Our Fig, Goat Cheese, and Arugula thin crust pizza highlights the simplicity of fresh ingredients and fail-proof flavors.
Fresh arugula and grape tomatoes over tangy goat cheese creates a light meal or hearty appetizer as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.
This Fig, Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza recipe is a combo of sweet fig spread topped with tangy goat cheese and fresh herbs and then crowned with arugula and grape tomatoes.
It’s no secret that goat cheese and figs rock just about anything they touch. It’s the savory-sweet combo that just works, which is why we love serving goat cheese with pear as an appetizer or in a Galia melon salad as a side dish too.
A drizzle of aged balsamic is the perfect finish to balance flavor and remind you that pizza doesn’t have to drip with cheese (though we like that too!).
Rolling a thin crust works best for this recipe and at our house, we use sprouted wheat flour for most bread recipes, so the pizza dough recipe below is 100% soft whole wheat.
However, the dough recipe can be converted to all-purpose flour or you can save time with premade dough or frozen puff pastry—I recommend Trader Joe’s All Butter Puff Pastry for the best ingredients among pre-made products.
Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza Step by Step
- Prepare pizza crust.
- Pre-bake crust on the lowest rack in the oven for about 5 minutes, just until dough is set, but not browned.
- Smooth fig spread over the dough with the back of a spoon to create a thin, even layer.
- Crumble the cheese all over the layer of fig, leaving some small spaces in between the pieces of cheese.
- Sprinkle basil over the layer of goat cheese, as desired. Other herbs can be substituted, based on preference.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes until the edges of the crust are light brown, the cheese is hot, and the basil is fragrant.
- Top with arugula and tomatoes, and drizzle with balsamic.
Recipe Variations
- Make your own fig jam instead of store-bought with this homemade fig jam recipe
- Make your own balsamic reduction
- Substitute baby spinach or Tuscan kale for some of the arugula
- Substitute chunks of brie cheese for the goat cheese
- Substitute puff pastry or filo dough for the crust
- Add more fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, or tarragon
More Pizza Recipes You’ll Love
- Top to Bottom Veggie Pizza
- Pesto, Chicken, Caramelized Onion & Fennel Pizza
- Italian Sausage, Prosciutto, Peperoncini & Smoked Cheddar Pizza
- BBQ Chicken Pizza
- Basil, Tomato & Goat Cheese Pizza with a Cauliflower-Mozzarella Crust [Gluten-Free]
- Italian-Style Stuffed Zucchini (not pizza, but tastes like pizza!)
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Fig, Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza
Ingredients
- 1/2 recipe Sprouted Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe below)
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces fig spread
- 10 ounces goat cheese (soft goat cheese)
- 8 fresh basil leaves coarsely chopped
- 4 handfuls arugula leaves
- 1 cup grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes halved
- Aged balsamic
Instructions
- Prepare pizza crust. Set oven racks at the lowest and middle position. Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly oil pizza pan with olive oil (I prefer dark pans, it helps the crust brown better). Press dough onto the pan until evenly spread (about 12”), flat (no rolled edge), and thin. Using a fork, pierce dough all over, this will prevent the dough from forming bubbles when baked.
- Pre-bake crust on the lowest rack in the oven for about 5 minutes, just until dough is set, but not browned.
- Remove crust from the oven and spread 2-3 tablespoons of fig spread over the dough with the back of a spoon to create a thin, even layer.
- Slice goat cheese or using your fingers, crumble the cheese all over the layer of fig, leaving some small spaces in between the pieces of cheese.
- Sprinkle basil over the layer of goat cheese, as desired. Other herbs can be substituted, based on preference.
- Bake on the middle rack for 5-7 minutes until the edges of the crust are light brown, the cheese is hot, and the basil is fragrant.
- Remove from oven and top with arugula leaves, spread the halved tomatoes around on top of the arugula, and drizzle with balsamic.
Nutrition
Sprouted Wheat Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (110°)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups sprouted wheat flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle yeast over warm water and honey. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften.
- Stir in olive oil, then add salt and 1 1/2 cup of the flour. With a large spoon or mixer, mix until dough is elastic, about 5 minutes. Let dough rest 20 minutes.
- Mix-in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms a soft ball of dough. Although the dough will be more shaggy than regular white flour dough, if it appears to be too soft or won’t hold its shape, add 1/4 cup more flour.
- Place in a greased bowl; turn dough to grease top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
- Roll into desire shape or press into pan for pizza.
Joan says
I wasn’t sure about the arugula and figs but it turned out so good!
Raymund says
Thanks for sharing this over at my blog, its truly a pleasure to have you as my guest
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
It was nice seeing your guest post at ang sarap. The pizza is beautiful and must have been delicious.