This is an easy gourmet appetizer. I've brought this to several parties and it is always a hit! I often add some chopped green olives to the olive mixture and a little more balsamic. Goat cheese may also be used in place of the cream cheese. Serve with slices of French bread or crackers.

Fig and Olive Tapenade

figs

water

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

rosemary

thyme

cayenne pepper

kalamata olives

garlic,

salt and pepper

⅓ cup chopped toasted walnuts

cream cheese

Combine figs and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, and liquid has reduced. Remove from heat, and stir in the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, thyme, and cayenne. Add olives and garlic, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.


Unwrap cream cheese block, and place on a serving platter. Spoon tapenade over cheese, and sprinkle with walnuts. Serve with slices of French bread or crackers.


Should have read more reviews: dried thyme doesn't work...it remains hard.  That said, I'll add fresh thyme next time, and maybe add it to the simmering figs.
Also, I used fresh figs (awesome!) and added a splash of white wine when cooking the figs.  Served with goat cheese.  Aside from picking out the thyme sticks, this dip was phenomenal!
Update:  I've made this three times in the past month its that good (and also because fresh figs are in season!).  If you're using fresh, I cut up a pint into small pieces, and that amount works perfectly.  I haven't encountered anyone who doesn't LOVE this dip either.  I use fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme), but either way you need to add it to the simmering figs or else it stays twiggy.

This recipe really caught my eye as I was looking for a different dip to serve at our party.  It had only been given one review with 5 stars and it hit the "nail on the head".  It is definitely one which will stay and be used in my recipe collection.  Already 3 people have asked me for the recipe which I now will pass on - reluctantly!
2 points to make:  take note that it should be left if possible OVERNIGHT to allow flavours to mature so give yourself that time.  Also, not reading the recipe correctly I went ahead and pureed all the ingredients.  Although it was a fantastic spread, next time I will remember to finely chop ingredients so it has a "chutney" consistency instead.


I love this recipe! I have to make some appetizers for an upcoming party and chose a few safe ones and decided on this one for a change of pace.  I did a test run of all the recipes and at first, I truly wasn't sure about this one, but after I let it sit overnight -- fabulous! It's one of those tastes that at first you might seem skeptical, but once it hits your tastebuds, you actually crave it.  Definitely will keep this as a permanent part of my recipe collection.  Yummy!

This was tasty, I made it 2 days before eating it to let the flavors mingle, and that they did. The only thing I would change was the rosemary. I used dried and it never did soften up. A bit twiggy. Next time I wont be so lazy and go outside to pick my own and chop it up finely. I will also try it with goats cheese for some extra zip. Great though.

This recipes received rave reviews at a recent party. I did increase the garlic and balsalmic, but that's just my preference. Didn't have rosemary....sub. with oregano and recipe was still great. My advice is to use the best quality ingredients you can get. Yummy!

I made this for a group of my husband's friends as an appetizer and they really liked it! I used store bought (deli section) olive tapenade already made and simply add the additional ingredients. Definitely a 'keeper'!

This went over really well and I had several people ask for the recipe. I used regular cream cheese and I'm glad I didn't spring for goat cheese. My notes: I cut the garlic in half, and instead of 2 T of balsamic I did 1 T balsamic and 1 T cognac (I was afraid the balsamic would be too strong).

We really liked this version of a tapenade.  I took this to a barbeque yesterday and it was a real crowd-pleaser!  Several people commented on the chutney-like taste.  I had coarsley broken the toasted walnuts and mixed them in.  I used black olives, since I had an already opened can that I needed to finish using.  This makes a great grilled Panini sandwich.

I made this for a neighborhood BBQ and it was a hit. I've made olive tampenade before but the fig really added something to the dish. I was a little nervous about using cream cheese over goat cheese but went w/ the cream cheese to save costs and it was delicious! I also put everything in the food processor which I thought was easier than chopping everything individually.

This was a huge hit!!  I made it exactly as the recipe is written.  I made it a day ahead to let the flavors meld.  I also used plain old cream cheese instead of goat cheese.  EVERYONE loved it!!

This the best recipe - lots of great flavors. I use goat cheese.  Once I couldn't find dried figs, and tried dates - just as yummy! I like to use fresh rosemary, and put a sprig on top.

This is AMAZING!!!!!! My husband had bought the olives for a function at his job, but was unable to use them because of the pits. So he brought them home to me...and I found this recipe.  First things first, USE A CHERRY PITTER!!! It took me maybe 3 minutes to pit the olives. I followed the directions exactly, except that i used ground rosemary (little less than 1 tsp but more than 1/2 tsp) and used canola oil as I am out  of the olive oil.  I also used a processor and ground the mixture. I served it with the cream cheese and french bread slices and with rye triscuits. I prefered the triscuit over the bread, but both were DELISH!!! Just make sure to stir it again, before serving. I made the mistake of trying it before i stirred it up, and man was it salty!!!! Will make again and again.

This is soooooooo insanely good I cant even tell you, you must just try...!!  No changes needed for this unique and delicious dish.  Thank you for posting...!!  This is the third time in 3 month I've made this by the way...

This is the best party recipe! I even substituted 1/2 raisins and 1/2 dates for the dried figs, and it was marvelous! &lt;3

Ok made this tonight and only waited about 1 hour and it was delish! Now lets see how it does tomorrow at the party. Go with the cream cheese. Great texture with the tapenade.

Served this at a red wine tasting, which worked out well since I could make this ahead of time.  Followed the recipe exactly, except used goat cheese instead of cream cheese as suggested by other reviewers.  Loved it and would make it again with the goat cheese.

Wonderful, easy recipe! Allow several hours if not overnight for the flavors to blend.

This was a hit at our dinner party last night, people kept asking for the recipe. I subbed dates for figs, used fresh herbs and a bit more olive to get the sweet/salty balance right. Used the processor to make it easy and et it sit over night - the flavors really came together. I do think it's best over goat cheese and spread on French bread - but it's still yummy with cream cheese too. Thanks for the great recipe!

Perfect! This tapenade has a beautiful balance of sweet, salt, &amp; umami (savory). The cayenne adds a nice little kick, too. I used fresh herbs from my garden, and did not add additional salt because the kalamata olives and the chevre were plenty salty. Here are some recommendations: 1) remove tough stems from dried figs before chopping, 2) squeeze liquid from chopped olives before adding (like you would spinach). 

I thought this was OK.  I am not a huge fan of cream cheese type things though, and others seemed to like it a lot.  The only change I made was that I only had mixed nuts on hand to top with instead of the walnuts, but I can't imagine that would have made a huge difference.  I will give it big points for being easy to make -- the longest prep time for me was pitting the kalamata olives -- and it is also good as a make ahead meal.  I will probably make this again down the road, but it isn't a must have recipe for me.

Can I give 6 stars? Unbelievably amazingly good! I took another reviewer's advice and processed everything together, including the walnuts - no cream cheese. Spicy, salty, sweet, savory - we could have eaten the whole thing for dinner with some toasted french bread. You have to try this recipe! If you don't like the balsamic, try red wine vinegar.

This is Great. I served it a dinner party and everyone loved it, even people who didn't have a clue what tapenade was couldn't keep away from it. I did make it the day before so the flavors could blend. I will be making this again.

I have made this every Christmas since 2005 but have never added my review. It is excellent. I really like it with the goat cheese; the cream cheese is just as good. I like to let it sit a day before serving.

I have to say, I am a tapenade freak.  I love all types.   I am a purist.  LOVE it just on a cracker or bread.  Have no need for cream or goat cheese with it (but I bet thats good too)  - I made this with only a few differences, I added the chopped toasted walnuts to the tepenade.  I used 1 cup olives to 1 cup figs and threw the whole thing in the food processor to finely chop everything. I like it fairly smooth, but still grainy.   OMG!  I do believe it's the best tapenade I have ever had....ANYWHERE.  My husband was skeptical....come on FIGS in the tapenade?  BUT WOW.....it knocked our socks off.  It will be a family favorite.  THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!

I love this recipe! It's always a crowd favorite and I am always asked for the recipe. My husband who doesn't like olives or figs loves this - don't be scared of the ingredients.   I don't use the walnuts because I never know who has nut allergies. I have also used black olives instead of kalamata and it works. And I normally add more garlic. A favorite!

This was weirdly a REALLY good flavor.It is def. a mature flavor and if you like the taste of balsamic vinegar you'll LOVE this. I used dried rosemary which I thought would be too hard &amp; crunchy but letting it marinade w/ other stuff made it fine. Cream cheese should be room temp and mushy. Cracker should be more on the plain side.  I couldn't wait to have it as a snack the next day!

This was wonderful!  I made it for Easter and everyone loved it.  I used toasted pine nuts instead of walnuts because I had some that I wanted to use up.  The only other thing I would change is the presentation.  It's not lovely as written, not that it effects the taste at all!  But anyway, next time I am going to make it in the manner of seven-layer dip - I'll spread the cream cheese in a pie plate, spread the fig mixture over that, and then sprinkle the nuts over it.

This is fantastic. I wish I could give it 10 starts. I made it for last night party. It was gone in no time. And I did not make a little. I made a big bowl of it. Everybody, simply everybody LOVE it.

I was nervous about making it. Because some reviews commented on about the rosemary. Here is what I did:
1&gt; I took another reviewer's suggestion, replaced rosemary with oregano
2&gt; I made it two days ahead time
3&gt; Just because I worried about the missing of rosemary, I crushed a little bit rosemary and boiled it with the fig.

It is so, so good. Definitely will make again.
Thanks Anne for the wonderful recipe.

Loved it! It made more tapenade than I expected from the picture above, so I sliced the cream cheese horizontally and placed on two separate plates. I kept one in the fridge until the other was finished.

Be careful not to add too much thyme, it's quite strong; but after marinating for over 12 hours it all blended quite well!

This was excellent!! I served this to guests last night and everyone loved it. We ate this with goat cheese on fresh foccacia bread. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!!

This is probably the most outstanding recipe that I have used on this site and Epicurious. The flavors are out of this world. I agree using fresh thyme and rosemary are the way to go - other than that why mess with perfection!

Soooooo delicious.  The flavors intensify if made a day ahead of time.  Also, freezes extremely well.  Great to have on hand.

This was really good! I put the dried herbs in a pestle and mortar, and smushed them. So had no problem with "crunchy" herbs..

Really tasty and pretty. Used goat cheese, which went wonderfully with the tapenade. Our guests loved it as well.

This is an absolute favorite at parties and get-togethers. It tends to be eaten quickly, so make a double batch if you can!  I make it exactly as the recipe instructs... no need to change a thing!

This was GREAT! I used black olives, pomegranate balsamic, dried herbs, chile sauce instead of cayenne, and vegan cream cheese. The cream cheese was in a tub, so I decided to mix it with the olive mixture, but I DO NOT recommend doing that, as it looks like vomit.

Excellent recipe, and I don't even like olives!!! Used fresh figs instead of dried, but completed the remainder of recipe exactly as written. Threw it all into cuisinart and gave course chop.  Let sit in fridge overnight and served along side goat cheese and crostinis. Everyone at our party LOVED it. Great combo of sweet, savory. Gave out recipe to 2 people already.

Amazing!  Definitely the most-raved-about dish at my tapas party!  Everyone was really impressed and commented how amazing it was - like restaurant-quality!  I made it the night before and I think it really helped the flavor.  Also, I didn't use rosemary (didn't have any) and didn't add any additional salt (olives were plenty salty!).  I served over a block of reduced-fat cream cheese and omitted the walnuts.  So great!  I do agree that goat cheese would be really delicious with it (probably even better), but I think that the cream cheese does the trick.  And let's face it - goat cheese is much more expensive than cream cheese so I'd only recommend that if you really wanted to splurge.  Highly recommended!

I made this tapenade at my latest party and used the goat cheese option, it lasted about 5 minutes.  This a delicious recipe.

If you live olives, you'll love this recipe.

This is delicious!  Love the slight sweet of the fig, along with the tiny crunch of the fig seeds, coupled with the olive tapenade.  To make it super easy, I bought a wonderful olive tapenade from Costco and chopped some delicious organic sun-dried figs to mix with the tapenade, to taste.  The figs were soft enough that I mixed them straight into the tapenade, no need to soak in water.  Besides, that would have done away with the crunch of the fig seeds.  My guests went wild over this!  This is a new favorite appetizer at our house.  Not to take away from the original recipe, which is delicious - just a really easy shortcut that takes no time at all.  Hint:  to make chopping sticky figs easier, rub Crisco on your knife and they won't stick!

This is one of my favorite recipes.  When I take it to a gathering it is always gone before the night is over.  The only thing I change is I use dates instead of figs b/c they're easier to find.  I'm not sure it makes a difference.  Also I have made w/ or w/o thyme and I couldn't tell the difference at all.

I really love this recipe. I made it the first itme at Thanksgiving and the second time for Easter. Everyone loved it both times. I followed the recipe as written, using fresh herbs and a combo of Mission and Calimyrna figs. I'll definitely make it again - I'm looking forward to using it as a stuffing for beef or pork. Thanks for the recipe.

Had this, and a girls night and loved it, could not get enought of it. can't wait to make it myself

This is an unusual but fabulous appetizer! And the fact that you can make it ahead makes it perfect for a party. I mixed cream cheese and goat cheese together for a smooth but tangy spread. Make your own crostini and you have a winning appetizer. Thanks!

I've made this several times and each time, there is NONE left and people comment over how they just love it and can't stop! lol  I love it, too.  Highly recommend.

Not what I had imagined, but very good.  Not real popular with my guests, but most didn't know what a tapenade was.

I was expecting something much more flavourful.

the original recipe has a little too much garlic for me, but other than that it's top notch!  i often bring it to dinner parties, though it's a bit pricey to make.  also, if you don't have a food processor, be prepared to spend quite a bit of time preparing this.  absolutely delicious recipe with a lot of character!

Holy, sweet mother of all things delicious!  This is one of my favorite recipes.  I use fresh figs and cut the water in half.  Everybody always wants the recipe.

I made this for a red wine tasting party and it went over phenomenally. I used a thin layer of goat cheese on a crispy thin cracker with a small spoonful of the tapanade on top. I sent about 3/4 of it through a food processor so it wouldn't be so chunky that it fell off the crackers. It does definitely need the goat cheese rather than the cream cheese.

Very unusual flavor combination but it really works. Definitely make a day or even two ahead so flavors can mingle.

I've made this tampenade multiple times now and every time I make it it's a hit.  My grandmother, whom I would consider a traditional, non-adventurous eater, loves this recipe. It has become a regular appetizer recipe for my family around the holidays.  I mostly follow the recipe as written, with the exception of eyeballing the amount of figs used.  It's easy and you're able to make it ahead of time.  Definitely recommend this to anyone.

Yum!!!!  Served this on Brie for a holiday party.  We all couldn't stop eating it!

I made this recipe for a large group at a function that did not serve cocktails and the response was mixed.  However, when served with wine, the group loved it.  Goat cheese would be a more sophisticated base, but is yet another very specific taste.  Delicious and upscale, but save for your more adventurous guests.

Served this at a surprise party for my husband.  I made it four days early and let it sit in the back of the frig in a large yogurt container.  He never knew.  Everyone raved about it at the party.  This dish was excellent and a huge attention getter!  Thanks!

This was one of three hor douerves that I made to share with a group of friends who enjoy making and eating excellent foods paired with good wine.  Of the three hor douerves, this one was the group's favorite hands-down.  Almost everyone commented on what a incredibly delicious and interesting combination of flavors in this dish.

I would give this 6 stars if I could.  Delicious.  Such an interesting mix of flavors - sweet, spicy, salty.  I brought this to a cocktail party and everyone asked me about it.  I would not change a thing.  Thank you to the original poster!

I give this recipe 4/5 stars for inspiration albiet I have never made this exact as I really don't ever have figs in my house.  I used this recipe to invent my SUNDRIED TOMATO TAPENADE which is based on the same ideals but free of figs.

I was disapointed with this recipe...it tasted amazing (5 stars) until I added the garlic, which just didn't go with the figs. I will make it again, but without the garlic.

I made this for a wine and cheese party, and hardly any of the other cheeses were touched!  This was literally devoured within an hour, and I had used a large goat cheese log from Costco!  Many thanks for a fabulous recipe.

My sister made this for a party last night.  So delicious. She served it over goat cheese and it was amazing. I will be making this for every holiday party for sure!

Wonderful stuff--I love the little bit of heat the cayenne brings (okay, maybe I accidentally added more than it called for...) Who knew figs were so good with heat like that?

This was a great success and a big hit.  I used goat cheese instead of cream cheese and served with small slices of tuscan style green olive bread.

I made this as an appetizer for Easter dinner. The combination of the figs and olives intrigued me to try it out. It was easy enough to prepare and I did as suggested and let the flavors marry overnight. It was not a hit with my guests, however.  As one stated, "there's just too much going on".  With the garlic, cayenne, olives and figs, the combination of flavors is just too much. It could probably be good with some revision/deletions but as it stands, I won't be making this again.

This was really good!  I used ground rosemary and cooked the thyme and rosemary with the figs

Man, that's good.  I used ground thyme and fresh rosemary, 'cause that's what I had.  Otherwise, followed the recipe to a t. I tried it with cream cheese, goat cheese is next.

For the time and effort that went into this, I wanted it to knock my socks off.  It was okay, just not sensational.  It made a nice looking presentation.  We served it around labneh with triscuits.  I liked it, but it didn't hold a candle to our usual roasted olives, grapes, and goat cheese appetizer, which comes together in minutes.  Also, as a side note, when selecting your figs, I'd opt for the green variety to make a more visually appealing dish.

The partygoers I shared this with had one word for it- WOW. I would use a little less of the herbs next time, just a scant less- and I will add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the 1/2 cup of water. After it sat overnight, I pulsed it in the cuisinart to marry the flavors better. It was very good. I served it with bits of pecorino as well as the cream cheese- it makes a lot of tapenade. I think this recipe is a real winner!

I made this recipe for a housewarming party that I hosted and this dish received rave reviews from my guests. I had a ton of food leftover at the end of the night, except for this appetizer which was completely gone even after doubling the recipe. Such a snap to make, I will definitely use this recipe again.

This was fantastic. I've made it many times and everyone really likes it. I put the olives and figs in the food processor to rough chop them and use fresh herbs. Not as much as the recipe calls for however. Also I only use 1 clove of garlic. I serve over goat cheese.

Delicious! Based on other reviews, I added the rosemary and thyme to the figs as it reduced so it wouldn't be "twiggy". I used fresh figs because that is all I had. Served over goat cheese. Everyone was so impressed. I will definitely be serving this again - especially during the holidays.

I, too, wanted to really like this recipe. It honestly was the worst thing I have ever tasted, and I followed the recipe to a "T".  This recipe was a very expensive way to learn that something isn't to my liking. 

Guests will never let you forget this recipe. I was skeptical, but this was a hit.  I sliced the cream cheese lengthwise and layed the rectangles side by side and the tapenade covered it well. I added a dash of hot sauce too. An 8x8 appetizer perfect for a tapas party. Note: Next time I would use ground rosemary- the other reviewers are right, the sprigs mess with the texture.

This was surprisingly wonderful !  My husband who does not eat olives raves about this.  I did use the mini food processor to mince up the cooked figs after cooking them and then added the olives....made a wonderful spread.  Thank you for sharing !

Wow!  This was so wonderful - definitely serve over goat cheese instead of the cream chese though.

This was great.  I used less balsamic vinegar than the recipes wanted, because it's a strong flavor and I didn't want to lose the fig flavor.  The vinegar was still kind of strong, so I might add even less next time.  It was great anyway, though.  I took it to a girls' night get-together and the hostess asked me for the recipe. 

I made this as a gift for a friend and she absolutely loved it!  It looked and smelled delicious but as I don't care for olives I didn't try it.  It was a huge hit with her family as well (she reluctantly shared)!

I brought this to a Xmas Party and it was a hit!!

What an intriguing dish! My husband was the only person who commented about too much "tang" - I would consider cutting the balsamic to 1 1/2 Tbspn actually. Also, keep the fig pieces small and simmer them with the (fresh!) rosemary and thyme. For serving, next time I will smear the cream cheese on a dish, hummus style, and then put the tapenade on top.

Soooooo delicious!  I suggest making the recipe one day ahead.  I increased the balsamic to 3T.  This recipe received rave reviews.  I can't wait to make it again!!

This smelled wonderful and tasted pretty good. The cream cheese didn't work for me.  This tapenade needs to be paired with something tangy to set it off.

I thought this was a nice blend of flavors, but I was rather taken aback by the strong and somewhat over powering flavor of garlic. Next time I'll use less garlic, but nonetheless this was quite tasty and I will definitely be making this again. As other reviewers have said, goat cheese is a must for this recipe. 

I entered a competition today called "Fig-Fest" and won first place with this recipe.  Awesome!  The dried thyme is not a problem if allowed to chill overnight so that it soaks up the seasoning.  Stir well before layering on cream cheese!  Wonderful!

I made with both goat cheese and cream cheese. Everyone agreed that it was much better with the goat cheese. Next time I will candy the walnuts.  Very good recipe, was a big hit at the party.

yummy -- I made this for my sister's outdoor wedding.  I tripled the recipe and it was still gone really quick.  It is so so good.  I don't think I changed anything about it.  It was great as is....

This appetizer is absolutely delicious!  It's now part of my permanent collection.  The only change I made was to mix in the walnuts.  Definitely improves overnight, but good practically immediately.  You must try this one!

There is something in the recipe that shouldn't be there - perhaps the garlic?  I tried it multiple times but I didn't like it at all.

Wow! This is so good! I've served it over goat cheese and cream cheese and it's always a hit either way. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Good but overwhelming and some of the flavors are not complimentary.  Lose the garlic, cayenne and thyme.  Half the amount of figs and add two teaspoons of capers. Serve over a mild goat cheese.  This makes it more balanced.

Very flavorful! Nice combination of sweet &amp; salty.  I bought the Greek Black cured olives by mistake but it was still delicious.  Friends loved it and want the recipe.  Served it with cream cheese and crackers.  Next time I may whip the cream cheese with a little olive oil to give it a fluffier texture. Oh and mine sat for a couple of days in fridge and it just got better.

For a shortcut, I am using Fig Preserves in place of fresh figs (it's winter).  YUMMMMMMY.  Something different!

Wow!  Imagine my surprise after reading all the rave reviews!  I found this to be just nasty.  I did get my family to taste it, but nobody wanted more than just the first taste.  I threw it away.  What a waste of good olives!!

Man, I SO wanted to love this. I love all of the ingredients separately but this just didn't work for my palate. I tried it freshly made, at 3 days old and 5 days old...Sorry.

I was looking for a recipe that would use up some bottled figs I had been given and this worked really well.  The suggestion to use wine instead of water was great, as was the simmer spices advice.  This is a great company recipe and takes very little effort.

Everyone raved about this recipe!  I used cream cheese but will try goat cheese next time for a new taste.  I recommend adding the herbs to the liquid while hydrating the figs, especially if you don't have time to let it rest overnight.  I will definitely be making this again.

This was a very last minute dish that I decided to bring for last night's NYE party. I doubled the recipe and used goat cheese, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme and the mix of black and green olives. I only had 2 hours to make it and let it sit in the fridge but really, that didn't stop it from it being the #1 hit at the party!! We actually had to sneak the tiny leftover back home to eat it later today. I will certainly make this again! 

fig and olive tapenade

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total: 4 hours, 25 minutes

Servings: 6

Author : Allrecipes Member

Ingredients

Instructions

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