Fig Simple Syrup

Enjoy summer’s nectar, figs, in your favorite summer drinks and desserts by making homemade fig syrup. It’s easy to make with fresh or dried figs, sugar and water. If you have a fig tree that blooms (I’m jealous!) or can get your hands on fresh figs in the summertime, you have got to try this syrup!

Fresh Fig Syrup recipe

Full of sweet-tart juice and a slightly floral flavor, fig season is one of the best parts of summer.

Figs are succulent, violet orbs with crunchy little seeds, no bigger than a ping-pong ball. They’re delightful little fruits, but they sure don’t last very long. Figs don’t keep more than a couple of days after they’re harvested.

When these fruits are ripe, I love to bring them into the kitchen to make delicious dishes like fig, bacon & goat cheese crostini or to mix into cocktails.

One of the best ways to enjoy figs is by making fig syrup, a purple, fruit-infused sweetener you can mix into drinks and drizzle on everything from pancakes to ice cream.

More syrup recipes: Rhubarb Syrup • Elderflower Syrup • Coconut Syrup • Sage Syrup

Why you’ll love this recipe

Figs are one of life’s singular pleasures! You’ll love this figgy recipe, for a few major reasons:

• Fig flavor makes a great addition to drinks and desserts.
• It’s a great way to use up fresh figs — and make them last even longer.
• It will be one of your favorite ways to enjoy fig flavor in all kinds of recipes. 
• If figs aren’t in season, you can use dried figs too.

What is simple syrup?

Have you ever tried to stir sugar into a cold drink? You probably stirred for a long time. Sugar dissolves more easily when warmed, so a simple syrup is the answer to this age-old problem.

Also called sugar syrup, this mixture of sugar and water can be made on the stove in a few minutes. Most syrups are made with granulated white sugar, but other types of sugar can be used to make lots of variations, such as with demerara sugar and brown sugar.

Once you’ve mastered classic simple syrup, you can explore tons of simple syrup flavors:

• Infuse herbs like rosemary, basil or sage.
• Make it with spices like cinnamon or vanilla.
• Use veggies like jalapeños.
• Or make them with fruit like raspberries.

This syrup has amazing fig flavor, and it has so many uses: You can use it to sweeten delicious cocktails, drizzle it over waffles (instead of maple syrup) or pour it over ice cream. Bakers even use it to moisten cake before decorating.

Tools & glassware

To make this fig simple syrup, you’ll need a few things:

• cutting board and a sharp knife for cutting the figs
• saucepan and wooden spoon or spatula ^* for making the syrup
• fine-mesh strainer ^* for refining the syrup
• a clean jar or bottle for storing the finished syrup in the fridge.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s what to grab at the grocery store:

Figs: If figs are in season, you’ll get the best flavor with fresh fruit. Black Mission figs and Brown Turkey figs are the most common variety of figs. Otherwise, you can use frozen figs, preserved figs or dried figs. 

Water: Filtered water or distilled water will give you the best, purest results, but tap water is totally fine.

Sugar: Granulated sugar is what I used in this syrup, but you can use either cane sugar or brown sugar instead. However, they will change the color of this purple-colored, clear syrup, so stick to granulated if you want that rich color.

Variations and substitutions

Try one of these variations on this recipe by incorporating different flavors. 

Strawberry fig syrup: Sweet strawberries are a perfect match for figs. Add strawberries into the mix when cooking the figs. See this strawberry syrup recipe for more.

Vanilla rhubarb syrup: Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ^* into the mix to add extra sweetness.

Cinnamon fig syrup: Add cinnamon sticks to the fig-water mixture for a little cinnamon flavor. 

Sugar-free fig syrup: Stir in your favorite sugar substitute to make a sugar-free syrup.

How to make Fig Syrup

Here’s how to make this fig syrup recipe:

First, wash your ripe figs, cut off the stems and slice them up into quarters or slices. If using dry figs, simply chop them into smaller pieces. 

Place figs and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and cook for 20 minutes. The liquid will reduce and become a flavorful syrup, and the figs will become soft.

Place a fine mesh strainer ^* over a large bowl and strain the fig mixture to yield a smooth, refined liquid. Strain again if any fig seeds come through. Discard the stewed figs or enjoy them with ice cream or oatmeal. 

Measure the hot liquid and add an equal amount of sugar. (Alternatively, measure 1 cup of liquid and 1 cup of syrup.) Stir until dissolved.

Let the syrup cool completely, then funnel into a mason jar or bottle. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to one month. If it ever looks like a cloudy syrup, it’s time to toss it. 

Tips & tricks

Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:

• Eat figs within three days of picking them.
• Use white sugar to ensure the richest purple color.
• For a thicker, sticky syrup, use a 1:2 or 1:1.5 ratio of water to sugar.

How to use Fig Syrup

You can use this sticky fig syrup in a variety of ways: 

• You can drizzle a little bit over pancakes, waffles or French toast. Even ice cream!
• It would also be so good on this fig crostini or drizzled over this fig pizza.
• Use the fig syrup to make a variety of cocktail recipes, like a fig old-fashioned or a fig sparkler.

FAQ

More fig recipes

• Fig Thumbprint Cookies
• Onion & Fig Muffins
• Homemade Fig Jam