Savory Fig Tart

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Fresh figs are paired with sautéed onions and mascarpone for a savory-sweet appetizer or light lunch.

This recipe has been retested and updated since first publishing June 2010.

Fresh fig season is fleeting, so I try to use them in as many dishes as possible, from oatmeal fig bars to lemon fig cake.

If you’ve only had dried figs, you might be surprised by the honey-floral taste of fresh figs. Their sweetness is not overpowering, making figs perfect to pair with savory dishes too, like a prosciutto sandwich or this fig tart.

Red onions and mascarpone cheese round out the toppings on this crisp tart, made on puff pastry dough. Don’t worry about the sharpness of the onion, as they first get cooked and mixed with balsamic vinegar to bring out their sweet flavor.

I like to make this tart for a light lunch along with a green salad, but it’s also wonderful cut into smaller squares and served as an appetizer at parties. 

Ingredients for fig tart

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

Fresh figs – Any variety of fig will do for this tart. Figs can vary a lot in size, so the amount needed will depend on how big yours are. I always recommend buying extra just in case.

Red onion – If you like, you can swap in yellow or white onion.

Balsamic vinegar – Balsamic pairs well with both onions and figs, and adds depth of flavor to the tart.

Mascarpone cheese – Mascarpone is sold in tubs, usually near the deli or cheese section of major supermarkets. You can also make your own mascarpone if you have extra time!

If you can’t find mascarpone, you could swap in cream cheese or soft goat cheese (chevre) for a bit of a different flavor.

Puff pastry – Puff pastry sheets can be found either in the frozen section by frozen pie crusts, or in the refrigerated section near premade cookie doughs. No need to be fussy about the size of the pastry sheet; any one will do!

Egg – This is to wash the edges of the pastry and give it a lovely golden color.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 400°F. (If you have a fast-heating oven, you can do this after cooking the onion.)

While the oven is heating, add 1 tablespoon butter to a sauté pan and set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 20 minutes, or until very soft. 

Add the balsamic vinegar and cook 5 minutes more, then remove from heat.

Unroll the puff pastry and set on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Make sure to flatten out any curved edges, usually from the inside of the roll.

Use a fork to prick holes all over the pastry, leaving a half-inch border all the way around. 

Spread the mascarpone onto the pastry, leaving the same border you just made. Scatter on the cooked onions as evenly as you can.

Arrange the sliced figs on top, laying as close as you like to each other but not overlapping.

Brush the beaten egg on the border of the puff pastry.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the puffed, golden, and the bottom is crisp.

Carefully slide onto a wire rack to cool, then slice and serve.

More fig recipes to enjoy

Looking for other ways to try figs? Make a batch of fig muffins or try your own fig jam.

Grab dried figs to make a fig wild rice salad, fig oatmeal breakfast cookies, or roasted sweet potatoes with figs.

Enjoy this simple savory fig tart this fig season!