Easy Fig Bars

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!

 

Raise your hand if you are excited for fig season! I am! Actually, figs are pretty difficult to find in grocery stores 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.

If you’re new to using fresh figs, don’t be nervous! They have a delicious sweet flavor and 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 treats you’ll find.

While these bars do have that delicious flavor of a Fig Newton cookie, these are way better. The shortbread-like cookie crust is soft and buttery while the oatmeal crumble topping is sprinkled with crunchy pecans. The filling is just figs and brown sugar (or Swerve brown sugar for a lower carb version) for an amazing layer that really highlights the beauty of this fruit. You’re going to want to double this recipe! 

Ingredients in Homemade Fig Bars 

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for these homemade fig newtons. As always, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements.

• Fresh Figs – You want soft, squishy figs, preferably ones that have some cracks. This is a sign that they are perfectly ripe and literally “bursting at the seams” with sugar and juice and deliciousness!
• Butter – If you’re watching your sodium intake or are sensitive to salt, use unsalted butter.
• Almond flour – I have not tried this with alternatives like all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or coconut flour and cannot provide any tips for substitutions.
• Brown sugar – Feel free to replace this with brown sugar Swerve or monk fruit to lower the carb count. You probably could use regular granular sugar, but you’ll miss the depth and molasses flavor that perfectly complements the figs.
• Old-fashioned oats – This creates the crumbly topping. Make sure to use oats that are certified gluten-free if needed.
• Pecans – These are put in the food processor as a part of the crumbly oat topping, and I absolutely love the crunch they provide! Walnuts or almonds would probably also provide great flavor if you prefer those.
• Cinnamon and Salt – Flavormakers that bring out the best of all of are ingredients.

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 (about 15-20 minutes).
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. 

Storage Instructions

Allow the fig bars to cool to room temperature, then place in an airtight container. I recommend keeping a piece of parchment paper between layers to protect the pecan topping. At room temperature, these should keep for about 3 days on the counter. If you refrigerate them, they should stay fresh for 5-7 days. For longer storage, place in a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months.

If frozen, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge for the best texture. We like to reheat these with just 20-30 seconds in the microwave. If you like a crisp topping, adding 30 seconds in the air fryer is great, too!

Can I Double This Recipe? 

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

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. I would not recommend using dried figs as they are too chewy.
• 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.
• There are a few ingredients you could add for different variations of these bars. Some vanilla extract could be added to the filling for more depth, while orange juice or lemon juice could brighten the flavor and add a touch more sweetness if your figs aren’t as sweet as you prefer. Feel free to add some orange zest or lemon zest in the crumble topping to add more of that citrusy flavor if you like it. Cooking blackberries or chopped peaches with the figs could be an interesting combination, too!

More Low-Carb Desserts: 

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