Hearty Fig Bars

I'd been eyeing figs at the farmers market for a few weeks before I finally caved. In all honesty, figs had always seemed too fussy and bougie for me so I had avoided them. With this recipe, all those feelings of fig inadequacy went out the window. This recipe is approachable, quick and delicious, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your cabinet already. 

After being inspired by the relentless presence of farmers market figs, I started searching for a copy cat recipe for Fig Newtons. I didn’t have a long and storied history with Fig Newtons before making this, so I wasn't looking to make an exact replica. I just wanted to approximate the chewy, hearty and slightly sweet vibes of this figgy treat.

I searched through pages of fig Newton recipes, but they all seemed a little too intense and had way too many ingredients for my liking. Finally, I found a recipe by Ashley on Food52 for Homemade Fig Bars that seemed to capture the ease, heartiness and slight nostalgia I was searching for in the perfect fig bar. I altered the recipe slightly by adding more figs, more spices and a bit of orange zest. The addition of spices puts fall vibes at the forefront of this recipe and the zest gives it the extra bit of zing that it needs to truly shine. 

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Time: 20 minutes

Makes: 6 large fig bars

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 1/2 cups non-quick cook oats

• 1 cup pecans, or nut of choice

• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, packed (optional, but delicious)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

For the Filling

• 9 medium or 6 large figs

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 1/2 tablespoons flaxseed meal

• 1 tablespoon loosely packed brown sugar

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Add all dough ingredients except the maple syrup to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until the ingredients become a fine powder. Then, pour into a medium bowl and add the maple syrup, mixing by hand to combine. Set dough aside.

2. Wash the figs and remove their stems. To the food processor, add all filling ingredients. Blend until mixture is fully combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed. Let this mixture sit to thicken while you continue to the next step.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop or piece of parchment paper. Roll out the dough into a large, 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Try to compact it as much as possible, but don't worry if it's a little crumbly. Using a bench scraper, large knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough in half lengthwise. Then, cut each half into 3 pieces to form 6 even rectangles.

4. Once the fig mixture has thickened, spoon it onto one half of each rectangle. Use a spatula to fold the other half of the dough over the jam half and press down lightly to adhere. (It's okay if the top half of dough breaks into a few pieces during this step — that is part of their charm.) Carefully move the bars or slide the parchment onto a large baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let the bars cool slightly before eating.

Sustainability Tips

• Nuts: I went with pecans in this recipe because it’s easy to find fairly local pecans in my area. If you live on the West coast, you might want to opt for almonds or hazelnuts. Go for local or organic, and you'll be in good shape. Read more in my sustainable nuts post!

• Figs: Make sure these pups are in season when you make this dish (late summer to early fall is perfect in most places). This will make it easier to buy organically and as locally as possible. Buying organically and locally will ensure that your vegetables and don’t contribute to pesticide contamination or excessive greenhouse gas emissions during travel.

• Syrup: Go for local syrup! This will decrease GHGs from travel and maybe even help you get to know your local syrup producers. Read all about it in my liquid sweeteners post!