Whipped Goat Cheese With Bacon & Dates Recipe

I made a Whipped Goat Cheese dip studded with bacon dates, honeyed shallots, candied bacon and crunchy fried rosemary and if you like bold Holiday Appetizers you need to keep scrolling.

I am obsessed with this Whipped Goat Cheese topped with 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped and 6 to 8 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped. I love how the tangy goat cheese plays against that salty crunch and jammy sweet bits.

It looks fancy but it’s honestly stupid simple, and guests always fight over the last scoop. Serve it with toast and watch people get weirdly serious about appetizers.

It’s Bacon Dates in dip form, messier and way more satisfying. I keep coming back to it for every fall spread or Thanksgiving.

It disappears fast, every single time.

Ingredients

• Goat cheese: creamy tang and soft base you’ll spread everywhere.
• Heavy cream or yogurt: loosens texture, makes it silkier and friendlier.
• Fine sea salt: brings out everything, kind of magic in tiny crystals.
• Black pepper: warm bite that keeps the sweetness honest.
• Bacon: smoky crunch and salty protein that makes people happy.
• Medjool dates: chewy, caramel-like sweetness that hugs the tang.
• Shallot: mild sharpness and a fresh onion-y kick.
• Balsamic vinegar: tart-sweet zip that wakes up each bite.
• Honey: sticky mellow sweetness that glues flavors together.
• Butter or olive oil: golden caramel notes when you brown stuff.
• Chopped rosemary: piney herb freshness, tiny green flavor bombs.
• Fried rosemary sprigs: crispy, aromatic garnish you’ll want to eat.
• Olive oil for frying: helps herbs crisp and adds richness.
• Baguette or crackers: crunchy vehicle for all that creamy goodness.
• Flaky sea salt: final crunchy pop you’ll sprinkle at the end.
• Extra black pepper: finishing heat to balance the sweet bits.

Ingredient Quantities

• 8 oz (225 g) plain goat cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream (or plain Greek yogurt), more if needed to loosen
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus extra for finishing
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
• 6 to 8 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil for caramelizing
• 1 to 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus a few sprigs for frying
• 2 Tbsp olive oil for frying rosemary
• 1 baguette, sliced and toasted, or crackers for serving
• Flaky sea salt and extra black pepper for finishing

How to Make this

1. Cook the bacon until very crisp, drain on paper towels and chop roughly; reserve a tablespoon of the bacon fat if you want extra flavor for the topping.

2. Fry the rosemary sprigs: heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a small skillet until shimmering, add sprigs and fry 20 to 30 seconds until they snap and get darker, then transfer to paper towels to crisp and set aside; finely chop 1 to 2 tsp fresh rosemary for the topping.

3. In the same skillet (or a clean one) melt 1 Tbsp butter or warm 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat; add the minced shallot and sauté until soft and just turning golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add the chopped Medjool dates to the shallots, cook 1 to 2 minutes more to warm them, then stir in 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 Tbsp honey; let the mixture bubble and thicken a minute, scraping up any brown bits, then remove from heat.

5. Taste the date mixture and if you used bacon fat earlier you can add a small spoonful for a smoky note. Set the caramelized date and shallot mix aside to cool slightly.

6. In a bowl or food processor, beat 8 oz softened goat cheese with 2 Tbsp heavy cream or plain Greek yogurt, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper until smooth and airy; add extra cream 1 tsp at a time if it needs loosening.

7. Transfer the whipped goat cheese to a shallow serving bowl and smooth the top with a spatula, leaving room for toppings.

8. Spoon the warm date and shallot mixture over the whipped goat cheese, scatter the chopped crisp bacon and the finely chopped fresh rosemary on top.

9. Crumble the fried rosemary over everything for crunch, finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt and a grind or two of black pepper.

10. Serve immediately with toasted baguette slices or crackers; if the cheese firms up too much, let it sit at room temperature 10 minutes or stir in a little more cream to loosen before serving.

Equipment Needed

1. Small frying skillet (for rosemary and shallot)
2. Another skillet or same skillet for bacon and caramelizing dates
3. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife (for bacon, dates, rosemary)
4. Mixing bowl or food processor (to whip the goat cheese)
5. Spatula or rubber scraper (to smooth cheese and scrape pan)
6. Measuring spoons and a tablespoon measure
7. Paper towels (for draining bacon and drying fried rosemary)
8. Serving bowl and a spoon plus toasted baguette or crackers for serving

FAQ

Whipped Goat Cheese With Bacon & Dates Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Goat cheese: swap for cream cheese mixed with a little crumbled feta for tang, or use ricotta strained well for a milder, lighter whipped spread.
• Bacon: use thin prosciutto or pancetta crisped in a pan, or for a vegetarian option try smoked, pan-fried mushrooms for a meaty, smoky bite.
• Medjool dates: swap with quartered dried figs or soft dried apricots, both give the same chewy sweetness and pair great with salty bacon.
• Fresh rosemary (for frying): substitute fresh sage or thyme leaves fried in oil for a different but equally fragrant crunchy garnish.

Pro Tips

1) Warm the goat cheese a bit before whipping. If it’s straight from the fridge it’ll be stubborn and lumpy. Let it sit 20 minutes or microwave in 5 second bursts until just soft, then beat with the cream. Don’t go overboard or it gets too loose; add cream teaspoon by teaspoon.

2) Make the bacon and dates ahead but keep them separate until just before serving. Bacon stays crisp longer on a rack, not paper towel. If the date mixture is hotter than the cheese it can make the cheese oily, so cool it a few minutes. If you like a smokier bite, stir in a teaspoon of reserved bacon fat to the date mix, not the cheese.

3) Fry the rosemary for texture but watch it like a hawk. It goes from golden to burnt in seconds. Use a small shallow pan with just enough oil to shimmer, fry 20 to 30 seconds, then lift onto paper towel immediately. Crumbling it with your fingers right before serving keeps it crunchy.

4) Balance salt and sweetness carefully. Medjool dates are very sweet, so taste the shallot-date mixture after adding honey and balsamic before you salt. Finish everything with flaky sea salt at the end so you get neat bursts of saltiness instead of an overall flat flavor. If the cheese firms up while you wait to serve, stir in a teaspoon of cream at a time, or leave it at room temp for 10 minutes.