Easy Fig Chutney Recipe (Fresh or Dried Figs)
This Fig Chutney is a blend of sweet figs and warm cinnamon spice in balsamic vinegar. This easy fig chutney recipe is ready in minutes with only 6 ingredients. Figs are a wonderful fruit that can be enjoyed fresh or dried, making them perfect for this recipe. Chutney pairs well with a cheese platter or as a spread for your favorite cracker or sandwich.
The first time I tried fig chutney was at a restaurant. For our anniversary we treated ourselves to a weekend getaway near Calistoga, California, and boy did we enjoy some delicious food!
One evening we ordered a spicy fig chutney appetizer served with whipped ricotta on some toasted fresh bread.
So simple but after leaving we thought it was one of the best things we ate that weekend! I savored every bite and knew I had to create a homemade version to share with friends and family.
Once you make this fig chutney be sure to save some to try this Pork Tenderloin with Fig Sauce!
Table of Contents
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
This recipe is so easy to make with only a handful of ingredients, and you can control what goes into your recipe. Not only is this recipe easy to make, but if you have fresh figs about to go bad, this is a great way to repurpose them and extend their lifespan. Fresh figs are seasonal usually available in the spring to early fall. However, it won’t matter if you use dried or fresh figs. Both types will turn into a sweet and flavorful spread.
- Pairs well with cheese, crackers, and as a sandwich spread.
- Great addition to a cold meats and cheese board also referred to as charcuterie boards.
- Fig jam is a delicious, easy gift idea for family, neighbors, and friends.
- Only 6 ingredients and takes no time at all to make.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Paring knife and cutting board
- Medium-size saucepan
- Food Processor or blender
- Glass container with a tight-fitting lid. For gift giving you will need small jars. The ones I purchased are from World Market.
INGREDIENTS
- figs – fresh or dried figs – I like the California Figs (Conadria variety). However, there are hundreds of figs available. The Kitchn shares some of the most popular varieties. Dried figs come in small packages from 5 – 10 ounces. It’s best to measure the weight on a food scale. Ideally, you will want to use 10-12 ounces, yielding 1 1/2 cups of chutney.
- water
- brown sugar
- balsamic vinegar
- cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon
- lemon juice (approximately 1/2 lemon)
HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY FIG CHUTNEY RECIPE
STEP 1: SLICE THE FIGS
Remove stems from figs and slice figs in half.
STEP 2: HEAT THE INGREDIENTS
In a medium-size non-reflective saucepan place figs and the rest of the ingredients; water, sugar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in the pan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and small bubbles form before a boil.
STEP 3: SIMMER THE CHUTNEY
Turn the stove to low heat and simmer cooking for 20 minutes.
STEP 4: BLEND IN THE FOOD PROCESSOR
Cool, remove the cinnamon stick, and place the fig mixture in a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times or until you reach the desired texture. You may want to pulse half of the chutney to leave some chunky texture. Note that fresh figs have soft skins and may not need to be processed.
STEP 5: COOL THE CHUTNEY
Cool before placing in an air-tight glass container. As the chutney cools a jammy consistency will form. Store in a cool place before putting it in the refrigerator.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH FIG CHUTNEY
Don’t limit this delicious fig jam to a cheese platter. Here are some creative ways to use this chutney.
- Chicken, turkey or pork
- Crackers
- Top over cream cheese
- Sandwiches – panini style with melted cheese and chutney is a delicious combination.
- Pancakes
- Egg omelet
- Cheese platters
FIG CHUTNEY RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
- Replace brown sugar with other low-carb-friendly brown sugar sweeteners like golden monk fruit.
- Use balsamic vinegar infused with fruit or different whole spices such as whole clove, star anise, ginger, lavender, etc.
- Reduce the number of figs and add other dried fruits such as golden raisins, cranberries, or apples.
- Add some lemon zest.
- For a spicy fig chutney add a diced serrano or jalapeno pepper.
HOW TO STORE
Make sure to place it in an air-tight glass container in the fridge. The chutney should last for 2 weeks in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
FIG CHUTNEY FAQs
You can tell that figs are ripe by looking for figs that are soft to the touch, but not mushy.
Fresh figs have a shelf life of one week at room temperature or up to 4 months in the refrigerator. Dried figs will last up to 3 weeks on the counter or up to 6 months in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes, the seeds of fresh figs are edible.
No. It’s not necessary to soak the figs in advance before simmering when making chutney.
OTHER DELICIOUS RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY
If you enjoy making your own condiments, then be sure to check out these easy jam recipes too!
This Fig chutney recipe is an easy condiment to make, and you can adjust the spices in this chutney to accommodate your tastes. Let me know if you made any changes.
Easy Fig Chutney Recipe (Fresh or Dried Figs)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces figs fresh or dried
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon or ground cinnamon
Instructions
- With a small knife remove stem from the figs and slice in half.
- Place figs, sugar, water, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a medium size saucepan. Heat on medium, stirring every few minutes until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients begin to form small bubbles.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and remove cinnamon stick. Cool the chutney for 10-15 minutes before placing in a food processor or blender. Pulse 2-5 times or until you reach your desired texture.
- Place in airtight jars and let the fig chutney reach room temperature before refrigerating.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
PIN TO YOUR RECIPE BOARDS
Ooops-I just posted a comment asking about a brown sugar substitute. What I forgot to say is I plan to use xylitol instead of the brown sugar but it will not taste different, so is there anything else I can add to compensate for that? Has anybody had any experience making this using xylitol? Thanks!
I haven’t tried using xylitol, but I have had good luck with golden monk fruit.
Hi, thank you so much for posting this recipe. I am looking forward to trying it, but I want to avoid all the added Brown sugar, what’s your recommendation for a substitute?
After reading the comments and checking out two other recipes, I omitted the water in this (which is for dry figs only) and I added 1/2 a red onion and a sprinkle of ginger powder. I used my 45 figs!
Omit the water and cook in a covered saucepan. Ginger is a good addition.
I found your easy fig chutney recipe, which doesn’t need any fancy ingredients. So I went ahead, doubled the quantity, and it turned out well, lovely texture and sweet flavour. ! got 1 1/3 jars out of this. I am now wondering if I could add chopped onions to my next batch.
Oooh, I would definitely experiment with adding onion. That sounds like a tasty addition. Let me know how it comes out. I’m curious!
This recipe is delicious! I used black mission fig balsamic vinegar and the chutney was amazing! I have been nurturing a fig tree for 4 years and this year I was rewarded with an abundance of figs! I canned the recipe in half cup jars as gifts. What a delight in receiving so many accolades! A true crowd pleaser.
I’m so thrilled that you took your hearty bounty of figs and made this chutney. Thank you for sharing and ooooh what lucky recipients of those that receive your gift!
Ok, so I tripled the recipe using fresh figs, using the same amount of water you would use for dried figs. Mistake. The recipe says you can use fresh or dry figs. The amount of water in the recipe should be reduced for fresh figs as they already have a lot of juices. Dried figs would soak up the water. Make sense? I wish I had thought of this before plunging ahead with the recipe. It took a couple of hours to reduce the juices down to a chutney consistency. It turned out just ok. Nothing to brag about. I will be looking for another recipe.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you also triple the water? Yes, that would take much longer to reach the consistency we like. I have made this with fresh figs as written with great results.
Same thing happened to me. I made a double bath with 1 cup water. Have a watery mix. Now having to boil until water goes away. Didn’t plan to spend 2 hours making this.
Due to an OVER abundance of figs this year, I tried this out of sheer desperation and am SOOO glad I did! We love it on toast, biscuits and naan. Can’t wait to make more! Makes great gifts, too.
I am making this right now with fresh figs. I know it will take more than 20 minutes! It’s very watery. I think the amount of water for fresh figs should be adjusted. Hoping it turns out.
Can this be “canned”?
I haven’t tried canning this myself, but I don’t see any reason why it would not work. Give it a try!
After trying this in person during a recent visit with Sandra and family, I’m getting ready to try this recipe myself using cranberry-infused balsamic vinegar. YUMMY!
That’s going to be delicious! I love that you can add your own flare. So many flavorful options.
Looking forward to trying this recipe. Once cooked, how long does it last in a sealed jar?
When canning with the water bath method it should last over a year!
Yum! Thanks for your recipe, it got me cooking because it was an easy recipe . I added the 2 cups of water to my fresh ripe figs which gave me extra time to look up other recipes while I was stirring. I saw another recipe add a red onion, add 1/2 tps of all spice, 1/2 tps of salt, handful of saltanas and some ginger. I added all these goodies in while stirring and waiting for the mix to reduce. It is amazing! So tasty, a real flavour bomb!
So glad to hear this! Thank you for letting me know you tried this fig chutney recipe!
Oh my goodness, this is out of this world. I had something similar at a cheese tasting recently and wanted to recreate it! Spot on!