Homemade Fig Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free!) - Maebells (2024)

By Annie Holmes Published in Dessert

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You will love these healthier Fig Bars for a sweet treat. The bars feature an almond flour crust, sweet fig filling, and a crumble topping!

Homemade Fig Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free!) - Maebells (1)

Raise your hand if you are excited for fig season! I am! Actually, figs are pretty difficult to find in our area, so when I spotted them last week I scooped them up. I loved Fig Newtons as a kid and wanted to create some kind of lower carb treat that featured that sweet caramely, fig flavor. These healthy fig bars totally fit the bill.

Actually, Mr. Maebell was not enthusiastic at all when he saw the chopped up figs. It was a dessert he wasn’t interested in having. And I get it, figs look pretty weird. But when they were baking and the air was full of that sweet brown sugar aroma, he was on board.

Figs are a fruit that have a delicious sweet flavor. They can be eaten with or without the peel. For a fruit, they are relatively low in carbs and have a good dose of fiber. This makes the net carbs lower than most.

Figs pair really well with cheese for a sweet and savory combo. You may have seen them on beautiful cheeseboards with honey and crackers or on a pizza with prosciutto and gorgonzola. They are one of the rare fruits that work beautifully in desserts and also on savory, salty dishes.

While these bars do have that delicious flavor of a Fig Newton cookie, these are way better. They feature a shortbread-like cookie crust that is soft and buttery. The filling is just figs and brown sugar (or Swerve brown sugar for a lower carb version). The topping is an oatmeal crumble sprinkled with pecans. The layers are rich and perfectly complement one another.

Homemade Fig Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free!) - Maebells (2)

Ingredients in Homemade Fig Bars

To make these homemade Fig Newton bars, I used:

  • Butter
  • Almond flour
  • Brown sugar
  • Fresh figs
  • Old-fashioned oats
  • Pecans
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt

How to Make Fig Bars

  1. First, you’ll need to make the crust.In a small mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients until a soft dough forms
  2. Press into an 8×8-inch foil-lined pan and bake for 6 minutes.
  3. Then, move onto the fig filling. Place the chopped figs and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat, stirring and breaking up the figs.
  4. As soon as the mixture begins to simmer, reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally. Remove from heat when the figs are completely broken up and the mixture resembles jam of fruit spread.
  5. Last but not least, the crumble topping. In a blender or food processor, combine all of the crumble topping ingredients and pulse until coarsely blended.
  6. Spread the fig mixture over the pre-baked crust and top with the crumble topping. Bake until done.

Homemade Fig Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free!) - Maebells (3)

Can I Double This Recipe?

Yes! You can double the ingredients list and bake the bars in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Can I Make This Recipe Low-Carb?

Yes! Use brown sugar swerve instead of regular brown sugar.

Tips for Making Homemade Fig Bars

  • If you can’t find fresh figs where you live, substitute the homemade fig filling with store-bought fig jam.
  • For gluten-free fig bars, use certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats.
  • These homemade fig bars are especially delicious warm with a scoop of ice cream.

More Low-Carb Desserts:

  • Keto Peanut Butter Brownies
  • Keto French Silk Pie
  • Keto No-Bake Cookies
  • Keto Butter Pecan Blondies
  • The Best Keto Lemon Bars

Homemade Fig Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free!) - Maebells (4)

Homemade Fig Bars

Annie Holmes

You will love these healthier Fig Bars for a sweet treat. The bars feature an almond flour crust, sweet fig filling, and a crumble topping!

4.41 from 183 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 31 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 1 minute min

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 9

Calories 265 kcal

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 4 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

For the Filling

  • 7 fresh figs quartered
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar

For the Crumble Topping:

  • 1/3 cup gluten-free old-fashioned oats
  • 1/3 cup almond flour
  • 1/3 cup pecans
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, lightly spray with baking spray and set aside.

  • In a small mixing bowl combine the crust ingredients: melted butter, brown sugar and almond flour until a soft dough forms.

  • Press into the foil lined pan and bake for 6 minutes, crust should be set but not cooked all the way through.

Make the filling:

  • Place the chopped figs and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat, stirring and breaking up the figs.

  • As soon as the mixture begins to simmer reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally. Remove from heat when the figs are completely broken up and the mixture resembles jam of fruit spread. (about 20 minutes).

  • Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.

Make the crumble topping:

  • In a blender or food processor combine all of the crumble topping ingredients and pulse until coarsely blended.

Assemble the bars:

  • Spread the fig mixture over the pre-baked crust and top with the crumble topping.

  • Bake 20-25 minutes.

Video

Notes

Brown sugar alternative: You may use swerve brown sugar instead for a lower carb option.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 25.3gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 81mgFiber: 3gSugar: 25g

Keyword fig bars, fig bars recipe, gluten free fig bars, healthy fig bars

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Homemade Fig Bars Recipe (Gluten-Free!) - Maebells (2024)

FAQs

What is fig in a fig bar? ›

The fig roll or fig bar is a biscuit or cookie consisting of a rolled cake or pastry filled with fig paste.

What are Fig Newton bars made of? ›

Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2} Folic Acid), Figs, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Soybean Oil and/or Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Whey (from Milk), Salt, Cultured Dextrose, Baking Soda, Calcium Lactate, ...

Are fig bars keto? ›

This heavy carb load, packed into just a single serving, underscores why Fig Bars or Rolls are not conducive for a typical ketogenic lifestyle, where the aim is to restrict net carb intake to induce and maintain ketosis.

Are fig bars actually healthy? ›

They are also fairly healthy. Figs are well known for having fiber, which helps with digestion, as well as protein and several vitamins and minerals. This means there are quite a few health benefits of fig bars like fig Newtons.

Are fig bars anti inflammatory? ›

Fig Bars for Athletes

Figs have anti-inflammatory properties, which help alleviate pain and recover from muscle fatigue, once an intense workout or competition is over. As a true superfood, figs help prevent cramps and optimize hydration, and the potassium helps balance sodium concentration to lower blood pressure.

Why put baking soda on figs? ›

Alkalinity breaks down the structure of plant cell walls. I assume the purpose of this baking soda bath is to soften the structure of the fig. That's why yours softened so much. If you want to maintain the structure of the fig, try using an acidic bath, as acidity helps to maintain plant cell structure.

Why do Fig Newtons have so much sugar? ›

The dehydration process of drying this fruit results in a higher concentration of sugar relative to weight, so dried figs have a higher concentration of carbohydrates—mostly in the form of sugar—than fresh figs.

Are Fig Newtons good for constipation? ›

Try high fiber snack foods such as sesame bread sticks, date-nut or prune bread, oatmeal cookies, fig newtons, date or raisin bars, granola and corn chips. Try natural “laxative-type” foods- bran, whole grain cereals, and prune juice.

Can fig bars cause constipation? ›

Figs may cause digestive upset or diarrhea due to their anti-constipation effects. They may also interfere with blood thinners, and some people may be allergic to them.

Can diabetics eat fig bars? ›

The figs in these bars are a natural source of dietary fibers, which assist in digestion and maintaining a healthy weight. They also help manage blood sugar levels, proving critical for individuals attempting to manage diabetes.

Are fig bars good for blood pressure? ›

Rich in potassium, figs restore balance and help lower blood pressure.

What the heck is a fig? ›

The fig is the edible fruit of Ficus carica, a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world.

What is fig slang for? ›

a contemptibly trifling or worthless amount; the least bit: His help wasn't worth a fig.

What does fig taste like? ›

They vary in color and size, but in terms of taste, there are only subtle differences between varieties. All figs have a jam-like quality and taste like a mix between a strawberry, currant and date. Underlining these flavors are notes of honey, flowers and nuts. Here are five common varieties sold in the U.S.

What is a fig before it is dried? ›

Dried figs start their lives as the plump, fresh fruit of the common fig tree.

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