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The easiest (and chicest) holiday appetizer to grace your table this season is, undoubtedly, my Roasted Boursin Stuffed Dates. They’re the perfect mix of sweet and salty, made from sweet pitted dates that are sliced open, stuffed with creamy Boursin cheese, and topped to perfection with a brown butter breadcrumb topping. It’s the epitome of a perfect bite! This is the perfect appetizer to prep in a pinch, when you want a dish that looks fancy, but requires minimal prep.
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Friends, how is your holiday party prep going? For me, I am so excited for all of the holiday parties this year. I just recently moved into a new house (which, if you want to see a behind-the-scenes look at my renovation process, I’m sharing all of the details on Instagram!) and I cannot wait to host my friends and family this year. While I’ve been busy getting the house ready to host my loved ones, I’ve also been in the kitchen whipping up brand new holiday recipes for you to share with YOUR loved ones. There’s nothing that brings people together during the holidays quite like food, and this year’s recipes are sure to be ones that you and your family love – these dates included!
Recently, my friend Hannah of Lovely Delites came to visit me, and she introduced me to one of my new favorite ingredients: Boursin cheese. I couldn’t believe I’d never had it before! If you’re like me and are new to Boursin cheese, this creamy, herby cheese is soft, spreadable, and packed with flavor. It comes in a round tub that you can find in most local grocery stores and has so many delicious flavors. My favorite happens to be the Garlic & Fine Herbs variation, and it tastes delicious in this recipe!
In fact, if you’re someone who loves the combination of a sweet and salty bite, then you are absolutely going to love this dish. The dates are soft and sweet, the cheese is creamy and salty, the crunchy brown butter breadcrumb topping is buttery and savory, and the pomegranate seeds add the perfect sweet finish. I mean truly, what could be better than that? If you’re looking for an appetizer that not only checks all of the flavor boxes, but also comes together in minutes, this is it.
What You Need to Make These Soft & Cheesy Stuffed Dates
- Medjool Dates: Medjool dates are a soft and sweet variety of date that is perfect in this recipe. You’ll want to use pitted dates – or, if they’re not pitted, be sure to remove the pits from them before making this recipe.
- Boursin Cheese: If you’ve never had Boursin cheese, then prepare to fall in-love. This triple-cream cream cheese is soft, spreadable, and filled with herbs, making it absolutely delicious in this recipe. You can find it in the cheese section of most grocery stores!
- Unsalted Butter: Since the Boursin cheese is salty enough, I recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe. You can use dairy or non-dairy butter in this recipe – both work just as well!
- Walnuts: Chopped walnuts add a delicious, crunchy element to these dates. Don’t skip them!
- Panko Breadcrumbs: While I like using panko breadcrumbs here, you can also opt to use gluten-free breadcrumbs. Both work just as well, so use what works for your diet!
- Garnishes: These are optional, but I love garnishing these stuffed dates with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and chopped chives.
How to Make This Perfect Holiday Appetizer
To make these stuffed dates, start by browning the butter. Heat a small saucepan, on the stove, over medium heat, and add in the butter. Once the butter has melted, stir it continuously until it’s browned and bubbly. Watch it carefully so that it doesn’t burn! Then, add the panko breadcrumbs and crushed walnuts to the pan with the butter and stir for one minute.
After one minute, remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to sit while you prepare the dates. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Next, prepare the stuffed dates by removing the pits (if not already pitted) and using your hands to break the dates open.
Add a tablespoon of the Boursin cheese to each of the dates and line them up inside of an 8×8 baking dish. Repeat until all of the dates have been stuffed and the baking dish is full. Transfer the baking dish into the oven and bake the dates for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
Finally, remove the dish from the oven and scoop a dollop of the brown butter breadcrumb mixture on top of each of the dates, followed by a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and the chopped chives. Repeat until all of the dates have been garnished, then serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use pitted dates for this recipe?
Yes, you will want pitted dates for this recipe. If the dates aren’t pitted, you can easily pit them yourself by carefully tearing the dates open and scooping out the pits with a spoon.
Can I prepare these dates in advance?
Since this recipe is so simple to make, I recommend preparing it the day-of. That way, both the dates and cheese stay soft! If you do want to prepare anything ahead of time, you can prepare the breadcrumb topping (steps 1-3 in the recipe card). Transfer the cooled breadcrumb mixture to an airtight container, then store them in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare the rest of the recipe.
How can I store any leftovers?
Place any leftovers back in the 8×8 baking dish and cover it with plastic wrap. Transfer the plastic wrapped dish to the fridge and store for up to three days!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
The easiest (and chicest) holiday appetizer to grace your table this season is, undoubtedly, my Roasted Boursin Stuffed Dates. They're the perfect mix of sweet and salty, made from sweet pitted dates that are sliced open, stuffed with creamy Boursin cheese, and topped to perfection with a brown butter breadcrumb topping. It's the epitome of a perfect bite! This is the perfect appetizer to prep in a pinch, when you want a dish that looks fancy, but requires minimal prep.
Equipment
- 8×8 Baking Dish this is the perfect-sized dish for preparing these dates!
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Dates:
- 20-24 Large Mejdool Dates pitted
- 1 Package Boursin Cheese
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
- ½ Cup Walnuts crushed
- ½ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs or substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs
For Garnishing
- ½ Cup Pomegranate Seeds
- ¼ Cup Chives finely chopped
Instructions
- To make these stuffed dates, start by browning the butter. Heat a small saucepan, on the stove, over medium heat, and add in the butter.
- Once the butter has melted, stir it continuously until it's browned and bubbly. Watch it carefully so that it doesn't burn!
- Then, add the panko breadcrumbs and crushed walnuts to the pan with the butter and stir for one minute.
- After one minute, remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to sit while you prepare the dates.
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Next, prepare the stuffed dates by removing the pits (if not already pitted) and using your hands to break the dates open.
- Add a tablespoon of the Boursin cheese to each of the dates and line them up inside of an 8×8 baking dish. Repeat until all of the dates have been stuffed and the baking dish is full.
- Transfer the baking dish into the oven and bake the dates for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
- Finally, remove the dish from the oven and scoop a dollop of the brown butter breadcrumb mixture on top of each of the dates, followed by a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds and the chopped chives.
- Repeat until all of the dates have been garnished, then serve and enjoy!
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WHAT DID YOU THINK?
Rate + Review
These Dates were an absolutely delicious addition to our holiday celebration! The savory cheese with the sweetness of the dates was a perfect blend of flavors! 12/10 will definitely be making these again!
Thank you for sharing this recipe