If fig season feels too short, then this simple fig tart is the best way to celebrate it. Quick, French and fuss-free, it uses ready-made puff pastry with an almond-honey paste so you can have dessert prepared in under 30 minutes.
Why We Love this Fig Tart
This fig tart recipe is all about its simplicity and flavour, as it's not too sweet. Plump fresh figs shine through without much help: honey replaces sugar, ground almonds keeps the tart crispy - along with a simple splash of rum for depth.
Using puff pastry keeps things quick and easy, so you can have a French-style tart on the table in no time. It's proof that a simple fig tart can be every bit as elegant as one from a Paris pâtisserie but without hours spent making it. If you do have time, then I urge you to make a sweet pastry base using the same mixture. It's so good!
Ingredients for a Fresh Fig Tart
This Tarte aux figues only needs a few ingredients: no butter, no cream - just roasted fig, honey and almond bliss:
- Puff pastry - ready-made (all-butter)
- Fresh figs - pick ripe but firm enough to slice easily
- Ground almonds (almond flour) - adds flavour but keeps the puff pastry crispy
- Runny honey - lavender or acacia works beautifully (no need for sugar)
- Egg - just one egg helps to bind the mixture
- Dark rum - a good splash to 2 tablespoons adds depth. It just works!
Optional: add a dried lavender flower or a handful of flaked almonds for decoration.
How to Make a Fig Tart
Start by rolling out the puff pastry about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. If frozen, ensure it has defrosted overnight in the fridge first. Cut into a round the size of a dinner plate (even better, in France, it's already round and rolled!) and place on a lined baking tray. Use a sharp knife to score a 1cm border around the edge - this makes a natural crust when it bakes. Prick the pastry with a fork, then chill for 20 minutes while the oven heats to 200°C/400°F.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg with the honey until creamy. Whisk in the ground almonds and rum, then spread this mixture evenly inside the pastry border.
Slice the figs finely - this not only makes the tart look pretty but also helps the fruit cook evenly. Arrange them in neat circles on top of the almond cream. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the pastry puffs up, turns golden and the figs start to spill their juices.
Variations - Not Just with Fresh Figs
Either swap out the figs if they're not in season or replace the ground almonds. It's so versatile:
- Use sliced juicy pears instead, sprinkled with a few chocolate chips
- With peaches or nectarines - see this peach tart recipe
- With apples - make this quick apple tart with puff pastry
- Mini fig tartlets: cut out small puff pastry circles with a cookie cutter or try these tartlets below using sweet pastry with the same almond mixture.
Fig Tartlets with Sweet Pastry
It's not just puff pastry. The other kind of pastry that's great for fruit tarts is with this pâte sucrée recipe. This sweet pastry works well for individual tartlets or for a bigger tart - using the same simple almond and honey mixture.
If making smaller tarts, there's no need to blind bake. Just roll out the tart pastry per my instructions, press into little tart tins/rings, prick the pastry with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then spread a little of the mixture and top with the figs - c'est tout! That's it. I even had a little extra dough to top with a star - just because it was fun.
Can I Freeze Fig Tart with Puff Pastry?
To make the fig season last a bit longer, you can freeze the tart for up to a month on 2 conditions:
- The puff pastry hasn't been frozen first
- It's well sealed without baking it first.
Puff pastry doesn't like being cooked then frozen, so place the prepared tart directly on the baking sheet, fast freeze then transfer to a sealed bag or container.
Otherwise you can easily freeze the fig tarts with sweet pastry, even if baked.
Still Have More? What to Do with a Lot of Figs
Lucky enough to have even more figs? Apart from this fig tart, make fig jam or add them to fall salads, like this roquefort, pear and apple salad. Or simply enjoy them fresh with goat's cheese, walnuts and honey.
You'll also find inspiration in
my market guide to figs.
How to Serve
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. It doesn't need anything else - but try it with this chestnut ice cream and feel the toes curl. For teatime, a pot of Green tea or Oolong with orange blossom together is a treat.
Note: I first shared this fig tart recipe as a guest post on Eat Live Travel Write back in 2011 - before it appeared in my second cookbook, Teatime in Paris (2015). I'm delighted to finally publish it here on Mad About Macarons with new photos and tips.
Fig Tart with Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 230 g (8oz) puff pastry all butter (ready rolled if possible)
- 12-15 fresh figs ripe but firm enough to cut neatly
- 125 g (4½ oz / 1 cup + 1 tbsp) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 3 tablespoon acacia honey or lavender
- 1 large egg organic
- 2 tablespoon dark rum or orange blossom water
- 1 tablespoon flaked almonds
Instructions
- Roll out the ready-made puff pastry to a depth of approximately 5mm (¼ inch) and cut into a dinner-plate sized round (no need if ready rolled).
- Place on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof baking paper. Prick the pastry with a fork and score a border 1cm (½ inch) in from the edge using a sharp tip of a knife - don't cut all the way through. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes and preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan/Gas 6).
- Whisk the egg and honey in a bowl until light and creamy. Add the ground almonds and the dark rum. Using a spatula, spread the mixture evenly on the pastry inside the border.
- Wash, dry and slice the figs finely and evenly with a sharp knife. Arrange them in neat circles on top of the almond cream. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the pastry puffs up, turns golden and the figs start to spill their juices.
Notes
- Puff pastry: For best flavour, choose all-butter puff pastry. If frozen, ensure it has defrosted overnight in the fridge.
- Sweet pastry: Also works well using this pâte sucrée recipe. Follow the pastry instructions, roll and press into tartlet tins or rings, prick the pastry, chill then fill with the almond-honey mixture (no need to blind bake tartlets), top with figs and bake also for about 20 minutes.
Luc in Osaka
Fresh figs are hard to find and very expensive here in Japan but frozen figs are available all year round. I've successfully used those to make fig jam recently. Do you think it would be worth the trouble trying to bake this tart with frozen fruit?
I love your recipes <3 just took my third Tarte Tatin out of the oven, used pâte sucrée this time and it looks and smells great! Thanks Jill 🙂
Jill Colonna
Hi Luc,
So lovely to hear from you in Osaka! I'm so glad you tried the fig jam with frozen figs. While it's great for jam, frozen are less great for this tart, simply as they have more water and risk making the pastry soggy (who wants soggy?). However, I suggest you defrost figs thoroughly and pat with a paper towel and cook as above. Let me know how you get on.
So happy to hear about the Tarte Tatin too - please do leave a starred review. It means the world! Merci x
Valentina
Absolutely beautiful and delicious, Jill! I love fig season and your tart is the perfect way to celebrate it. ~Valentina
Jill Colonna
So kind of you, Valentina. We love fig season to make this tart! Perhaps it's the rum in it!