If you’re a Fig Newton fan, this homemade vegan fig bar recipe is the BEST healthy swap with a fruit-sweetened filling and buttery gluten-free crust!
SPONSORED BY SUNBUTTER
I am a loyal OG fan of the fig newton cookie. I loved them long before they came in a cute little two pack and twelve different flavors. And even with all those options, the classic figgy flavor is still my favorite and always will be. It’s not just the flavor but the TEXTURE that gets me, that seedy-in-a-good-way jammy middle is unmatched. And with that buttery not-too-sweet cookie to compliment…it’s just a perfect pairing.
So of course I had to make a homemade version – healthier ingredients, a vegan gluten-free cookie made with my favorite sunflower seed butter, and an extra thick layer of fig filling – it’s a delicious DIY upgrade! And instead of taking up all your time wrapping the filling in cookie to look just like the store-bought version (been there, done that, doesn’t taste any better imo), we’re just layering cookie/filling/cookie to make this recipe MUCH easier.
How To Make Homemade Fig Bars
This recipe does require a little bit of prep time, but most of that is passive – watching figs boil or waiting for bars to bake. The ingredients are quite simple, and I have included a few options for swaps and ingredient substitutes below…
Making the Sugar-Free Fig Filling
Don’t get me wrong, there is PLENTY of natural fruit sweetness involved. Just no added or refined sugar thanks to a combination of the figs themselves and orange juice. Dried mission figs are sweet and seedy and delicious and the star of this recipe, they really don’t need much to make them shine. However a 1:1 combination of orange juice and water (you could use all OJ, but personally I think it’s sweet enough like this!) adds just the right amount of sweetness and a slight citrus flavor that goes great with figs. You could also use apple juice or white grape juice and a tablespoon or two of lemon juice for the citrus pop.
One VERY small but important step in this recipe is removing the stems from the dried figs. Do not skip this unless you want little hard chunks in your fig bars (you don’t). After that the process is simple: simmer figs in the juice/water until soft and somewhat thickened, then process to a jammy consistency. I like to make the filling first (or even the day before) so it has time to cool while you prep the crust.
Making The Vegan Gluten-Free Crust
No eggs, dairy, or gluten in this buttery cookie crust. Just a simple 8-ingredient, one-bowl dough thats split to create both the top and bottom layers. You will need:
- Gluten-free flour. Your favorite blend, or regular all purpose if you aren’t gluten-free. I used King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure flour which does contain xanthan gum, I haven’t tested with a flour that doesn’t.
- Coconut sugar. Or brown sugar would work too. You could try cane sugar, but they bars will likely be a bit drier.
- Baking powder and salt. The other two dry ingredients we need for the perfect crust.
- SunButter. This is that brings in all the buttery shortbread vibes and a deliciously “nutty” flavor. I used their Organic variety, which I love for baking because it doesn’t contain any sugar or salt, but any creamy variety would be fine. If you are familiar with SunButter baking you know about the risk of green desserts, but I did not have any issue with that in this recipe.
- Coconut oil. Melted will make the dough easier to mix. I do not recommend subbing in another oil, it will make the top layer trickier to roll out/transfer.
- Vanilla extract. For flavor.
- Almond milk. Or any variety of non-dairy milk you like. Just a splash or two to get the perfect moist dough, add it slowly and don’t over do it.
Whisk the dry > add the wet > mix/knead it all into a ball > divide into two. About 2/3 of the dough will be used for the bottom and 1/3 for the top layer. The bottom crust is a simple press-in situation that we are par-baking before adding everything else on top. Meanwhile the top layer needs to be rolled into a think top layer because pressing on top of that fig filling would be much too messy. The dough is too soft to roll at room temp, but if you refrigerate or free while the bottom crust bakes it become the perfect consistency for rolling and carefully plopping on top. I do recommend using wax or parchment paper to make this rolling/plopping process a bit easier.
After layering and baking, you reeeeeeally do need to let them cool before slicing for structural integrity purposes. I know, patience sucks. But the fig newton was never a cookie meant to be eaten warm, and I promise it’s worth the wait.
More Copycat Classic Recipes You’ll Love
- Copycat Vegan Hostess Cupcakes
- Copycat Kudos Granola Bars
- SunButter Tagalongs
- Vegan Frosted Animal Crackers
- Homemade Teddy Grahams
Gluten-Free Fig Bars Recipe
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: bars
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
If you’re a Fig Newton fan, this homemade vegan fig bar recipe is the BEST healthy swap with a fruit-sweetened filling and buttery gluten-free crust!
Ingredients
Fig Filling
- 12oz (340g) dried mission figs
- 1 cup (240g) water
- 1 cup (240g) orange juice
SunButter Crust
- 1 1/2 cup (186g) gluten-free flour
- 3/4 cup (105g) coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (85g) Organic SunButter
- 1/3 cup (67g) coconut oil
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 2–4 tbsp almond milk
Instructions
For the filling:
- Remove the stems from the figs and slice each in half.
- Add to a medium saucepan with the water and orange juice.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes until the figs are softened.
- Transfer to a food processor, process to a jam-like consistency.
- Refrigerate while you prep the crust.
For the crust:
- Whisk together flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add SunButter, coconut oil (melted), and vanilla.
- Mix, adding almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a cohesive ball of dough. Hands work best for mixing here.
- Press 2/3 of the dough into an 8×8″ pan lined with parchment paper. Chill the other 1/3.
- Bake 15-18 minutes at 350°F until golden around the edges.
- Roll out the remaining dough between two pieces of greased wax paper into an 8″ square. Place back in the fridge.
- Evenly spread the fig filling on top of the baked crust.
- Carefully top with the rolled out square of dough (it’s okay if it breaks, you can patch the corners!)
- Bake 25-27 minutes at 350°F.
- Cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate 4 hours.
- Slice into squares and enjoy.
Keywords: gluten free, vegan, dairy free, fig newtons, cookies, bars, fruit, nut free, healthy, homemade
I just made this recipe and I love the taste of the bars. I do have a question for someone who might have made them. My fig jam did not come out as solid as I would like. Does anyone know what I might have done wrong. I did not make it a day ahead, but I did chill it while making the crust. Could it be I need to allow the fig jam to chill for a longer period of time?
Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Bonnie! I am sorry to hear that, the filling should be very thick and not messy at all when sliced. As long as it was completely cool to the touch I don’t think that was the issue. Did you refrigerate it or just let it cool at room temp? My guess is your filling needed to boil a bit longer or more vigorously to allow it to thicken more on the stove before blending, a lot of the liquid should evaporate during that step. You could even add an extra 5 minutes here!
Thank you, Natalie. I will definitely make sure next time that most of the liquid has evaporated (I believe that was the issue) and the filling is thicker before removing from the stove.
That’s my best guess as well! Also, if you put the bars in the fridge now, that middle part will firm up quite a bit cold👌
I am trying this recipe now.
I do not have any sun butter on hand. What can I substitute- unsalted butter?
If not possible I may have to run to store while the fig mixture is cooling.
Thanks in advance!
Any other nut or seed butter will work! You can definitely let the fig mixture cool or even refrigerate it overnight if you don’t have any on hand, it will be fine. Hope that helps and I got back to you in time!
Thank you for your response. I actually decided to jump right in( I am known for just subbing what feels right and hoping for a good outcome. I have been lucky,)
So I subbed about 1/2 of the amount of the sun butter with unsalted dairy butter (Kerrygold, my favorite) and the rest with Artisana raw coconut butter.
In addition, I subbed oat flour for about 1/2 c of the gf flour. I added 2T. Ground flaxseed meal and subbed another plant-based milk for the almond milk.
I followed your advice to another query and cooked the figs 5 extra minutes- they then absorbed the rest of the liquid.
The result was amazing. Great texture. Great taste. The crust did not crumble but was tender, and the filling was smooth and not overly sweet
. Success! Hubby is already asking when I will make them again. Thanks for the recipe.
woohoo!! I am so happy they were a success and they sound DELICIOUS😋 That butter + coconut butter combo sounds so rich and dreamy, I love it! And husband approved🙌 Appreciate you sharing Anne!
I prepared it and everyone liked it. It was very delicious and easy to prepare. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
I’m so happy they were a success, appreciate the feedback Rasha!
This recipe is amazing. My husband is gluten free and he loves fig bars. I like them because they have calcium. They are delicious. Perfectly sweet. I didnt have sun butter. I was able to make it with the sesame seeds I had unhand. I will definitely make these again! Thank you.
I am SO happy you guys loved them!! Appreciate the feedback, enjoy😋
Hi, Can I use fresh figs instead of dried?
Unfortunately not, fresh figs contain way too much water and will make the filling a watery smoothie consistency vs the thick past you need. Sorry!