Stuffed Dates Party Poppers

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This is the most festive stuffed dates recipe ever! These little appetizers are a party (popper) in your mouth! This recipe is made by stuffing whole dates with gorgonzola cheese and wrapping it in phyllo dough and topping them with pop rocks, turning it into a little phyllo firecracker! They are sweet and salty and pop and crackle in your mouth! If you are going to make them, I recommend making a LOT of them because they will be gone in a flash!

Ingredients

• Phyllo Dough- you can buy this in the freezer section of your grocery store, where the frozen pie crusts and other frozen desserts are. Keep it frozen until the day before you want to use it, Then to thaw it, leave it in the fridge overnight. If you thaw it at room temperature, the phyllo sheets tend to stick together making for a frustrating experience!
• Gorgonzola Cheese- You can buy a fresh block, or you can buy a container of crumbled gorgonzola which works just as well.
• Fresh Dates- You can find these in the produce section of your grocery store.
• Butter- I like European butter for the higher fat content, but any butter (not butter substitute!) will work.
• Honey- Just a little drizzle is used to help the popping candy stick.
• Popping Candy! So Fun! There are several different companies that make it. Any of these are fine. I chose red and blue for the 4th of July, but feel free to use any color!

How to Make this Stuffed Dates Recipe

This post makes me laugh as I write it! The combination of the sweet and salty flavors along with the textures of the creamy cheese, crackly phyllo and pop-pop-popping of the pop rocks is not only delicious, but a festive conversation starter. This is the most fun I have had with a phyllo dough recipe, (or any recipe)hands down!

These little firecracker appetizers are delicious and fun with no danger of losing any fingers!

Preparing the Dates

The first step is to prepare the Dates. If you bought fresh dates with the Pits removed, then you are all set! If you have bought fresh dates with the pit still in, you will have just one extra step. Carefully make a slice down the long edge of each date and open it up. Remove the pit, and now your date will be ready to go!

Take a small piece of gorgonzola cheese and press it inside the date. Then, close the date and press it to close and seal it up.

Now, cut your date in half through the short part, so you have to stuffed date halves that sit upright when placed cut side down. Set these aside while we prepare the Phyllo Dough.

Preparing the Phyllo Dough

If you haven't ever worked with Phyllo dough, you are in for a treat! I know it can be a little intimidating, but once you have done it once, you will realize there's not much to it and it will open up a whole new phyllo dough recipe realm of possibility!

There are two parts of working with Phyllo that are critical to having a good experience.

First of all, make sure you thaw it slowly, as in in the fridge overnight. If you thaw it at room temperature, it tends to get sticky and then it is very frustrating to work with!

The second thing that is very important is that while you are working with one sheet, keep the rest covered with a lightly damp dish towel. Phyllo sheets are very delicate and can dry out easily, so as soon as you unwrap the stack of dough sheets, cover it with a lightly damp towel. Then, while you are creating your party poppers, take one sheet at a time, leaving the others covered. It isn't difficult, but it is important.

Now, what to do with these phyllo sheets!? Carefully take one at a time and lay it on your counter, or cutting board. Lightly brush it with melted butter. These sheets rip easily, so I will usually drizzle melted butter over them and then use my basting brush to gently tap it on.

Once you have buttered the first sheet, cover with the second and repeat the buttering until you have a stack of 3 buttered sheets of phyllo.

Now, cut the Phyllo sheets in half the long way, and then make 3 cuts in the opposite direction to create 8 squares.

Repeat these steps 2 more times and you will have 24 buttered phyllo squares, ready to be stuffed!

Creating the Poppers

This is so easy! Simply place a date, cut side down in the middle of one of the Phyllo squares. Then, pull the 4 corners up to meet each other, and press it all together over the top of the date, so it looks like a little pop-it firecracker! Have you ever wrapped a wine bottle, or candle in tissue paper? It is the same concept! Simply squeeze the dough together where you would tie the ribbon on the tissue paper.

Place these little guys upright on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Creating the Magic!

These little phyllo wrapped stuffed dates are delicious as is, but to add an extra layer of fun and magic, we are going to take it one step further!

Once you have pulled them out of the oven, let them cool for about 10 minutes.

Once they have cooled, drizzle a little bit of honey over the top of each one. Then, Sprinkle a little pinch of the popping candy on top! The honey will allow them to stick, and keep them from popping. There you have it! The cutest stuffed dates recipe ever!

Not only to do they look fun and festive, but they will give everyone a little extra surprise when they pop one in their mouth! I didn't tell Trav that there was popping candy on them so it took him a minute to realize what was happening in his mouth! My goofy grin made him suspicious that I was up to something!

When to make these Party Poppers

Being that I am from the USA, I had the 4th of July in mind when I made these. But, I also had New Years Eve in mind! I think they would be so cute as NYE appetizers. Maybe with a little added edible sparkle? For other holiday recipes, check out these little Deviled Egg Chicks, or Ladybug Caprese and how about learning how to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs.

For a red hot cocktail, how about this Red Hot Fireball Drink!

Less Festive Stuffed Dates Recipe Option

For a less festive option, they can be made without the popping candy, and they are just as delicious. Just add the honey, and maybe a little pinch of Maldon Sea Salt. Yum!

Whatever you do, I hope you have a >blast< making these!! I would love to hear from you in the comments at the very bottom of the page! For what occasion did you make them? Thank you and thank you for visiting Mollie in Montana~*! ♥️

📖 Recipe