How to Eat Figs: 5 Easy Recipes + Nutrition Benefits
Ever wondered how to eat figs? You’ll love these 5 easy, tasty recipes featuring fresh figs and other nourishing ingredients!
This post contains affiliate links for products I recommend and personally use. If you purchase a product through these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
How to Eat Figs (and Love Them!)
In this post you’ll find everything you need to become a fig lover too. I’ll show you how to pick a ripe fig and keep it fresh once you’re home, break down the nutrition benefits (figs are good for your gut!), and share five of my favorite ways to eat them, from an easy goat cheese fig bruschetta to a hearty fig and beet salad.
I have to admit something as a dietitian. Until I was an adult, the only figs I ever tried were in Fig Newtons. They sure were tasty, weren’t they? Figs always seemed so exotic and tempting to me, so I finally tried a fresh one. I must have picked a bad fig, though, because it tasted pretty bland.
Still, I didn’t give up. I tried fresh figs again, and this time they were delicious! Maybe some of you aren’t fans of fresh figs either, so I want to share a few tasty ways to enjoy them. Who knows, you might end up loving them too!
How to Eat Figs | 5 Delicious Ways!
1. Fresh Fig Bruschetta with Goat Cheese & Toasted Nuts
This Fresh Fig Bruschetta is SO easy I figured I didn’t need to put it into a proper recipe format for you. All you need to make it is to slice fresh figs (with the skin on!), top ’em with goat cheese, a little fig spread (optional), and toasted pecans and almonds. Make this easy appetizer for your guests (I promise they will devour it!) or a healthy snack just for you.
2. Fresh Fig Greek Yogurt Smoothie
It doesn’t get much easier than this Fresh Fig Greek Yogurt Smoothie. All you need are Greek yogurt, banana, ice, honey, and yummy fresh figs! Get the recipe: Fresh Fig Greek Yogurt Smoothie
3. Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes & Fresh Figs
This balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe is another delicious way to enjoy fresh figs. It’s pretty enough for a holiday dish and easy enough for a weeknight autumn meal. Get the recipe: Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes & Figs
4. Warm Maple Fig & Beet Kale Salad
You make this fresh fig salad warm or cold. It’s a hearty and super nourishing green superfood salad with beets, fresh figs, white beans, and goat cheese-perfect for an entree or easy side dish! Get the recipe: Warm Maple Fig and Beet Kale Salad
5. Figgy Ham Sandwich with Manchego & Arugula
This figgy ham sandwich features my favorite Dalmatia Fig Spread and is the perfect combo of sweet and salty deliciousness!
- Start with your (gluten-free) bread of choice, toasted, and slather it with a generous amount of fig preserves.
- Top it off with ham. Or, for a vegetarian version, no ham is necessary!
- Add Manchego cheese, sliced thin.
- And finally, add your greens {peppery arugula works well}, plus a toast topper, and there you have it…A delicious figgy ham sandwich!
Are Figs Good for You? Fresh Fig Nutrition & Gut Health Benefits
Fresh figs are a nutrient-dense fruit, and their benefits go beyond what most people expect from a naturally sweet treat.
Fiber and gut health. A single medium fresh fig (you’ll likely eat 2-3 in one sitting) has a little over 1 gram of fiber, and that fiber includes both the soluble and insoluble kind, which is part of why figs are traditionally used to help with regularity.
In one study, twice daily consumption of 4 dried figs reduced symptoms (pain, bloating, and constipation) in people with IBS-C. (1)
Figs are also a source of polyphenols (2), plant compounds that research suggests may act as prebiotics, meaning they help feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome. (3)
Vitamins and minerals. Figs provide vitamin B6, vitamin K, calcium, copper, and potassium, along with antioxidants that may help protect cells from oxidative damage.
A note on sugar. Figs are naturally sweet, and like any fruit, they contain natural sugars. Enjoying them whole, with the fiber and skin intact, and pairing them with a protein or fat (think the goat cheese and nuts in the bruschetta recipe above) helps slow that sugar absorption.
How to Select and Store Fresh Figs
Fresh figs are only in season for a short window, late summer through early fall, so it helps to know what you’re looking for at the store or farmers market.
How to pick a ripe fig: You’ll need to go by feel more than color. A ripe fig should be slightly soft to the touch, with the skin starting to split or wrinkle near the stem. If it’s rock hard, it’s not ripe yet. If it smells sour or fermented, it’s overripe. Figs don’t ripen much once picked, so choose ones that are already soft.
How to store fresh figs: Figs are delicate and don’t keep long. I’ve learned my lesson the hard way. Once you bring them home, plan on eating them quickly!
You’ll want to store them unwashed in the fridge, in a single layer if possible so they don’t bruise each other, and eat them within 2-3 days. If your figs are still a bit firm, you can leave them at room temperature for a day or two to soften slightly, then refrigerate.
Can you eat the skin? Yes, fig skin is completely edible and provides fiber. Just rinse your figs gently before eating.
💜 Your turn! Leave a comment and let me know if you’re a fig lover too! What are your favorite ways to eat figs? Please share!
