Name: Hot Honey Bacon & Date Dip with Whipped Goat Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 - 10 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped; 12 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped; 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary); ¼ cup hot honey; 10–11 oz soft goat cheese, room temperature; 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature; 2 teaspoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons honey; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon butter, melted; 1 tablespoon hot honey; 1 tablespoon regular honey; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary); Pinch of kosher salt

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It’s LOVELY, luscious, and dangerously addictive — the kind of appetizer that makes everyone pause mid-bite and say, “Oh wow.” Sweet, salty, creamy, and just a little spicy, it’s pure flavor harmony.

A woman’s hand holding a seeded cracker topped with whipped goat cheese, crispy bacon, and sticky dates, with a blue baking dish of the hot honey bacon and date dip in the background.

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Hi There, I'm Tracy!

As a passionate foodie and music enthusiast, I’m here to help you rock your kitchen! I approach recipes creatively, often improvising traditional dishes or crafting my own based on unique dining experiences. Explore my blog for delightful and approachable recipes from breakfast to dinner, including appetizers, desserts, and cocktails. Let’s create meals that leave a lasting impression, paired with music recommendations to groove to while you cook!

More About Me

Inspirations

Growing up, we ate a lot of bagels. Bagels, eggs, and of course, cream cheese. Who doesn’t like cream cheese? Well… me. I have no idea why. It’s smooth, creamy, luxurious—basically everything a dairy lover dreams of. Didn’t matter. I just didn’t like it. Until one day, I suddenly did. I’m not sure when the switch flipped, but once it did, I became a super fan.

When I started cooking, I realized how many places cream cheese could fit into my life. A dab here, a block there. It actually became a little game: how many recipes could I sneak cream cheese into? And then another cheese showed up and stole the whole show.

Goat cheese blew into my life like a tornado. One taste and I was hooked. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it was absolutely mine.

Then I started hearing internet buzz about a whipped goat cheese appetizer mixed with cream cheese. Are you kidding me? That’s basically heaven with its feet up. But wait—there was more. Bacon. Everything is better with bacon. This appetizer sounded like the kind of thing people write poems about. Add honey and sweet, sticky dates, and you’re staring at a bowl of happiness. Obviously, I had to try it so I started with a recipe from Half Baked Harvest.

There were a few bumps along the way. Crispy bacon is my non-negotiable, so ten minutes wasn’t cutting it. And tossing the dates on the sheet pan with the bacon? Rookie mistake. I ended up with blackened dates that still tasted good but looked… dramatic. So I separated them—like siblings who needed a moment—then reunited them later. That worked much better.

Naturally, I wanted more. More bacon. More brown sugar. And I wanted heat. Hot honey had recently become one of my favorite ingredients, so it joined the band. My honey drizzle kept pooling a little too much, though. I wanted something gliding across the top, not something requiring a flotation device. And what goes beautifully with honey? Butter. So that jumped into the pool too.

A tweak here, a tweak there, and Hot Honey Bacon & Date Dip with Whipped Goat Cheese was born.

Perfect timing, too. I brought it to a party and a friend told me Costco now sells its own version. Sure, it’s convenient, but it comes in a plastic container and is mass-produced. That means it’s missing the most important ingredient of all: love.

Assortment of kitchen tools for making whipped goat cheese dip, including a food processor, chef’s knife, whisk, measuring spoons, parchment-lined sheet pan, ramekin, cutting board, and blue baking dish.

Instruments

Sheet pan + parchment paper — where the bacon and dates find their groove
Mixing bowl — for tossing that hot, candied magic together
Food processor — to whip the cheese to smooth perfection
8×8 baking dish — the stage where all that whipped, melty goodness comes together
Spatula — for spreading and layering with flair

Essentials

Thick-cut bacon — smoky, salty, and your base rhythm section
Medjool dates — soft, caramel-sweet, and a perfect counterpoint
Hot honey and regular honey — sweet heat and mellow balance
Fresh rosemary — earthy depth to ground the sweetness
Brown sugar — that sticky note that brings it all together
Goat cheese and cream cheese — creamy duet that hits every note
Butter — a smooth bridge between spice and sweetness

Flat lay of ingredients for whipped goat cheese dip, including goat cheese, cream cheese, chopped dates, honey, rosemary, olive oil, brown sugar, and salt arranged on a wooden board.

Sheet pan lined with parchment paper showing partially baked chopped bacon and softened dates, glistening with rendered fat and caramelized edges.

A top-down view of a Ninja food processor bowl filled with whipped goat cheese and cream cheese, honey, olive oil, and salt mixture. The mixture looks creamy, with soft swirls and a light texture around the sides of the bowl.

Pro Tips and Riffs

Use a combo of hot honey and regular honey for that sweet-spicy groove without overpowering the other flavors. Adjust based on how fiery your hot honey runs.

Cook the bacon until it is halfway done before adding the dates so they finish together without burning or turning too dark.

Transfer the bacon and dates to a bowl after baking so every piece gets coated evenly in brown sugar, rosemary, and honey instead of sticking or losing flavor on the pan.

Prep the whipped cheese and the bacon-date topping the day before. Store them separately, then assemble right before serving for best texture.

Serve slightly warm or at room temp. Let it sit 10–15 minutes so the flavors open up and the texture softens into that perfect dip consistency.

Swap rosemary for thyme, add a pinch of crushed red pepper for extra heat, or even mix in ricotta or whipped feta for a milder cheese base.

Faq: Grub Answers and Insights

A: Yes — you can make the whipped cheese up to 2 days in advance and store it covered in the fridge. The bacon-date mixture can be made a day ahead, too. Warm it gently before assembling.

A: Mix ¼ cup regular honey with ⅛ teaspoon cayenne or a dash of red pepper flakes to create your own DIY version.

A: Absolutely — use 1 teaspoon dried rosemary for every tablespoon of fresh called for. Rub it between your fingers to release the oils before adding.

A: Pop it back in the oven for 2–3 more minutes. The dates will continue to soften, and the edges will caramelize beautifully. If the dates are done, remove them from the pan before putting the bacon back in the oven.