Fresh Fig Cookies

white sugar

shortening

all-purpose flour

baking soda

baking powder

salt

cloves

figs

walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).


Cream sugar and shortening and add beaten egg.


Sift dry ingredients and blend with creamed mixture.  Fold in figs and nuts.


Drop by spoonfuls on greased sheet.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.


Great fig recipe, although I changed a few things.  I omitted the cloves. Also,  Instead of using walnuts, I used pecans. I made the first batch into fairly large cookies. They were very cake like. The second batch, I made a lot smaller, they were perfect. Definitely will make these again!

Made these twice now and both times they came out completely different.  The only change is, I didn't put the cloves in.  I'm thinking next time, I will add some oatmeal, as the dough still seems too gooey.  They need something to thicken them up.

These are very good.  Very soft and cake like.  If I do make these again, I'll put in a small cake pan.  I didn't have any cloves, so I had to omit.  I did put in 1/2 tsp vanilla.  Now I just have to hope my neighbor gives me more figs!

Yum!  Good soft cookie.  I substituted cinnamon for clove and used butter instead of shortening.  It was almost like a chewy oatmeal cookie.  Great use for fresh figs!

This cookie is SO good!  It is moist and sweet.  It's almost cake like.  I was a little worried after step 3 before the figs were added.  The batter looked too dry.  I made one slight change.  I added about 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract and some lemon zest to the sugar/shortening mix.  Very delicious!

LOVE these! I used 1/2 ww flour as I do with all my cookies. Perfect recipe for a heavenly cookie. Figs forever :o)

These cookies are yummy good. They are very much on the moist cakelike side for sure..I used 1/2 the cloves called for and replaced other half with cinnamon. My friend came over and i said have a cookie and she said,"Oh i don't do figs". I said just try it, she preceeded to eat several more and then a few more after that. 

I have limited experience with figs (meaning I've eaten only fig bars from the store) so I was a little skeptical of this recipe. However, it was easy to prepare and made an attractive cookie with an interesting texture. I don't like cloves, so I used ground cinnamon instead. I didn't really taste the figs so much, but the walnuts gave them great crunch. My three-year-old and one-year-old both came back for more!

Good use for leftover fresh figs.  The dough didn't really come together until the figs were added.  Very moist, but honestly, figs aren't in the same category as chocolate chip cookies for me.  For a fig cookie though, I say give it a try.

I recently gave figs a try and then was given a bag of them. I couldn't eat them fast enough before they started to rot so I found this recipe and it was perfect! Soo yummy and easy! So if your kids won't eat fresh figs (which is the best way) I highly recommend these cookie!  

Hands down my favorite fig recipe involves about 6-8 figs.  Pick one up and put it in your mouth.  Repeat this process until done (aprox 2 minutes).  That said, late summer my trees produce more than can be eaten and some people don’t like the texture of the good old inverted flowers so this recipe is a nice substitute.  I have to admit that I did make a couple modifications after reading other reviews so my ranking is based on cookies made with the following changes.  I replaced half the shortening with butter, added about a tablespoon of vanilla, substituted pecans instead of walnuts, and went with cinnamon instead of clove.  The result was cakey (like eating a muffin top), a little buttery, and full of that delicate fig flavor.  I thought the light cakey result was perfect with the fig flavor, but as other reviewers point out the key is to make them small and trust that the gooey batter will result in a nice cookie.

Just made this recipe after co-worker bestowed a batch of fresh figs upon my spouse. TASTY Cookie and SO Easy! Made this recipe exactly as given. Pleasant surprise when I got 51 2-3 inch drop cookies out of it. 17 ripe figs equaled 1 cup chopped. Placing covered batter into fridge between baking batches helps firm up the dough. Batches baked in much less time than noted; got nicely browned cookies in 10-11 mins in 350 degree oven. I'll be making this again soon. THANKS Pat for this yummy recipe!

Yum!

I had never cooked with fresh figs and my neighbor came over with a dozen of them for me. I used this recipe for about 1/2 of them. They are very light and cakey. The cookie is not super sweet, which I actually liked. I changed a few things. I didn't have shortening so I used butter since it was such a small amount and they turned out fine. I also didn't have cloves on hand so I used a 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. Like others who reviewed this recipe, I was making these for my kids so I omitted the nuts and added a 1/3 of a bag of dark chocolate chips. Very easy recipe, I will be making a second batch with the other figs.

I baked these as both cookies and bars/cake.  Bake them as bars!  As cookies, mine weren't bad - they spread out easily and are not as soft as the bars.  I used 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp cloves - it was a good compromise and resulted in a tasty end result.  I had half of the dough as cookies (~12 cookies) and put the other half in a 9 x 9 square pan for the bars.  My figs were very ripe, and you could taste their sweetness.  Overall, the cookies were quite sweet for a spice cookie. **UPDATE**  Cookies are better several hours later - they soften up and taste better than the bars.  So pick bars if you plan to eat them quickly, cookies if you plan for them to sit out for awhile.  Best bet:  do a mix, as I did.

These cookies are really good.  I had been given a huge bowl of fresh figs, so I had to try something.  The only change I made was to substitute half of the cloves for cinnamon.  I also added 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Don't let the texture of the dough scare you before you add the figs and nuts.  It is really dry and crumbly until the moisture of the figs does it's magic. I also had to play with the time.  I started with 10 minutes and ended up baking for about 14 minutes.  Definitely not 20 minutes!!   Will definitely make again.

Fresh figs are already so sweet, next time I make these cookies I will use less sugar.  Even half a cup should be plenty.  Also next time I will replace shortening with butter.  I added poppy seeds to the batter and they were a nice additional touch.

I"m only doing 4 stars because of the changes that I made to the recipe based on other's reviews &amp; my preferences.  I received a bunch of fresh figs from my former MIL, and I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't usually care for figs - so I needed to do something with them that didn't taste or "feel" too figgy!  I tried this recipe, making the following changes: instead of butter or shortening, I used applesauce (to reduce fat/calories), used half the sugar, ran the figs through my food processer (so the figs were more of a puree than chopped), and did half cloves/half cinnamon, plus added a dash of vanilla and a pinch of allspice.  My cookies were very moist, chewy and sort of cake-like - but very, very good!  I now know what to make if I get any more figs - thanks for the recipe!

Loved these. I got some figs in my fruit and vegie box this week and went searching for a recipe to use the fresh figs in, what a winner I found. The only addition I made was to add a teaspoon of cinnamon.

So I also change the recipe a bit. I did 1/2 of sugar/splenda blend No shortning 2 cups of oatmeal to replace the flour 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to replace the cloves and cook for about 9 to 10 minutes in a convection. I put everything in a food processor too, my kids are very observant and wouldnt eat the cookies if they saw the figs or walnuts. :)

I used 2 cups pureed figs, butter instead of shortening, pecans instead of walnuts, reduced the cloves to 1/4 tsp, &amp; added 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. These turned out like zuccini bread cookies if  had to name them. Everyone in my family liked them. They were really moist &amp; spread way out on the cookie sheet so drop them small. I also had added 1/2 cup chocolate chips but it didnt need them in the recipe. I was not blown away by these personally they were just ok but a  good way to use the fresh figs. Thanks

This is the first year I could actually pick my own figs from a tree given to me by a neigthbor. This recipe was easy and makes a really good cookie. First fig cookie I've ever made. About to make another batch. They don't last long here.

These turned out great! First time eating fresh figs and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I didn't have cloves so I just sprinkled some cinnamon in there. They were a little crispy on the outside, but still chewy. Only cooked for about 13 minutes.

I didn't love this recipe. I have a fig tree and am always looking for good ways to use them, but these cookies are just OK. Mainly, it's the texture I don't like, which isn't very cookie-ish, and it also didn't have a ton of flavor, even though I added cinnamon and nutmeg in addition to the cloves. It wasn't terrible, I just don't think it lives up to the 4 star rating.

These were great. There aren't many simple recipes for fresh figs so I was happy to find this one. I took them to a church potluck and they were a big hit.

This is a good recipe. I changed it a little bit, because I was pressed for time - I made a bar cookie. If I make this again (if I ever have fresh figs again, I will), I would cut down the baking powder just a little bit to make a denser cookie. They turned out a little cakey for my tastes, but the flavour is good!

A co-worker had an abundance of fresh figs so I tried this recipe.  Delicious!  Everyone at work loved them.

Delicious and moist. I used butter instead of shortening and the cookies still tasted great!

Loved the recipe!  I've had a fig tree for years and wasn't sure what to do with them.  So glad I found this recipe!  As one review suggested, I added chocolate chips.  Also cut down sugar to 3/4C and did 1/4tsp cinnamon and 1/4tsp cloves.  Husband not big on cloves, may try to omit next time.  Fig flavor very subtle, may try adding more figs on the next batch.  Loved the texture, had no problems with the batter at all before adding figs.  Made smaller spoonfuls and cut baking time to 11min.  This is a keeper!

Had too many figs and needed to do something with them.  This almost reminded me of a sugar cookie with figs and walnuts.  Decent recipe.

These cookies are very good.  (They remind me of some mincemeat cookies that I love.)  I made some without nuts (my daughter hates nuts) and some with, very coarsely chopped.  They are moist, a little chewy (which I love), and really tasty.  I was looking for something to do with my fig crop without making preserves today, and I wasn't disappointed!  Thanks, Pat!

These didn't come out quite right for me.  they were yummy, but not very sweet.  I think next time I will use brown suger instead of white.

These are surprisingly wonderful!!! Batter is very dry (had me worried!) until you put in the chopped figs; then it's perfect! Omitted nuts and did 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. cloves as several suggested. Made small and baked 12 minutes...great way to use fresh figs. Thank you for the recipe!

I am very happy to have found this recipe online.  My neighbor gave me some fresh figs (she is the only one who eats them at her house).  I made the cookies and  brought some to her house.  Her husband and son loved them and they don't like figs.  So, I think they have a new use for figs now.  She asked and I brought her the recipe.  The first time I made them I had to add a little water, but the next time and the time after that, no addition necessary.   I used butter instead of shortening also and added walnuts.  They are great.

Instead of cookies i baked a fig cake with this recipe using dried Turkish figs and maple syrup in place of the sugar.  i also chose not to use walnuts. Boy oh boy did it come out great!! I'm so going to make this again in the future and am going to include it among my most favorites from now on.

Good, tasty recipe. I used dried figs ( I don't think it's possible to get fresh ones where I live!) and since they were dried, I had to add a little liquid to get the right consistency to form cookie balls. I like cookies shaped like balls and then watching them flatten out in the pan while they're baking. Though these didn't flatten out so much, perhaps because I used margarine instead of shortening(that's all I had on hand) and I didn't use a whole lot of that. Also, I halved the sugar and used brown instead of white, like I always do. I didn't find these cookies to be bland at all, like what other users said. They were good! :) Thanks.

I followed the recipe and made them into bars. I used butter flavored shortening, which i highly recommend. I had a heaping cup of ripe fresh figs. The dough was dry until I added my fig mush, and then it was perfect. Very moist figgy bars! Both my husband and I loved them.

I don't like figs alone but have a fig tree in the yard, so I was happy to find this recipe. Great! Like Marymaybe mentioned above, I used half cloves, half cinnamon. In my opinion, EVERYTHING tastes better with chocolate, and I'm not a nut fan, so I substituted chocolate chips instead of the nuts. YUM! And like someone else above mentioned, make smaller cookies and they come out better / are easier to handle. Great cookies! Everyone loves them.

Very good moist cake-like cookie.  I used 1/4 C chocolate chips instead of the walnuts, since my husband is allergic to nuts. The chocolate added a little extra touch of sweetness. They spread quite a bit while cooking, which makes the edges nice and a little crispy. I will definitely make this recipe again, I want to try a batch with the walnuts since I am sure the crunch of the nuts makes a whole different cookie!

I didn't have cloves so I used 1/2 tsp Almond extract. These cookies are very good. Based on other reviews, I made small spoon dropped cookies and they turned out great.

Quite Yummy These do come out of the oven nice and crispy, but turn very cakelike after they've cooled off.  They also have to be stored separated with wax paper or something, otherwise they stick together in one big clump.  I stored them in the refrigerator and popped them into the toaster oven whenever I wanted some.  They crisped right up just like fresh!

OK. not much flavor. I had just under a cup of figs. Will not make again.

Not bad taste but NO fig taste...maybe because I didn't peel the figs first.... not what I expected but again very easy to make.

Yum! Try this variation: I omited the cloves and walnuts and added 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract and 1/2 cup chopped almond bark (about the size of chocolate chips).  The kids can't get enough.

Good use for those figs, and the recipe can be converted to be more healthy.  My best advice is to carefully measure the cloves, can be quite overpowering if too much. Allspice might be a good alternative.

SO GOOD!  The spices are incredible tasting!  The dough by itself was so good I couldn't stop eating it.  Once I added the figs to the dough it was a little sticky and difficult to deal with, but the cookies turned out delicious and were very well received!

I just made these and they are very good. I made them like the recipe except used pecans. Having never used fresh figs before, this is a yummy and easy way to use them up as they spoil quickly. I would mention that the dough is rather crumbly until you add the figs. Keep folding them and the nuts in until all the dough is moist. And, cook them till they are golden brown on top. One last thing, my figs were the green variety. I think I used more than 1 cup.

We LOVE these cookies. My husband does not like cookies that are too sweet or iced.  These are perfect for him.  He was eating them as fast as I took them out of the oven!

Wow, these seriously may be the best cookie I have ever made, and I do not normally like figs.  I already ate two of them and must quit!  I did add two teaspoons of orange juice to the recipe.  They are soft, delicate and mouth-watering!

These were okay....little dry like everyone said and lacking in flavour.  I added some chocolate chips and my 3 year old loved them....

Just the best!!! I had a bnch of dried figs and reconstituted them the night before and forgot the cloves...:)  you won't miss them!! In my Xmas cookie box forever!

Wow, what a great way to use up fresh figs. Our tree is so prolific and these cookies are always a treat. Even people who don't like figs taste a fresh fruit flavor that is very mild and just love them. Thanks!

Good cookies!~ My kids loved them with chocolate chips in them! We added 1 1/2 cups of CC. We used fresh figs from my mom's fig tree, peeled and smashed. I also put in 1 Tb of Cinnamon. I think 1 tp of Cinnamon would have been better. We also cut the clove to 1/4 tp.   This recipe made about 2-3 dozen nice size cookies. Preheating the oven is very important and will affect the outcome of the thickness of these cookies. We heated our oven at 350 and cooked for 9 minutes.

I made these and they turned out yummy, I'll definitely make them again, but they weren't at all puffy and cake-like as the pictures and other reviews make them out to be. I didn't have cloves so I used nutmeg and vanilla, and I baked them for 12 minutes as the 15 minute batch came out overbaked.

I ended up with a sheet of cookies that never rose.  So they were flat.  The cookie crumbs were delicious.

These cookies are wonderful!! I used canned figs. Drained off the syrup &amp; did the figs in food processer.   I had to add a bit of the syrup to cookie mix. Hubby loved them.

My fiancee and I loved this recipe!  I added blueberries and fresh ground nutmeg. I also substituted the walnuts for hazelnuts.  Very fresh and yummy!

DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!! This recipe is a go- to.

I was very pleased with this recipe.  I have never cooked with figs before and now I am hooked. It's the best cookie I have ever had!!  Thanks Pat!

I made a few changes. Added sunflower and pumpkin seeds instead of nuts. Added some chia seeds. Used i/2 whole wheat flour and brown sugar!. Made them smaller and they turned out wonderful!

This is an awesome recipe- the cookies are great!!!!  Also an easy recipe; there is no prep work for the figs, like cooking or making preserves first.  You just cut them up!  Thank you!!!

Great cookie. I prefer mine crisp so I substituted a stick of unsalted butter for shortening and used 1 cup flour with 1 cup quick oats. To get them crisp, bake for 20 minutes and cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to rack. Make sure you use cloves- complement figs wonderfully.

I substituted white sugar for brown sugar, butter instead of shortening, cinnamon instead of cloves and also added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence and a small amount of choc chips! Tasted amazing!
I also tried half the mixture in small friand mould. Some I put too much mixture in and the top became brittle but awesome result of the 'body' of the friand. I say only half fill the mould!

Very Yummmmmmmmmm!! Moist!! I added more than on cup of fresh figs!! I made it as cookies and a cakes. My family loved it. However, i couldnt eat it more am not that fond of figs!!!

This makes great muffin tops and muffins.  Next time I would add about 1/2 cup more figs.

I second SQUEAKYCHU's rating to a T! These cookies were wonderful! Are you looking for another great recipe for fresh figs? Use Diane's "Figs with Goat Cheese, Pecans and Bacon" (on this site), but read my review for a great tip!

used a 1/3 cup of oil instead of shortening, cut the sugar to 1/2 cup, used half whole wheat and white flour and used half pecan and half walnuts. the dough was dry until I added the cup of defrosted fresh figs that I had cut up and stored in the freezer from the past summer. the cookies are delicious.
2 version- all whole wheat pastry flour. delicious
3 version- 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 white flour, 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup oil instead of shortening and all pecans. forgot the cloves still tasted great but will add the cloves next time.
4th version- used 1/3 cup oil mixed with 1/4 cup white sugar and brown sugar, add egg then mixed in 1 cup white flour and 1/3 cup each of almond flour, oatmeal flour and ground flax seed. half pecan and half walnut

These cookies were very good and did not bake up as moist/gooey as I feared.  The recipe was extremely easy and a great use for fresh figs!  I used Crisco for the shortening and was able to get some crunch after baking.  Five stars if someone figures out how to add chocolate!!

This recipe came out perfectly as it was written.  I baked the cookies for exactly 16 minutes, taking them out of the oven when they were lightly browned on the outside.  I cooled them on the tray for a few minutes before  removing them to cool further.  They were delicious, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside - just like I like them!  This is a keeper recipe and a fun thing to do with fresh figs.  I mean, after all, how many people know a fig recipe for cookies?!

Batter was very dry.  I altered it by adding another egg and a 1/2 cup of buttermilk.  Cookies then came out wonderful.

Found this to be excellent. Everyone loved them. I made a double batch and added nuts to just the last two sheets and they are so good ! I'm so glad to have a site to find recipes for foods that my cookbooks don't have.

I found this recipe for my boyfriend who is diabetic and has wheat allergies. He modified the recipe so he could eat them and they are great! I wasn't a fan of the "fig newton" or figs at all until I tried these! My daughter and I love these even though we're eating the "gluten free" kind!!!!

These cookies were awesome!!! And soooo easy to make... A little taste of heaven. They're not to sweet and they really satisfy that afternoon snack attack. I made these cookies for these girls at work who all said they hated figs... Needless to say I've had numerous requests to make them again.

This was a pretty good recipe.  I subbed splenda for sugar, and let my kids eat all they wanted.  They were increibly soft too, in a yummy kind of way.

Wonderful recipe!  It's somewhere between the cross of an old fashioned oatmeal cookie in texture and a zucchini cookie in flavor.  At the suggestion of others we did use cinnamon instead of cloves.  We also used butter Crisco instead of plain.  Spooned using 1 level Tablespoon and they baked for 12 minutes.   That allowed them to get some browning without drying out.  Allowed them to sit on the sheet pan for 2 minutes before placing them on the cooling rack.  That made 32 - 2" cookies.

I used 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 brown sugar and I'll use this recipe again. Great cookies, even an 8 yr. old liked them.

I would not change a thing! Great recipe! 
I used lard as my shortening. Keep size of ball small on sheet as they do spread quite a bit! 
Usedmy fresh figs from the garden

Moist after adding a little milk.  Very good taste.  Added cookie icing to the top of them.  Really made a difference.   I am looking forward to the next batch.

First, it had been YEARS since using shortening, but I believe in making a recipe exactly as it states when making for the first time. They flattened quite a bit. I experimented with the baking times, but regardless, they fell apart once they cooled completely. Definitely not making these again.

Delicious! I was amazed because the batter was falling apart so I rolled balls in my hands. My batch made 26. I used pecans instead of walnuts. This is a great recipe!

Best fig cookie recipe I've tried. I added 1 tsp. of vanilla and pecans instead of walnuts. People leaving out the clove are cheating themselves of what makes this cookie so good. I encourage you to not leave it out. I've let multiple people try these cookies and they all love them with the clove. We also found the flavor of these cookies was the best the next day.

I thought these were okay...very, very crumbly and soft and the flavor was okay but not spectacular.

Pretty good little cookies - better than I expected them to be. (I am still forming an opinion regarding figs in general.) I did not have any cloves so substituted a little cinnamon and ground ginger.  The dough did not really take shape until the figs were added and let out their moisture.  Well definitely make them again.

Its good. Used what i had in the kitchen: pecans and orange zest. I diced the figs as best as i could. Used 3 ripe large figs, the one cup of sugar might have been too much as it was a bit too sweet for me. Next time less sugar and more figs.

15 min: firm but soft in the middle.
20 min: just right to also give it some colour.

Yummy cookies. This is a great batter you can use for lots of cookies. I would add more nuts next time. And I used the green fig, I would use the brown fig next time I think . The fig didn't impart much flavor just texture. I also subbed cardamom for the clove b/c that is what I had. I will use this batter recipe again for other things! YUM..

These were so tasty. I did change it up a bit. I used butter instead of shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and added apple sauce, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cardamon, pecans and extra 1/4 cup of figs, and added just a bit of dark chocolate

Love these! A friend gave us a basket of figs from his tree, so I went recipe hunting. I did make some changes, out of necessity: I use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour, and for shortening, I used unsweetened apple sauce. Instead of greasing the cookie sheets, I used either parchment paper or no-stick aluminum foil. I will make these again! They come together quickly and are a taste treat!

Great! I like crispy and my husband likes more of a cake texture. These are somewhere in between so perfect for us. I didn’t change a thing. They baked even and for 15 min at 350

delicious. moist,cakey. did spread a bit more than I like, tho.

It was a hit!  Super moist cookies.  I used pecans instead of walnuts.

I made these exactly as directed, but they were thin and flat not cake like.  The flavor was OK, lots of cloves, probably won't bother making these again.

Anything with figs I usually love.  This cookie doesn’t disappoint!  Moist, tender inside, with a nice balance of cloves makes it simply delicious! I used 1/4 cup cookie scoop. Plus,  I added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Perfection!

These cookies are about the most unattractive cookie I've ever made, but they are VERY delicious!  Everyone loves them in our house. I want to try to make them puffier next time, they are just too flat.

Loved these! I used butter rather than shortening and cinnamon instead of cloves, and added a teaspoon of cinnamon! Figs were not in season, so I used dry figs instead as well. Many reviews had said their mixture was very gooey, but mine actually was too dry and I added a few extra splashes of almond milk, and the batter turned out having the best consistency. Taste great and are pretty thick!

These are yummy!  I used butter rather than shortening. It worked great.

fresh fig cookies

Servings: 3

Author : Pat Kersteter

Ingredients

Instructions

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