Name: Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Dates
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 oz cream cheese, softened; 1 tbsp thinly sliced chives, plus more for garnish; 1/4 tsp paprika; 20 medjool dates, pitted; 10 slices bacon (not thick-cut), halved crosswise; 2 jalapeños, cut into 20 (1/4-inch thick) slices; 2 tbsp honey, optional

Description

These Air-Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Dates are a sweet and savory appetizer for your next party. The dates are stuffed with a cream cheese spread, wrapped in bacon, topped with sliced jalapeno, and drizzled with honey. This sweet and salty appetizer is a quick recipe that cooks perfectly in under 15 minutes and is a crowd-pleaser for your next party, brunch, or holiday dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp thinly sliced chives, plus more for garnish
1/4 tsp paprika
20 medjool dates, pitted
10 slices bacon (not thick-cut), halved crosswise
2 jalapeños, cut into 20 (1/4-inch thick) slices
2 tbsp honey, optional

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Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese, chives, and paprika. Set it aside.
Cut lengthwise down the side of each date, cutting just far enough so the date can be opened up like a book but not through the other side. Stuff each date with about 1 teaspoon of the cheese filling and fold the date closed.
Wrap each date with a halved bacon piece, top with a jalapeño slice, and secure with a toothpick. Place on a dish and continue this process until all 20 dates are filled and wrapped.
Preheat the air fryer to 390°F, for 3 minutes. Place the wrapped dates in the air fryer basket so they are not touching each other. Set the timer for 10 minutes. When time is up, open the air fryer drawer and give the basket a good shake, or use tongs to flip the dates over. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, or until bacon is crisp.
Drain on a paper towel and immediately drizzle the hot dates with the honey. Transfer dates to a serving platter and serve hot. Enjoy!

Notes

The dates can be assembled one day before serving and baked off. For less spice, you could use pickled jalapeño slices instead of fresh.
Don’t overfill as the cheese will melt and leak out while the dates are baking.
Wrap each date so that there is just a small amount of overlap and secure it with a toothpick. To prevent the bacon from coming off the date, insert the toothpick in the meaty part of the bacon and not the fat. If the bacon slice has too much of an overlap, part of it will not cook evenly.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes