Healthy Homemade Fig Bar Recipe | no sugar added, gluten free, vegan (2024)

Oct 8, 2018

Dairy FreeEgglessGluten FreeHigh FiberLow FatSugar FreeVegan

What’s got a chewy, cakey cookie crust and a soft, sweet, and figgy filling? These Healthy Homemade Fig Bars of course,made with Truvia® Natural Sweetener — my favorite zero-calorie, natural sweetener (it’s made from the stevia leaf)!

This easy Fig Bar recipe is 100% whole grain, gluten free, and vegan, with zero added sugar.

Who needs store-bought when you’ve got these thick and chewy slices of heaven? No one. That’s who. Kids and adults alike will fall in love with these hearty, not-too-sweet, good-for-you treats!

Thanks to Truvia for sponsoring this post, and thank YOU for supporting the brands that keep Desserts With Benefits going! All opinions are mine and mine alone!

Healthy Homemade Fig Bar Recipe | no sugar added, gluten free, vegan (1)

These gluten-free Fig Bars are actually very simple to make, despite looking like they took hours and hours to make. After preparing the Fig Jam (and scooping a big spoonful into your mouth for… quality assurance 😉 ) — all you need to do is mix and roll out the dough, spoon the jam on top, roll it into a log, slice, and bake! Easy peasyfiggy squeezy.

Right after baking, these Fig Bars are pretty firm. But after spending a night in a sealed container, DANG MA, they’re super soft and chewy and TO. DIE. FOR.

Healthy Homemade Fig Bar Recipe | no sugar added, gluten free, vegan (2)

This Fig Bar recipe isbetter than store-bought! Best of all, you’d never know these large and hearty figgy slices are healthy, gluten free, and vegan, with no sugar added!

Healthy Homemade Fig Bar Recipe | no sugar added, gluten free, vegan (3)

Healthy Homemade Fig Bars

Servings: 12 JUMBO Fig Bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Ingredients

Homemade Fig Jam:

Fig Bars:

  • 240g (2 cups) Oat Flour
  • 3 tbs Truvia Spoonable
  • 1 tsp Double Acting Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ¼ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 2 tbs Coconut Oil (melted; +1 tsp for brushing after baking)
  • tbs Water
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 cup Homemade Fig Jam (recipe above)

Instructions

For the Homemade Fig Jam:

  • In a small saucepan (use a wide and shallow one, not a tall and narrow one), add the dried figs, Truvia, orange juice, and water. Let soak for 1 hour.

  • Cover with a lid and place the saucepan over medium heat. Keeping cover on, cook for ~20 minutes, or until the figs are super soft and can be easily mushed with a fork. Let cool completely.

  • Blend in a high speed blender (I used my Vitamix) until a spreadable paste.

For the Fig Bars:

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the oat flour, Truvia, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, the melted 2 tbs of coconut oil, water, and vanilla extract. Dump the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir together until it forms a thick dough. Roll the dough out between two silicone baking sheets until ¼” thick. Slice into a large rectangle (about 8” x 18” long).

  • Spread the fig jam in a center line down the dough rectangle.

  • Fold the dough over the fig filling like a pamphlet. Start by lifting one side of the silicone baking sheet, gently pressing on it so the dough sticks to the fig filling, then repeat on the other side.

  • Flip the Fig Bar “log” so the seam side is down, then slice. Place the silicone baking sheet on a cookie sheet and space the Fig Bars apart a couple inches or so. Bake for 12 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and brush the melted 1 tsp of coconut oil on top of the bars. Let cool, then store in a tightly sealed container overnight so they can soften. Enjoy the following day!

Recipe Notes

The Fig Jam recipe makes 2 cups (550g) total. You need 1 cup to make the Fig Bars.

The Fig Bar recipe makes 12 Fig Bars. They're LARGE! One is probably equal to 2-3 store-bought Fig Newtons.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Bars, Blondies & Brownies

Healthy Homemade Fig Bar Recipe | no sugar added, gluten free, vegan (5)

To make these gluten-free, I used a base of oat flour, bound together with a little bit of applesauce, coconut oil, and water, and lightly sweetened with Truvia. To make the Homemade Fig Jam, all you need are 3 ingredients: figs, orange juice, and Truvia!

I’ve been using Truvia foryearsnow. I think I first discovered it in college when I switched from those overly sweetened flavored yogurts to plain yogurt. I missed the sweetness of the flavored yogurts, though, so I started adding a couple packets of Truvia to my plain yogurt and BOOM! I found love 🙂

Healthy Homemade Fig Bar Recipe | no sugar added, gluten free, vegan (6)

The ingredient list for these Healthy Homemade Fig Bars is way better than the store-bought version. It’s about time this classic pantry staple has been made better! No need for the added sugars, preservatives, artificial flavors, or unnecessary ingredients here. Every bite of these bars will bring you back to the old days 🙂

Enjoy!

.

With love and good eats,

.

–Jess

.

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Healthy Homemade Fig Bar Recipe | no sugar added, gluten free, vegan (7)

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Healthy Homemade Fig Bar Recipe | no sugar added, gluten free, vegan (2024)

FAQs

Are fig bars vegan? ›

Do fig bars contain dairy or eggs? No, they are Certified Vegan.

Are fig bars healthy? ›

However, the regular bars contain wheat, an allergen and unsuitable for kids who are sensitive or allergic to gluten. Nature's Baker Fig Bars also contain added sugar and seed oil – both ingredients health-conscious parents may want to avoid for their kids or only allow in moderation.

What is a good substitute for fresh figs? ›

Peaches or nectarines are a great option for replacing fresh figs.

What is the best way to preserve fresh figs? ›

Figs can be frozen in several ways.
  1. Sugar pack: Roll the whole figs or halves in sugar before packing into freezer bags or containers.
  2. Syrup pack: Pack figs into freezer bags or containers and cover with a sugar syrup before freezing.
  3. Dry pack: Place figs in freezer bags as tightly as possible without mashing and seal.

Why are figs not considered vegan? ›

Why can't vegans eat figs? Some vegans see the mutual relationship between wasps and figs as animal exploitation and ultimately animal consumption. They, therefore, avoid figs entirely. Most vegans, however, consider figs to be vegan and consume them.

Which kind bars are vegan friendly? ›

Most of our nut and whole grain-based products contain honey, which may not fall within some vegan diets. All of our Whole Fruit bar flavors are vegan, as well as most of our KIND Healthy Grains® clusters (excluding Oats & Honey Clusters with Toasted Coconut and Almond Butter Whole Grain Clusters).

Can you eat too many fig bars? ›

Digestive symptoms

Since figs have a high fiber content, eating too many figs — especially dried figs — can cause diarrhea.

Are fig bars good for blood pressure? ›

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

How many figs should you eat in a day? ›

When it comes to raw fruit, you can easily have 2-3 figs in a day. If you are having dried figs, stick to 3 figs and do not have them without soaking overnight. Our body can absorb the nutrients and digest some dried fruits and nuts in a better way when they are soaked well.

How do I substitute sugar for figs? ›

Just soak dried figs in water to soften them, then puree in your food processor or blender. Then you can add this pureed fig mixture to the batter of your favorite recipes to cut the sugar in the recipe.

What fruit is close to figs? ›

Figs and dates are both sweet fruits with similar nutrition profiles, but figs are higher in calcium and dates are lower in fat and sweeter. They also have different textures — figs are crunchy and dates are sticky. Figs and dates may seem quite similar, as they're both easy to snack on and often eaten dried.

What is the sugar substitute made from figs? ›

Allulose is a type of sweetener found naturally in fruits such as figs and raisins. Our Allulose is produced from corn starch through the use of enzymes, and this crystalized plant based sweetener is zero sugar, zero calorie, zero net carbs, and keto-friendly.

Why soak figs in baking soda? ›

Sprinkle the baking soda over the figs; cover with the 12 cups of boiling water. Soak for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This helps remove any latex from the skin of any slightly under-ripe figs.

Can I freeze fresh figs? ›

Freezing fresh figs prolongs their shelf life significantly. However, frozen figs will not have the same texture or be as full of flavor as fresh figs kept in the refrigerator and eaten within a couple of days. You may also not want to use them in the same way as fresh figs that haven't been frozen and thawed.

Should fresh figs be refrigerated? ›

It's important to keep fresh figs cold to slow deterioration. Use them immediately or store in a plastic bag in the coldest part of your refrigerator for up to two days. Fresh figs can be frozen whole, sliced, or peeled in a sealed container for ten to twelve months.

Are there wasp eggs in fig bars? ›

If the wasp climbs into a female fig, she pollinates it, but cannot lay her eggs and just dies alone. Luckily for us, the female fig produces an enzyme that digests this wasp completely. The crunchy bits are seeds, not wasp parts.

Can vegans eat fig jam? ›

It can also be used as a delicious and healthy filling for cakes, tarts, and other baked goods. Is this fig jam healthy? This jam recipe uses fresh figs, which are packed with nutrients that can help support overall health and wellbeing, making them a great addition to any healthy vegan diet.

Why are Fig Newtons not vegan? ›

Sugar: The sugar used in Fig Newtons comes from various suppliers, some of whom employ a filtration process involving bone char. Bone char is a byproduct of charred animal bones, making it decidedly non-vegan.

What is a fig bar made of? ›

They're made with oats, whole wheat flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried figs, and a few basics.

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