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These Bacon Wrapped Date and Goat Cheese Pastry Twists are quick and easy. Everyone loves these salty-sweet and savory twists. Flaky puff pastry is twisted together with creamy goat cheese and sweet dates, wrapped in salty bacon, then tossed in a spicy rosemary brown sugar. Bake these twists in the oven until the bacon is crisp and “candied.” There never seems to be enough of these fun holiday twists. They’re addictive, festive, and perfect for holiday entertaining.
Two of my favorite holiday appetizers are goat cheese-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates and my whipped goat cheese with candied bacon and dates. I love the sweet and spicy flavors each offer. And even though dates are not always the most popular, they’re delicious anytime you pair them with salty bacon and creamy goat cheese.
I make the bacon-wrapped dates every Thanksgiving. I usually pair them alongside my turkey cheese board. They’re one of the first appetizers to disappear every Thanksgiving.
I really wanted to take the yummy flavors of the bacon-wrapped dates and create something new. So, I came up with the idea for these bacon twists.
These are so fun and delicious! I took easy-to-use store-bought puff pastry and twisted it with goat cheese, then wrapped each piece up in bacon. The salty flavor of the bacon is mixed with the creaminess of the cheese and sweet dates, too!
The flaky pastry just adds to the deliciousness! Stopping at just one twist is nearly impossible. The salty-sweet and savory flavors make them addicting.
The Details
Ingredients
- organic dark brown sugar
- fresh rosemary
- chipotle powder
- cayenne pepper
- salt and black pepper
- sheets of frozen, thawed puff pastry
- goat cheese
- Medjool dates
- thin slices of bacon
- fresh thyme
Special Tools
This recipe requires a couple of sheet pans and wire cooling racks.
Steps
Step 1: mix the spicy sugar
Organic dark brown sugar has become my secret. Something about the sugar is just better—the flavor, the texture, and it even looks prettier!
Mix the sugar with rosemary, chipotle chile powder, and cayenne. Then add some salt and pepper.
Step two: form the twists
Unwrap the pastry, spread it with goat cheese, and scatter on the chopped dates. Use Medjool dates. They’re juicy and plump, and they’re great for cooking and baking.
Fold the pastry in half, then cut it into thin strips. Give each strip a twist.
Step 3: wrap the bacon
Take the bacon and wrap it around each twist.
Dredge each twist through the brown sugar, then place the twist on a wire rack lined baking sheet.
Step 4: bake
Bake until the bacon starts to caramelize all over. The pastry should be flaky, but watch it closely – it can burn fast.
Step 5: serve
I serve these warm with extra sea salt and some fresh thyme. They’re just perfect.
If you loved my original bacon twists, I’m pretty sure you’ll love these too. They’re a little different, but still SO GOOD. I adore the goat cheese and the dates. They’re so scrumptious together!
Looking for other easy last-minute appetizers? Here are my favorites:
Mini Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie Bites
Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates
Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders
Crispy Prosciutto and Cheese Sliders
Lastly, if you make these Bacon Wrapped Date and Goat Cheese Pastry Twists, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Bacon Wrapped Date and Goat Cheese Pastry Twist
Servings: 24 twists
Calories Per Serving: 71 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
- salt and black pepper
- 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 6 ounces goat cheese at room temperature
- 12 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 24 strips thin cut bacon, halved lengthwise
- fresh thyme, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top. 2. In a shallow bowl, combine the brown sugar, rosemary, chipotle, cayenne, salt, and pepper.3. Place both sheets of pastry on a lightly floured counter. Spread the goat cheese evenly over each sheet. Scatter the dates on top of the cheese. Fold the pastry in half, then cut each into 12 (1/2 inch) wide strips. Pinch the ends to seal, then gently twist each strip. 4. Wrap a piece of bacon around the twisted pastry, using 1-2 pieces of bacon per twist. Repeat with the remaining twists. Dredge the twist through the brown sugar mix, tossing to coat. Place the twists on the prepared baking sheet as you go.5. Bake for 30 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. My bacon took 40 minutes to cook. Start checking the twists at around 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature…though I love them warm!
I made these as a Christmas Eve appetizer and they were a hit. Thank you so much for the great recipe!
Hi Nicole,
Wonderful! I’m so glad this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Merry Christmas!!🎄🎁☃️
So these look great, but why are they in the vegetarian section? You may want to go through your recipe categories, as a lot of your vegan recipes aren’t vegan either.
Thanks Lou! This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon:) I hope this helps! xx
I made these for my annual Christmas Tea Brunch (along with many of your recipes, Tieghan!), and OHHHHHHHH, were these the BOMB! Such wonderful taste sensations all packed into one twist!
I do have a few hacks, however. After I crumbled the goat cheese and chopped dates over the puff pastry, I took a piece of parchment paper sprayed with non-stick spray and placed it over the pastry. I pressed down on the goat cheese and dates, then folded the pastry over in half. I removed the paper, then I took a pizza cutter sprayed with non-stick spray and cut the twists into 1/2 inch strips. After twisting the bacon on, I baked them in the oven on wire racks sprayed with non-stick spray. They turned out just beautiful and soooooooooooooooo delicious! I can’t wait to make them for Christmas breakfast!
Aww, thank you so much, Kim!! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing what worked best for you! Happy Holidays! xxT
These were so very scrumptious! All the ingredients together were just perfection and will make you wanna slap your grandma. Salty, sweet, (slightly) spicy. Mmmmm. If you make these, be aware that they shift and move while cooking. I would not try and fit 12 on the rack at a time. One of mine fell off the rack, missed the pan, draped over the actual oven rack which led to all the juices dripping to the very bottom of the oven creating a smoke show in my house. Oops.
Thank you so much for these tips AJ, I really appreciate it! I’m so sorry about the smoke in your house but so glad it all worked out! xT
Recipe is fantastic! Taste is wonderful!
If you are making these, I implore you to use non-stick spray on the wire racks, though. All of mine were stuck after all of the effort that was made. I scraped them off and was able to salvage them, but next time (and there will be a next time!) I’ll spray the racks!
Hey Ronica,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well! Sorry to hear they stuck to the wire racks, thanks for sharing that tip. Happy Holidays!🎄 xx
Could you substitute anything for the goat cheese and if so what? Thank you for all your recipes!
Hey Courtney,
Sure, blue cheese and feta would both be nice options here. I hope this helps! xT
Question. Can these be made the day before and warmed on the day of service? If so, how would you reheat?
Hi Janet,
I think it would be best to just prep them the day before, so prepare through step 4 and then just bake as directed. I hope this helps! Happy Thanksgiving! xx
Oh YUM! Cannot wait to make these!
Thanks so much, Sarah Jane! I hope you love this recipe! xxT
Again, just the calories in the puff pastry is over 71 per serving. Are you not even doing a sanity check on this???
It’s the holidays, live a little. And be nice 🙂