dates)
- Nuts of choice - such as walnut or pecans (halves or pieces), slivered almonds or pistachios
- Honey for drizzling
- Fresh thyme
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to carefully slice down one side of the dates, gently pry them open and remove the pits. Also remove the firm nubby stem if present.
- Next, use a spoon or butter knife to press a dollop of goat cheese into the center of each date. *See note below about softening the cheese in advance.
- Add nuts to each stuffed date (e.g. a half a pecan, or pinch of walnut pieces). Lightly press the nuts into the goat cheese to stick.
- Spread the stuffed dates out on a plate or serving platter.
- Add a light drizzle of honey over the stuffed dates. **See tip below about warming honey.
- Finally, sprinkle fresh thyme leaves over everything (washed and stems removed.)
- ***See tips on making stuffed dates ahead of time below.
- Enjoy!
Notes
*It’s easiest to stuff the dates with goat cheese when it’s slightly softened. So, take the goat cheese out of the refrigerator an hour or two before you plan to make stuffed dates.
**If your honey is cool and firm, set the jar of honey in a bowl of hot water. This will warm it up and make it easier to drizzle. Avoid directly heating honey directly (don’t microwave it) as heat will kill the beneficial properties of honey.
***If you want to make these ahead of time, I recommend the following: pit and stuff the dates with goat cheese in advance, and then store them in the refrigerator, then lightly warm them in the oven before serving to improve the texture and flavor. Heat the cold stuffed dates for only 5 to 8 minutes on 350°F – just enough to take the chill off, but NOT melt the cheese! Wait to add honey and thyme until the time of serving. It's okay to add nuts early if they'll be in the fridge for only a few hours, but wait to add the nuts if you're making them a day in advance (so they don't get soft).
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