Easy Fig Jam

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This easy fig jam recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and made with just five simple ingredients. It’s the perfect addition to a cheese plate, baked goods, oatmeal, toast and so much more!

We have a fig tree and it’s been so fun trying different recipes with fresh figs. I’ve made a few homemade jams but hadn’t tried fig jam until recently!

An overhead photo looking down at 3 jars of homemade fig jam. A spoon and two slices of toasted bread are next to the jars.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s so satisfying making your own jam, trust me!
  • This delicious jam comes together in just one simple step.
  • Make once and enjoy all month long! It can be used in a wide variety of recipes.
Ingredients measured out to make fig jam: fresh figs, water, maple syrup, vanilla and lemon juice.

Ingredients Needed

  • fresh figs – remove the stem and cut into ½-inch pieces. Any type of fresh fig works!
  • maple syrup – you can either add ½ cup of maple syrup on it’s own or add a mixture of ¼ cup of sugar + ¼ cup maple syrup. Besides the figs, this is the only sweetener added in the jam.
  • water – additional liquid to reduce the figs in.
  • lemon juice – add freshly squeezed lemon juice to make the flavors pop!
  • vanilla extract – optional but brings the flavors together really nicely.
Side by side photos: the first is chopped fresh figs in a pot and the second is the figs cooked down into jam.

How to Make Fig Jam

This is basically just a one-step recipe! Add the chopped figs to a saucepan along with maple syrup, water and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally until the figs are soft and a jam-like consistency is reached. This usually takes about 20 minutes. The liquid should run off a spoon in thick drops – if it’s too runny, return to the heat for a few minutes.

An overhead photo looking down at two small jars of homemade fig jam. A metal spoon is laying next to the jars.

How to Use Fig Jam

  • Make these delicious fig jam crumble bars.
  • Mix into overnight oats or a traditional bowl of oatmeal.
  • Mix into chia pudding for a flavor burst.
  • Top thumbprint cookies with fig jam for a sweet treat.
  • Top a slice of homemade sourdough bread with a little butter and fig jam.
  • Make a fancy appetizer with crostini, goat cheese and fig jam.
  • Add a dish of fig jam to your charcuterie board along with meats, cheeses and bread or crackers.

How to Store Leftovers

While the jam is still warm, spoon it into an airtight container – I like to use mason jars! Close the jars loosely and let cool completely. Once cooled, tighten the lid and store the jar in a refrigerator for up to 3 months.

More Homemade Spreads to Try

The Most Popular Fig Recipes

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4.77 from 13 votes

Fig Jam

This easy fig jam recipe is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and made with just five simple ingredients. It's the perfect addition to a cheese plate, baked goods, oatmeal, toast and so much more!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 1.5 cups

Ingredients  

  • 1 pound fresh figs, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • ½ cup maple syrup, or ¼ cup of sugar + ¼ cup maple syrup
  • ¼ cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional

Instructions 

  • Add chipped figs to saucepan with maple syrup, water and lemon juice.
    A pot containing sliced figs, to be made into jam.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft and a jam-like consistency is achieved, about 20 minutes. You want the liquid to run off a spoon in thick drops. If needed, return to the heat for a few more minutes.
    A pot containing fig jam.
  • Spoon the jam into an airtight container (like a mason jar), leaving a little space at the top. Close the jars loosely and let cool completely. Once cooled, tighten the lid (the lid can get stuck if you tighten while hot) and store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Sauces/Condiments
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fig jam
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
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Recipe Rating




17 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you queen, I have a fig tree in my backyard and used to gift them all because I didn’t like the taste, but in recipes it tastes wonderful😆

    1. Have you ever tried making with dried figs? I have so many that I’m trying to use up and wondering if they could work in this recipe!

      1. Hi Shannon – I haven’t and I am not sure this recipe would turn out quite the same with dried figs. Let me know if you give it a try and how it turns out for you!

    1. Hi Lauren – You can add the vanilla in the pot when you are adding the other ingredients. Enjoy!

  2. 2 stars
    Unfortunately this didn’t turn out good for me. Tempe texture is great but way too much lemon and it’s hardly sweet at all, which is surprising between the ripe figs and the coconut sugar and maple syrup I used. Bummer :(. Next time I think I’ll reduce the lemon by half and increase the sugar by at least 1/4 cup.

    1. I am so sorry that this recipe didn’t work out the way you had hoped, Lauren. Did you happen to change or adjust any of the ingredients?

  3. 5 stars
    I doubled the amount of figs and it turned out fantastic! I made one adjustment. After letting the mixture simmer for 15 minutes, I put it in my Vita Mix blender and blended it to a smooth texture. I then returned it to the stove and cooked for the last 5 minutes. It got thick and delicious! It’s sweet but not overly sweet. I wish I could share a picture because even the color is beautiful! Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Thanks for sharing, Amada! I’m so glad this recipe turned out for you! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.

  4. 5 stars
    This is SO delicious! And easy. I don’t taste the lemon at all, which is ok, just figgy maple vanilla goodness. I’m going to have to make another batch because I’m not sharing this one!

    1. Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Megan! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.

  5. 5 stars
    So easy and it is delicious!!
    Had a box of figs that I didn’t know what to do with. This was amazing. Will definitely make again.

  6. 5 stars
    This was my first year of figs on my tree, and it turns out we can’t eat them all before they go bad. I had never made jam before but I’ve made this 3x now. It’s so easy and versatile, and SO delicious. I made exactly the recipe first, then subbed raspberries for 4oz of figs once and a little bit of pear the third time. I used Meyer lemon once, oak aged vanilla, added some vanilla bean paste. We will enjoy these jams in the winter months and look forward to making it again next fig season! Thank you!

    1. AH YUM! Your ideas are making me miss my fig trees so much. All of these variations sound delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!

  7. Hi Brittany,
    I’m Looking forward to making your Fig Jam. It looks delicious, much better than store bought. I remember some time ago, I had made a flatbread with chicken, carmelized onion and fig jam. It was so good, but now it will be even better with the homemade fig jam.

    Phyllis

    1. Hi Phyllis – I hope you love this recipe. It is such a staple and I love this flatbread idea, sounds delicious!