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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Dessert Recipes

    Caramelized Figs with Balsamic Vinegar

    By: Amy Katz · Published: Sep 3, 2018 · Last modified: Sep 18, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print - Pin
    Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, soy-free, vegan
    Caramelized figs with vanilla ice cream and on toast with cream cheese

    With only 3 ingredients and 15 minutes, you can enjoy Caramelized Figs with Balsamic Vinegar for breakfast, dessert, or a delicious snack. Try this recipe as a topping for waffles, french toast, and pancakes. Or serve them for dessert or as a sweet treat.

    Caramelized figs on a plate with toast and bowl of fresh figs in the background

    Whenever I see fresh figs in the market, I just have to buy them. I've always liked dried figs, especially in Fig Newton-like cookies, but the fresh fruit is really something special. They are mainly in season July through September, with the later crops being especially flavorful.

    Figs come in many varieties. My favorite kind which I use in this recipe is the Black Mission fig. Where I live in Southern California, they are available May through November. They have a dark purple skin and an earthy flavor.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Top tip
    • Serving suggestions
    • More dessert recipes
    • Storing
    • FAQ
    • More fruit recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • You only need 3 ingredients plus 15 minutes to make them.
    • It's vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free.
    • It's a delicious way to maximize the flavors of fresh figs.

    Ingredients

    Plate of fresh figs with some of them sliced open
    • Fresh figs: Look for Black Mission, Calimyrna, Kadota, or Brown Turkey varieties.
    • Coconut sugar: Or substitute turbinado sugar, brown sugar, or white sugar.
    • Balsamic vinegar: The low acidity makes sweet flavors taste even better.

    Organic coconut palm sugar

    • USDA Organic and Non GMO Project Verified; vegan and gluten-free; Climate Pledge Friendly
    • Also known as Organic Coconut Sugar, the delicious taste is like warm caramel.
    • Use wherever you would use white sugar. Great for beverages & baking.
    Buy from Amazon

    For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Instructions

    Collage of 3 images showing the steps for making this recipe
    1. Spread out the horizontally sliced figs, seeds side up, in a skillet over high heat. Sprinkle the sugar on top.
    2. After the added sugar crystals start to melt, as shown in the above photo, carefully flip each fig over.
    3. Once the figs are browned on the skin side after a few more minutes, turn off the heat, and drizzle the vinegar over the fruit.

    Top tip

    The figs caramelize quickly over high heat as their sugar is released. Keep an eye on the pan since you only need to cook the fruit for a few minutes.

    Serving suggestions

    Slice of toast with cream cheese and figs

    Breakfast

    While avocado toast may be all the rage these days, for a real morning treat, I recommend topping toast with vegan cream cheese and some caramelized figs. Here I've used my favorite Bread SRSLY vegan gluten-free sourdough which you can mail order from San Francisco and store in your freezer for months.

    Scoops of vanilla ice cream on a plate topped with figs

    Dessert

    All you need is some vegan vanilla ice cream, a few of the syrupy figs, and a spoon. But don't worry if you're out of ice cream. The figs also taste great on their own.

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    Storing

    Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Enjoy them at room temperature or reheated in a microwave.

    FAQ

    Should figs be refrigerated?

    Yes, fresh figs should be refrigerated. Cover them in a bowl and place them in the refrigerator after purchasing to prevent mold. They will keep for a few days.

    Can I use regular sugar instead of coconut sugar?

    In place of coconut sugar, you can use an equal amount of turbinado sugar, brown sugar (light or dark), or even white sugar.

    Are figs vegan?

    If you've heard the myth that figs aren't vegan, check out the informative article Are Figs Vegan? Let's Talk About It!

    More fruit recipes

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      5 Easy Breakfast Chia Pudding Recipes
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      Small Batch Vegan Apple Crisp
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      Pineapple Green Smoothie
    • Bowl of relish surrounded by raw cranberries, a green apple, and pecans.
      Cranberry Apple Relish Sweetened with Dates

    And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.

    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

    📋 Recipe

    Caramelized figs on a plate

    Caramelized Figs with Balsamic Vinegar

    With only 3 ingredients and 15 minutes, you can enjoy Caramelized Figs with Balsamic Vinegar for breakfast, dessert, or a delicious snack.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate Text recipe + ingredient list Email recipe + ingredient list
    Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, soy-free, vegan
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 180kcal
    Author: Amy Katz

    Equipment

    • kitchen tongs

    Ingredients

    • 12 fresh figs, stems removed, halved lengthwise
    • 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place the halved figs, seeds side up, in a skillet over high heat.
    • Sprinkle the coconut sugar on top.
    • Allow the sugar to melt, about 3-5 minutes.
    • Flip the figs over in the pan and allow to brown for about another 3 minutes.
    • Turn off the heat, then drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the caramelized figs.
    • Serve hot or at room temperature.

    Notes

    Storing:
    Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to a week. Enjoy them at room temperature or reheated in a microwave.
    Serving:
    Try them hot on top of non-dairy vanilla ice cream for dessert. Or serve them on toast with vegan cream cheese or layered with dairy-free yogurt in a parfait.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 470mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

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    About Amy

    Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on HuffPost, LIVESTRONG, Healthline, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, Country Living, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    All commentsI made thisQuestions
    1. Caroline

      June 30, 2022 at 2:27 am

      This also works well as a starter, with a rocket and pea spot salad with some blue cheese crumbled over and toasted nuts, I tend to use a balsamic glaze to finish instead of a viniger in the recipie.

      Reply
    2. Linda

      July 26, 2021 at 1:36 pm

      Can the figs be frozen after they are made?

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        July 27, 2021 at 8:14 am

        Hi Linda, I haven't tried it, but I don't see why not.

        Reply
    3. Nancy

      August 14, 2020 at 5:58 am

      5 stars
      Good recipe which I made yesterday. I'd like to know whether I should reheat my figs before serving them with ice cream. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        August 14, 2020 at 8:14 am

        I'm glad you enjoyed the figs, Nancy! As for serving them with ice cream, I personally like to serve the figs warm so the ice cream melts around them.

        Reply
    4. Debbie

      June 28, 2019 at 11:28 am

      5 stars
      love figs. yummy and easy

      Reply
    5. Kathleen Szymansky

      September 10, 2018 at 8:10 am

      5 stars
      Super easy and super delicious

      Reply
    6. Michelle

      September 09, 2018 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      This was so quick and easy. Very good!

      Reply

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