Top 20 ways to serve figs

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How to eat figs

Raw figs

• Serve drizzled with honey, a scattering of toasted nuts and a spoonful of clotted cream.
• Add to salads, pairing them with cheeses such as goat’s cheese, feta, mozzarella or halloumi, parma ham and peppery leaves like rocket.
• Combine with cheese and cured meats such as prosciutto or serrano ham for a starter or canapé.
• Figs are best eaten when ripe.

Cooking options

• Grilling: Figs can be halved and grilled for 2-3 minutes. This method intensifies their jammy sweetness. Grilled figs are a great accompaniment for meats.
• Roasting: Figs can be roasted whole for 8-12 minutes, or halved and tossed with honey and cider vinegar, then baked for 25-30 minutes until rich and jammy.
• Poaching: Whole figs can be poached for 5-8 minutes, often in red wine/port or a flavoured syrup with spices or citrus, until tender.

What do figs taste like

Figs have a delicate aroma and a sweet, luscious flavour. They are not juicy, but their soft, fibrous flesh is succulent, with a texture that includes hundreds of tiny seeds. The fruit offers a unique combination of sweetness and subtle fragrance, making it enjoyable both raw and cooked.

Other uses

• Incorporate dried figs into baking.
• Sliced figs can be baked or grilled and used as a topping for toast, pizza or flatbread.
• Enjoy dried figs as a nutritious snack.
• Figs can be cooked down with sugar, citrus and spices to make jam or chutney.

Top 20 ways to serve figs

1. Jams

Ripe and juicy figs are ideal for turning into homemade jams. Our sweet fig jam is delicious spread on toast or swirled into yogurt, and also makes a great gift.

Enjoyed this? Try more of our delicious jam recipes.

2. Chutneys

You can also make chutney to accompany your cheeseboard – our sticky fig and port preserve is perfect for the festive season.

Try these fig chutney recipes...
Fresh fig chutney
Sticky fig & port chutney
Pineapple, fig & ginger chutney

Discover more preserves with our chutney recipes.

3. Tarts

Figs are a natural fit for sweet tarts, and they can be paired with a variety of other ingredients, such as chocolate, honey, nuts, and soft cheese. Figs can also be used to make savoury tarts, which are perfect for appetisers or light lunches. Some popular savoury fig tart fillings include goat's cheese, blue cheese, prosciutto and bacon.

Try these fig tarts...
Frangipane, fig & orange tart
Fig & blue cheese tart
Fig tartlets
Honey roasted fig & almond tart

4. Pies

Fig pie is a delicious dessert packed with health benefits. Figs are a good source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals, including potassium, calcium, and magnesium. They also contain antioxidants, which can help protect your cells from damage.

Try these fig pies...
Fig, raspberry & cardamom pie
Toffee fig pies

Then check out our helpful guide on the health benefits of figs. For more guides about the health benefits of different ingredients, check out our health hub.

5. Salads

Incorporate figs into a symphony of tastes and textures with sticky honey-glazed halloumi, peppery rocket, salty prosciutto and toasted almonds. The sweet flavour of figs pairs well with creamy mozzarella and bitter salad leaves like chicory, so why not get inventive with your own combination?

Try these fig salads...
Spiced honey-glazed halloumi & fig salad
Mediterranean fig & mozzarella salad
Marinated fig & mozzarella salad
Griddled chicory with figs & bitter leaves

6. Cakes

Is there anything more enticing than a fruit-filled bake? Pack in natural sweetness and give comforting classics like crumble, the humble Swiss roll and classic coffee cake a figgy twist. Dried figs also work brilliantly in Christmas fruit cakes along with currants, nuts spices and spices – they soak up any booze beautifully!

Try these fig cake recipes...
Fig & raspberry crumble cake
Spiced fig, coffee & hazelnut cake
Fudgy fig roll
Fig & honey Christmas cake

Check our more dried fig recipes

7. Served with meat

Naturally sweet figs add a new dimension to gamey meats like quail, dark meat such as duck and salty, cured meats such as prosciutto and rich lamb cutlets.

Try these fig and meat dishes...
Quails with figs & walnut sauce
Sticky fig lamb cutlets with warm bean & couscous salad
Lacquered duck with grilled figs
Figs with prosciutto
Ricotta, fig & prosciutto crostini

8. Puddings

Try fresh figs in a sponge pudding or topped with sweet, crunchy crumble. Their rich fruity flavour and jammy texture adds an extra layer of comfort to desserts, which is only enhanced with a giant dollop of ice cream.

Try these fig puddings...
Fig & ginger caramel trifle
Fig sponge pudding
Caramelised figgy bread & butter pudding
Orchard crumble
Vegan Christmas pudding
Fig leaf crème caramel with roasted figs

9. Served with cheese

We can’t get enough of that salty-sweet combination. Plump, fresh figs pair well with a wide variety of cheeses, from crumbly, sharp stilton to creamy brie.

Try these fig and cheese dishes...
Figs with goat's cheese, pistachios & honey
Baked blue cheese with figs & walnuts
Fig & walnut slice
Stilton & fig salad with honey-thyme drizzle
Spanish fig & almond balls

10. Pizzas and breads

Take the cheese and meat pairing up a notch and pop them all on a pizza. Try a vegetarian version with blue cheese and hazelnuts, or for a meat version, pair with cured meats.

Try these fig pizzas and picnic breads...
Rye pizza with figs, fennel, gorgonzola & hazelnuts
Fig & Serrano ham picnic bread
Fig & prosciutto pizzettas

11. Stuffings

Step away from your standard sage and onion stuffing – these fruity flavours will give the classic Sunday roast side a much-needed lift. Fig and apples make a delicious autumnal combination in our pork loin roast, while pancetta provides a salty contrast to this sweet fruit in Emma Freud's American-style stuffing.

Try these fig stuffing recipes...
Pork loin roast with fig and apple stuffing
Fruity Christmas stuffing
Fig & pancetta American stuffing

12. Sweet snacks

Figs provide a fruity flavour hit in sweet and savoury snacks. Throw a handful of chewy toffees into the filling to make fig rolls with truly sticky, sweet centres that are so much better than anything you’ll find in a packet.

Try it yourself...
Sticky toffee fig rolls
Honeyed almond figs
Dolcelatte-stuffed figs

13. Savoury snacks

Figs also make delicious savoury snacks as their sweetness pairs perfectly with strong cheeses and salty meats. Whip up some festive party nibbles such as these sticky shallot, fig & almond parcels.

Try these savoury fig snacks...
Sticky shallot, fig & almond filo parcels
Fig & walnut slice

Then check out more of our Christmas canapé recipes.

14. Toasted sandwiches

Did we mention figs and cheese are a dream combo? A case in point is our toasted cinnamon bagel, loaded with creamy ricotta, sweet figs and honey, tangy blackcurrant jam plus a sprinkling of crumbled sesame snap. Or, use up your Christmas leftovers in a gourmet grilled brie, ham & fig, jam toastie – it's simply oozing with cheesy goodness!

Try these toasted sandwiches...
Ricotta, fig & sesame bagel
Brie, ham & fig jam toastie

15. Simply spiced

Let the natural beauty of the fruit take centre stage for an easy yet effective end to a dinner party, baked and served simple with mascarpone or grilled and drizzled with honey and butter until sticky.

Try these spiced fig desserts...
Sticky cinnamon figs
Spiced baked figs with ginger mascarpone

16. Stuffed bites

Stuffing figs with luxurious ingredients makes perfect party food. These dried figs are topped with dolcelatte, prosciutto and a drizzle of honey for an impressive yet surprisingly simple canapé.

Try these stuffed fig recipes...
Dolcelatte & prosciutto stuffed dried figs
Dolcelatte-stuffed figs

17. Tartines

Load your toast with ripe figs and fig chutney for a next-level lunch or starter. This impressive-looking fig, burrata and prosciutto recipe is deceptively easy to make, just make sure to use larger slices of sourdough.

Try these fig tartine recipes...
Fig, burrata & prosciutto tartine
Tartines with blue cheese, fig & ham

18. Party canapés

Fig canapés are great for a stress-free party nibble. This simple fig and goat's cheese recipe is easy to throw together – for added luxury, try using truffle-infused honey.

Try these party canapé recipes...
Figs with goat's cheese, pistachios & honey
Fig, goat’s cheese & basil crostini
Dolcelatte & prosciutto stuffed dried figs

19. Edible gift recipes

Looking for new ideas for gifting? This fig and walnut slice makes a thoughtful and useful present at Christmas time, or package a jar of one of our chutney recipes below.

Try these party canapé recipes...
Fig & walnut slice
Spiced fig & plum chutney
Sticky fig & port chutney

20. Christmas cake and pudding

Christmas pudding is a classic for a reason – this vegan version is packed with dried figs, raisins, sultanas and a tot of rum, best served warm with ice cream.

Try these figgy Christmas recipes...
Vegan Christmas pudding
Fig & honey Christmas cake
Figgy Christmas pudding

Get more autumnal recipe inspiration...

Top 10 autumn recipes
Autumn cake recipes
Our best ever apple cake recipes
Plum recipes
Autumn baking projects for kids
Top 15 blackberry recipe ideas

What are your favourite ways to serve figs? Let us know in the comments below...