Heat the oven to 400F.

Pit the dates: use a sharp paring knife to make a slit down the length of each date. Use your fingers to pull the date open and remove the pit. Remove stems if there are any.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, dijon, brown sugar, and a few cracks of black pepper. Add the dates to the mixture and toss to coat.

Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your thumb and forefinger to squeeze the end of each date to open it up, and stuff it with blue cheese. Wrap each stuffed date in a piece of bacon, placing the end of the bacon under the date to secure. Arrange the wrapped dates on the parchment lined baking sheet and use a pastry brush to dab the remaining maple mixture on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes more (watch them so they don’t burn!) Serve hot!