Name: Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta Appetizer
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 11-ounce logs of goat cheese; 14 dried mission figs, woody stems cut off, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.; 1/4 cup dry sherry; 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 large Spanish onions, halved and thinly sliced; 10 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press or finely minced; 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (3-4 inches long); 2 teaspoons kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; Crostini or toasted baguette slices (see notes).; For gluten-free, serve with gluten-free crackers, endive leaves, or sliced pears tossed in lemon water to prevent browning.

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This intensely flavorful combo of tangy goat cheese, caramelized onions and sherry-steeped figs is always a hit. And you will love how easy it is to prepare and that it can be made the day before your event. Serve this fig and goat cheese bruschetta as an appetizer at your next dinner party or holiday gathering and watch everyone swoon.

7 fig and goat cheese topped crostini on a square serving platter with sprigs of rosemary to garnish

There's nothing like an insanely delicious appetizer to ignite the party spirit. Flavorful finger foods like Mini Caprese Skewers, Devils on Horseback, Gilda Pintxos or my quick and easy Goat cheese Dressed For A Party always do the trick. Everyone gets super excited about these tasty before-dinner bites. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with the main dish!

The Best Party Food Recipe

I'm a collector of great party food recipes and this fig and goat cheese appetizer ticks off all my boxes:

An easy, no-fail recipe. You know this appetizer will be delicious every time.
Prep can be done up to a day ahead. You've got to love a make-ahead party dish.
Made with easy to source dried mission figs and other common, easy-to-find ingredients.
Small bites with huge flavor - just what you want an appetizer to be.
Figs are unique, delicious and nutritious and dried figs are available year round
Can be self serve or pre-assembled, passed hors d'oeuvres or stationary.
Excellent appetizer for large gatherings – one batch of this recipe feeds a big crowd.

Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Here's an overview of the recipe with photos. For exact amounts and printable directions, scroll down to the recipe card.

Gather these ingredients:

Goat cheese in log form
Dried mission figs
Yellow onions
Garlic
Fresh Rosemary
Dry sherry
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Toasted bread, crostini, crackers or endive leaves for serving

a dozen dried mission figs on a wooden cutting board along with 2 onions, 2 logs of goat cheese, a few rosemary sprigs and two bulbs of garlic

How to make it

Slice the figs and put them into a small pot with dry sherry and water over high heat. Once the liquids come to a boil, remove the pot from the heat and leave the figs to steep in the hot sherry until they plump up.

round cutting board with chopped mission figs, onions, garlic and rosemary

Chopped dried mission figs in a pot of liquid

Meanwhile, slice the onions, chop the garlic and sauté them both in olive oil, along with the rosemary sprigs, until they are golden brown and caramelized.
Drain the figs and stir them into the caramelized onion mixture.

sliced onions and chopped garlic and a couple of rosemary sprigs in a cast iron skillet

Caramelized onions and chopped figs in a cast iron skilelt

Stuff the goat logs into an oven-proof casserole/serving dish, chopping up the goat cheese log so it's evenly distributed in the casserole.

Heap the fig and onion mixture on top of the goat cheese.
Pop the casserole into the oven at 350ºF and bake it for 20 minutes until the cheese is hot and creamy.

Fig and onions mixture being spooned on top of goat cheese, in a small square casserole.

Goat cheese in a casserole with caramelized onions and figs on top

How can I make this appetizer ahead of time?

I love that this dish can be prepared the day before the party. You can get all the slicing, dicing, sautéing and kitchen clean up out of the way well ahead of your event.

Put the goat cheese into a casserole dish, using an oven-safe serving dish if possible. Prepare the fig and onion mixture, let it cool, and heap it on top of the goat cheese. Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight.

Let it come to room temperature for a half hour or so and pop it in the oven 20 minutes before your guests arrive. When the party starts, it will be warm and ready to enjoy.

If you're assembling crostini for the party, make sure you toast the bread ahead of time, and give yourself an additional 15 minutes or so to spread the fig and goat cheese topping on the bread and set it all up on a serving plate. Rosemary sprigs make a lovely garnish for serving.

4 pieces of fig and goat cheese bruschetta on a wooden serving tray with a sprig of rosemary

Do you want additional dishes for your party? You can browse through all of our Appetizer Recipes here.

If you make this fig and goat cheese bruschetta recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think.

Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta Appetizer

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 3 reviews

Author: Lisa
Total Time: 45 mins
Yield: 40 appetizer portions 1x

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Description

Creamy goat cheese, sweet caramelized onions and fruity figs are heated and served warm, spread onto sliced toasted baguettes, crostini or crackers to make a unique and incredibly flavorful bruschetta. This is a great party appetizer that always wows the crowd.

Adapted from a recipe by Party Line with The Hearty Boys.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 11-ounce logs of goat cheese
14 dried mission figs, woody stems cut off, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices.
¼ cup dry sherry
¼ cup olive oil
2 large Spanish onions, halved and thinly sliced
10 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press or finely minced
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (3-4 inches long)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For Serving

Crostini or toasted baguette slices (see notes).
For gluten-free, serve with gluten-free crackers, endive leaves, or sliced pears tossed in lemon water to prevent browning.

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Crumble the goat logs into a small oven-safe baking vessel (ideally, something that can go from oven to table).
Put figs into a small saucepan along with the sherry and a little water and set over high heat. As soon as liquids come to a boil, remove pot from heat and leave the figs to steep for 10 minutes or so. The dried figs will plump up and absorb the flavor of the sherry.
Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, rosemary sprigs, salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring often, for 10-12 minutes, until onions are lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the figs to the onion mixture and stir through (the soaking liquid is not needed).
Remove any thick woody rosemary stems. Let the onion and fig mixture cool for ten minutes or so and then heap it on top of the goat cheese. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate the dish for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve it, let it sit at room temp for ½ hour before continuing.)
Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the cheese is hot and starting to bubble at the edges. Serve warm.
To serve: Either set out the baking dish on a trivet with a serving utensil, surrounded by baguette slices or crackers; or make bruschetta by topping toasted baguette slices or crostini with the fig and goat cheese mixture (see notes below, for a tip on assembling the bruschetta).

Notes

How to make crostini, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Cut baguettes into ¼-inch slices and brush lightly with olive oil on both sides. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet (or two, if necessary). Bake for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. If not using immediately, cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Tip for assembling the fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta: To make your bruschetta look pretty, spread the goat cheese on the bread first (scoop down below the fig-onion mixture with a small spoon), and then add some of the fig-onion mixture on top.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Category: Appetizer
Method: bake
Cuisine: American

This post was first published on November 10, 2012. It was updated on September 8, 2023 with new photos that illustrate the cooking process, clearer instructions in the recipe, and added instructions for how to toast bread to make the crostini for bruschetta.

Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta Appetizer

The Best Party Food Recipe