Baked Figs with Goat Cheese
Baked Figs with Goat Cheese is an easy but impressive appetizer that your guests will love. This 5 ingredient recipe is quick to prepare and can be made ahead of time, making this a great choice for holiday entertaining.
Fresh figs are stuffed with honey goat cheese, fresh sage, and walnuts, then warmed in the oven. Finished with a drizzle of honey, these figs are best served warm as a scrumptious and festive holiday appetizer. To learn how to make this tempting appetizer recipe, see the printable recipe card below. Take a look at the recipe video, or get Step by Step Instructions for a more detailed explanation of this recipe. For tips and make ahead instructions, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in this recipe’s Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
BAKED FIGS with GOAT CHEESE
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place oven rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 400°F. Lightly spray a baking dish (10.5" X 7.5") with olive oil cooking spray, and set aside. Finely chop sage and walnuts, reserving ½ tablespoon of each for topping. Set aside.
- To a small glass mixing bowl, add honey goat cheese, and smoosh to soften. Add 1 tablespoon chopped sage, and 1 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts, Himalayan pink salt, and white pepper. With a small silicone spatula, mix until well combined. Divide into twelve sections, and set aside.
- Using a sharp chef’s knife, remove and discard the stems from figs (see Note #1). Then without cutting through to the bottom, vertically slice through the top of each fig to create a cross shape “X” making sure you leave the bottom half is intact.
- Carefully stuff the center of each fig with the goat cheese mixture (making sure not to split it open all the way), then lightly press together the tops of the figs (they should only be slightly open at the top). Set them in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the tops with reserved ½ tablespoon chopped sage, and reserved ½ tablespoon chopped walnuts. Drizzle figs with ½ tablespoon wildflower honey (or lavender honey).
- Bake uncovered for about 7-10 minutes, until the cheese and figs are warmed through. Then broil on high for about 30 to 60 seconds until the cheese is lightly golden on the edges (see Note #2 below). Promptly remove from the oven, transfer with a spoon to a serving plate, and drizzle with the remaining ½ tablespoon of wildflower honey (or lavender honey). Allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve warm.
Notes
- To make sure the figs “sit up straight” in your baking dish, you may need to even out the bottoms of some of the figs. Test them first by sitting them on their bottoms to see if they topple over. If they do, trim a paper thin slice from the bottom to make it sit evenly. Leave as much of the fig and skin intact to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.
- Do not overcook these figs, as they will become a mushy mess. You want them warmed through and the cheese should also be warm and softened, but not melted.
- Recipe can be made ahead of time for entertaining. For Make Ahead Instructions, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in my Blog Comments & Tips for this website recipe.
- Makes 6 servings (2 figs per serving).
Nutrition Facts
Calories
161.41Fat (grams)
5.07Sat. Fat (grams)
2.34Carbs (grams)
28.08Fiber (grams)
4.01Net carbs
24.08Sugar (grams)
23.93Protein (grams)
4.03Sodium (milligrams)
53.7Cholesterol (grams)
6.52Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1a
Place oven rack in the center of your oven, and preheat to 400°F. Lightly spray a baking dish (10.5" X 7.5") with olive oil cooking spray, and set aside.
STEP 1b
Finely chop 1 ½ tablespoons fresh sage, and finely chop 1 ½ tablespoons walnuts, and set aside. Reserve ½ tablespoon of each for topping.
STEP 2
To a small glass mixing bowl, add 3 ounces room temperature honey goat cheese, 1 tablespoon chopped sage, and 1 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts, 1 or 2 pinches of Himalayan pink salt, and 1 pinch ground white pepper. With a small silicone spatula, mix until well combined. Divide into twelve sections, and set aside.
STEP 3
Using a sharp chef’s knife, remove and discard the stems from 12 large fresh Mission figs (see Note below). Then without cutting through to the bottom, vertically slice through the top of each fig to create a cross shape “X” making sure you leave the bottom half is intact.
Note: To make sure the figs “sit up straight” in your baking dish, you may need to even out the bottoms of some of the figs. Test them first by sitting them on their bottoms to see if they topple over. If they do, trim a paper thin slice from the bottom to make it sit evenly. Leave as much of the fig and skin intact to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.
STEP 4a
Carefully stuff the center of each fig with the goat cheese mixture (make sure to NOT split open the figs all the way), then lightly press together the tops of the figs (they should only be slightly open at the top). Set them in the prepared baking dish.
Note: Oops, I ran out of figs so I only had 8 figs left for this photo shoot. Please note that this recipe is for 12 figs.
STEP 4b
Sprinkle the tops with reserved ½ tablespoon chopped sage, and reserved ½ tablespoon chopped walnuts. Drizzle figs with ½ tablespoon wildflower honey (or lavender honey).
STEP 5
Bake uncovered for about 7-10 minutes, until the cheese and figs are warmed through. Then broil on high for about 30 to 60 seconds until the cheese is lightly golden on the edges (see Note below).
Note: Do not overcook these figs, as they will become a mushy mess. You want them warmed through and the cheese should also be warm and softened, but not melted.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Promptly remove from the oven, transfer with a spoon to a serving plate, and drizzle with the remaining ½ tablespoon of wildflower honey (or lavender honey). Allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve warm.
Notes:
For Make Ahead Instructions, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in my Blog Comments & Tips for this website recipe.
Makes 6 servings (2 figs per serving).
VIDEO
How to Make Baked Figs with Goat Cheese!
Blog Comments & Tips
A scrumptious and festive holiday appetizer!
Baked Figs with Goat Cheese is a quick and easy appetizer recipe that uses only 5 ingredients. These baked figs are wonderful hors d’oeuvres to serve during the holidays. To reduce the stress of holiday entertaining, this recipe can be prepared ahead of time, and popped into the oven just before your guests arrive.
Best eaten with an appetizer fork, these little figs look so elegant when placed on a small hors d’oeuvre plate. The sweetness from the warm, juicy fig and honey pairs perfectly with the crunch of walnuts and herby fresh sage. Between the wonderful texture and flavor combination, this little appetizer will definitely put a smile on one’s face!
There are many baked figs recipes available, but I did my best to make this recipe extra special. To add another level of flavor and sweetness, I used honey goat cheese instead of plain chevre. In lieu of topping these figs with only a few nuts, I mixed in fresh sage and chopped walnuts into the honey goat cheese, and seasoned the mixture. Once I stuffed the figs, I then added a bit of sage, walnuts, and honey for the topping.
How do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
My 5 tips to making delicious Baked Figs with Goat Cheese:
Use fresh organic figs (best when in season) and sage.
Finely chop the walnuts. You don’t want large chunks, as this is a delicate appetizer.
Don’t overstuff the figs! Cut through the fig vertically, leaving the bottom half intact. Then carefully stuff with goat mixture (making sure not to overstuff them). Otherwise, the figs will fall apart as they cook.
Do not overcook your figs. Figs and cheese should only be warmed through until you start to see a few juices being released and the cheese looks a little softer. If overbaked, they will quickly turn to mush and disintegrate (and they won’t look very appetizing).
Best served warm. I suggest letting them cool only a few minutes before serving. These baked figs can hold some heat, and can burn your tongue if you try to consume them right out of the oven.
It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make Ahead Instructions: Recipe can be made ahead, by preparing everything through Step 4a. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator about 30 to 45 minutes before you are ready to bake to allow it to come to room temperature. Just before baking, continue with Step 4b.
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to vertically slice the figs in an “X” shape and only slice halfway, leaving the bottom half of the fig is intact.
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