Where to begin?

This is a medjool date recipe. A baked medjool date recipe.

What?!

I know. I hadn’t baked them before either.

In the omnivore world medjool dates are commonly consumed wrapped in bacon.

Never tried that as I only liked crispy burnt bacon and those were always soft and raw looking.

In the vegan and raw-vegan worlds dates are so much more than a once a year forgotten appetizer.

They are a binder in protein bars and raw food desserts, an easy to grab sweet snack that requires no preparation, a whole food source of sugar (that also has fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein), a natural caramel treat, and so much more.

Instead of wrapping these in bacon or even fake bacon – I chose to stuff them with a smoky cheese.

Aged English Smoked Farmhouse cheese from Miyoko’s Kitchen.

I pitted the dates and stuffed each of them with a small square of cheese. I then skewered their center with toothpicks and laid them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet to bake at 350F degrees for 15 minutes.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that baked dates expand and puff out.

Their outer layer turns slightly crispy while the inside melts to a warm soft texture.

The combination of a warm sweet caramel-y date with a savory salty smoky cheese is blissful. I haven’t read 50 Shades, but I feel like it’s on that level.

I want to have a wine and hors d’oeuvres party just to show off this cheese and easy to make side.

This recipe makes 12 stuffed dates which Jeremy and I ‘gracefully’ ate over several hours and could easily be doubled or tripled to suit your festivities. Or minimized for a Netflix binging night in. No judgment.

How is Miyoko’s  vegan cheese made?

To simplify her perfected process in mere words, it’s a cultured cashew cheese made from cashews, coconut oil, chickpea miso, and specially sourced cultures. She has 10+ different cheese flavors that range from semi-firm to soft when set out at room temperature for a bit.

The cheeses (I’ve tried 7 of them) are creamy and gourmet and—without a doubt—the best vegan cheese I’ve ever had in my life. It’s not the velveeta-Daiya bs either. This is on the level of Dubliner cheese, brie, and any other fancy cheese you can think to name.

Miyoko’s Kitchen sets the bar for vegan cheese. It is THE cheese that will get vegetarians to give up cow cheese.

I’ve melted it with warm pasta noodles for a fancy mac & cheese, spread on crackers or apple slices, and just devoured plain.

Find Miyoko’s Kitchen at a store near you. Do you live in the boonies like me? They also have 2-day shipping from their online store for only $9.95. A steal!

I would love to hear if you make these and what your experience with vegan cheese is. Let us know in the comments below.