Holiday entertaining is more magical when the bites are small, beautiful, and full of flavour. These festive skewers are easy appetizers with dates, made with soft, caramel-sweet Deglet Noor dates layered with bright, festive ingredients.
Perfect for sharing and snacking, they bring a touch of holiday cheer to any gathering.
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Labneh, Pineapple, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Date Skewers – offer a sweet-tangy mix with a touch of heat. The labneh is blended with the olive oil and lemon zest, giving it a silky texture that pairs perfectly with the fruit and Castelvetrano olive, then finished with fresh mint.
Blue Cheese, Prosciutto & Date Skewers – deliver a rich holiday moment. The blue cheese is mixed with the olive oil until creamy, spooned into the dates, dipped in crushed almonds, then wrapped in prosciutto and skewered with grapes and microgreens.
Everything Bagel, Salmon, Cream Cheese & Date Skewers – bring smoked salmon, marinated red onion, cucumber, and dill together in one savoury bite.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Festive & Visual: Perfectly layered skewers add colour and elegance to any holiday platter.
- Variety of Flavours: Sweet dates paired with creamy, tangy, or savoury fillings suit every palate.
- Quick to Assemble: Minimal prep with big impact, ideal for entertaining.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Can be prepped hours in advance for stress-free hosting.
Ingredients
Labneh, Pineapple, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Date Skewers
- Deglet Noor dates
- Labneh
- Olive oil
- Lemon zest
- Pineapple
- Pickled cherry peppers
- Castelvetrano olives
- Mint leaves
- 12 cocktail skewers (~3 inch)
Blue Cheese, Prosciutto & Date Skewers
- Deglet Noor dates
- Blue cheese
- Olive oil
- Prosciutto
- Grapes
- Almonds
- Microgreens (sweet pea shoots or parsley sprigs)
- 12 cocktail skewers
Everything Bagel, Salmon, Cream Cheese & Date Skewers
- Deglet Noor dates
- Cream cheese
- Caper brine
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Marinated red onions (Marinated olive oil & dry dill)
- Smoked salmon squares
- Cucumber
- dill
- 12 cocktail skewers
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Instructions
Before you begin, prep all the elements so assembly is quick and easy. Cut the pineapple into bite-size chunks, slice the cucumbers into half moons, fold the smoked salmon pieces, halve the cherry peppers, and have the olives, grapes, herbs, nuts, and fillings ready. With everything prepped and within reach, the skewers come together in minutes.
Labneh, Pineapple, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Date Skewers
- Mix labneh, olive oil, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Stuff each date with 1 teaspoon labneh mixture.
- Skewer: mint → olive → stuffed date → cherry pepper → pineapple.
- Chill until 15-20 minutes before serving. Optional: brush with olive oil or sprinkle sea salt on pineapple.
Blue Cheese, Prosciutto & Date Skewers
- Toast almonds at 160°C (325°F) for 8-10 min; cool and chop.
- Mix blue cheese with olive oil; let sit 15-30 min.
- Stuff dates with 1 teaspoon blue cheese; press chopped almonds onto filling.
- Skewer: ½ grape → microgreen → prosciutto wrapped stuffed date → ½ grape
- Chill until 15-20 minutes before serving. Optional: brush lightly with olive oil.
Everything Bagel, Salmon, Cream Cheese & Date Skewers
- Mix cream cheese with caper brine.
- Stuff dates with 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture, then press everything bagel seasoning onto the filling.
- Skewer: smoked salmon strip with dill → marinated onion → stuffed date → cucumber
- Chill until ready to serve; drizzle olive oil if desired.
Arrange
Arrange the skewers upright on a cutting board or a flat serving dish. Sprinkle a few edible flowers, microgreens or pomegranate arils around the platter for an elegant, holiday-ready presentation.
Storing Leftovers
- Leftover skewers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- To keep ingredients fresh and prevent sogginess, consider storing the dates and toppings separately and assembling skewers just before serving.
Freshness Tip
- If you need to prep skewers ahead of time, wrap them lightly in plastic wrap and store them in a single layer in the fridge.
- Add any delicate ingredients, like fresh herbs or soft cheeses, right before serving so they stay vibrant and don't wilt or soften.
- For a little extra sparkle, drizzle a tiny bit of honey (or hot honey) over the dates just before serving-it keeps them glossy and adds a festive touch.
Tips & Substitutions
- Nut Substitution: Use pistachios, pecans, or walnuts instead of almonds for blue cheese skewers.
- Labneh Alternative: Greek yogurt works for a slightly tangier taste
- Vegetarian Swap: Replace prosciutto with roasted red pepper strips.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve on a flat platter with alternating colours for visual appeal.
- Make Ahead: Prepare fillings and skewers up to 4 hours in advance; keep chilled.
FAQ
A: Both work, but Deglet Noor dates are the better choice for these skewers. They're slightly firmer and less sticky than Medjool dates, which helps them hold their shape when stuffed and threaded onto skewers. Their mild caramel flavour also pairs well with savoury ingredients like cheese, smoked salmon, and prosciutto. Medjool dates are too sweet for our preference.
Other Holiday Appetizers to try Next
- Mediterranean Antipasto Skewers
- Pork, Fennel and Apple Sausage Rolls
- Easy Air Fryer Mini Quiche
- Sous-Vide Colossal Shrimp Cocktail
📖 Recipe
Easy Appetizers With Dates - 3 Festive Skewer Ideas
Ingredients
Labneh, Pineapple, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Date Skewers
- 12 pitted Deglet Noor dates
- ⅓ cup labneh room temperature
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 12 pineapple chunks 1 inch cubes
- 12 pickled cherry peppers seeded and quartered
- 12 Castelvetrano olives pitted and halved
- 12 small mint leaves
- 12 cocktail skewers ~3 inch
Blue Cheese, Prosciutto & Date Skewers
- 12 pitted Deglet Noor dates
- 40 g blue cheese softened
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 prosciutto ribbons 1 by 2 inch strips
- 12 grapes red or black, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon toasted almonds chopped
- 12 microgreens sweet pea shoots or parsley sprigs
- 12 cocktail skewers ~3 inch
Everything Bagel, Salmon, Cream Cheese & Date Skewers
- 12 pitted Deglet Noor dates
- ½ cup cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tablespoon caper brine
- 1 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning
- Marinated red onions cut into 1" squares. (Marinate onions in 6 teaspoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon dry dill)
- 12 smoked salmon squares 1 by 2 inch strips, folded
- 12 cucumber half moons ½ inch thick
- 12 dill pieces
- 12 cocktail skewers ~3 inch
Instructions
- Before you begin, prep all the elements so assembly is quick and easy. Cut the pineapple into bite-size chunks, slice the cucumbers into half moons, fold the smoked salmon pieces, halve the cherry peppers, and have the olives, grapes, herbs, nuts, and fillings ready. With everything prepped and within reach, the skewers come together in minutes.
Labneh, Pineapple, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Date Skewers
- Mix labneh, olive oil, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Stuff each date with 1 teaspoon labneh mixture.
- Skewer: mint → olive → stuffed date → cherry pepper → pineapple.
- Chill until 15-20 minutes before serving. Optional: brush with olive oil or sprinkle sea salt on pineapple.
Blue Cheese, Prosciutto & Date Skewers
- Toast almonds at 160°C (325°F) for 8-10 min; cool and chop.
- Mix blue cheese with olive oil; let sit 15-30 min.
- Stuff dates with 1 teaspoon blue cheese; press chopped almonds onto filling.
- Skewer: ½ grape → microgreen → prosciutto wrapped stuffed date → ½ grape
- Chill until 15-20 minutes before serving. Optional: brush lightly with olive oil.
Everything Bagel, Cream Cheese & Date Skewers
- Mix cream cheese and caper brine.
- Stuff dates with 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture, then press everything bagel seasoning onto the filling.
- Skewer: smoked salmon strip with dill → marinated onion → stuffed date → cucumber
- Chill until ready to serve; drizzle olive oil if desired.
Arrange
- Arrange the skewers upright on a cutting board or a flat serving dish. Sprinkle a few edible flowers, microgreens or pomegranate arils around the platter for an elegant, holiday-ready presentation.
💬Tried this recipe?
- We'd really appreciate a rating and quick review! It helps more home cooks find the recipe, and we love hearing what you think.
The three skewer idea is absolutely over the top and I’m only one taste test into the trio. I’m very open to blue cheese so that was my first attempt, and definitely not the last. These recipes are formatted for ease of completion and to deliver optimum taste. First taste of the date, cheese, prosciutto and almond chunks was a taste bud symphony and the best part is that you can pre-assemble the skewers and chill so that you can attend to other matters. This is an easy 5 star rating for me!!!
Hi Dave,
Thank you so much for this incredible review! We love that you started with the blue cheese skewer, that sweet, salty combo is such a standout. And yes to the make-ahead win, being able to prep and chill makes entertaining so much easier. We really appreciate the 5-star rating and can’t wait to hear which skewer you try next!
Happy holidays,
Elaine & James
The second delight of the three skewer appetizers was the smoked salmon combo. I’ve never used caper brine in any dish and man, have I ever missed out. the result was a hint of lemony taste to the cream cheese and the mixture yields the cream cheese much easier to work with so the the dates get completely stuffed. It’s tough to go wrong with dill and smoked salmon but the stuffed dates with the everything bagel seasoning give a crunchy finish. the skewers finished off with the cucumber half moons provide a great base to have everything stand at attention for the presentation. I’ve done these three times over the holidays and they are so incredibly tasty!!!
Hi Dave,
This is such a joy to read. Thank you for sharing your experience in so much detail. We love how you described the caper brine moment, it really does add that subtle brightness and makes the cream cheese so much easier to work with. And you’re absolutely right, dill and smoked salmon are always a win, but the dates and everything bagel seasoning give it that extra crunch and contrast. The fact that you’ve made these three times over the holidays means the world to us. We truly appreciate you taking the time to come back and share this!
Thanks again, Happy New Year!
Elaine & James