These cream cheese stuffed dates are the perfect fancy-looking appetizer to make and feature on a charcuterie board or as an appetizer when you're hosting a crowd.
They take under 10 minutes to make, taste super delicious and gluten-free too.
I have a bit of an obsession with dates, and I've tried to use these sweet, sticky fruits in every way possible. Try my homemade date sugar, date syrup and date puree recipes if you want to use it as a natural sweetener.
But of course, why stop there? You can also use dates to make appetizer to serve at your parties and get-togethers. Try these easy stuffed dates or my simple candied dates recipe.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
The fact that they're SO easy to make! I'm always down for recipes that need minimal cooking and kitchen time and effort, and this one's hands-down one of my absolute favorites.
Plus, it's customizable too. There are a lot of different mix-in and toppings you can experiment with to make your own version of the stuffed dates.
Recipe Ingredients
Dates: Use any good quality dates you can find. Medjool dates are a great choice, and I love using them for their natural sweetness. Avoid using date varieties that are more on the dry side and stick to ones that are softer.
Cream cheese: Soft, creamy and tangy- it has the perfect flavor to complement the sweetness of the dates.
Smoked almonds: I roughly chopped up some smoked almonds I had at hand and used them here for that crunch and a bit of extra flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
These smoked almonds pack in a delicious flavor punch and crunch, and are an excellent healthy snack to have in your pantry.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don't have cream cheese, use goat cheese. It has a similar texture and flavor profile which works perfectly for this recipe.
- Try using other fillings instead of cheese. I love using my leftover pistachio pastry cream to fill up the dates and I top them with some roughly chopped pistachios.
- You can also top the cheese stuffed dates with a drizzle of pecan praline sauce to enjoy a different flavor.
How to Make Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates
Step 1: Slice the dates lengthwise to remove the seed. If you're using pitted dates, you can skip this step.
Step 2: Fill the center of the dates with cream cheese and top them with some roughly chopped smoked almonds.
💭Top Tip
Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before you use it to stuff the dates. This will make it easier for you to handle the texture.
How to Store the Leftover Stuffed Dates
If you have some leftover dates, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can enjoy them cold, or allow them to come to room temperature first before you have them.
This kitchen & pantry organizers and storage set comes with 24 containers, they are inlaid together, so at first glance you may think there is only the same size, but when you take it apart, you will find FOUR different sizes(Include 6Pcs 0.8L+6Pcs 1.4L+6Pcs 2L+6Pcs 2.8L ). Plus, White pen +40Pcs Blackboard labels are placed in containers. Perfect for storing flour, sugar, spaghetti, rice, nuts, cereal, snacks, pasta, and more
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- If the dates you have at hand are too hard, microwave them for 10-15 seconds to soften them up a bit.
- You can also try topping the dates with other nuts of your choices. Chopped walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and pecans are great.
- To take these stuffed dates to the next level, you can also drizzle a bit of hot honey or sprinkle some flaky sea salt over them right before you serve. I love the idea of using my jalapeno honey, habanero hot honey or spiced orange honey here to bring a bit of heat to the appetizer.
- If you like to keep things simple, you can drizzle a spoonful or two of melted chocolate over the dates and let it harden before you serve them.
- You can also top the dates with grated lemon or orange peel or some candied citrus peel if you want to bring some fresh flavor.
How to Serve Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates
Serve these cream cheese stuffed dates as an appetizer at your next get-together or house party. I love featuring it on a charcuterie board along with some crackers, grapes and other condiments and appetizers.
Try my peach jalapeno jam which tastes great when paired with some crackers or cured meats and of course some pickled cherries and pickled rhubarb to balance the flavors and textures.
Recipe FAQs
You can! Use any plant based cream cheese of your choice for the filling and you're sorted.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these cream cheese stuffed dates or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Cream Cheese Stuffed Dates
Ingredients
- 8 dates
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon almonds chopped
Instructions
- Slice the dates lengthwise to remove the seed. If you're using pitted dates, you can skip this step.
- Fill the center of the dates with cream cheese and top them with some roughly chopped smoked almonds.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before you use it to stuff the dates. This will make it easier for you to handle the texture.
- If the dates you have at hand are too hard, microwave them for 10-15 seconds to soften them up a bit.
- You can also try topping the dates with other nuts of your choices. Chopped walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and pecans are great.
- To take these stuffed dates to the next level, you can also drizzle a bit of hot honey or sprinkle some flaky sea salt over them right before you serve. I love the idea of using my jalapeno honey or spiced orange honey here to bring a bit of heat to the appetizer.
- If you like to keep things simple, you can drizzle a spoonful or two of melted chocolate over the dates and let it harden before you serve them.
- You can also top the dates with grated lemon or orange peel or some candied citrus peel if you want to bring some fresh flavor.
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