Homemade Lightened-up Fig Newton Cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Universal

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 1 30

Cook Time: 30

Additional Time: 1

Total Time: 3

Servings: servings

Calories: 56kcal

Author: Lauren

These Fig Bars (Homemade Fig Newtons) will take you right back to your childhood! Jammy fig center + subtly sweet teeth-sinking cookie crust, they're the perfect snack for any occasion!

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Ingredients

Homemade Fig Spread:

15- oz 3 cups dried figs (425g)
1 Tbsp granular sweetener (12g) I used Swerve
1 orange (70g) freshly squeezed
1 cup water (240g)
2 Tbsp sugar-free pancake syrup (30g)
1/4 cup granular sweetener (48g) I used Swerve

Fig Bars:

1.5 cup oat flour (180g)
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (31g)
3 Tbsp granular sweetener (36g) I used Swerve
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (60g)
3 Tbsp water (45g)
2 Tbsp coconut oil (30g) melted
1 Tbsp sugar-free pancake syrup (15g)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut oil for brushing

Instructions

For the Fig Spread:

Remove stems from figs. In a shallow skillet, add the dried figs, sweetener, orange juice, and water. Let soak for 1 hour.
Cover with a lid and place the saucepan over low-medium heat. Keep cover on and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the figs are super soft and can be easily mushed with a fork. Be careful not to let the figs burn! This will affect overall taste greatly. Once figs are soft, remove from heat and let cool completely.
Add the figs (and any remaining juices), the pancake syrup and sweetener into a food processor or high-powdered blender. Blend until ingredients are combined and you have a spreadable paste.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Fig Bars:

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the oat flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, water, coconut oil, pancake syrup, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; stir together until the dry ingredients are incorporated and you form a dough (you can also use a hand mixer for this). It may seem like there is not enough liquid but this is normal, just keep mixing!
Add the dough on top of a silicone baking sheet and roughly shape into a rectangle. Place another silicone baking sheet on top (or wax/parchment paper), and using a roller, roll until even and 1/4" thick. Press the outer rim of dough in and continue to roll/shape until you have a long rectangle about 8" x 18" long.
Spread the fig spread in a horizontal line down the center of the rectangle. Fold the dough over the fig spread like a pamphlet. Start by lifting one side of the silicone baking sheet, gently pressing on it so the dough sticks to the fig spread, then repeat on the other side. Flip the Fig Bar "log" so the seam side is down, then slice vertically into 12 long bars. From there, cut each bar into 3 pieces. Place the silicone baking sheet on a cookie sheet and space the Fig Bars apart 1-2 inches.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Take the pan out of the oven and brush the melted 1 tsp of coconut oil on top of the Fig Bars. Let cool, then store in a tightly sealed container overnight so they can soften. They are best the next day after allowing the flavors to come together!

Notes

Naturally gluten-free.

To make vegan: use pure maple syrup and vegan protein powder.

Nutrition