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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.
[…] Fig Newtons by Weelicious […]
Great to see this old standard again. Would be helpful if measures were in metric to save looking up the conversion tables. I remember these bars with orange zest and juice in the date filling. I have also done it with lemon. The taste is amazing and the kids love them even more. Cuts back the sweetness of the dates and honey a little.
My toddler started double-fisting double-stacked fig newmans so I decided it was time to make them at home. Made this recipe today and while he definitely liked them they were WAAAY too big for his little self. I realized this after cutting the first log and made the second log into 20 small bars, much better size for my little guy. I am going to add some salt next time (maybe 1/2 tsp ground sea salt) to see if that helps the dough rise a little more and maybe divide the dough three-ways and make smaller bars overall. Great job on this recipe! Now I just need to find a reasonable-to-make substitute for Annie’s Gummy Bunnies…
so I finally just realised what these are! in Australia we call these Pillow biscuits. and they’re filled with all sorts of dried fruit flavours even berries. I definitely will have to give these a try one time.
Surprised the recipe contains no salt. The cookie dough has a hard surface & doesn’t rise well without it. I also b elieve the dough would be much easier to work with if the butter is cold; i will try it that way next time.
A friend of mine used prunes because she didn’t have figs and she said they were delicious!
You could probably use any dried fruit your prefer! Like berries or apricots!
Could I fell the fig bars with a different kind of fruit, we are in a small town and figs not the easiest to get a hold of. If so what kind of fruit would you suggest?
You can freeze the fig filling for up to 3 months or keep it in the fridge for about 5 days!
Have these baking in the oven as I type!! I can’t wait to try them but also for my picky 5 year old daughter as well! My one question. I have left over fig spread. Can I freeze it or keep in fridge till I make more? And if so for how long and if I can’t keep it stored what can I do with it? I hate wasting food. BTW they smell amazing so far!!
Maple syrup and agave are great substitutes for honey! It is recommended to wait until after 1 year to introduce honey to babies.
Honey is only a no no for babies under one.
I notice a lot of honey in your recipes and I thought that was a big no-no for toddlers. I have been substituting maple syrup in most recipes. Any thoughts?
The first time I made these they were too sweet for my taste (although, that did not stop us from eating them all). This time I reduced the sugar to 1/3c and reduced the honey to 1/2T – perfect!.
After reading other posts I’ll just add that I did not have any issues working with the dough and the filling amount was just fine too.
This recipe makes me super happy because the dough was really easy to work with (not an experienced baker). Next time I’ll try increasing the fig filling to dough ratio, and using a little less honey though. I’m finding the honey to bea little overpowering. Thanks for giving me a new staple treat recipe… I love fig newtons and these are so much nicer than the store purchased variety.
Had to substitute dates as I couldn’t find figs, but these are yummy! And, my dear anti-whole-wheat husband loved them (of course, I didn’t tell him that I used 100% king arthur flour white whole wheat!). Thanks for another winner!