Fresh Figs, Three Ways (2024)

Next time you see fresh figs at the grocery store or Farmer’s Market, buy a container or two and try these recipes, prepared three different and delicious ways!

Love fresh fruit desserts? Try my Mini Strawberry Pies Recipe too!

I used to hate fresh figs. To me, they fell into an unpleasant category of squishiness alongside the likes of papaya, under-cooked eggs and sponge-like mushrooms.

At restaurant a few years back I was presented a beautiful little appetizer of toasted baguette with a little piece of fig and a chunk of soft cheese and a drizzle of local honey. My life was forever changed 🙂 These are a seasonal wonder, full of flavor with a luscious, jammy texture. They are so good, and here are a few of my favorite ways to eat them:

• In a simple cheese plate with greens, toasted hazelnuts, flaky sea salt, honey and olive oil
• As an easy yogurt bowl with granola, blueberries and honey. So good at breakfast! (and so extra with a big slice of California Fig Banana Bread)
• As an appetizer or light lunch of toasted sourdough bread with soft cheese, fresh thyme, pistachios and honey. Honestly, I’d love to eat this anytime. (Excellent with a bowl of Creamy Pumpkin Soup or Fresh Corn Chowder)

All three recipes are easy to prepare, absolutely delicious, and don’t require any cooking!

Ingredients for Recipe #1

For full details and descriptions on the recipes and ingredients, please scroll to the recipe card below.

The ingredients you’ll need to make a fig and cheese plate are:

• Greens: A handful of organic green lettuces and also flat leaf (Italian) parsley
• Figs: Fresh Mission variety, quartered and scattered on the plate
• Hazelnuts: Toasted and chopped (and salted!)
• Cheese: Manchego or other semi-hard cheese like Fontina, Gruyere or even Parmesan
• Honey: For liberal drizzling
• Olive oil: A full flavored fruity variety, if possible
• Flaky Sea Salt: Always and forever

To assemble your plate:

1. Place the greens on a plate or platter
2. Add the cheese and sliced figs
3. Sprinkle with sea salt, fresh parsley and hazelnuts
4. Drizzle with honey and olive oil

So delicious! Super easy too for lunch or as an appetizer before a dinner of Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage or Chicken Sausage Tortellini Soup.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Recipe #2

Seriously, is there anything better than fresh fruit, yogurt and a little crumble of granola? I’ve been known to eat this more than once in a day. It’s like, addicting. Here’s what you do:

• Yogurt: Any flavor, but I recommend plain or vanilla to let the fresh fruit shine through.
• Figs and Blueberries: Just a little of each.
• Granola: A few sprinklings, tucked here and there for satisfying crunchiness.
• Honey: To make things just a little sweeter.

Assembling the Bowls

Be sure to check out the full recipe card below for details on all these preparations. For a Yogurt and Granola Bowl:

1. Place the yogurt in a small bowl
2. Add the granola
3. Add the sliced fresh figs and blueberries on top
4. Drizzle with honey

This is a really delicious bowl to eat in the afternoon for a snack, or for breakfast. Easy, too!

Ingredients You’ll Need for Recipe #3

Okay, every time I serve these, I get asked for the “recipe”. No one can believe it’s so simple!

Here’s the ingredients you’ll need:

• Sourdough & Olive Oil: Use any artisan-style rustic bread, drizzled with olive oil and toasted
• Cream Cheese: Softened for easy spreading on the warm toast
• Figs: Of course 🙂
• Pistachios: For crunch and flavor
• Thyme, Salt and Honey: For sprinkling and drizzling

How to Make it:

1. Slice the bread, drizzle with olive oil, then toast it under the broiler until lightly golden brown.
2. Slather on some cream cheese.
3. Add the sliced fresh figs on top.
4. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios, thyme, and flaky sea salt.
5. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Expert Tips & Possible Substitutions

You really need to taste fresh figs to experience them for yourself, but if you don’t want to commit to buying a whole basket, most grocery stores or Farmer’s Market’s will gladly give you a sample if you ask nicely. 🙂 You can also add figs to almost any kind of charcuterie board. Slice a few, and leave a few whole for a pretty presentation.

Here’s some possible substitutions:

• Use peach or vanilla Greek yogurt in the Yogurt & Granola Bowl
• Try plant-based yogurt’s too (I love plain)
• Try other cheeses for the plate, like Gruyere or Fontina or even Parmesan
• No pistachios? Try toasted almonds instead!

Varieties of Figs and Tips for Buying

Figs have a mysterious, almost savory quality, and they aren’t too sweet or too tart. They are:

• Sweet, with a rich flavor and soft texture
• A pulpy flesh that’s similar to jam
• Beware! of unripe figs! which are dry! and rubbery!!! Be sure to select a basket where the figs are mostly firm and smooth.

There are hundreds of varieties of figs, but the most common and readily available are Black Mission (shown in the container above. Don’t shy away from other types if you see them at the Farmers Market or grocery store:

• Brown Turkey
• Sierra
• Calimyrna
• King
• Kadota

If you’ve got an interest in learning more, here’s some fascinating fig facts from Valley Fig Growers here in California. I’ve eaten figs straight from the container, but you should gently rinse and dry them, trim the stem and very bottom with a sharp knife and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store fresh figs?

Fresh figs are pretty fragile and bruise easily, and should be stored in the refrigerator. Just gently rinse them off and trim the ends before use.

How long will fresh figs last before using?

Figs will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator if they were firm when you purchased them.

Other Recipes to Try

• Pan Roasted Pear Salad: Just an amazing combination of flavors!
• Pumpkin Spice Milkshake: Delightful!
• Nectarine Toast with Honey Goat Cheese A match made in heaven.
• Goat Cheese Toasts with Cranberry Compote Another match made in heaven. Seriously!
• Roasted Grape Hazelnut Breakfast Bowl If you’ve never roasted grapes, OMG.
• Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Yogurt Sauce: A favorite seasonal side dish

If you’ve tried Fresh Figs, Three Ways, or any recipe on Studio Delicious, please leave a rating and comment below…I’d love to hear from you!

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This recipe was originally posted in September 2019. Instructions and tips were updated July 2021.