FINALLY! Another fig recipe makes its way to The Dimpled Date! And this is one I've been trying to perfect for so long: Fig Jam sweetened entirely with fruit. This jam has all the fruity flavor with sweetness from date sugar and ripe & sweet figs, infused with freshly squeezed orange and clementine. And because I couldn't resist: this jam has vibrant flavor notes of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla (can you tell I'm the one who makes the cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving?). And although this jam thickens beautifully on its own (esp. thanks to that absorbent date sugar), I added chia seeds for some extra nutrition, texture, and gelling properties. And as if this low-sugar fig spread couldn't get any better: this jam requires 5 minutes tops to cook, is SO quick and easy to make, and it's colored pink using natural superfoods (because otherwise this jam comes out brown bc fresh figs + dates = brown). So it's super nutrient-dense too. Enjoy this mildly yet adequately sweet, wonderfully fruity, and flavorful fig spread now! It's fig season, y'all (but it's not fall y'all YET)!
Up until now, I've only made maple-sweetened fig jam successfully. But now I finally have my own fully fruit-sweetened recipe! In the past, I used date paste to make my fig jam, but for some reason the flavor always came out vegetal and earthy- and admittedly unpleasant. So unlike date paste and fresh figs separately. And definitely not that classic fruity, figgy, sweet flavor I had always gotten with maple syrup.
BUT! Now that I know about date sugar, I decided to try sweetening my fig jam with date sugar (and freshly squeezed orange juice) and oh my gods did it make a difference! This jam is nice and sweet (but not overpoweringly so), with vibrant bursts of fruity flavor, and spiced vanilla notes. It's a satiating, nourishing jam that highlights the fig flavor, without the syrupy-ness, strong sweetness, and maple-forward flavor that comes with maple-sweetened fig spread. Yet my fig jam is still sweet and tasty with a great texture.
And it is SO easy and quick to make: literally 5 minutes of prep time and 5 minutes of cook time! (because it's so thick, cooking it for longer than 5 minutes is not needed and can actually scorch/burn the jam!). And of course, you'll have to cool this jam/spread to room temp for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before enjoying. And if you like your jam chilled, you can chill it in the fridge for longer before using. But no matter what, you'll be storing the jam in the fridge anyways. And this low-sugar, nutrient-dense jam will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge too! (because low sugar + low water content = longer shelf life).
And I love the contrast the chia seeds give along with the fig seeds (black + white seeds, respectively). The chia seeds give a nice subtle crunch, too, and also add to the quick-gelling properties of this jam, which is why it doesn't need to be cooked for long.
What's key to a good fig spread? Fresh, sweet figs. You can't used dried figs in this jam. That would be like trying to use raisins to make grape jelly. Wouldn't work. You need fresh figs, but any variety will work. I'm lucky enough to have fig trees right outside my kitchen, but if you don't grow your own figs (because most ppl don't), check your local grocery store/farmers market for fresh ones. You should be able to find quality fresh figs this time of year (August/September). Just fresh figs with no added sweeteners is all you need (literally just the whole fresh fruits).
Of course- as always- this jam is vegan (no gelatin), gluten-free, fruit-sweetened, and naturally colored. Plus, this jam can boast high amounts of fiber, vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants. And as previously iterated, there's no pectin needed and the color is all-natural (comes from added beet power + purple sweet potato powder, or you can use dragon fruit powder. Otherwise the jam will be a natural brown). If you want, you can even leave out the chia seeds (this spread doesn't need it to thicken. Even w/o the date sugar, it would have no issue gelling/thickening).
Another note: this jam is small-batch and makes about one jar's worth (approx. 1 1/2 cups), but you can adjust the batch size by doubling it, tripling it, etc. for a larger amount.
And for those of you site members, you've probably seen this jam previewed in my first Fruity Newsletter! And now it's here 🥳 Also: I'm currently building the store for my cake/baking business to add to The Dimpled Date site (but it's hidden to site visitors for now), so that is coming soon. Also, subscriptions will launch on the DD (Dimpled Date) soon, I'm just working out bank acct deets to get paid. Once subscriptions are launched and if you subscribe, you can have access to exclusive pastry chef-quality recipes, the blog, subscribers-only social media content, baking/culinary tips, fun content, Dimpled Date cookbook and product discounts, and priority pre-orders on DD cake biz products. Also included in the subscriptions: sneak previews of the weekly cake available thru the DD local cake biz. Keep posted for updates!
Because this Fruit-Sweetened Fig Jam is literally just fruit, optional spices, vanilla, and optional chia seeds, I don't think it's really necessary to provide a list of substitutions. Plus, the point of changing out the main fruits (figs, etc.) is kind of moot because this recipe is for fig jam.
Nevertheless, a quick substitution overview:
you can use maple sugar or coconut sugar instead of date sugar. But reduce the amount if you don't want it too sweet
Instead of water, you can just use freshly squeezed orange juice.
you can replace half of the fresh orange juice with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Store-bought cartoned/bottled orange juice with no sugar added works too (pref. not from concentrate)
the clementine/fig juice blend can be substituted with additional orange juice
vanilla, spices, and chia seeds are optional. Scraped vanilla bean can replace the extract and you can sub other sweet/warm spices for the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, such as cardamom, allspice, or anise. The chia seeds can *possibly* be replaced with 1 1/2 tsp whole golden flaxseeds per single batch of this jam. But I can't guarantee this will yield a good flavor/texture. But for omega-3s, gelling properties, and crunch, they might work well.
Beet powder + purple sweet potato powder are optional for adding a pink/red color to this jam (which would otherwise be brown), but you can use red dragon fruit powder AKA pink pitaya powder instead of this combination, or just use beet powder. Alternatively, you can use natural/vegan red or pink food coloring to color this jam. Beet juice MIGHT work to color this jam, I would start with 1 Tbsp, and add additional 1 tsp at a time. Note that beet juice will make it taste more vegetal the more you add. If you want, you can use beet powder + maqui berry powder or açaí powder instead of the purple sweet potato powder. Adding blue spirulina with the beet powder would yield a slightly cooler/deeper color variation too.
Optional add-ins: you can add whole (non-mashed) pieces of fresh figs to this jam for a chunkier texture more like preserves, rather than jam. Also, if you have natural fig extract, that could be good in this jam to enhance the fig flavor, but it 100% does not need it.
More Fun Updates Coming Soon!
After this recipe, I'll post one more this week, then I'll be taking a break posting more recipes until next week. I have a friend's wedding this weekend, and I'm making their wedding cakes (one of them fig-flavored!) and desserts !! And my sister's 30th birthday is later this week too, and ofc I'm making her birthday cake! Stay tuned for pictures of the final cakes.
If you tried this recipe and liked it, give it a <3 and leave a comment if you want! And follow @thedimpleddate on Instagram!
Enjoy this recipe, and don't forget to check out other great DD summer-into-fall recipes, like my Autumn Harvest Raw Chessboard Cake, Golden Milk Granola, and Oatmeal Cookies.
As always,
Enjoy!
-K.
Fruit-Sweetened Fig Jam/Spread (with chia seeds)
(RSF, Natural, Vegan, No Pectin)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Chill Time: at least 30 min to cool to room temp (+ fridge time if you want it cold)
Total Time: 40 min (only 10 min active time)
Servings: 1 1/2 cups (approx. 1 jar's worth)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb fresh figs, washed, stems removed, & sliced (any variety works)
1/4 cup date sugar (from whole dried & ground dates, NOT palm sugar)
2 Tbsp filtered water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (can sub 50% with lemon juice)
1/4 cup fresh clementine juice + juiced fig blend (either pressed/juiced at home or from your local juicery/health food store // can sub additional orange juice)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional // Ceylon or cassia is fine)
pinch ground cloves (optional)
pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
1 Tbsp chia seeds (optional // white or black is fine)
1 tsp beet powder (optional // for coloring red/pink // can sub red dragon fruit powder OR vegan/natural pink or red food coloring // omit for a natural brown jam)
1/8 tsp purple sweet potato powder (optional // for a deeper/cooler pink/red color // can sub maqui berry powder OR açaí powder)
Directions:
1. Prep your ingredients: wash, weigh, and slice the figs and remove the stems. Juice the oranges/lemons and juice/press the clementine/fig juice blend (or purchase from a local juice bar). Have a clean glass jar with a lid ready. Grab a medium saucepan/pot and a silicone spatula or wooden spoon for stirring the jam/spread.
2. Add all ingredients EXCEPT the vanilla, spices, chia seeds, and natural colorants to a medium saucepan (add the fresh figs, date sugar, water, orange juice, & clementine/fig juice to a pot now). Bring the mixture to a low boil on medium heat, mashing and breaking down the pieces of figs with a potato masher/wooden spoon/spatula.
3. Reduce heat between medium-low to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Be super careful not to burn/scorch the jam! It will stick/scorch quickly if you don't stir it enough/keep the heat too high.
4. Turn off the heat, and stir in the optional vanilla, spices, chia seeds, and natural colorants until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Spoon/scoop/pour the jam into a clean glass jar, and leave it unsealed (without the lid) to cool to room temp, at least 30 min to 1 hr. Once cooled to room temperature, seal the jar with a lid and chill in the fridge until ready to use. Or once cooled to room temp, you can serve the jam from there, but you will still need to seal it and store it in the fridge afterward.
6. Spread on gluten-free toast (on GF sourdough toast would be amazing), use in a dessert or baked good, or serve with unsweetened coconut milk yogurt and granola. Or serve with baked vegan cheese and spices. Alternatively, use this fig spread to top GF crackers, vegan ice cream, or slather it on top of a freshly baked muffin. Alternatively, just enjoy a spoonful of this jam or serve however you please. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2+ weeks.
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