Homemade Fig Newton Recipe Dessert For Two

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

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

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.

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!