Homemade fig newtons recipe from scratch. Fig newtons made in a bar instead of a rolled cookie-so much easier and they taste just the same!
Fig Bar Recipe
Words can hardly describe how much I love these. And I can sit here and tell you that they are approximately 1-million times better than the store-bought ones, but you won't believe me until you try them.
I get it. It's my job to bake things and tell you how amazing they are. I do my best to convince you to bake what I bake. It probably falls on deaf ears after 718 recipes on this site. But, I will say it again: these cookies are definite must-makes.
What is a Fig Newton?
A fig newton is a soft cookie with a sweet fig filling wrapped in a very tender, chewy dough. They’re not overly sweet, and they’re definitely for people who love the sweetness of figs and the tiny pops of their seeds.
Reasons you will love these Homemade Fig Newtons
- When you steep dried figs in apple juice (or water + a squeeze of honey) and then puree them, the filling is more flavorful and moist than store-bought fig newtons. It's not jammy and thick like store-bought, it's fruity and soft.
- The crust is an identical copy of store-bought, but here's the thing: after sitting out uncovered for 1 day, the crust develops a thin layer of crispiness on top. And it's addictive.
- They are made with a small amount of whole wheat flour. In my book, any time whole grains are involved, a dessert is instantly healthy and therefore guilt-free. And yes, you can use this information to justify a homemade fig newton binge or a homemade graham cracker binge alike.
I have to be honest, guys. There is a short list of recipes on this site that I've made more than a dozen times. A few are: my 15-minute homemade puff pastry, quick no-yeast cinnamon rolls, ricotta gnocchi, wine slushies, and melting sweet potatoes.
But these homemade fig newtons? I made them the second I arrived in Dallas at my parents house.
I need lots of people to make these and confer with me that they are, in fact, delicious & better than the original. Please hold some back and eat them on day 2 to taste the crisp crust. Just do it for me.
Homemade Fig Bars ingredients
- Dried Figs. We need 8 ounces (half a pound) of dried figs for this recipe. You can use Turkish or Calimyrna figs that have been dried completely. They should be somewhat soft and chewy, never overly hard or crisp. Remove the stems and cut each fig into quarters.
- Apple Juice. We’re going to rehydrate the figs in apple juice to add sweetness to them, and help them blend into a soft, jam-like filling.
- Lemon Juice. A small amount of fresh lemon juice (two teaspoons) balances the flavors of the sweet figs.
- All-Purpose Flour. Regular, all-purpose bleached flour makes up half of the dough here. You can fluff it and scoop it into a cup and level it off, or you can measure it by weight before using.
- Whole Wheat Flour. We’re using a small amount of whole wheat flour to mimc the heartiness and thickness of the store-bought variety of fig newtons.
- Baking Powder.
- Salt.
- Butter. I always bake with unsalted butter and add a bit of salt to the dough.
- Brown Sugar. I recommend light brown sugar for this recipe.
- Egg. One large egg.
- Vanilla Extract.
How to make Fig Newtons
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 in a food processor with the lemon juice until the mixture has a thick jam consistency, about 8 seconds.
Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Whisk the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Beat in the egg and vanilla just until combined.
Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Very important: Reserve ¾ cup of the dough for the topping!
Sprinkle the remaining dough mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with a greased spatula. Bake the bottom crust until just beginning to turn golden, about 20 minutes.
Now, take the ¾ cup of dough you reserved and roll 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. Unwrap the frozen, reserved top crust and lay it over the filling, pressing lightly to adhere.
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 pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares, and serve.
How to store a Fig Newton
These soft cookies should be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container. To maintain their tender texture, try adding a slice of bread to the storage container. This helps keep the dough moist and prevents them from drying out. I do not recommend fridge or freezer storage.
Fig Newton Bars FAQs
Are Fig Newton bars healthy?
You can always look in the recipe card below for full nutritional information. In my opinion, because these fig newtons are made with whole wheat flour and dried fruit, they are a high fiber sweet treat that is somewhat healthy. Portion control is always your friend.
What is the best way to preserve fresh figs?
I have 3 fig trees in my yard, and they tend to produce too many figs at the same time. To store them, I pick them, remove the stem, and lay them flat to freeze. After they’re frozen solid, I stack them in freezer bags or mason jars for easier storage. I often make a small batch of fig jam for all of the overly ripe, mushy figs that come off the tree.
I made this recipe from America's Test Kitchen's new cookbook: The Perfect Cookie. I really love this new cookbook of theirs, and I will be baking from it all holiday-season long!
America's Test Kitchen is the place I send people for fail-proof recipes. If you're not familiar with America's Test Kitchen (or, ATK as I call them), their recipes are some of the best tested, written, and scientifically-researched recipes out there. And that just makes the baking nerd in me so happy.
I own so many of their books, that they have a dedicated shelf in my cookbook library.
If you love figs as much as me, try my Fall Sangria with figs!
More Favorites from Dessert for Two
Homemade Fig Newton Bars
Homemade fig newtons made with dried figs and a whole wheat brown sugar crust. Even better than store-bought!
Ingredients
Fig Filling:
- 8 ounces dried Turkish or Calimyrna figs, stemmed and quartered
- 2 cups apple juice*
- Pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
For the crust:
- ¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (2 /3/4 ounces) whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed (5 ¼ ounces) light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- 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 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 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 in a medium bowl.
- 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 ¾ cup of the dough for the topping!
- 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 golden, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roll the reserved ¾ 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. 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 golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
- 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.
Notes
*If you lack apple juice, you can use water with 1 tablespoon of honey added.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 206Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 113mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g
Renee says
Oh my goodness my Husband loves Fig Newtons this is a must try , I just bought him 4 packs from the store...lol if these are better the store boight is going back !!
Thank you for your sincere dedication and wonderful Recipes ... I'm so waiting for you to come to Alabama for a book signing !!
Much Love for your Recipes
Renee
Tiffany says
Don’t have apple juice or honey.. Do you think that I could use maple syrup and water?
Christina Lane says
I think so! They will have a slight maple flavor, but the recipe will still work. It won't have the characteristic fig newton flavor, maybe.
Elizabeth says
Do you have a recipe using fresh figs; when they are in season it’s a must to use them up!
Cindy Byers says
hey there my fig bars are about to the end of the baking time but I couldn't stand it I had to try the filling Man was it good!!!!! Cant wait for the real deal to cme out the oven ; then the wait for them to cool gosh I dont know if I can stand it. This has been a perfect day for baking so glad I found this sight. You r the best i already know. That fillin is out of of this World.I'm so sighted as my gran-daughter would say. Will let you know how the bars turn out one they cool, Cindyb
Esperanza says
Hi! This recipe sounds awesome! Would fresh fig that has already been cooked work? We have several fig trees and as soon as we pick a large batch we cook them. Now there's several containers of this in the freezer that still need to be used up. Do you think that could work instead of the dried fig that you steeped?
Christina Lane says
Hmm...did you cook them down already? I think it might work, though fresh figs are going to have more moisture than dried. Maybe skip the rehydrating step, and cook the fresh figs down into a paste first?
DJ says
So Good! I made them vegan with coconut oil (instead of butter) and flax seed meal (instead of eggs) and apple sauce instead of apple juice & lemon. I baked it only once--I did not pre-bake the bottom crust. I steamed up some old Smyrna dry figs & they worked great. Delicious!
Christina Lane says
I love these substitutions! Thanks for sharing :)
Tella says
Ok so if I’m on a 2500 calorie diet ONE fig Newton would blow the whole days diet right out of the water at over 2600 calories per serving. I honestly can say right off the top of my head I can not think of anything that has a days worth of calories in one serving.
Mental note to self don’t touch the fig newtons.
Christina Lane says
Hold up, Tella. It's 2600 for the entire pan, not one fig newton. My nutrition calculator is set for the whole dessert.
Stephanie says
I’ve been meaning to make these since I came across this recipe! (Like 2 months ago seriously) but I’ve been so lazy in the kitchen and I knew they would be easy but a bit time consuming. WELL TODAY I FINALLY DID IT AND BOY AM I SORRY THAT I DIDN’T MAKE THEM SOONER! I couldn’t wait for them to cool, I sliced a little square off the corner and they are still kind of hot but they are sooo good! The only thing is, my crusts are not thick like yours are and my fig layer is super duper thick. It’s not a bad thing, and I definitely like the thick fig layer but I would also like thicker crust layers. Do you know what my issue could have been? I used an 8” pan and everything
Ethan says
Same here, crust is super thin. Could've probably done with doubling the dough recipe
Megan Troxell says
Used white grape juice instead of apple juice because that's what I had on hand and it was delicious! I'm sure it would be fine either way, but figured I'd report in with another alternative!
Summer Apodaca says
This looks wonderful. I have a fig tree loaded with fresh fruit. I'm wondering how to go about this with fresh figs. Maybe just cook the figs down without the juice but with the lemon and salt?
Christina Lane says
Yes, that sounds like a great plan! You'll know when the texture looks like the inside of a Fig Newton, you know?
Adriann O’Neal says
Did you try with fresh figs? I have a fig tree too and wanted to use fresh figs.
Thanks!
Christina Lane says
I haven't, but someone else in the comments did, I believe. They just omitted the water, I think.
MARGARET MEDHUS says
split the fresh figs open and place on parchment paper on baking sheet. drizzle with honey and roast at around 425 for about 30 min. watch them toward the end. cool and mash or finely chop up and use for the filling.
Ci Ci says
Overall you gave a great recipe but step #11 was ridiculous to follow without pictures. Maybe everyone bakes but I only really bake cookies and cakes so this step took me for a loop and was ridiculously difficult to follow and know that I did it right. Overall, my fig cookies came out good but you did not provide a great method to store them. I'm a single woman so there is no one to eat items until I take them to work. Thank you for sharing!
Christina Lane says
Oh friend! I can feel your frustration at that step! I'm sorry, I should have snapped a photo. But also, I'll get to work on making a video on this recipe so it will be even easier.
Basically, you take the leftover dough, pile it into the center of a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece on top. Roll the dough out while it's between the parchment pieces until it's slightly bigger than 8x8" inches. Pull back the top sheet, and trim the dough to exactly 8x8". Then, place the parchment piece back on top, and slide the whole thing into the freezer to set. I do this on a small cookie sheet. I hope this helps!
Also, if you don't want to bother with this step at all, just crumble the dough on top with your fingers--it will still taste delicious!