homemade fig newtons

Homemade fig newtons made with dried figs and a whole wheat brown sugar crust. Even better than store-bought!

Homemade Fig Newton Bars

Turkish

apple juice*

salt

lemon juice

(3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

(2 /3/4 ounces) whole wheat flour

baking powder

unsalted butter, softened

(5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar

vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING: Simmer the figs, apple juice*,...

FOR THE FILLING: Simmer the figs, apple juice*, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the figs are very soft and the juice is syrupy, 25 to 30 minutes. There should only be 3-4 tablespoons of liquid remaining in the pan when they're done.

Let the mixture cool slightly. Puree the figs...

Let the mixture cool slightly. Puree the figs in a food processor with the lemon juice until the mixture has a thick jam consistency, about 8 seconds.

FOR THE CRUST: Adjust an oven rack to...

FOR THE CRUST: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a parchment both directions, and then grease the paper.

Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together...

Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and...

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes.

Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.

Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

Reserve 3/4 cup of the dough for the...

Reserve 3/4 cup of the dough for the topping!

Sprinkle the remaining dough mixture into the prepared...

Sprinkle the remaining dough mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with a greased spatula.

Bake the crust until just beginning to turn...

Bake the crust until just beginning to turn golden, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll the reserved 3/4 cup of dough...

Meanwhile, roll the reserved 3/4 cup of dough for the top crust between 2 sheets of greased parchment paper into an 8-inch square; trim the edges of the dough as needed to measure exactly 8 inches. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment, transfer it to a baking sheet and place it in the freezer until needed.

Spread the fig mixture evenly over the crust....

Spread the fig mixture evenly over the crust. Unwrap the frozen, reserved top crust and lay it over the filling, pressing lightly to adhere. Honestly, this part doesn't have to be perfect; you can see in the photos I had some tears and holes and I just patched it. Once you cut the bars, no one will notice!

Bake the bars until the top crust is...

Bake the bars until the top crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Let the fig bars cool completely in the...

Let the fig bars cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares, and serve.

These vegan fig bars are like the classic fig cookies--a sweet filling sandwiched between layers of flaky crust--with one big difference: they are fat-free.

Skinny Figgy Bars

figs

dates

almonds (optional)

anise extract (optional)

agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)

water

cinnamon

ginger

apple sauce

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Make the filling: Snip off the figs’ stems, and put the figs, dates, and almonds into the food processor. Grind to a coarse paste. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients and process until mixed. Set aside.

For the crust, grind one cup of the oats in blender until powdered. Combine the oats (ground and unground), baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the apple sauce, agave nectar, and water, mixing well to a thick consistency. Press half the crust mixture into the bottom of an oiled, eight-inch square cake pan (use a wooden spoon or your hands). Spread the fig mixture evenly over the crust. Smooth the remaining crust mixture over the filling. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Icing (optional): Mix powdered sugar (about 3 tbsp.) with a little water (Start with 1/2 tsp.) until the right consistency. Add vanilla or almond extract to taste (just drops). Drizzle over top of bars before cutting.

I made them with prunes and they turned out great!  The only other thing I changed was I added a bit of vanilla extract to the batter.  I really appreciate the recipe, thank you.

Hi Susan,

I tried this recipe after I ate some kind of vegan fig paste at a nice café yesterday. I looked for some kind of fig bars which are healthy. And luckily I came across your recipe (and other recipes on this great site). Let me tell that I am totally clumsy with cooking and baking, but I am quite happy with the result this time. I mean I managed to bake fig bars (which are delicious) thanks to your instructions. Many thanks. I'll follow your recipes and try others too. You'll make a cooker out of me! Why not?:)
Btw, I used walnut instead of almonds and it worked very well too. Another change I made was to use ripe banana (small one) instead of apple sauce. 

Thanks again. 

Have a great week,
Burcu

I absolutely love figs and when I came across your recipe I was excited to make immediately.  WOW, outstanding!  Such a delicious bar...these will be something I will make regularly.  Thank you for sharing your creation!

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Homemade Fig Newton Bars

Skinny Figgy Bars

Top 2 homemade fig newtons recipes from across the web

The most viewed homemade fig newtons recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Homemade Fig Newton Bars

Skinny Figgy Bars

The most viewed homemade fig newtons recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine