Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Dates
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Slightly sweet, salty, and so tasty, prosciutto wrapped dates are easy holiday appetizers, perfect for Christmas or New Year’s Eve. You can make this stuffed dates recipe in 20 minutes, with just four ingredients!
I promise, these prosciutto wrapped dates will be the hit of your party!
The sweet dates are filled with savory blue cheese and crunchy walnuts, then wrapped with salty prosciutto. You’ll bake the stuffed dates in the oven until the cheese is melty and the prosciutto is slightly crisp. They’re the best little bites of deliciousness ever, and so simple to make.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are some mom-tested cooking tips for making the prosciutto wrapped dates! I’ve made this recipe countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- To save time, you can assemble and refrigerate the stuffed dates up to 2 days before you want to bake and serve them.
- The appetizers taste best when they’re warm, but they do taste good unbaked as well.
- Buy pitted dates if possible. Otherwise, you will need to carefully slice each one open and remove the pit so you can stuff them.
- The best way to make this recipe is assembly line style. Stuff all of the dates with blue cheese and walnuts, then wrap them in prosciutto. If you stuff and wrap the appetizers one at a time, things get messy very quickly.
- Bake them on an oven-safe cooling rack set onto a baking sheet. Doing this prevents any cheese from oozing out and sticking to the prosciutto.
Looking for an easy snack idea? Make some strawberry cheesecake fat bombs or date Snickers – they taste like indulgent candy!
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
The ingredients are easy to find in almost any grocery store. If you cannot find something, it’s okay. This recipe is so forgiving that you can adjust the ingredients based on your tastes and/or what’s most readily available near you.
- Pitted dates. I like to use Noor dates, but Medjool dates also work beautifully.
- Prosciutto: This salt cured Italian ham is the key to the salty and crispy elements of the date appetizers. If necessary, substitute the prosciutto with shaved ham slices, or make bacon wrapped stuffed dates instead.
- Blue cheese crumbles: You can use any type of soft, creamy, meltable cheese. Goat cheese, feta cheese, and Manchego are all great options.
- Chopped walnuts, or any other salted nuts, like almonds or pecans.
Be sure you have some wooden toothpicks or skewers to secure the filling inside of the stuffed dates.
Quick Tip
If you have any extra dates, make a delicious dessert with them. My recipe for Date Snickers is also a big hit around the holidays!
How to Make Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Dates
The recipe is unbelievably easy to follow, so it’s great one for novice cooks and seasoned pros alike.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
👉 Tip: The best way to make this recipe is assembly line style. Stuff all of the dates with blue cheese and walnuts, then wrap them in prosciutto. If you stuff and wrap the appetizers one at a time, things get messy very quickly.
- Fill each date with some of the cheese and chopped nuts. Press the mixture down a bit, so it fills the inside of the date. Close them as best you can so the cheese is tucked inside.
- Wrap each stuffed date with prosciutto and use a toothpick to hold it closed.
- Bake until the prosciutto begins to get crispy, and serve them while they are warm.
To make your holiday appetizers a little bit fancier, crack a little black pepper or drizzle balsamic reduction on top (or do both!) just before serving.
Make it kid friendly: This is a fun appetizer to make with your kids! I make my boys wash their hands really well, then they have a great time stuffing cheese and nuts into each date for me.
If you love prosciutto appetizers, you might also want to make some prosciutto and melon appetizers, pesto crostini with prosciutto, and/or some prosciutto wrapped pears.
Make Ahead Instructions
To Make Ahead: One of the best things about this recipe is that you can prepare the stuffed dates ahead of time! Simply stuff and wrap the dates, the store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Wait until just before you're ready to serve to bake them. It makes holiday and party entertaining a breeze!
Stuffed Dates Recipe FAQs
Honestly, any very thin slices of meat will work as a substitute for prosciutto. The closest substitutes are cured Italian meats like Serrano ham, Pancetta, or Capicola, but even bacon is a good choice to wrap around stuffed dates.
When I serve prosciutto wrapped dates, there are never leftovers! If you should happen to have some, they'll keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend reheating them in a 325°F. oven or air fryer until they are warmed through.
If you make this recipe, please give it a star rating and leave a comment below to let me know how it went!
Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Dates
Ingredients
- 16 pitted dates Noor or Medjool
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 4 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Video
Instructions
- Set oven to preheat at 350℉.
- Slice open all the dates. Fill each with ½ tablespoon of blue cheese and 1 teaspoon chopped walnuts. Press the mixture in a bit so it fills in the inside of the date. Close the dates as best you can so the cheese is tucked away inside.
- Slice the pieces of prosciutto in half. Fold each piece over, so it is roughly the same width as the date. Lay a date on each piece of prosciutto and wrap the prosciutto around it. Secure it closed with a toothpick. You can serve and eat the dates now if you'd like, or you can go on to the next step to get crispy prosciutto with melty blue cheese.
- Set the wrapped dates on an oven-safe cooling rack set on a baking sheet. This allows any cheese that may bubble out to drip off instead of sticking to the date.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, watching closely near the end to make sure they don't overcook. Remove from the oven when the prosciutto begins to get crispy, and serve while the stuffed dates are still warm.
Notes
- You can substitute blue cheese with any creamy, meltable cheese crumbles, such as goat cheese, Manchego, or feta.
- I think the date appetizers taste best when they're baked and warm, but they can be served unbaked as well.
- The best way to make this recipe is assembly line style. Stuff all of the dates with blue cheese and walnuts, then wrap them in prosciutto. If you stuff and wrap the appetizers one at a time, things get messy very quickly.
Nutrition
2025 Update: This recipe is still a favorite of ours! It's been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and include extra cooking tips. We hope you love it as much as we do!
I started making these stuffed dates years ago, when my babies were little and our Friday night date night meant watching an episode of The Office and enjoying a special snack.
We had just done some kitchen upgrades, and I was super excited to cook something on the fancy side so I could feel like an adult for just an hour.
Once you taste how delicious they are, the prosciutto wrapped dates will probably become one of your favorite easy holiday appetizers!
