Cream Cheese Stuffed Baguette Bites

These cream cheese stuffed baguette bites are such an impressive-yet-easy party appetizer! A salty-sweet mixture of cream cheese, goat cheese, veggies, dates, and bacon, stuffed inside a hollowed-out baguette. Slice it into bite-sized pieces, and you’ve got gourmet hors d’oeuvres unlike any other! The perfect finger food for a holiday party, game day, or any festive gathering.

For another finger food party platter idea, try my Mini Cheese Balls on a Stick!

Stuffed Baguette Appetizer Ingredients

• Baguette. For the best baguette bites, use a long, thin baguette with a crisp crust. Be careful not to confuse a baguette with a loaf of French bread—which is longer, wider, and has a softer crust, so it isn’t ideal for stuffing.
• Cream Cheese. As the base for your baguette filling, you’ll need to soften a full block (8 oz) of full-fat cream cheese, or low-fat if preferred. I haven’t tested a dairy-free version of this recipe, but you could omit the goat cheese and try using 12oz of nondairy cream cheese.
• Goat Cheese. I love the buttery, tart flavor of crumbled goat cheese, but you could also use feta, blue cheese, or additional cream cheese instead.
• Garlic. Feel free to use more than 1 clove if you’re a garlic lover, or omit it if you’re not a fan.
• Red Bell Pepper. Chopped bell pepper is a mild and colorful addition to this filling, or you could substitute with pimentos, jalapeños, or a different chopped veggie like celery, broccoli, or zucchini.
• Green Olives. Red bell pepper & green olives give this stuffed baguette appetizer a natural Christmas color palette! But you can use any variety of olives you like, or a different vegetable altogether.
• Chopped Dates. Dates add a surprising burst of sweetness that makes these savory hors d’oeuvres even more irresistible. You can really use any dried fruit—like chopped prunes or cranberries—or feel free to skip it.
• Crumbled Bacon. Some salty, umami bacon takes this dish to the next level for me! I think Italian sausage would also be delicious, like in my cream cheese stuffed mushrooms. Or nix the meat altogether to make a vegetarian baguette appetizer.
• Fresh Herbs. Thyme, parsley, rosemary, or sage—use whichever herbs you like!

How do you hollow out a baguette?

Before stuffing a baguette, you’ll need to hollow it out with a long, thin serrated knife—leaving a crust that’s about ½-inch thick.

1. First, slice off both ends of the baguette.
2. Then, rather than trying to hollow out a long 14-inch baguette, cut it in half so you have 2 shorter pieces to work with.
3. Next, grab your knife and start hollowing out the baguette, working from both ends using a sawing motion. Either pull out the loose bread or use a wooden spoon to push it through.
4. Once you have a ½-inch crust, it’s time to stuff the hollow baguette with cream cheese!

How to Make Stuffed Baguette Bites

1. Hollow Out Baguette. As described above, use a long, thin serrated knife to hollow out the baguette, until you have a ½-inch thick crust all the way around.
2. Prepare Cream Cheese Filling. Using a hand mixer, beat softened cream cheese in a large bowl until it’s smooth, then beat in goat cheese. Once integrated, fold in your veggies, bacon, dried fruit, herbs—whichever flavorings you like.
3. Stuff Baguette. Just like when you hollowed it out, work from both ends as you fill the hollowed baguette with your cream cheese filling. Try to pack the filling in as tightly as possible, so your baguette bites won’t have any air bubbles or holes in the middle!
4. Chill Until Firm. Once you’ve stuffed both halves of the baguette, wrap them in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Giving the cream cheese filling time to firm up a bit will make it easier to slice the baguette neatly.
5. Slice into Baguette Bites. When you’re ready to serve, use a hot, dry serrated knife to slice your cream cheese stuffed baguette into ½-inch thick slices. Serve on a platter for easy noshing and enjoy!