Fresh Fig Crumble Tart (easy recipe)

This simple fig crumble tart is made with fresh figs and has a crunchy oat topping! Together with the buttery sweet pastry crust, this stunning dessert is sure to impress!

I absolutely love fig season! Figs are one of my favorite fruits and I particularly enjoy eating them right off the tree! There are so many things you can make with fresh figs! They are absolutely delicious baked, like my Honey-roasted figs, but they’re also good raw. They would be really good in Greek Pasteli Salad, too!

This Fig Crumble tart delicious and very easy to make! If you’re a fig lover, you’ll absolutely love this tart!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

No need to blind bake the crust. You just make the crust, add the filling, and bake it all at once! It’s such a time-saver!
It’s really simple. This recipe is a lot easier than it looks! The step-by-step picture tutorial is very straightforward and will guide you through.
It’s perfect for entertaining. This tart would be great for dinner parties, barbecues, or picnics. This recipe is for an 11-inch (28 cm) tart pan, which is about 10 - 12 servings.

What does this fig crumble tart taste like?
The first thing I thought when I made this tart is that it tastes really similar to fig Newtons! It’s thick and chewy inside with a delicious fig filling that’s not too sweet. And the slightly crumbly sweet tart dough is so good! The oat crumble topping adds a nice crunch, too.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FIG CRUMBLE TART

Fresh figs: I use the black and green variety, but any fresh fig would work.
Sugar & salt: I use dark brown sugar both for the filling and the crumble topping. I love the light caramel flavor! However, regular white granulated sugar would be fine, too. Salt enhances the dessert.
Flour & cornstarch: I use all-purpose flour for the crust and a bit of cornstarch to thicken the filling.
Egg yolk: I use an egg yolk for the crust.
Butter: I use unsalted butter, but you could easily use salted butter, just don’t add any additional salt.
Cinnamon: I use a cinnamon stick for the filling for a mild spicy touch which goes really well with figs.
Honey: For this recipe, I use organic Greek oak honey. It’s very thick and dark and has a unique nutty flavor that I think is perfect with fresh figs. Of course, you could use your favorite honey, instead.
Cognac: I use a tiny amount because I think it adds to the overall flavors, but it’s totally optional.
Rolled oats: I use regular rolled oats for the crumble topping.

ADD-INS & VARIATIONS

There are lots of different flavors that would be great with this fig tart!

Here are a few ideas:

Nuts
Lots of different nuts would go nicely with this tart. For example, almonds, walnuts, or even pistachios.

Spices
For a spicier tart, a bit of nutmeg or cardamom would go really well, too.

Cheese
For a tangy flavor, you could use ricotta or cream cheese. I think both would pair well with the sweet fig filling. I would spread some cheese on the crust before adding the fig filling over it.

Chocolate
Chocolate and figs are so good together! There are lots of different ways to add chocolate to this tart. I think the easiest way is to sprinkle some chocolate chips on top of the crumble before baking. That way it doesn’t overpower the fig flavor. However, if you want a more intense chocolate flavor, you could mix together some melted chocolate with equal amounts of cream or milk and then fold it into the fig mixture.

HOW TO MAKE FRESH FIG CRUMBLE TART

First, make the pastry crust.

STEP 1
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and sugar until combined.

STEPS 2 & 3
Add the cubed butter, a few at a time (I do it in 3 batches), and pulse until the dough looks like coarse crumbs.

STEP 4
Mix the egg yolk together with the ice water and slowly add it to the flour mixture.

STEP 5

Pulse until the dough comes together. You should be able to easily hold a piece between your fingers.

STEP 6
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Now, it's time to make the filling.

STEP 1
Whisk together the cornstarch and water and set it aside. This is a slurry that will help to thicken the filling.

STEP 2

Remove the stems from the figs and cut them into quarters.

STEP 3

Put the figs and all the remaining ingredients for the filling in a medium saucepan and stir over low to medium heat.

STEP 4
Let it simmer for about 30 minutes until it thickens and becomes darker in color. Make sure to stir it often so it doesn't burn. When it's done, discard the cinnamon stick and let it cool slightly.

Now, it's time to roll and shape the crust.

STEP 1

Roll out the dough. I prefer to use plastic wrap (that I wrapped the dough with) on the bottom and then add a tiny amount of flour on the rolling pin. You don't need any more flour - this dough is a dream to work with!

STEP 2

Roll it out about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the tart pan. Place the pan on the the dough upside down so you can see if you rolled it out big enough.

STEP 3

Now, this is where the plastic wrap comes in handy! Use it to flip the dough over the pan.

STEP 4

After that, remove the plastic wrap and pat the crust into the side of the pan.

STEP 5

Then cut off any excess dough using a knife.

Now make the crumble topping.

STEP 1
Put all the topping ingredients in a bowl.

STEP 2
Stir everything with a spatula.

STEP 3
Then use your hands to combine everything together into large clumps. I like to keep some small clumps, too.

Fill the tart pan

Spread the fig filling evenly over the crust. Then use your hands to add the crumble topping and bake!

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS

You can easily freeze the tart dough for later use. Just wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in 1 or 2 freezer bags to prevent any odors from being absorbed. You can freeze it for up to a month. To thaw, just put it in the refrigerator the night before you want to use it.

You can also freeze the crumble topping if you want to make it ahead. I spread it out on a tray and freeze it and then I divide it into portions and put it in freezer bags. You don't need to thaw it before baking!

HOW TO SERVE FIG CRUMBLE TART

This tart is amazing when it’s warm and topped with vanilla ice cream , whipped cream, or even Greek yogurt.

It’s also delicious on its own served at room temperature!

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• The riper the figs, the better! I would avoid using figs that aren’t ripe because they won’t be sweet enough.
• When you’re ready to bake the tart, place it on a baking tray to prevent it from spilling over in the oven. I like to use a pizza pan so that it catches any drips.
• The best way to know when the tart is ready is when you see it starts to bubble up and the crust is light golden brown.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Let me know how this Fresh Fig Crumble Tart turns out for you in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!

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