These Devils on Horseback are a festive canapé perfect for parties. Soft prunes stuffed with almonds and wrapped in smoky bacon are baked to perfection for a delicious treat!
For an extra burst of flavour, try baking your Devils on Horseback in a sweet and sticky glaze made with clear, runny honey and soy sauce.
👩🍳 You might also like my air fryer maple sriracha devils on horseback and air fryer pigs in blankets.
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🥘 Ingredients
Prunes - soft stoned prunes or use stoned dates if you are unable to get hold of prunes.
Almonds - whole almonds are used in the recipe, but omit them completely if you are serving guests with a nut allergy. You could stuff the prunes with goat's cheese instead.
Bacon - Smoked streaky bacon for the best flavour. You could substitute parma ham or Serano ham instead.
Glaze - a mixture of dark soy sauce and runny honey.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Stuff a whole almond into the cavity of each stoned prune.
Two: Lay the streaky bacon slices on a board and cut each one in half horizontally so you are left with long thin strips of bacon. Wrap a slice of bacon around each prune and secure it with a cocktail stick.
Three: Place the bacon-wrapped prunes in a baking dish. Mix together the honey and soy sauce, dip each 'devil' into the glaze, and place in a baking dish.
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Four: Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes until the bacon is crispy.
Top Tips
- Soak your cocktail sticks in water for 30 minutes prior to making the recipe, to prevent them from burning in the oven.
- If your prunes still have stones in them, the easiest way to remove the stones is by using a sharp paring knife to make a lengthwise slit in the prune, without cutting all the way through to the other side. Gently open the prune, and carefully remove the stone with your fingertips.
- If your prunes are a little dry, try soaking them in hot water for a few minutes before stuffing them with almonds. This will help soften them up and make them easier to work with.
- Since the bacon can easily burn, it's important to keep an eye on your Devils on Horseback as they cook. They should be crispy and golden brown, but not burnt. Keep an eye on them in the oven and adjust the temperature or cooking time as needed.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve as part of a festive buffet with puff pastry sausage rolls, brie and cranberry pinwheels, cranberry white chocolate blondies, and chocolate orange tiffin.
They are also delicious served with Christmas lunch itself, with juicy roast turkey or gammon, polenta roast potatoes, honey roasted parsnips and carrots, Brussels sprouts with bacon, slow cooker red cabbage, sausage meat stuffing, and bread sauce.
📖 Variations
- Swap the bacon for parma ham.
- Don't like nuts? Stuff the prunes with goat's cheese or blue cheese.
- Can't find stoned prunes? Use stoned dates instead or remove the stones yourself (see 'top tips').
- Make them spicy by adding 1 tablespoon of sriracha chili sauce to the glaze.
- Swap the honey for maple syrup in the glaze for an extra sweet flavour.
- Make air fryer Devils on Horseback!
🥡 Storage
You can prep the Devils on Horseback up to a day ahead and leave them in the fridge (or a cold garage if you are running out of room in your fridge). Reserve glazing and baking them until just before you want to serve them, so the bacon is crisp and the prunes are warm and soft.
I don't recommend reheating them as the bacon will not crisp up in the microwave. Fresh is definitely best!
❓ FAQs
An angel on horseback is simply an oyster wrapped in bacon and baked; a devil is a prune treated the same way!
es, Devils on Horseback can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you're ready to serve them.
While it's possible to freeze Devils on Horseback, the texture of the prunes may change slightly when they're thawed. For best results, it's recommended to make them fresh.
Yes, you can use different types of nuts in your Devils on Horseback. Almonds are a classic choice, but you could also try using pecans or walnuts for a different flavour.
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Recipe
Best Devils on Horseback
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Equipment
- Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 20 Prunes stones removed
- 20 Almonds
- 10 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °fan/ 400 °F/ Gas 6).
- Stuff each pitted prune with 1 whole almond.20 Prunes, 20 Almonds
- Lay the streaky bacon rashers on a board and slice them lengthways down the middle of each one to create long thin bacon slices.10 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- Wrap 1 slice of bacon around each prune and secure in place with a cocktail stick that has been soaked in water.
- Mix together the honey and soy sauce in a small bowl and dip each 'devil' into the glaze, then place in a baking dish.3 tablespoon Soy Sauce, 2 tablespoon Honey
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Notes
- Soak your cocktail sticks in water for 30 minutes prior to making the recipe, to prevent them from burning in the oven. I sometimes leave them in water overnight.
- If your prunes still have stones in, the easiest way to remove the stones is by using a sharp paring knife to make a lengthwise slit in the date, without cutting all the way through to the other side. Gently open the date, and carefully remove the stone with your fingertips.
- Swap the bacon for parma ham.
- Don't like nuts? Stuff the prunes with goats cheese or blue cheese.
- Can't find stoned prunes? Use stoned dates instead or remove the stones yourself (see 'top tips'!).
- Make them spicy by adding 1 tablespoon of sriracha chili sauce to the glaze.
- Swap the honey for maple syrup in the glaze for an extra sweet flavour
Andrea says
I'm fascinated by the name of this recipe! We just call them stuffed dates in America. I love the honey-soy glaze for that sweet-and-savory vibe.
Alejandra says
These look like the perfect appetizer to make for a barbecue! So tasty!
Gina says
Never knew this appetizer had a name! Love prunes and this is such a great way to use them for a delicious app!
Pam says
What a fun name for your recipe! I've made dates this way, but never prunes and certainly didn't a clever name like that.
Toni says
My family really enjoyed this! So good and delish!