Dried Fig Recipes: 7 Easy Ways to Use Dried Figs

Dried figs are sweet, chewy and keep for months in the cupboard, which makes them one of the most useful fruits in the pantry. These seven dried fig recipes are quick and flexible. Most take 15 minutes or less.

Before you start

Snip off the hard stem tip with scissors. If your figs are very firm, soak them in hot water for 10–15 minutes and pat them dry. Our guides to softening dried figs and removing the stems go into more detail.

1. Quick fig compote

Quarter 8 dried figs (about 70 g) and put them in a small pan with ¾ cup (180 ml) water, a strip of lemon or orange peel and a small piece of cinnamon stick. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes until the figs are soft and the liquid is syrupy. Add a teaspoon of honey if you like. Serve warm over yogurt or porridge, or cold with cheese. It keeps for 4–5 days in the fridge.

2. Breakfast yogurt bowl

Chop 2–3 figs and stir them into strained yogurt with walnuts and a drizzle of honey. See Greek yogurt with honey for the full method.

3. Fig and walnut bites

Blitz 1 cup (about 150 g) of stemmed dried figs with ½ cup (50 g) walnuts, a pinch of salt and a little grated orange zest in a food processor until it clumps. Roll into small balls, then roll them in toasted sesame seeds. Chill for 30 minutes. They keep for a week in a closed box in the fridge. Toasting tips are in how to toast sesame seeds.

4. Winter salad with figs and feta

Slice 4 figs and toss them with rocket or mixed leaves, crumbled feta, toasted walnuts and thinly sliced red onion. Dress with our Greek salad dressing, adding ½ tsp honey to the jar. For a full recipe that works with fresh or dried figs, see our fig salad.

5. A cheese board with figs

Halve figs and arrange them beside a hard cheese, a soft cheese and a few Kalamata olives. Add a small bowl of honey and some walnuts. For a fuller spread, see how to build a simple Greek pantry mezze.

6. Pork or chicken with figs

Brown pork chops or chicken thighs in olive oil. Add 6 halved dried figs, a sliced onion, a sprig of thyme and ½ cup (120 ml) of stock or white wine. Cover and cook gently until the meat is cooked through. Finish with black pepper and a squeeze of lemon. The figs soften in the sauce and sweeten it.

7. Fig and olive tapenade

Chop 4 softened figs with ½ cup of pitted Kalamata olives, 1 tbsp capers, a little lemon zest and 2–3 tbsp olive oil. It’s sweet and salty, and good on toast with goat’s cheese. Start from our Kalamata olive tapenade recipe.

Storing dried figs

Keep dried figs in a closed container in a cool, dry place, or in the fridge once opened. Follow the storage directions on your pack. Our Greek dried figs come in a 200 g (7 oz) pack. For calories, fiber and minerals, see dried figs nutrition facts, and browse the Greek dried figs collection.

Dried fig recipes: frequently asked questions