I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I made an impulse purchase of a bunch of figs and would be sharing a recipe soon. Well, here it is! I actually wasn’t sure if I was going to post this one or not. Even though I promised! The thing is, I don’t really see this as being one of those recipes that everyone is going to make. If I saw a recipe for a fig jam sandwich in my feed I’d probably be like “oh cool,” but then skip right past it.
But sometimes there’s a distinction between the recipes I blog and the recipes I check out online and those I make for myself when I’m just playing around in the kitchen. When I first made this sandwich it was meant to be a fun way to use my figs. I don’t cook with figs that often. But guys, it was so good. And my husband declared that it was the best sandwich he ever ate. It might be my favorite too, and that includes all vegan and non-vegan sandwiches I ever ate. So I kind of had to share!
The other thing that kind of held me back was that the mozzarella part is pretty much nothing new. I borrowed that part of the recipe from my Caprese sandwiches. And I always feel compelled to share new stuff. But like I said, I didn’t even mean to share this initially, and the mozzarella works so well. In case you need a bit more guidance on how to prepare the cheese, check out the Caprese post I linked to above. The only difference in this recipe is that I skipped the garlic. As for the fig jam, you can use store-bought, if you don’t feel like making it or you can’t get ahold of any figs. I made my own, because I had figs to use up. If you want to make your own too, go get some figs now because fig season is running out! Fig jam is really easy to make and makes your house smell awesome. This recipe will yield a super small batch (about a cup) so double or triple it if you want lots of fig jam to have around. Dice your figs up and place them in a saucepan with some sugar (I used coconut sugar, but any granulated variety works) and balsamic vinegar. Heat it up and let it simmer, giving it a stir every now and then. Keep an eye on the pan to make sure it doesn’t burn. When it’s done, let it sit and cool. It’ll continue to thicken up.
Slice your vegan mozzarella and layer it on some good sandwich bread with fig jam and some greens. Grill in olive oil to delicious, gooey perfection.
Tips for Making Delicious Vegan Grilled Cheese & Fig Jam Sandwiches
Fig season runs from about August through October in the U.S. So get moving if you want to make your own jam! Figs go bad fast! Ideally, make the jam the day you buy them. Otherwise, store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. You’ll have some jam leftover. It’ll last about 1 month in the fridge, or you can freeze it for about 6 months. Obviously, this is a bit more involved than your typical grilled cheese sandwich. Save time the day of serving by preparing the cheese and jam ahead of time. Will somebody try this with tempeh bacon and tell me how it turns out? I think it’ll be delicious but I haven’t gotten around to trying it yet. Try adding a few pinches of your favorite spices to the fig jam if you like. Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves would all be really nice!
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