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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
Did you grow up with Fig Newtons, graham crackers, or Oreos in the pantry? My mom leaned into Fig Newtons, probably thinking the fig filling made them the “healthier” choice, even though she usually baked from scratch. These days, I’ve created homemade versions of all my childhood favorites, including homemade graham crackers, chocolate chip cookies, and homemade Oreos.
Still, I assumed homemade fig newtons would be tricky. I was wrong. They’re easy to make, just like a batch of cookies, with a sweet, jammy fig filling and soft whole wheat crust. My kids actually prefer them to the store-bought kind!
Even better? They stay moist and delicious for days. Once you try these, you won’t miss the packaged version one bit.
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.
More Homemade Snacks
If you’ve ever loved the nostalgic taste of Fig Newtons, this homemade fig bar recipe is a must-try. They’re easy, made with wholesome ingredients, and way more delicious than the store-bought kind. Whether you’re packing them in lunchboxes, serving them as an after-school snack, or enjoying one with your afternoon coffee, these homemade fig newtons are a treat everyone will love.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it goes! Leave a comment and rating below or tag me on social so I can see your beautiful bakes.
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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.
Made these over the weekend – easy recipe to make! I used dried figs from Trader Joes – do you need to somehow remove the seeds? I’m not a fig cookie fan, and when I ate one, I felt like I was chewing on ground-up glass because of the seeds! The husband said Fig Newtons aren’t like that.
As long as they aren’t too liquidy they should work great! You want the filling to be more paste-like!
What about fig preserves? I have several jars from a trip to Louisiana this summer and I want to use them.
Here’s my version:
I used 1 cup whole wheat and 1/2 cup AP flour. Dough was perfect.
I used organic dried apricots and omitted the honey. I measured 1 cup chopped dried apricots and the filling came out too much. I divided it in half and spread all of it… Way too much…
I ended up baking them close to 20 mins and they were overdone.
This batch is too sweet for my taste so I’ll half the sugar in the dough and use less dried apricots next time.
Overall, great recipe to personalize!!!
Anyone else have super wet sticky dough? I had to almost double the flour and still have to chill the dough because its sooo sticky!
[…] I was recently looking for healthy snack options for Small Fox I came upon this recipe on Weelicious. I love the idea of a homemade fig newton. However, I am not a huge fan of figs. So, […]
My dough rolled out nicely but when I went to fold it over the fig spread it cracked , and crumbled. Any ideason what I may have done wrong? I could!’t get it to cover all the spread bit they are baking in the oven.
OH and not crumbly once cooked! Very happy with the outcome.
I used 1 cup brown rice flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour. Kept everything else the same. They came out great and GF 🙂 I would give a tip of using the wax or parchment paper to help fold the dough in half since it is more crumbly. It wasn’t that bad at all though! So yummy you can’t tell they are GF!
It will be a slightly different texture, but try and let me know how it turns out!
Can you use whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat flour? Thanks!
I will definitely try these. Instead of the sugar I will try xylitol which is a natural sugar (tooth friendly) made from either corn or birch tree. It acts by not raising the blood sugar levels & is actually good for toddlers teeth as opposed to sugar. Or I will try apple juice concentrate which is sugar free but sweet like sugar. Thankyou for the lovely recipe.
good to know. thanks!
I made these and while they tasted pretty good, they were so difficult to work with! And the fresh figs had way too much moisture. I plan on trying again with dried.
We were a Fig Newton house too and still are. I MUST try your homemade ones ~ they look amazing!
I think I’ll try these with Trader Joe’s fig butter.