Healthy Fig Recipes

Grilling coaxes sweet-savory depth from endive and red onion in this delicious vegetarian side dish. Fresh figs lend a bright, jammy acidity in the summer, but don't hesitate to use dried come winter. Leave the root ends attached when trimming your onions and endive, so they hold together and don't slip through the grill grates. Serve as a salad, or eat alongside grilled chicken, steak, salmon, seared scallops or whole roasted fish.

Linzer torte, made with a nut crust and filled with raspberry jam, is a favorite treat in Austria. This is a low-calorie, lower-fat version of that classic dessert.

Snacking shouldn't be complicated--it can be as simple as a few dried figs and some heart-healthy almonds.

Whole roasted carrots make quite a statement on the dinner table when they're topped with a port wine-and-fig dressing. In this recipe, we like dried Calimyrna figs because they're a tad less sweet than Mission figs and taste slightly nutty as well.

You can serve these cake-like lemon-scented, fruit-packed whole-grain muffins for dessert or brunch.

The sweet-and-savory combination of the figs and earthy goat cheese will surely satisfy the palate. If you can't find dried figs, try swapping in dried apricots.

Eating fiber-rich rye crisps (or rye bread), such as Danish open-face smørrebrøds, at breakfast (instead of white bread) may help you feel satisfied longer and help keep blood sugar levels steady. This version is our take on a healthier PB&J.

In this Mediterranean-inspired snack, dried figs and honey top plain yogurt. Substitute fresh figs if you can find them.

This easy Mediterranean-inspired toast makes a quick breakfast for any day of the week.

Socca (pronounced SO-kah) is a thin chickpea crêpe popular across Italian and French towns along the Ligurian Sea (it's called farinata in Italy). Typically savory, this lightly sweet gluten-free socca recipe is adorned with fresh ripe figs and a drizzle of honey. Serve as an appetizer or at brunch.

Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.

Sweet figs and a filling of tangy goat cheese give a surprising twist to these hearty breakfast muffins. Make a batch of these on the weekend and enjoy them for breakfast all week long. If you're not a fan of goat cheese, try them with cream cheese instead.

A creamy, honey-scented mascarpone filling makes this fresh fig recipe luxurious, yet still lets the fruit be the star. Serve these pretty stuffed figs to top off a special meal.

This tangy yogurt cheesecake is topped with ouzo-poached figs inspired by sikomaida, a traditional delicacy from Corfu made with dried figs macerated and kneaded with ouzo and pepper, which are formed into disks and dried in chestnut leaves. It's also delicious with seasonal fruits, fresh or dried and poached, or with whole preserves.

Not your Irish grandmother's stew, this version was inspired by ingredients commonly used in the south of France: figs, green olives and herbes de Provence. To shorten the cooking time, we use ground lamb instead of lamb stew meat. Serve with toasted focaccia and a tossed salad.

This dish showcases how deliciously pork complements the sweet and tart tastes of fruit.

Not your Irish grandmother's stew, this version was inspired by flavors from the south of France: figs, green olives and herbes de Provence. To shorten the cooking time, we use ground lamb.

Brew some of your favorite tea and pause to enjoy this cherry-fig quick bread.

Better than their store-bought cousins, these bars have a richly flavored fig filling, with a little bit of crispness to the crust.

In this healthy cheese toast recipe, crusty bread is topped with a touch of sweet jam, salty blue cheese and crunchy nuts for a perfect soup pairing or an easy snack.