Homemade Fig Bars are easy, healthy and better than anything you can buy in the store. They’re going to blow your mind.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
What pre-packaged treat do you most remember your parents buying you as a child? Graham crackers? Chocolate chip cookies? Gingersnaps? Oreos? In my day, it was Fig Newtons. I think my mother assumed the fig center made them a more sensible choice than the other options at the grocery. While my mom usually baked her own delicious cookies, I don’t think she ever considered trying her hand at homemade Fig Newtons. Even when I started thinking about making a healthier, less sugar-filled, homemade version of Newtons I was a bit intimidated at the prospect of doing it. It just didn’t seem like a recipe that would be easy to pull off in a home kitchen.
Well, I was wrong. Totally wrong. In fact, in the same amount of time it would take me to make a simple batch of chocolate chip cookies, I made these decadently rich bars, boasting sweet figs tucked inside a tender, flaky whole wheat cookie. My kids agreed they were superior to the store bought Fig Newtons they had recently tried at a friend’s house, and they couldn’t keep their mitts out of the tin I put them in.
One night after two of my little cookie monsters absconded with three cookies a piece and were coming back for more, I hid the tin. I did such a good job hiding it out of sight in fact, that five days later I realized I totally forgot about them. Figuring they would be stale, I opened the container and pulled one out to try. Amazingly, these homemade fig bars were still as moist and irresistible as the first day I had baked them. Store bought fig bars for us? Never again!
The Ingredients
- Dried figs, stems removed: Figs provide natural sweetness and a chewy texture that makes these bars irresistible.
- Honey: Adds a touch of extra sweetness to the fig filling.
- Unsalted butter: Helps create that tender, flaky texture in the cookiedough. Use softened butter for the best results.
- Sugar: Just enough to sweeten the dough without overpowering the natural fig flavor.
- Large egg: Adds richness and helps bind the dough together.
- Vanilla extract: Infuses the dough with a warm, aromatic flavor.
- White whole wheat flour – A healthier alternative to regular flour, offering a boost of fiber and nutrients.
Substitutions and Variations
- Figs: If you’re not a fan of figs, try using dried dates, apricots, or prunes for a different flavor.
- Honey:Maple syrup or agave nectar can be used in place of honey.
- Sugar: Swap out the sugar for coconut sugar or a sugar substitute like monk fruit sweetener for a lower-glycemic version.
- Flour: If you prefer, you can use all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend instead of white whole wheat flour.
How to Make Homemade Fig Bars
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the dried figs in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the figs from the water with a slotted spoon and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the honey and 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Puree until smooth and spreadable.
Step 3: In the bowl of a standing mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
Step 4: Add the flour and mix until a dough forms.
Step 5: Roll dough between two pieces of parchment paper and shape into a 12 x 5 inch rectangle.
Step 6: Spread the fig mixture on one side of the rectangle, spreading it evenly along the 12-inch side leaving a 1/4-1/2 inch border along the edges.
Step 5: Fold the dough over on top of itself and gently press the dough together at the edges.
Step 6: Cut each log into 10 cookies and transfer to a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
Recipe Video
Tips for Perfect Homemade Fig Bars
- Use quality dried figs: The flavor of your bars will depend largely on the quality of your figs, so choose ones that are plump and moist.
- Don’t skip the soaking step: Soaking the figs ensures they’re soft enough to blend into a smooth filling.
- Seal the edges well: To prevent the filling from leaking out during baking, make sure to press the edges of the dough together firmly.
FAQs
Yes, you can use fresh figs, but you may need to cook them down to reduce the moisture before blending into a smooth filling. Dried figs are recommended as they provide a thicker, more concentrated flavor.
Store your fig bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, you can refrigerate them for up to two weeks or freeze them for up to three months.
You can get creative with fillings! Try using a mix of dried fruits like apricots, dates, or raisins. You can also add a touch of orange zest, lemon zest or a splash of lemon juice to the fig filling for a citrusy twist.
Absolutely! Just substitute the white whole wheat flour with a gluten-free flour blend that you trust works well for baking.
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Homemade Fig Bars
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup roughly chopped dried figs, stems removed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Place the dried figs in a small bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 10 minutes.
- Remove the figs from the water with a slotted spoon and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the honey and 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Puree until smooth and spreadable.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Add the flour and mix until a dough forms.
- Roll dough between two pieces of parchment paper and shape into a 12 x 5 inch rectangle.
- Spread the fig mixture on one side of the rectangle, spreading it evenly along the 12-inch side leaving a 1/4-1/2 inch border along the edges.
- Fold the dough over on top of itself and gently press the dough together at the edges.
- Cut each log into 10 cookies and transfer to a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
going to make some with fresh figs..will let you know how it goes..plan to stew them a bit first with a little lemon maybe..
I was blown away at how good these are! The only changeI made was to use raisins instead of figs because I had lots of raisins in the pantry but no figs. Due to the sweetness of raisins I did not add any honey.
The recipe was super simple and came together quickly.
I will be making these again and again and again.
Thanks Nancy! Glad you enjoyed these and were able to customize them to fit what you had on hand 🙂
My husband brought home store bought Fig Newtons. I took a look at the ingredients (first ingredient was sugar and that was the least alarming thing on the list!) and threw them out. These are delicious and much easier than I thought they’d be. I added a teaspoon or so of orange zest to the filling and a pinch of cardamom to the dough. I baked my leftover dough without any filling and even those are delicious! Can’t wait to make again, though next time I will leave out the honey as the figs are sweet enough on their own.
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I only have all purpose flour will they come out ok?
I love the recipe! Do you think I could use brown sugar in the cookie dough instead of white sugar? Thanks!
Hi!
I would like to bake these for my babies. What can I use to substitute the honey and sugar? Thanks!
I subsitituted white flour (on hand) and a few T of flax meal. My dough was quite soft also. I made the “logs” but let them chill about 20 minutes before cutting and transferring to the cookie sheet/parchment. Also flattened them slightly like Fig Newtons look.
Do you have to peel the figs or the skin goes in the recipe too?