What Are Figs, dried and How Can I Use Them?

Figs, dried is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store them, what to substitute, and 45 recipes to get you started.

What is figs, dried?

Dried figs are fresh figs with the water driven off, which leaves a chewy, intensely sweet fruit that keeps for months. Drying concentrates the sugars into something almost like candy, with the tiny seeds giving a faint crunch in every bite.

The two you'll see most are Mission and Calimyrna. Mission figs are dark purple-black and rich; Calimyrna are larger and golden, with a nuttier taste. Both run sweeter and denser than fresh figs, and unlike fresh, they keep in the cupboard year-round.

Cooking With Dried Figs

Out of the bag they're ready to eat. Chop them into oatmeal, granola like the Gluten-Free Granola (Breakfast), trail mix, or a Raspberry-Fig Breakfast Bar. Stemmed and sliced, they're a fixture on any cheese board.

For baking and cooking, plumping wakes them up. Soak chopped figs in warm water, juice, wine, or tea for 20 to 30 minutes until they soften and swell.

Then fold them into cookies, the filling of Anise-Fig Rolls, or a quick compote, and keep the sweet soaking liquid for the dish.

They love savory company too. Simmered down they make a Dried Fig Jam for cheese, and whole or halved they stand up to roast meats and fish, as in Mediterranean Chicken & Figs and a Wood-Grilled Trout with Mission Fig Compound Butter.

Pairing and Pitfalls

Dried figs go with walnuts, almonds, blue and goat cheese, prosciutto, honey, and a little cinnamon or anise. Their deep sweetness balances salty and tangy partners, which is why fig and cheese is such a reliable match.

The first mistake is leaving the stems on. Each fig has a small hard stem at the top that stays tough and woody no matter how you cook it, so pinch or snip it off before using.

The second is skipping the soak in baked goods. Dried figs steal moisture from a batter and stay leathery if you toss them in dry, so plump them first. Otherwise they bake up hard and chewy in a way that fights the crumb around them.

Fresh Versus Dried, and Swaps

Fresh figs are a different ingredient: soft, jammy, delicate, and only lightly sweet rather than concentrated.

You can't swap one for the other straight across, since dried are far sweeter and drier. If a recipe wants dried and you have fresh, expect a wetter, milder result.

For a true substitute, other dried fruit comes closest. Dried dates match the sticky sweetness best, while prunes or raisins stand in with a little more tartness.

In baking, chop the substitute to fig size and adjust the sugar if it's a tarter fruit like apricot. For a cheese board, dates or a good quince paste fill the same sweet-savory slot.

Buying and Storage

Look for figs that are still soft and pliable, with a little give when squeezed. Pass on any that are rock-hard, since that means they're old and dried out past the point of plumping back easily.

A white powdery bloom on the surface is usually just natural sugar crystallizing out, and it's harmless. Real mold is fuzzy and off-colored; when in doubt, smell for a sour or fermented odor.

Sealed in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard, dried figs keep 6 to 12 months. Refrigerated they last even longer, up to a year or more, and you can freeze them for years, though they'll firm up cold and want a few minutes at room temperature before eating.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find figs, dried: Figs, dried is usually found in the snacks section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Figs, dried is a member of the Fruits and Fruit Juices US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

无花果，干

British (UK) term

Figs, dried

en français

figues, séchées

en español

higos, se secan

How much does figs, dried weigh?

Related

Fruits and Fruit Juices

Recipes using figs, dried

There are 45 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Gluten-Free Granola (Breakfast)

A healthy version of a common breakfast staple, it provides steady-release energy through the day and delivers important nutrients such as iron, selenium and calcium, among others. Easy to make ahead and pack for a day at the office.

Wood-Grilled Trout with Mission Fig Compound Butter

Beer pairing suggestion: American India pale ale or amber ale. The Stone World Bistro & Gardens, in Escondido, California, serves wood-grilled trout with black mission fig butter to make it taste even milder and sweeter. Mission figs are available in the dried fruit section of most large supermarkets. Untreated wood planks for grilling are available in grilling and barbecue sections of hardware store s as well as some supermarkets.

California Quesadillas

Made this California quesadillas for breakfast this morning. It came out surprisingly delicious. As the photos show, they came out cheesy, oozy but not too sweet. The sweetness from the pear and figs balanced greatly with the brie cheese. It's a quick, easy and tasty recipe.

Mediterranean Chicken & Figs

An easy, tasty and low fat Mediterranean style chicken and figs, serve over a bed of rice or a few slices of bread.

Raspberry-Fig Breakfast Bar

These raspberry-fig bars are perfect for grab-go breakfast, delicious, packed with goodness. They will for sure energize you to start a fresh day.

Pretty Party Mousse

Frozen fig and chocolate ice cream mousse with vanilla wafers, toasted walnuts, instant coffee, and whipped cream. A retro molded dessert garnished with whole figs.

Fig Fruit Cake

Fig fruit cake with dried figs, candied cherries, pineapple, walnuts, brandy, and unsweetened chocolate. A spiced holiday loaf baked low and slow for dense, sliceable richness.

Fig Spooks

Halloween fig spooks cupcakes built from cake mix studded with chopped figs, topped with a whole dried fig and draped in white buttercream icing for little ghost-shaped treats.

Fig Garden Party Cakes

Fig garden party cakes layer sponge cake or lady fingers with a homemade dried-fig filling cooked down with peanut butter, butter, and lemon juice. A vintage tea-table dessert with surprising depth.

Fruit Basket Salad Dressing

Fruit basket salad dressing with dried figs, orange yogurt, crushed pineapple, and nutmeg. A creamy, naturally sweet topping for fresh fruit salads. No cooking, just stir and chill.

Brown Nugget Dessert

A no-bake icebox cake layering sliced pound cake with a chocolate-fig mousse made from butter, cocoa, dried California figs, and fluffy egg whites, then crowned with fresh whipped cream.

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Ouzo-Poached Figs

Light Greek yogurt cheesecake with a melba toast and walnut crust, topped with dried figs poached in an ouzo syrup with cinnamon stick and orange zest. A Mediterranean twist on cheesecake that skips the heaviness.

Anise-Fig Rolls

Tender whole wheat rolls studded with chewy figs and fragrant anise seeds, sweetened with molasses for a hearty breakfast treat that fills your kitchen with warm, spiced aromas.

Fig Walnut Puffs

Baked fig and walnut meringue puffs made with whipped egg whites, stewed figs, and broken walnuts. An old-school fruit dessert that bakes up airy and jammy, finished with sweetened whipped cream.

Trail Cookies

Whole wheat trail cookie bars with dried figs, golden raisins, walnuts, and wheat germ, sweetened with honey and molasses. A hearty, portable snack baked in one pan.

Western Wheat Pilaf

Bulgur wheat pilaf with dried figs, orange juice, sherry, and toasted sesame seeds. A nutty, fruity grain side dish with California flair.

Three Grain Muffins

Three grain muffins made with bran cereal, rolled oats, and whole wheat flour sweetened with molasses, honey, and dried figs. Hearty, high-fiber breakfast muffins.

Fig Jam Muffins

Fig jam muffins with homemade dried fig jam spooned into the center of each muffin before baking. A from-scratch breakfast treat with warm spiced fig filling.

Maple Glazed Ham Steak

Maple glazed ham steak baked with dried figs and caramelized bananas in a clove-scented maple-lemon glaze. An easy, impressive sheet-pan dinner for four.

Encore Cake

Vintage spice cake layered with sweet stewed figs and crowned with vanilla frosting and toasted coconut. This retro two-layer beauty transforms humble ingredients into pure nostalgia.

Orange Spiced Fruit Bread

Orange spiced fruit bread baked in a Bundt pan, packed with dried figs, golden raisins, and cranberries. A no-knead yeast loaf brushed with honey-orange syrup and finished with an optional citrus glaze.

Christmas Compote Jam

Christmas compote jam blends dried figs, dates, apricots, three nuts, and candied orange in a quince-juice base spiced with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and star anise. A three-day European holiday preserve worth every step.

Ported Stuffed Figs

Port-soaked dried figs stuffed with ricotta cheese and topped with a whole almond. An elegant make-ahead appetizer or dessert bite that needs overnight chilling.

Gold Coat Autumn Salad with California Figs

Autumn fruit salad with dried California figs, orange slices, and apple over lettuce, drizzled with a cardamom-honey yogurt dressing and toasted coconut.

California-Vermont Sauce

Just 3 ingredients: dried California figs simmered in pure Vermont maple syrup until thick and luscious. Spoon it over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, or warm biscuits.

Sweet & Savory Appetizer Puffs

Whole wheat choux puffs filled with a sweet-savory blend of cream cheese, dried figs, crumbled bacon, and chutney. A party appetizer that balances crispy, creamy, and fruity in every bite.

Yam Bake a la Orange

Yam bake a la orange: sliced yams layered with fresh orange, dried figs, and walnuts, drizzled with honey and orange-zest butter. A bright, naturally sweet holiday side without marshmallows.

Mrs. Claus' Cookies

Mrs. Claus' cookies are a holiday drop cookie loaded with chopped figs, currants, walnuts, and crisp rice cereal, subtly spiced with mace. Vintage Christmas cookie tin charm in every bite.

Zesty Fig Pastries

Zesty fig and date pastry bars with walnuts, orange juice, and lemon zest on a buttery shortbread crust with a crisscross lattice top. A bright, old-school cookie bar.

Tra-La Coffee Cakes

Tra-La coffee cake muffins with stewed figs baked into a quick batter, topped with brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and walnut streusel. A vintage breakfast treat.

Breakfast Treat

Baked figs and pears spiced with cinnamon and brown sugar, served warm straight from the dish. A naturally sweet, no-fuss breakfast or light dessert built on just five ingredients.

Coffee-Fig Delight

Coffee-fig delight is a retro parfait-style dessert: vanilla pudding cooked with chopped dried figs and instant coffee, topped with coffee whipped cream. Easy pantry sweet ready in under an hour.

Fig Chess Tarts

Fig chess tarts with a buttery lemon-scented shortbread shell, filled with brown sugar custard studded with chopped dried figs and walnuts. A Southern chess pie translated into bite-sized tart form.

Glazed Figs, Gourmet

Gourmet glazed figs simmered in brandy, apple cider vinegar, and cloves until plump and transparent, then stuffed with toasted almonds. Pairs with roasted meats.

California Fig-Apple Compote

Tired of cakes?! We have you covered. Try this warm and mouth-watering fig-apple compote with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Heavenly delicious!

10-Minute Fruit & Cheese Salad

Grapes, dried apricots, figs, fresh salad greens and cooked turkey breast make a delicious, refreshing yet wholesome salad.

Fig & Cherry Cobbler

Fig and cherry cobbler with dried figs, cherry pie filling, cinnamon, and drop biscuit topping. A bubbly, old-fashioned fruit cobbler that starts hot and finishes at moderate heat.

Hearty Fig Oatbran Muffins

Fig oat bran muffins with banana, apple juice, honey, and cinnamon. A high-fiber, low-fat muffin loaded with dried figs and whole grain oats for a wholesome breakfast.

Honey Fig Acorn Squash

Roasted acorn squash halves filled with honey-glazed figs, toasted almonds, and warm spices. Elegant fall side dish with cinnamon and nutmeg ready in an hour.

Marsala Poached Figs with Ricotta

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California Fig Coconut Balls

No-bake fig and coconut candy balls with ground nuts and bright lemon zest. Naturally sweet, chewy, and rolled in finely chopped coconut for a vintage confection.

Spiced Fig Drop Cookies

Spiced fig drop cookies with stewed figs, raisins, walnuts, allspice, and cinnamon. An old-fashioned fruit-filled cookie that stores beautifully in a tin for weeks.

Hide 'N' Seek Coffee Cake

Coffee cake with a hidden filling of dried figs, walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon baked between layers of vanilla batter. A sweet surprise in every slice.

Figs, Walnuts, & Spinach Salad

Spinach salad is a little plain, in this recipe, we add figs and walnuts into it, much more flavour. And much more nutrition!

Dried Fig Jam

Homemade dried fig jam spiked with dark rum and ground cardamom. Rehydrated figs simmered with lemon and sugar produce a thick, honey-colored preserve that's canning-ready and irresistible on warm toast.

All 45 recipes