Food Ingredients Fruits Fig Our 27 Favorite Fig Recipes Figs add phenomenal sweetness and a soft texture to fall fruit dishes, desserts, and drinks. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 6, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Whether they're fresh or dried, the beautiful thing about figs is that they can play both sweet and savory. In this roundup, we're shouting out all of our favorite fig dishes (and even a couple fig cocktails), from Fig and Rosemary Focaccia with Pecorino to a gorgeous Fig and Caramel Nut Tart. With more than 25 recipes to choose from, you really can't go wrong — the hardest part will be picking which one to make first. 01 of 27 Fresh Figs With Labneh and Carob Molasses Photo by Heami Lee / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely This is a simple dish but striking: a geometric bloom of fresh figs laid atop a layer of labneh and topped with carob molasses, olive oil, toasted sesame seeds and hazelnuts, and a shower of black pepper. Each bite combines a gentle sweetness from the figs glossed in molasses; a floral, creamy freshness from the olive oil and labneh; and a playground of textures. Get the Recipe 02 of 27 Mission Fig, Elderberry, and Mixed Greens Salad Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell This salad of seasonal fruits, herbs, and flowers is balanced with bold leafy greens and a simple, bright lemon dressing. Both the dressing and the salad call for aromatic hummingbird sage, which is more fragrant and less bitter than other varieties. If you can't find it, common sage will also work well. Get the Recipe 03 of 27 Fig Gelato Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox Dried figs give this rich and creamy gelato from author Katie Quinn a deep, caramelized flavor and subtle sweetness. Though gelato strays from traditional recipes, Quinn gives the option to use light brown sugar instead of white in the fig sauce, which will provide a deeper, more molasses-forward intensity, perfect for the dried figs that flavor the sauce. Get the Recipe 04 of 27 Chocolate and Fig Cake Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis The large range of figs called for in this recipe leaves the decoration and texture of this dense and fudgy chocolate dessert up to you: Four ounces of figs creates two small rings around the cake, while the full 12 ounces of fruit will cover the entire top with a jammy layer and require a few more minutes in the oven to fully bake. Get the Recipe 05 of 27 Smoky Mezcal-Fig Sour Victor Protasio The spicy-sweet fig-ginger syrup rounds out the smoky mezcal and bright lemon juice in this cocktail. Mezcal is still the dominant flavor in this barely sweet drink that lets the liquor shine. Get the Recipe 06 of 27 Fig and Caramel Nut Tart Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Rich, barely bitter caramel, deeply toasted nuts, and chewy figs combine in a buttery crust for a dessert designed for pairing with Madeira. A pinch of flaky sea salt rounds out the flavors. Get the Recipe 07 of 27 Fig Jam Julia Hartbeck You can whip up this delicious jam in under an hour with just three ingredients. For a jam with a bit more complexity, try the variation that calls for white port and a sprig of fresh rosemary. Get the Recipe 08 of 27 Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye with Roasted Fig Miso Eva Kolenko Chefs Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama give tender, marbled grilled wagyu a hit of savory, lightly sweet flavor with roasted fig miso sauce. Use leftover sauce to slather on ribs before grilling. If fresh figs are not available, use thawed frozen figs rather than dried. Get the Recipe 09 of 27 Grilled Figs with Ham, Walnuts, and Mint Cream Christopher Hirsheimer Chef Frank Stitt started his culinary education by working for the late, great cookbook author Richard Olney in Provence, France. This appetizer, in which ripe figs are stuffed with walnuts, wrapped in ham, and kissed on the grill — a riff on devils on horseback — is inspired by Olney's love of seasonal ingredients. Get the Recipe 10 of 27 Honeyed Fig Crostatas © CON POULOS Forget the figgy pudding; for your holiday bash this year, make these party-perfect fig crostatas. Your guests will surely think the world a merry and bright place. Get the Recipe 11 of 27 Black Mission Fig Clafoutis © Con Poulos 2014 F&W Best New Chef Matthew Accarrino cleverly adds juicy fresh figs to this delicious pancake-like French dessert, then tops it with port-infused whipped cream. Get the Recipe 12 of 27 Pickled Figs in Balsamic Vinegar © Young & Hungry This recipe creates both fig-flavored balsamic vinegar and tangy pickled figs. To guarantee that the fruit remains whole, use firm figs instead of very ripe ones. Pickled figs are great with grilled pork chops, roast leg of lamb, or roast chicken. Get the Recipe 13 of 27 Fig Bars with Red Wine and Anise Seeds © ANDREW PURCELL This delicious homemade grown-up version of Fig Newtons calls for adding red wine and anise seeds to the jammy fig filling. The crust gets even more tender the day after baking. Get the Recipe 14 of 27 Fig and Frangipane Galettes © Nicole Franzen These moist free-form tarts feature fresh figs and fragrant almond paste. The rim of the all-butter crust is sprinkled with turbinado sugar before baking, which adds a caramelized crunch to the golden pastry. Get the Recipe 15 of 27 Chopped Kale Salad with Prosciutto and Figs © Con Poulos Television chef Giada De Laurentiis tops her colorful chopped salad of greens, figs, and prosciutto with shavings of Gorgonzola. She freezes the cheese first, so it's firm enough to shave, but you can always crumble it over the salad instead. Get the Recipe 16 of 27 Olive Oil-Thyme Cake with Figs and Black Pepper © Sang An Pastry chef Elizabeth Dahl makes a brilliant olive oil cake that's tender, moist, and delicately flavored with fresh thyme. She tops it with lush figs tossed with sugar, black pepper, and more thyme; as the fruit sits in the sugar, its juices thicken to form a delectable syrup. Get the Recipe 17 of 27 Figmata Justin Walker Chicago cocktail innovator Nandini Khaund designed this cocktail to be the perfect autumn drink. Notes of fig, honey, and incense keep it refreshing and drinkable in a surprisingly low-alcohol cocktail. Get the Recipe 18 of 27 Anise Pork with Figs and Apples Ashley Colbourne The sweet licorice flavor of anise or fennel seeds adds depth to pork. For the sauce, look for dried figs that are soft and moist. If they seem very dry, soften them in hot water before cutting. Get the Recipe 19 of 27 Roast Chicken with Port and Figs © DANA GALLAGHER Dried figs are poached in port to make a luscious Portuguese-inspired sauce. Ruby port provides the best color, but tawny will also taste good. Get the Recipe 20 of 27 Raspberry and Fig Cake © Marie Hennechart "I snagged this dessert from my Scandinavian grandmother," says chef Mehmet Gürs. "She used a wood-burning oven, a cast-iron skillet, and fresh island berries." Use additional raspberries when figs are not in season. Get the Recipe 21 of 27 Fig and Prosciutto Flatbreads © Quentin Bacon This flatbread is topped with sticky-sweet fig jam, pungent Gorgonzola cheese, and salty prosciutto. A shortcut to making it: Use store-bought pizza dough instead of homemade. Get the Recipe 22 of 27 Gorgonzola, Fig, and Pancetta Pizza © Anson Smart Since this grilled pizza has a lot going on — from creamy cheese to sweet figs — pair it with a refreshing lager, like Tasmania's James Boag's. A sparkling rosé would also work. Get the Recipe 23 of 27 Fig and Rosemary Focaccia with Pecorino Con Poulos Chef Marco Canora makes this focaccia with freshly milled, small-batch whole-wheat flour. The grain's mild nuttiness marries beautifully with plump dried figs, and Pecorino Romano provides a great salty contrast to the fruit's sweetness. A generous amount of olive oil ensures both a tender crumb and a crisp, golden exterior. Get the Recipe 24 of 27 Figgy Orange Bitters © JOHNNY VALIANT Fragrant fig-orange bitters are an elegant way to elevate your fall cocktails. The bark, roots, and other more esoteric ingredients used to make bitters can be found at herbal apothecaries. Get the Recipe 25 of 27 Tagliatelle with Braised Chicken and Figs © Christina Holmes This Spanish-inspired pasta from chef Kyle Bailey is rich and complex-tasting, thanks to a sauce made from chicken braising liquid that's reduced until silky and luscious. Finishing touches of dried figs and marcona almonds add sweetness and crunch. Get the Recipe 26 of 27 Honey and Fig Cornbread Muffins © Sarah Bolla Figs are used in two ways to make these truly tender cornbread muffins. They're cooked with honey and citrus and swirled into the batter, then the finished muffins are topped with fresh quartered fig pieces. Get the Recipe 27 of 27 Vegetable Farro Stew with Figs and Pine Nuts © Christina Holmes "I'm not a vegetarian," says chef Grant Achatz. "But at home I mainly eat grains and vegetables." His minimalist slow-cooker stew features farro, eggplant, artichokes, and three kinds of pepper, and is sweetened with dried figs and raisins. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? 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