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A little sweet, a little spicy, and all-around delicious, you need to make these Bacon-Wrapped Apricot Zingers with Blue Cheese Drizzle for your next party.
Bacon makes everything better and that’s definitely the case with these bites. They feature jalapeño-stuffed dried apricots, which are wrapped in thin slices of salty bacon. They’re baked until the bacon is crispy and the apricots are just a little soft.
I love to serve them with a funky, flavorful sauce made with Greek yogurt, crumbled blue cheese, and bright lemon juice. You can drizzle them over each bite or just serve it on the side as a dipping sauce. Either way, they’re going to disappear at your next party!
ingredients:
- Bacon Slices
- Dried Apricots
- Fresh Jalapeño Peppers
- Pure Maple Syrup
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Crumbled Blue Cheese
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Finely Chopped Fresh Chives
- Water
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
step-by-step:
step one: preheat the oveN
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a wire rack.
step two: assemble the zingers
Using a small knife, carefully slice each dried apricot lengthwise to create a pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place a jalapeño slice inside each apricot. Wrap each stuffed apricot with half a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
step three: bake the zingers
Arrange the bacon-wrapped apricots seam-side down on the prepared sheet. Brush lightly with maple syrup. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until bacon is crisp and golden.
step four: make the drizzle
In a small blender or using an immersion blender, combine the Greek yogurt, blue cheese, and lemon juice until smooth. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the sauce is just thin enough to drizzle. Stir in the fresh chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
step five: finish and serve
Remove the apricot zingers from the oven. Cool for about 5 minutes, then drizzle lightly with the blue cheese sauce (or serve it on the side for dipping)!
recipe faqs:
The jalapeño peppers give them some heat, but they work so well against the sweet apricot and salty, fatty bacon. You can remove the seeds and ribs of the peppers and cut these into extra-thin slices for a milder flavor.
Yes! You can make the blue cheese sauce up to five days in advance; just store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. You can also assemble the zingers in advance (minus the maple syrup); store them, unbaked, in the fridge for up to 24 hours before brushing with maple syrup and popping them in the oven.
I hope y’all love these Bacon-Wrapped Apricot Zingers with Blue Cheese Drizzle for your next party! Comment below and let me know if they’re a hit!
looking for more holiday appetizer recipes? try these!
Smoked Salmon Carpaccio with Fried Capers and Herbs
Bacon-Wrapped Apricot Zingers with Blue Cheese Drizzle
Ingredients
For the Bacon-Wrapped Apricot Zingers
- 20 dried apricots
- 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced into 20 slices (seeds removed for less heat)
- 10 bacon slices, halved crosswide
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
For the Blue Cheese Drizzle
- 1/3 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoons water if needed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a wire rack.
- Using a small knife, carefully slice each dried apricot lengthwise to create a pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place a jalapeño slice inside each dried apricot.
- Wrap each stuffed apricot with half a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Arrange the bacon-wrapped apricots, seam-side down, on the prepared sheet. Brush each one lightly with maple syrup. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until bacon is crisp and golden.
- Meanwhile, make the blue cheese drizzle: In a small blender or using an immersion blender, combine the Greek yogurt, blue cheese, and lemon juice until smooth. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the sauce is just thin enough to drizzle. Stir in the fresh chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove the apricot zingers from the oven. Cool for about 5 minutes, then drizzle lightly with the blue cheese sauce (or serve it on the side for dipping)!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
My family was skeptical, but loved them in the end. This will be a Thanksgiving appetizer from now on!
Absolutely loved these. Easy to prep, minimal ingredients and so delicious. Brought them for a Friendsgiving and they were a hit. I served with an herby yogurt ranch and it was great.
So glad to hear that!
Do you think these would work with pickled jalapeños too?
In a pinch, I think this would work but just worry about the moisture they may release! If you need to use, I would dry them out on a paper towel ahead of assembling.
Our grocer was out of apricots- do you think dried figs would work?
Brought as a friendsgiving app and they were a HIT. Multiple people texted about them after the fact