Vegan bacon wrapped dates are an ideal appetizer for a dinner party. Filled with vegan cheese or nut butter & wrapped in seitan bacon, it’s a starter that feels fancy but is so quick and easy to make.
Serve them for romantic holidays like Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, or any special evening with friends.
If you love when smoky and sweet come together, you’re going to be a huge fan of vegan bacon wrapped dates.
While non-vegan stuffed dates usually involve animal-based bacon & non-dairy cheese, it’s super easy to veganize this standard with a couple simple swaps.
Seitan bacon is great for wrapping foods, because of its pliability.
And any spreadable vegan cheese or nut butter will work for the filling. (I give loads of options below!)
Then it’s just a matter of filling, wrapping, and frying.
It’s an appetizer that’s sure to impress. No need to let them know they were super simple to make!
This recipe uses just four ingredients:
- Dates
- Vegan cream cheese (or any spreadable non-dairy cheese or nut butter)
- Seitan bacon
- Oil for frying
What does a date taste like?
Dates have an almost caramel-like sweetness and texture. They have a gentle give, pull, and chew when you bite into them. Some call it nature’s candy!
They somewhat resemble a large raisin in appearance with its dry, wrinkly exterior. But once you pull them open, dates have more moisture and stickiness inside.
Where to find dates
Look for dates in the produce section of the grocery store. You can find them at Trader Joe’s and most natural grocery stores, as well as Indian & Middle Eastern markets.
If you can’t find them in the refrigerated area, look for them near the other dried fruits.
You can use either pitted or unpitted dates.
If you buy dates with pits, you’ll need to remove the pits first. (Directions & pictures showing how to do that below.)
For this recipe, if you prefer a higher ratio of salty to sweet, use a smaller date like Deglets. If you like a sweeter, more caramel focused appetizer, go with Medjool dates, which are larger.
Deglets also tend to be less expensive than Medjool.
Spreadable vegan cheese
For these vegan wrapped dates, use any spreadable vegan cheese that you enjoy – store-bought or homemade.
- Vegan cream cheese
- Homemade vegan feta cheese – soft from the blender or baked
- Homemade tofu ricotta (Blend until creamy in the food processor)
- Miyoko’s Cheers to Cheddar
You can even cut a block of non-dairy cheese into small, skinny rectangles. Then stuff it inside of the empty date cavity. Cheddar-style is especially nice.
Another option instead of vegan cheese is nut butter. Almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or pistachio butter are all delicious here.
Nut butter adds a delicious salty, nutty element that is super addictive.
Or you can use a whole Marcona almond inside the date for crunch.
Seitan bacon
Seitan bacon is my favorite vegan bacon option. It’s full of protein & made of wheat. It’s also nice & pliable for wrapping dates.
Seitan is a fully cooked product right out of the package. So you don’t have to worry about cooking it a long time like you would animal-based bacon. Just browning it is enough for texture & heat.
There are loads of seitan bacon brands on the market. My two favorites are Herbivorous Butcher & Upton’s Naturals.
Seitan bacon varies in size. So get out your kitchen shears for this recipe. You’ll want to cut the bacon into long, thin strips for easy wrapping.
Upton’s Naturals has shorter, smaller bacon. So plan on cutting that in half length-wise down the middle.
Herbivorous Butcher has large pieces of bacon that can accommodate anywhere from 2 to 4 dates, depending on the strip of bacon. You can cut it in half lengthwise & possibly in quarters.
Step by step instructions
Use a kitchen knife to slice into a date down the center length-wise. Be careful not to cut all the way through it.
Use your fingers to spread it open, and remove the hard pit inside with your fingers.
(If you’re using pitted dates, you won’t need to remove it, of course.)
Use a butter knife to spread vegan cheese (or nut butter) generously into the empty date cavity.
Use kitchen shears to cut seitan bacon into long skinny strips.
Wrap a strip of seitan bacon around each stuffed date, and secure with a toothpick. Continue until all of the dates are wrapped.
Fill a skillet with a shallow layer of organic canola oil (or other high heat oil). Bring to a medium high heat.
Fry the wrapped dates until they are browned on one side. Carefully flip using the toothpicks and/or a spatula. Continue frying until they’re fully browned on all sides.
Move the browned dates to a paper towel lined plate to remove any excess oil. Then serve while hot.
Can they be made ahead of time?
Yes!
Vegan bacon wrapped dates are great for making ahead of a party or get together.
Remove the pits (if necessary), stuff with vegan cheese, wrap with seitan bacon, and secure with a toothpick.
Once you’ve stuffed & wrapped all of them, pop them into a covered container in the refrigerator, so that they don’t get dried out. They will keep for about three days that way.
Once your guests have arrived, put a shallow amount of oil in a skillet, bring to a medium high heat, and fry your stuffed dates.
How to store leftovers
Keep any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. They will keep for about three days. Enjoy them cold or at room temperature.
Or you can gently re-fry them in a little oil in a skillet to reheat.
The original fry should have sealed the bacon together. So you likely won’t need to add toothpicks again.
Vegan bacon wrapped dates
Ingredients
- 20 dates
- ¼ to ½ cup vegan cream cheese or any spreadable vegan cheese or nut butter
- 5 ounces seitan bacon
- Organic canola oil or your preferred high heat oil, for frying
Instructions
- Slice each date down the center lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way through it. If the dates still have their pits and/or hard stems, remove them using your fingers.
- Using a butter knife or spoon, put a generous amount of spreadable vegan cheese or nut butter into each date.
- Use kitchen shears or a serrated knife to cut seitan bacon into long thin strips. You'll need 20 long strips in total.(If you're using Upton's Naturals seitan bacon, you can cut each strip in half lengthwise. If using a larger bacon like Herbivorous Butcher, you may be able to cut each strip into quarters, depending on the specific slice & the size of your dates.)
- Roll each date with a skinny strip of bacon. Then secure it with a toothpick through the center.Continue until all of the dates are wrapped.
- Heat oil in a non-stick skillet to a medium heat with enough to fully cover the bottom, about ¼ inch. When the oil is hot enough to easily bubble around the dates when added to the skillet, shallow fry them for a total of 3-5 minutes. (If necessary, fry in batches so that the pan isn't overcrowded.) Use the toothpicks and/or a spatula to carefully turn the dates as they brown, until they are fully browned all over.
- Once they are evenly browned, put the dates on a towel-covered plate to drain. Remove the toothpicks from the dates if desired.
- Move the dates to a serving platter, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Content, recipe, and photos updated February 17, 2022. Originally posted September 11, 2013.
Annie
Salty, sweet AND cheezy? Even I might feel compelled to belt out a few songs!
Cadry
I know! It hits all of the pleasure sensors. I can’t wait to hear your song stylings! 😉
gigiveganville
what do you call a nostalgic bowling alley? Memory Lanes. Bahahah. Contrary to what most people think I have never sung karaoke but I used to go to a karaoke place and watch thespians get drunk while I ate all their check mix. Your Upton bacon wrapped dates would have been a better choice for sure.
Cadry
Ha! I love wonderfully bad puns. I’m so surprised that you’ve never sung karaoke! It’s definitely worth doing once. You should give it a shot sometime! Don’t worry. I won’t make you eat any Chex Mix first. 🙂
Anna
Mmm, I love sweet and savory together. Those look scrumptious!
Cadry
Yes, the combination of sweet, salty, chewy, and creamy really ticks all of the boxes! Thanks, Anna!
Susmitha - Veganosaurus
Wheee! I love karaoke! So much fun! 🙂 We don’t have many places where we can do that here but when I first moved to NY, I made my cousins take me to so many Karaoke Nights. Really got my full of drunk singing. Haha
I’ve been really really enjoying reading all your stories, Cadry. 🙂
Cadry
What are your favorite songs to karaoke? It’s always fun to know the songs people return to when it’s their turn to sing.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the stories! Thanks, Susmitha!
Kylie - FotV
I can’t fry my guests??? 😉
I love karaoke too, but will only do private room because I would not want to subject the general public to my horrible, horrible singing voice!
Cadry
Yeah, I’m sorry I had to put the kibosh on people frying their guests. Not vegan. 😉
We used to get a private room for birthdays and whatnot at some karaoke places in Korea Town. As much fun as that is, I think watching strangers sing is one of the most fun parts of karaoke. You learn so much about a person when they’re up onstage belting out their favorite tunes. I’m sure your voice is lovely!
Ashley F.
Wow – those look amazing! Will definitely have to make these for some of our football parties!
Cadry
Thanks, Ashley! They would be great for a football party. It makes me want to have a gathering of some sort just to have an excuse to serve them!
veganmiam.com
Wow, that sound so yummy!
Cadry
Let’s just say I had no problem finishing them! 🙂
Jackie at Vegan Yack Attack
Haha I love that story! Karaoke and bowling are some of my favorite things to do. Aside from eating, of course. And these dates.. Lady, these dates look SO good. I would probably eat a whole recipe to myself. Oopsies.
Cadry
David was disappointed that the second time I made them he wasn’t home to have any. Curious that… 😉
Hannah
Oh dear lord. You’re on your way over with a plate of these right now, aren’t you? AREN’T YOU?!
Cadry
I’d better find my passport!
angieeatspeace
Standing ovation for this recipe!
Cadry
Yay! Thanks a bunch!
Johanna GGG
Amazing recipe – wonder if it would work with tofu bacon – I’ve never found a packaged veg bacon but tofu does it for me. Wish I had restaurants like that around me – actually I probably do – wish I could get out to restaurants of an evening – though I would skip the karaoke – but love hearing your memories
Cadry
Would you believe I’ve never made tofu bacon? I’ve been eyeing a tofu bacon recipe over at Cookbook Aficionado for the longest time, but somehow I still haven’t made it happen. If you try it with tofu bacon, let me know!
Admittedly, I would probably skip the karaoke these days as well! I think it’s been at least three years since I’ve sung a song at a karaoke bar!
Joey
Karaoke fills me with fear! it’s like standing up and asking people to laugh at you (or is that just my experience?!) I can get behind the dates though!
Cadry
We’ll just stick with the dates then! 🙂
Maggie Muggins
I’m not sure I would go along with the karaoke but bowling I can get down with. A friend always serves a very non-vegan version of these at parties, I’ve always wondered what the sweet and salty flavours would be like together, now I can find out!
Cadry
It has all kinds of sweet/salty, crisp/chewy/creamy action going on. Let me know if you try them!
Bobbie {the vegan crew}
These look and sound delightful, with a great balance of flavors and textures. And ever since we tried Upton’s seitan bacon this summer, I’ve been looking for more ways to use it. I can’t wait to make these the next time we entertain!
Cadry
Isn’t it terrific? David emailed our local grocery store, and they agreed to carry it. Otherwise, we were picking it up whenever we were near a Whole Foods and stocking up. (The closest one is two hours away!)
Let me know if you make them for a gathering! So far I’ve only gotten to share them with David, but I’m looking forward to serving them at our next party.