Vegan bacon wrapped dates

5 from 2 votes

These dates are great for a dinner party, since you can do all of the date-filling and bacon-wrapping ahead of time. Just excuse yourself from your guests for a few minutes to give them a quick fry, and you’re good to go.

It's an appetizer that feels fancy but is so easy to make!

Makes 20 dates

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: finger food, party food

Servings: people

Calories: 83kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

20 dates
¼ to ½ cup vegan cream cheese or any spreadable vegan cheese or nut butter
5 ounces seitan bacon
Avocado 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

You can use any kind of dates that you like. However, it's a little easier to wrap small dates like Deglets with bacon. Using smaller dates means the appetizer will be less sweet overall.

The amount of cheese needed for the recipe varies by how much you fill them & the size of date you're using. If you're using Medjool dates, which are bigger, more cheese will be required to fill them.

Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator. They will keep three to four days. Eat cold, at room temperature, or reheat in a non-stick skillet with a little oil.

Nutrition