Mascarpone and Yogurt Filled Dates

A Perfect ‘Date’ Night Appetizer

Experiment with new flavors and bold textures with these Mascarpone and Yogurt Filled Dates. A creamy and slightly tart mascarpone filling surrounded by a warm, sweet toasted date topped with a drizzle of rich olive oil and a pinch of sea salt make this date night appetizer as tasty as it is easy to prepare.

You Won’t Be Able to East Just One!

These dates are my go-to and they satisfy every time. A creamy mascarpone, tart yogurt, a warm, sweet toasted, rich olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. So many amazing flavors in something so simple. I promise, it’s so delicious, you won’t be able to eat just one.

Restaurant Quality at Home

Brandon first had these at the restaurant Komi in Washington, D.C. He says it’s one of the top 5 meals he’s ever had. After his first bite, he knew we had to recreate them at home.

The key to recreating these is the Greek yogurt. Without the yogurt, you don’t get that slight tartness and mascarpone cheese alone may be a bit too runny out of the oven. Make sure you also use fresh whole dates as the pre-pitted dates are usually dried out and not nearly as flavorful.

What Do I Need to Make Mascarpone and Yogurt Filled Dates?

(see recipe card for measurements and details)

• Fresh whole dates
• Mascarpone cheese
• Plain Greek yogurt (do not use fat free. I prefer Fage 2%)
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
• Piping bag or plastic baggie
• Baking sheet

How to Make Mascarpone and Yogurt Filled Dates

• Take your fresh dates and cut a small slit across the top from end to end. Lightly squeeze the date and pry out the seed with the knife.
• In a small bowl, mix together the mascarpone cheese and yogurt until well blended. (You can increase the amount of yogurt to up to 2 tablespoons if you like it more tart.)

• Place the yogurt-mascarpone filling in a piping bag or plastic baggie with a corner snipped and then pipe the filling into the center of each date.
• Preheat oven to 250°F. Put the filled dates in the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
• Once the oven has preheated, place the dates on a cookie sheet and bake on the middle rack of your oven for 10 minutes. Remove dates from the oven and cool for 1-2 minutes.
• Place the dates on your serving platter and then finish each one with a light drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Try to be generous with the salt as it really adds a nice complexity to the dish.