French Fig Tart Recipe

Try this French fig tart recipe to make the ultimate summer dessert while seasonal figs last. Sweet, nutty, and figgy, the tart is generously topped with fresh figs to create a delightful fruity treat. What's more? It requires only 40 minutes of hands-on time!

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Once again, juicy figs are the main focus! There are so many ways you could be busy during the fig season.

Once the peak fig season arrives, fresh figs are great to cook with: figs in a fig cake, figs in tiramisu, figs in muffins, and figs in Pavlova.

This fresh fig tart is studded with purple-hued, lusciously sweet figs. A homemade Hazelnut Praline Paste is added to echo the nutty taste and flavors inside the tart.

And the toasted flaked almonds are sprinkled on top of the tart for additional crunchiness and contrast.

This fig tart recipe

Most fig tarts are made with a frangipane filling like this Fig and Honey Frangipane Tart or custard filling like Fresh Fig Tart with Orange Flower Custard or Fresh Fig Tart.

However, the simplest way to make a fig tart is to arrange quarters of fresh figs on the dough and sprinkle them with icing sugar. Ina Garten's French Fig Tart is the best example.

The French fig tart recipe I am offering you is a delightful discovery of a new taste and technique.

It is an adapted version of the fig tart (Tarte aux figues in French) created by pastry chef and chocolatier Thierry Mulhaupt.

Yes, his site is in French, but look at pictures of his creations. He has no shortage of ideas!

This fig tart filling is based on Hazelnut Praline Paste that gives a wonderful nutty taste and a smooth texture to the tart center.

It is easily made within a few minutes and could be used to make other fruit tarts.

Replace figs, for example, with plums, and enjoy the hazelnut and plum combination. Just be creative!

How to choose figs for dessert

There are dozens of varieties of figs, but the most popular is the Black Mission, with an inky purple skin and rust-colored flesh.

Other popular figs are the Adriatic with green skin and pale pink to red-violet sweet flesh, the Kadota with light green skin and sweet white flesh, Brown Turkey with reddish-purple color, and a pretty flavor.

To bake fig  desserts, choose the Black Mission figs with their distinctive purple skin and reddish flesh that stands out among other varieties of figs.

Less preferable for baking is the Kadota figs since "they lack the wow factor of their other figgy brethren."

If you live in the United States, the first crop arrives around June, but it is far from developing the honey sweetness associated with a delicious fig.

I would recommend waiting for the second crop around August when figs fully develop their peak flavor.

Why you should try this recipe

1. Making a tart shell in advance saves time on the day of serving. Just bake the crust a day ahead and leave it in the tart pan.
2. Preparing the praline cream a day ahead is also another option to facilitate the assembly of the tart. Cover the cream with plastic film in contact and refrigerate.
3. Hazelnut praline paste brings a nutty taste and flavor that is well balanced with figs.
4. Sprinkling the tart with almonds gives an additional crunchiness to the dessert.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results. 

Flour: the recipe calls for all-purpose flour. Make a gluten-free shortcrust pastry if you desire.

Butter: top-quality unsalted butter is the best to make this tart. Take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before you start.

Sugar: use regular granulated white sugar or replace it with caster sugar.

Milk: the recipe calls for whole milk.

Hazelnut praline paste: make it yourself or a store-bought hazelnut praline.

To make the praline at home, you can easily mix nuts: 50% hazelnuts and 50% slivered almonds.

Eggs: use large whole eggs at room temperature.

Corn starch: just a bit of corn starch is needed to make the praline cream.

Whipping cream: use your favorite brand of heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content.

Figs: fresh seasonal figs are the stars of the tart. Choose firm-ripe figs, so they hold their shape while baking.

Flaked almonds: use toasted flaked almonds to enhance the tart's taste and bring an additional crunchiness.

To toast nuts, bring them in the preheated oven at 300 F/150 C and toast for 10-15 minutes.

How to make French fig tart

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Butter a 9-inch/23 cm round fluted tart pan (with removable bottom) and set aside.

To make the shortcrust pastry, place the plain flour, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Add the softened butter and process in short pulses until the mixture crumbles. Next, add milk and mix in short pulses.

The mixture should have the consistency of wet sand (photo 1). Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan.

Firmly press dough into the tart tin, pressing evenly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pan with the heels of your hands and your fingers (photo 2).

Bake the pastry crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool completely before filling (photo 3). Cut figs into quarters (photo 4).

To make the praline cream, whisk the softened butter and praline in a large bowl with a hand mixer (photo 5).

Add egg and cornflour, then add whipping cream and whisk again (photo 6).

To assemble the tart, garnish the tart crust with the praline cream and spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula (photo 7).

Arrange quarters of figs on top of the cream mixture in concentric circles (photo 8).

Decrease the oven temperature to 330 degrees F/165 degrees C and bake for 60 to 65 minutes.

Once the tart is baked (photo 9), sprinkle with flaked almonds (photo 10) and cool it on a wire rack.

Recipe variations

You can use stone fruits to create this fresh fruit hazelnut tart. For example, replace fresh figs with fresh plums, apricots, or peaches.

Also, you can experiment with praline filling by replacing part of hazelnuts with almonds while making homemade praline paste.

Surely, you can use a large tart tin, a rectangular tart pan, or small fluted tins to make a sharing dessert or individual tarts. To re-calculate ingredients, use this simple pan sizes calculator.

Storage

Since the tart filling is made with cream, it should be kept refrigerated. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

To freeze, cover the cooled fig tart with plastic wrap and freeze it for up to one month. To thaw, bring the tart to room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Expert tips

1. Make the tart dough with your hands by rubbing the softened butter into dry ingredients, or use a wire pastry blender if you do not have a stand mixer.
2. While baking the pastry base, place a baking sheet on a lower oven rack in case of spillage. If the edges of the tart brown quickly, cover its edges with a pie shield or an aluminium foil.
3. Try to avoid preparing fig slices in advance to prevent any oxidization and release of fig juices ahead of time.
4. Arrange figs in a circular pattern or in a way you desire.
5. Sprinkle the tart with flaked almonds while it is hot after baking, or sprinkling the top of the tart with chopped almonds before baking and bake.

Frequently asked questions

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Under no circumstances will Baking Like a Chef be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on the nutritional information. You are solely responsible for all decisions about your health and ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.

The recipe was adapted from https://www.mercotte.fr/. It was originally published on September 09, 2018. The recipe has been re-tested and revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.