Top 12 ways to serve figs (2024)

Smooth-skinned and lusciously sweet, figs have a unique taste and texture, with slightly chewy flesh peppered with tiny, crunchy seeds. Their high sugar content pairs perfectly with similarly intense flavours, adding a burst of sweetness to savoury dishes and a distinctive texture and aroma to sweet treats.

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How to choose the best figs

Select plump, soft and purple specimens, with no bruising or splits. Unripe figs will be hard and green in colour, while overripe fruits may feel mushy and smell sour. The fresh fruit is in season from August to early October, while dried varieties are available all year round.

Check out our fruity fig recipes below, then get more inspiration from our collection of best-ever fig recipes. Learn about the health benefits of figs and find out more about choosing, preparing and storing figs in our glossary entry.

Want to try growing your own fig tree? Discover the best way to grow figs, at GardenersWorld.com.

Top 12 ways to serve figs

1. Jams and chutneys

Ripe and juicy figs are ideal for turning into homemade jams and tangy chutneys. Our sweet fig jam is delicious spread on toast or swirled into yogurt, and also makes a great gift. You can also make chutney to accompany your cheeseboard – our sticky fig and port preserve is perfect for the festive season.

More like this

Try these fruity fig preserves...
Fig jam
Fresh fig chutney
Sticky fig and port chutney
Pineapple, fig and ginger chutney

2. Pies and tarts

Figs + pastry = endless possibilities. Choose from sweet or savoury flavours, a pastry lid or crisp base, or fully enclose your fillings in buttery, flaky goodness.

Try these fig tarts and pies...
Frangipane, fig and orange tart
Fig, raspberry and cardamom pie
Fig and blue cheese tart
Fig tartlets
Honey roasted fig and almond tart
Toffee fig pies

3. 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 assemblage?

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

4. 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 marvels in Christmas fruit cakes along with currants, nuts spices and spices – they soak up any booze beautifully!

Try these fig cake recipes...
Fig and raspberry crumble cake
Spiced fig, coffee and hazelnut cake
Fudgy fig roll
Little fig and almond cakes
Fig and honey Christmas cake

Check our more dried fig recipes

5. 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.

6. Puddings

Fresh figs feel right at home nestled into a sponge pudding or topped with sweet, crunchy crumble. Their rich fruity flavour and jammy texture adds an extra layer of comfort to wintry desserts, which is only enhanced with a giant dollop of ice cream.

Try these fig puddings...
Fig sponge pudding
Caramelised figgy bread and butter pudding
Orchard crumble

7. 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...
Baked blue cheese with figs and walnuts

Stilton and fig salad with honey-thyme drizzle
Spanish fig and almond balls

8. Pizzas and breads

Take the cheese and meat pairing up a notch and pop them all on a pizza. A bready base offers the perfect vehicle to get all that goodness from plate-to-mouth, with an added hit of carby pleasure.

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

9. Stuffings

Step away from tired old 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, whilst 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
Fig and pancetta American stuffing
Fruity Christmas stuffing

10. Sweet and savoury 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 centers that are so much better than anything you’ll find in a packet. Or serve our heavenly sticky shallot, fig and almond filo parcels as a tasty vegan canapé at Christmas.

Try it yourself...
Sticky toffee fig rolls
Sticky shallot, fig and almond filo parcels

11. Toasted sandwiches

Did we mention figs and cheese are a dream combo? A case in point is this 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 and fig, jam toastie – it's simply oozing with cheesy goodness!

Ricotta, fig and sesame bagel
Brie, ham and fig jam toastie

12. Simply spiced

Let the natural beauty of the fruit take centre stage for an easy, yet effective, end to a dinner party.

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

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

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

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to eat figs? ›

The best way to enjoy figs is raw, with the skin and seeds intact. You can also remove the peels and scoop out the seeds, if you like, or cook figs by baking, broiling or grilling them. But, the quickest and easiest way to enjoy these gems is by removing the stem and taking a bite right out of the raw fig.

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How many figs should I eat a day? ›

When it comes to raw fruit, you can easily have 2-3 figs in a day. If you are having dried figs, stick to 3 figs and do not have them without soaking overnight. Our body can absorb the nutrients and digest some dried fruits and nuts in a better way when they are soaked well.

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What fruit pairs well with figs? ›

Apple, blackberry, blood orange, elderberry, honeydew, nectarine, orange, peach, pear, persimmon, raspberry, spinach, tamarind. Almonds, basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, hazelnuts, mint, rosemary, thyme, vanilla, walnuts.

What are the pros and cons of eating figs? ›

A fig is a nutritious fruit that provides a lot of calcium and fiber. People can choose to eat fresh or dried figs, but they should be mindful that dried figs contain more calories and sugar. People can use figs to help treat a variety of conditions, as they are unlikely to cause harm.

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What cheese goes best with fresh figs? ›

Burrata with figs is another winning pairing. Di Palo's in Little Italy makes their own in-house, or try the burrata from Narragansett Creamery available at Saxelby Cheesemongers. And blue cheese and figs is a classic for good reason.

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Should figs be soaked or dry? ›

Anjeer or fig is an exceptional source of minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber[15]. It is one of the best natural laxatives you can add to your diet. Anjeer or figs when soaked in water provide better health benefits. Pre-soaking helps to break down the soluble fiber content present in figs.