Healthy Fig Bars
Healthy homemade fig bars that come together with just three ingredients! This easy fig bar recipe is my favorite way to use up fresh figs. A naturally sweetened, super thick jammy top layer is complemented by a soft and sweet almond cookie crust.
Flavor Notes
cabernet | almond | jam
Pairing Suggestions
4pm | sunny weather | fiction novel
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Fig season is here and gone in a blink. For some reason in my house, whenever we do have figs around, we have them by the basketful. This is the perfect recipe for using up all the surplus figs I end up with year after year, and let me tell you – it’s an excellent one!
Types of Figs and their Origins
Dark Skinned
- Black Mission – Spain
- Brown Turkey – France vs Turkey (debated)
- Alma – developed by Texas A&M University!
Light Skinned
- Tiger – Mediterranean region
- Sierra – California
- Kadota – Egypt
Black mission figs
How to Pick a Good Fig
A lot of people who aren’t huge fig fans probably haven’t tried a good fig before. The difference between a good fig and a not-so-good fig is truly like night and day, so it’s super important to know how to spot a ripe one.
If you want to be sure you have good fig, you’re going to have to touch them in the store. Pick up the fig and gently squish the sides towards each other. If the fruit has no give, drop it and leave. We want a nice, squishy, fruit. Look for ones with skin so delicate that it’s peeling off a bit.
Another thing to notice is whether it feels heavy for its size. The heavier, the better. Finally, the last little test is to look at the bottoms. If you can almost see into the fruit from the little hole in the bottom, or if you see honey-like syrup oozing out, then you know you have a good one!
How to Make Healthy Homemade Fig Bars
This might be the healthiest dessert recipe I’ve developed to date. All you’ll need are three ingredients – seriously!
Step 1: Mix and bake the almond cookie crust
Step 2: Blend the fresh figs
Step 3: Cook the figs on the stove
Step 4: Pour the fig layer over the crust layer
Step 5: Chill, then serve!
Ingredients for Healthy Homemade Fig Bars
Almond flour: this is the base of the cookie crust. Use almond flour, not almond meal! I personally love the Trader Joe’s brand.
Maple Syrup: pure maple syrup, not the fake stuff! I buy in bulk whenever possible. Currently loving the Barred Woods brand, and you can purchase their organic, Grade A amber maple syrup on Amazon HERE.
Fresh Figs: the recipe’s namesake! I used black mission figs because they were on sale at Trader Joe’s AND they looked perfectly perfectly ripe in the store.
FAQ
Recipe Card
Healthy Fig Bars
Equipment
- 1 square 8×8 baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 2 lbs fresh figs 2 ¾ cups
- 5-6 fresh figs optional, to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉
- Grease an 8×8 baking dish, making sure to cover the sides, too
- Combine the almond flour and maple syrup in a bowl, stirring until fully combined
- Drop the cookie dough into the prepared baking dish, spreading with a greased spatula to evenly cover all edges of the pan
- Bake the cookie dough for 15-18 minutes until center is golden brown
- Blend the fresh figs (peels on) in a food processor or high speed blender until smooth
- Add the blended figs to a saucepan and cook on medium high, stirring frequently, until the mixture starts bubbling. Allow it to bubble for 1-2 while stirring, then remove from heat
- Pull the almond cookie crust out of the oven and pour the warm cooked figs on top
- Top with sliced fresh figs, if desired
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
