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    Home » Appetizers » Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme

    Aug 5, 2009 · Modified: Aug 15, 2020 by Chels · This post may contain affiliate links, uses cookies, and generates income via ads · View privacy policy + disclosure statement linked in footer · 21 Comments

    Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme

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    Your search for the perfect easy summer appetizer is over! These Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme involve just three ingredients and are incredibly unique bite-sized party apps.

    Close-up of platter of bacon wrapped cherries with thyme on white plate with "Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme" text at top

    (This recipe for Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme was originally published in August 2009, but was updated with new photos and content in 2018).

    Guys, I'm having a serious cherry problem this summer. As in, I cannot stop buying them, cannot stop eating them, and just plain cannot get enough of them! I pretty much sit around and eat them out of a bag all day, but I also made this cherry clafoutis and am constantly looking for more ways to incorporate them into my baking and cooking.

    Enter these bacon wrapped cherries with thyme... Pretty much the best idea ever. If you're anything like me, you're constantly looking for easy and unique appetizers to bring to summer parties and BBQs and these hit both checkboxes.

    They're incredibly easy to make AND they're super unique... I can almost guarantee nobody else will be showing up to the party with a platter of bacon wrapped cherries. And you know there will be at least 3 people who make a buffalo chicken dip or corn salad. Just saying!

    Ingredients for Cherry Appetizer

    This recipe has three ingredients. Three! And it will take you about 15 minutes to prep and have in the oven. It doesn't get much easier than that!

    The ingredients are pretty much self-explanatory as they're all in the recipe name... Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme. You'll need:

    • Bacon
    • Cherries
    • Thyme

    That's it!

    I should note that I've seen several recipes popping up for bacon wrapped maraschino cherries and though I haven't tried them, I urge you to use fresh cherries! Not only are they a million times more delicious, but so many people can't stand maraschino cherries (this article made me laugh).

    I promise you fresh is better (obviously if they're in season!).

    The Best Way to Pit Cherries

    That said, you can probably guess the most difficult part of this recipe. Yup. Pitting the cherries. It's one of my least favorite tasks, but I'll admit that's partly because I can't stop eating them when I'm pitting them, which means it takes me way longer than it should.

    Of course, there are all kinds of fancy tools you can buy to make cherry pitting easier, but I like the simple chopstick method best. It keeps the cherries looking pretty after being pitted and for me, is as easy as any tool you could buy.

    All you have to do is push a chopstick down on the stem end of the cherry until it hits the pit and pushes it out the other end. It's so quick and easy to do.

    Standard chopsticks seem to be the perfect size to get the pit out and still leave the cherry looking neat. You can also do this with a straw, but I find the sturdiness of the chopstick to be easiest.

    How to Make Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme

    Once the cherries are pitted and the bacon slices are cut in thirds, you simply have to wrap a cherry and thyme sprig in each piece of bacon.

    Collage with one photo showing cherry and thyme on bacon strip and one with cherry and thyme wrapped in bacon strip

    Then it's time to pop them in the oven! How long these bacon wrapped cherries take in the oven will depend greatly on your bacon's thickness/fattiness/how crispy you like it, so I recommend setting a timer for 30 minutes and checking on them repeatedly after that.

    I've used thick cut bacon before and had to keep the cherries in the oven for an hour to get my desired level of crispiness.

    Several bacon wrapped cherries with thyme on a gray surface before being baked

    Aaaand drumroll please... one of the most wonderful and tasty hors d'oeuvres I've ever tasted!

    Close-up of platter of bacon wrapped cherries with thyme on white plate

    The idea of a cherry wrapped in bacon might sound strange, but I guarantee you these are perfection. At first, you may get a lot of odd looks and "hmm that sounds different" comments, but once party guests try this appetizer, they'll likely quickly fall in love.

    There's something about the sweetness of the cherry (which is amplified by baking), the saltiness of the bacon, and the freshness of thyme that all goes together so magically.

    There's a high chance this platter will be disappearing very quickly!

    Landscape view of platter with lots of bacon wrapped cherries with thyme and thyme sprig garnishes around the edges

    Cherry season is so short and I want to enjoy every single minute of it. That means I purchase cherries every time I go to the grocery store while they're in season! And while I love just snacking on them, I love them with bacon even more.

    I mean, do you think it would be odd if I just whipped up a batch of these bacon wrapped cherries for myself for dinner? Looks like a well-balanced meal to me!

    Close-up of bacon wrapped cherries with thyme after baking on white plate

    What's your favorite easy-to-make appetizer to bring to summer parties?

    If you're looking for a drink to serve with this cherry appetizer, might I recommend a cherry lime margarita? And these Grilled Cod Tacos with Grilled Cherry Salsa as an entree? I also can't wait to try these Black Forest Macarons from Bakesalotlady!

    Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme -- Your search for the perfect easy summer appetizer is over! These Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme involve just three ingredients and are incredibly unique bite-sized party apps | wearenotmartha.com

    Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme

    Your search for the perfect easy summer appetizer is over! These Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme involve just three ingredients and are incredibly unique bite-sized party apps.
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    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Bacon Recipes, Cherry Recipes, Party Appetizers, Party Food, Summer Appetizers
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Makes: 24 cherries
    Author: Sues

    Ingredients

    • 24 fresh cherries, stems removed and pitted
    • 24 small sprigs thyme
    • 8 slices bacon, cut in thirds

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Place pitted cherry and a thyme sprig on a piece of bacon and wrap bacon tightly around cherry. Repeat with all cherries, bacon slices, and thyme.
    • Place bacon wrapped cherries with the bacon seam side down in a baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes, until bacon is crispy. If you're using thick cut bacon, this will likely take about an hour.

    Notes

    • You can use a toothpick to secure bacon wrapped cherries if desired, but as long as you wrap tightly, bacon should stay secure.
    Share a Photo of Your Finished Recipe!Mention @wearenotmartha and share a photo if you've made the recipe!
    These Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme are the best summer appetizer recipe, perfect for bringing to parties! | wearenotmartha.com #cherries #summerrecipes #appetizers #cherryrecipes #baconrecipes
    Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme -- Your search for the perfect easy summer appetizer is over! These Bacon Wrapped Cherries with Thyme involve just three ingredients and are incredibly unique bite-sized party apps | wearenotmartha.com
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chris says

      August 05, 2009 at 9:52 am

      What are the chances you girls will make these for me? 🙂

    2. Sara says

      August 05, 2009 at 10:06 am

      They were so good!!

    3. Kristen says

      August 05, 2009 at 12:08 pm

      My two favorite things in one fabulous dish. I will definitely be trying this.

    4. emrlds says

      August 05, 2009 at 12:25 pm

      seriously, these look amazing.

    5. The Duo Dishes says

      August 05, 2009 at 2:54 pm

      Never, never, never would've thought bacon and cherry in one recipe. Great idea!

    6. RebeccaC says

      August 07, 2009 at 1:54 pm

      Goodness, these sound uniquely delicious. Thank you for passing along such a cool idea!

    7. Erin says

      August 10, 2009 at 11:50 am

      Anything with bacon is delicious, and I LOVE cherries. These must be amazing!

    8. Kelli D says

      August 18, 2009 at 11:26 am

      Yummy!

      BTW, no need to purchase a cherry pitter - just use a straw - works like a dream! I pitted an enormous amount to make jam using a straw and it worked great!

    9. Dustin says

      August 24, 2009 at 2:46 pm

      Hey ladies,

      I am teaching a holiday entertaining class and would love to feature these in my Rustic Italian class. Just in case you guys are super bored on November 14 in the early evening, you could always come whip them up for the class yourselves and pimp your awesome website 🙂 I'm teaching a series of four classes, budget friendly entertaining for 8-12 people for under $100 and two hours.

      xoxo,
      Dustin

    10. diana says

      September 19, 2010 at 7:14 pm

      gona try the cherries wrapped in bacon this week end let u know how it goes cant wait.

    11. wendy says

      February 03, 2011 at 12:28 pm

      I suggest getting a cherry pitter from a local orchard if you can. I got mine a few years back from one and I love it...Itr costed about $4.00 and it is a lifesaver!

    12. hannah says

      August 01, 2011 at 4:56 pm

      Looks great!

      I wrote a fruit blog and what you can do with assortments of fruits to come out this week. Even though your recipe is not what types of food I write about, (I do more weekday type cooking that's hearty and easy) I will definitely put this in my personal recipe to try next time at a bbq party! Thanks!!

    13. Marshall says

      September 06, 2013 at 7:17 pm

      I covered them in chocolate ... I died. It was amazing.

    14. Jenn says

      July 12, 2018 at 11:38 am

      5 stars
      I would have never in a million years imagined this combo but MAN is it brilliant! Thanks for the recipe!

    15. Joanie says

      July 12, 2018 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      I'm seeing such big, beautiful cherries in my grocery these days and I love this recipe idea. The combination of the sweet roasted cherries with the salty bacon is outstanding!

    16. Michaela says

      July 13, 2018 at 3:11 am

      In South Africa we make these with glazed cherries.. we wrap a whole bunch, put them on a skewer and cook them on the bbq... They are amazing.. I am looking forward to trying it with fresh cherries though

    17. Kimber says

      April 14, 2019 at 1:07 am

      5 stars
      I've been making these for 20+ years. If u don't want to use fresh cherries I have used maraschino cherries (red ones, green don't look as appealing). I can never make enough of them ppl love them.

    18. Alex says

      July 06, 2019 at 5:07 pm

      What if you don’t have fresh thyme? Can I used ground thyme?

    19. Sues says

      July 06, 2019 at 8:27 pm

      @Alex- You can definitely sprinkle a little dried thyme over the top... It just may not look quite as pretty without the little sprig sticking out. But just as tasty!

    20. JoAnne says

      December 18, 2019 at 4:48 am

      I would as well soak the pitted cherries in a little cherry liquor or triple.sec..

    21. Sues says

      December 18, 2019 at 12:10 pm

      @JoAnne- You can definitely do that- I'd just be sure to warn guests first!

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