Have you ever wondered what to do with fresh figs beside eating them raw? Your answer is fig compote. Quick and easy to make with a little bit of sugar and some natural flavourings of your choosing, super easy to adapt to your taste and just so delicious.
Whether you are a lucky owner of a fig tree or perhaps (like me) have an access to fantastic farm with the abundance of locally grown figs, once you've satisfied your palate by eating them raw, fig compote is the next best (and quickest) thing.
Don't get me wrong, baked figs, fig jam or chutney are lovely but a little bit more labour intensive whereas fig compote pretty much makes itself in less than half an hour. More like 20 minutes.
So, where do we start?
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe?
- Great alternative way of using up figs.
- Very little prep and quick to make.
- Stores well in the fridge and is freezer friendly too.
- It lends itself to tinkering so you can make it your own to suit your tastebuds.
- Whether it's breakfast, dessert or even a side to something savoury, this fig compote will not disappoint.
📝 Ingredients and substitutes
Here's what you will need to make my Fig Compote:
Fresh figs - Obvious star of the show. If you can source your figs locally or from your own fig tree that's fantastic. If that's not possible, Turkish figs from supermarket will do the job too. Make sure they are nice and ripe though.
***Quick Tip*** In the absence of fresh figs or out of season you can make this compote with dried figs. You will need to soak them first in boiling water to plump them up and the compote itself will be slightly different in colour (less vibrant) and texture, but still delicious.
Sugar - As ripe figs are really sweet, you only need a little bit of added sweetness (if any). I used some brown sugar as it's a common pantry ingredient for many, but you could sweeten your compote with honey, maple syrup or any other type of sugar.
Lemon - I like using lemon juice to cut through the sweetness and bring another flavour dimension to play here but you could use orange juice instead. You can also forgo any citrus altogether.
I also added some zest which you can leave out if you want.
Added flavours - Figs go beautifully with cinnamon and star anise (both of which I've used here) but also cardamom, allspice berries and even woody rosemary and/or thyme.
***Quick Tip*** No matter what flavouring you go for, I would recommend using whole spices/herbs instead of ground ones. I like how they gently impart their flavour onto the compote during cooking but without overpowering the figs.
Vanilla extract - Very much an optional extra and can be substituted with a vanilla pod or tiny bit of vanilla paste. I love a touch of vanilla in fruit compotes so it is a yes for me.
Water - Whether you add water or not is up to you. I usually add a tablespoon or two to help the figs to get going but they should be ok without especially if you're adding some juice. You can always add it as figs cook.
***Quick Tip*** However, If you like your compote extra "saucy" then do add water from the get go.
🔪 Instructions
Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Start by gathering your ingredients.
Wash and gently dry the figs.
Cut off the stems and halve or quarter the figs depending on their size and your preference. You are looking for more or less uniform pieces.
Put the figs in a medium saucepan with a lid. Add lemon juice and zest, water, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick and star anise. Give it a gentle mix.
Put the saucepan on a medium heat, partially cover and let the mixture come to gentle boil.
Turn the heat down, take off the lid and continue simmering until you reach desired consistency (anything between 10 minutes to half an hour ). Make sure not to leave the compote without supervision and to give it a gentle stir from time to time to prevent it from catching.
Take the saucepan with fig compote off the heat and let it cool a bit.
Serve immediately or transfer to suitable container and store in the fridge.
🥡 Storing
Store: Fig compote will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Reheat: You can serve fig compote cold or warm. To reheat, simply put desired amount of compote in the saucepan and heat it up gently, on low heat until warm/hot as per your liking.
You can also reheat it in the microwave.
Freeze: If you'd like to store it for longer, it's best to freeze it. I like to freeze mine in portions in freezer proof containers for up to 3 months for best flavour but you can freeze it for longer.
Defrost: The easiest way (if you pre-plan it) would be in the fridge overnight. However if you didn't remember to take it out you can always decant it into small saucepan and reheat on the stove/hob or in the microwave safe container in the microwave.
💭 Pro Tips
The amount of the sugar or other sweetener you use will depend on your personal preference and sweetness of your figs. You can always add more so start quite conservatively with less.
How long you cook the figs for will depend on desired consistency. If you'd like for them to hold their shape 10-15 minutes will be enough. For more jammy/mushy consistency cook them for longer, even for up to half an hour.
You can start off your figs with a little water especially if you like your compote on a "saucy" side. If initially you decide not to, you can always add splash of water as they cook if you see they're getting a bit dry.
I recommend using whole spices to impart flavour instead of ground as you can easily remove them once they've done their job. However, if you go for ground ones start off with a little bit, you can always add if need be.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Fig compote makes a fantastic breakfast companion and having a jar in the fridge means you've got porridge (oatmeal), muesli, granola or yogurt topping on tap.
If you're more of a toast person, it will do the job too. We love it with my cinnamon and raisin bagels and peanut butter. Absolutely mind blowing.
Excellent with nuts and cheeses of all types.
***Quick Tip*** Add a sprig of fresh rosemary as a flavouring during cooking if you intend to serve is as an addition to cheese board. It's magic!
Perfect with pancakes - try my fluffy vegan buttermilk pancakes, buckwheat pancakes or crepes.
Desserts. Use as a topping for your favourite ice cream or banana nice cream. Try with your favourite cheesecake or give this baked chocolate marble cheesecake with brownie crust a go.
Use it instead of jam in jam tarts or as a filling in your next Victoria sponge cake.
❓ FAQ
Yes you can although the compote will be quite different. Also make sure to soak dried figs in some freshly boiled water to plump them up first. Don't throw out soaking water as you can use it when cooking the figs.
Although fig compote will only last about a week in the fridge, you can prolong its shelf-life by freezing it. See 🥡 Storing above.
Yes, it is.
Have you tried my Fig Compote?
Please consider giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in recipe card below and share your views or tips in the comments.
😋 More delicious stewed fruit recipes
Stewed Pears with Cinnamon and Vanilla
📋 Recipe
Fig Compote
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh figs stems removed, halved or quartered
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar adjust to taste, see notes for substitutes
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional) or use vanilla pod
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste) you can also use some zest if you want
- 1-2 tbsp water (optional) figs will release their own juice but you can use some water to get them going (see notes for more info)
Instructions
- Start by gathering your ingredients. Wash and gently dry the figs.Cut off the stems and halve or quarter the figs depending on their size and your preference. You are looking for more or less uniform pieces.500 g fresh figs
- Put the figs in a medium saucepan with a lid. Add lemon juice and zest, water, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick and star anise. Give it a gentle mix.2 tablespoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional), 1 whole cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste), 1-2 tablespoon water (optional), 500 g fresh figs
- Put the saucepan on a medium heat, partially cover and let the mixture come to gentle boil.
- Turn the heat down, take off the lid and continue simmering until you reach desired consistency (anything between 10 minutes to half an hour ). Make sure not to leave the compote without supervision and to give it a gentle stir from time to time to prevent it from catching.
- Take the saucepan with fig compote off the heat and let it cool a bit. Serve immediately or transfer to suitable container and store in the fridge.Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 6 servings) and should be treated as a rough guideline only.
- The amount of sugar you decide to add is up to you. Follow your tastebuds. You can always add a little bit to start with and adjust if needed. Feel free to substitute brown sugar with any other type of sugar or perhaps swap it for honey, maple syrup, agave syrup etc.
- Feel free to use different flavourings, see 📝 Ingredients and substitutes above.
- Lemon juice cuts nicely through the sweetness of the compote but make sure you use the amount of juice to suit your taste. You can always add more. Orange juice could be used instead of lemon. Use lemon/orange zest for a little more flavour if you want.
- Whether you add water or not is up to you. You can start off your figs with a little water especially if you like your compote on a "saucy" side. If initially you decide not to, you can always add splash of water as they cook if you see they're getting a bit dry.
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