Eggplant Bacon Wrapped, Avocado Stuffed Dates
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eggplant bacon wrapped dates header

As you may have guessed already, this recipe is a raw, vegan spin on bacon-wrapped, stuffed dates, a popular appetizer/hors d’oeuvre on tapas menus.. We might also call it a creative interpretation of devils on horseback, which is an English pub snack consisting of dates that have been stuffed with chutney or cheese, wrapped in bacon, baked, and sometimes served on toast.

Either way, you get the idea here: eggplant bacon is standing in for the real deal, while creamy avocado takes the place of cheese. Dates are of course the centerpiece of both recipes–the original and this reinvented one–and in both cases, they are predictably divine.

Before I get to the recipe itself, a few short words on how to prepare the dates. First, I recommend using pitted medjool dates; the smaller neglet dates just aren’t the same.

Second, to get started, take a small piece of avocado (maybe an inch long and thin), and stuff it into the center of each pitted date.

dates and avocado

Next, take a long, thin strip of eggplant bacon and wrap it around the date:

wrapping

And finally, secure each date with a toothpick:

wrapping 2 eggplant bacon wrapped dates

So easy. Once you have the eggplant bacon prepared, everything else is just assembly. Here’s the complete recipe.

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Eggplant Bacon Wrapped, Avocado Stuffed Dates

Author - Gena Hamshaw
Yields: 20 dates

Ingredients

  • 1 batch eggplant bacon cut into thin strips (about 1-inch thick)
  • 20 pitted medjool dates
  • 1 Haas avocado pitted and cut into about 20 small pieces

Instructions

  • 1. Prepare the eggplant bacon according to original instructions (here). If you don't have a dehydrator, there's a baking option for the eggplant in the original recipe. Watch it closely; it'll burn quickly!
  • 2. Place a small piece of avocado in the center of each pitted date.
  • 3. Wrap a strip of eggplant bacon around each date, and roll it up. Secure ends with a toothpick, and serve.

Aside from being cute, these appetizers have saltiness, sweetness, and a little bit of fat. All of the essentials. And they’re awfully cute.

eggplant bacon wrapped dates 2

While I can’t claim that this dish can really approximate the original–bacon, after all, is just one of those foods it’s hard to replicate–I can promise you a lot of flavor. Enjoy the recipe, and sleep tight.

xo

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Categories: Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks
Method: Oven
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan

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    31 Comments
  1. I am not a vegan, not even a vegetarian, but this sounds so delicious. I am definitely going to try it.

  2. After I get back to the Show Me state, I am making these. How inventive and fabulous!!

  3. They look great, I have always wanted something inspiring to do with dates. I have to give this a try.

  4. What a cute idea! I’ll have to introduce these to my Mum as an alternative to the non-vegan version she makes..:(
    They sound so tasty too.

  5. Wow, they look amazing and delicious! Will make them for dinner guests this Saturday. Thx.

  6. this is pretty much an ideal app for me! sweet, savory and salty all in 1 bite 🙂 medjool dates are becoming a fast favorite for me. i don’t really eat a ton of fruit but when i want some candy and don’t have chocolate around, i go for those dates. soooooooo rich!

  7. ! Is there nothing avocado can’t do?

    I tend to stay in a (delicious) dehydrator rut, churning out simple vegetable chips for snackage, but I can’t believe I still haven’t made eggplant bacon with it. Weekend plans have been updated. Thanks, lady.

    • Hahaha. You rock, Ali. Happy you like them. You can serve them as an amuse bouche at the cafe you open one day 🙂

  8. If I make the oven version of the eggplant bacon, do you think the strips will still be flexible enough to wrap? This looks awesome, and so easy–something I’d actually make. But I stiiiiill don’t have a dehydrator. (Although, one more recipe like this and I’ll probably HAVE to buy one.) So, it’s still baked versions for me. *Sigh*

    • I think so, Jenni. Also, if you keep them in an airtight container after baking, they’ll soften up. Enjoy!

  9. Ah, what a fun, unconventional mix of foods. I love how a few simple foods, when put together can create a totally new experience & taste.

    Yum, yum! It’s recipes like these that assure me I’m a true vegan at heart :).