How to Cook Figs

Figs are popular fruits that can be prepared in a variety of ways. Figs taste great on their own fresh or dried, but you can add a lot of extra flavor by cooking them. They can be oven roasted with brown sugar and cinnamon, sautéed with cinnamon and almonds, or poached with red wine. The possibilities are endless! Your finished cooked figs make a great topping with both sweet and salty treats, such as cheese, meats, and even ice cream.

Ingredients

Oven-Roasted Figs

5 fresh figs
1 tablespoon (15 mL) brown sugar (optional)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) cinnamon (optional)
Honey (optional)
1 Whole nutmeg or 2 teaspoons (9.9 mL) grated nutmeg (optional)

Sautéed Figs with Cinnamon and Almonds

2 Pounds fresh figs (about 24 figs)
1.5 tablespoons (22 mL) extra virgin olive oil
¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) cinnamon
¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 mL) cardamom
¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) almonds, slivered
¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) sweet white wine

Wine-Poached Figs

1 ounce (28 g) figs, dried (about 6 figs)
¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) red wine
¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) sugar
Salt and pepper
2 Sprigs fresh thyme

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Oven-Roasted Figs

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To roast your figs, make sure you get some that are fresh and ripe, not dried. Ripe figs are firm and give slightly to pressure, not too hard like an apple, but also not too soft or mushy. When you cut them, they should hold their rounded shape. Different types of figs come in various colors, including yellow, brown, red, purple, and even black.^{[1]XResearch source}
Fresh figs can be baked in the oven to give them an even sweeter taste. To ensure that the figs are cooked all the way through and are nice and soft, preheat the oven while you prepare your ingredients.^{[2]XResearch source}
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Wash the figs and remove the stem. You should always wash fruit before cooking and eating it. To wash your figs, place them in a large bowl and rinse them under the sink in cool water. Then remove them from the bowl and gently dry them off with a paper towel or dishcloth. Once they’re dry, remove their stems. You can pull off the stems with your fingers, or cut them off with a pairing knife.
- When washing, use your fingers to remove any dirt on the surface of the figs. Don’t scrub to hard though, because figs are delicate.
To cut a fig, place it on its side and slice down the center with a knife. Do this for all your figs, and then lay them face up on a baking sheet. Put the figs close together on the sheet. You don’t want large gaps between them when you sprinkle on your seasonings.^{[3]XResearch source}
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Choose some sweet toppings for your recipe and sprinkle them over your figs. There are a lot of different toppings to choose from for your figs that will taste amazing when roasted. Below are just a few of your options:
- Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on your fig slices. Mix 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of brown sugar with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) of ground cinnamon. Then add a handful of rosemary sprigs on top.
- Pour liquid honey and grated nutmeg on your figs. Add enough honey to lightly cover all of your figs. Then get 1 whole nutmeg and grate it over the figs and honey. You can also sprinkle 2 teaspoons (9.9 mL) of ground nutmeg if you don’t have a whole one.^{[4]XResearch source}
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Put your figs in the oven and roast them for 40 minutes. The figs will start to release their juices after about 30 minutes. Given an extra 10 minutes, there will be almost no juice left, and they end up slightly dry and wrinkled. This dry, wrinkled texture combined with your choice of seasonings makes a tasty desert.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Remove the figs from the oven after 30 minutes if you want to make a fig jam.
Remove your finished figs from the oven and turn off the heat. Let them sit in the pan and cool down for 10-15 minutes before serving.^{[6]XResearch source}
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Serve with cured meats and cheese or a salad. Figs can be served with almost anything you’d like. But they make a great side with meat and cheese. Cured meats like prosciutto go great with figs, as well as special cheese, such as stilton or brie.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Save your leftover figs by putting them in a covered dish in the refrigerator. Eat them within a week to ensure that they are still fresh.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Sautéed Figs with Cinnamon and Almonds

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To wash your figs, place them in a large bowl and rinse them under cool water. Then, remove them from the bowl and wipe them down with a paper towel or dry kitchen towel. Remove the stems by pulling them off with your fingers, then use a paring knife to cut them in half.
For this recipe, season the figs with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) of cinnamon and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon (1.2 mL) of cardamom. Make sure to sprinkle them so they cover all of the figs.^{[8]XResearch source}
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Heat 1.5 tablespoons (22 mL) of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Grab a large skillet and pour 1.5 US tbsp (22 mL) of olive oil inside. Put it on the stove and turn the heat up to medium high until the oil starts to sizzle.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Add salt and pepper to the oil to add a little extra flavor.^{[10]XResearch source}
Place the seasoned figs face up on the skillet and stir them with tongs or a spatula so all sides get sautéed. Cook them until get tender, which should take about 6-7 minutes in total.^{[11]XResearch source}
Pour about ¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of slivered almonds and ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of sweet white wine into the skillet with the figs. Mix all the ingredients together and let it cook for 2-3 more minutes. Continue to stir occasionally to make sure all of the ingredients are combined.^{[12]XResearch source}
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Serve sautéed figs over your favorite treat. Figs taste great with desserts like ice cream or sorbet. They also make a great breakfast topping over pancakes or waffles. Or, go for a salty and sweet treat with figs with cheese and crackers.^{[13]XResearch source}
- If you have any leftover figs, place them in a dish, cover them, and put them in the refrigerator. They will last up to a week when cooked.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Wine-Poached Figs

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Make sure to wash the figs before you cook them. To wash, place the figs in a large bowl and rinse with cool water. Then dry them off with a clean paper towel or kitchen cloth. Once they’re dry, remove the stems by pulling them off with your fingers and cut them in half with a paring knife.^{[14]XResearch source}
For this recipe, you’ll need ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of red wine, ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of sugar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix all of these ingredients together with a spoon in a medium saucepan.^{[15]XResearch source}
Combine your figs in the pan with the wine mixture and put the stove burner on medium-high heat. Mix the ingredients gently until the liquid comes to a boil.^{[16]XResearch source}
Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low. The wine should be reduced by half and slightly thickened. Let it simmer at this temperature for about 10 minutes.^{[17]XResearch source}
After simmering, turn off the burner and remove the pan so it can cool down. Gather fresh thyme for garnish and stir it into the fig mixture.^{[18]XResearch source}
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Serve your poached figs with cheese and bread. Wine-poached figs taste great with cheese. Serve with an assertive cheese, such as Manchego or Taleggio over a slice of bread.^{[19]XResearch source}
- If you have any wine-poached figs left over, store them in an airtight container and put them in the refrigerator. Eat them within 5-7 days.