Healthy Fig Newton-Style Bars
Naturally sweetened, oil-free, vegan, and gluten-free, these these “newton’ style fig bars are bursting with tasty, classic flavor. And, as an added bonus, they’re easy and actually fun to make!
I’m still on a nostalgia kick, and Fig Newtons have a whole lot of sentimental potential baked into every bar. After all, the soft, golden snacks have been a pantry staple for over a century. Invented in 1891 by Philadephia baker Charles Roser, the Fig Newtons I grew up with were mass produced by the Kennedy Biscuit Company and named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts. Even iconic cookies must evolve, however, and in 2012 Nabisco dropped the “fig” from the name in order to make way for other fruit flavors. In a way, the evolution gives the original, humble Fig Newton a special prestige, I think, of a vintage sort.
Today, Nature’s Bakery bars are our favorite fig-filled, storebought treat of choice, reminescent of the newton sleeves that were regularly stocked my mom’s pantry but with a more wholesome taste. My favorite fig bars, however, are easily this recipe right here. For the wraparound cookie dough, almond and gluten-free flours are bound by unsweetened applesauce, a psyllium “egg”, with a little bit of plant milk and just one tablespoon of pure maple syrup, which you could easily leave out if so inclined. This mix is yet another variation of my go-to shortbreadlike dough, which has morphed into all kinds of bakes, from moringa to beetroot to turmeric cutouts. I was positive that inclusion of a whole husk psyllium egg would provide just the right pliability for these, and the resulting dough did not disappoint.
For the filling, I use a combination of figs and dates, soaked together for at least ten minutes before blending with a bit of soaking water and orange juice. I’m tempted to try incorporating other soaked, dried fruits or even fresh ones—blueberries, raspberries, apple. I’ll share and update this post once that comes to fruition (or fruit-ition for a bit of pun)!
Making These Fig Bars
This dough is so forgiving, you can literally just mix it in a bowl then roll. No need to chill. You can play around with shaping, too. Although the picture of the finished bars could pass for a standard newton size, they’re actually more like long biscotti slices. Call me lazy, but the truth is I didn’t want to take the time to roll out two rectangles. Despite the process being genuinely fun, I wanted it to be one and done.
Good news, you get to choose how you roll! Just make a rectangle about a quarter inch thick. For long slices, roll a big sheet roughly twelve inches long and seven or so wide. For smaller, go with two rectangles about five inches wide, working with one at a time. You’ll then spread the filling in a line down the middle, and use the parchment paper or silpat to help you smoothly fold over the edges until they meet, pressing them closed. Use the parchment again to roll the whole log over so the seam is on the bottom, where it will flatten naturally as you slice into your desired cookie shape. And as you can see from the picture below, I am using the terms “rectangle” fairly loosely. In this case, it’s more like some kind of rectangular quadrilateral.
I’ve mentioned nostalgia and a yearning for comfort here a lot lately. As I shared in the Sweet and Sour post, that’s in part because the heaviness of the world has us longing for stability and kindness. But it’s also stemming simply from the pure and natural, poignant progression of life. Our son is now officially a teenager, and with that milestone there’s a certain heartache and undeniable clarity that there’s no going back. Our new homeschool hybrid routine has softened the ache of change a bit—a lot, even—but it pulses nevertheless.
It’s funny how, when we allow ourselves a little bit of quiet and space to watch and listen, the universe sends us just the messages that we need to get out of our heads and open our hearts. Alongside the “no going back” revelations, I’ve been heeding small signs to make more space, literally, for embracing where we are now. I’ve been clearing out items I’ve held onto sentimentally for too long because they have a lot of life left in them and deserve to be enjoyed. In doing so, I’ve had more capacity to recognize what feels good right now, knowing one day I will look back on each of these days wistfully, too.
I subscribe to Bridget Olson from All Recipes’ newsletter, and today she shared one of the Buddha’s most famous teachings, The Parable of the Raft from the Alagaddūpama Sutta. In it, a traveler comes to a treacherous river. To survive, he gathers branches, twigs, and reeds, and builds a makeshift raft. Working hard with his hands and feet, he successfully paddles across to the safety of the opposite shore. The Buddha asks his monks, should the traveler carry the raft forward, because it has helped him, or let it go, because it served its purpose?
I doubt that I’ll ever embrace nonattachment as Buddhism prescribes. But I am gently coming to peace with the knowledge that nothing can really ever be replicated. Even the nostalgic foods we love all the more for the way they evoke warm memories and feelings—they’re experienced differently every time. We can share them with the same loved ones, but each of us is changed with every day. Even the love is different. Much of the time, it grows, and that is something to celebrate.
Healthy Fig Bars
Bursting with tasty classic flavor, these homemade fig newton style bars are vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free!
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon psyllium
- ¾ Cup almond flour
- ¾ Cup gluten free flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- ½ Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ Cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons unsweetened plant milk (I used vanilla almond)
- 6-ounces dried figs, stems removed and soaked in warm water at least 10 minutes (reserve 1/4 Cup soaking liquid)
- 4-5 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked with the figs
- 1/4 Cup orange juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare a psyllium egg: Combine psyllium with 3 T water and let set for a minute or two.
- Prepare the filling: Combine all filling ingredients plus 1/4 Cup of the soaking liquid in a high speed blender and process to form a thick, smooth paste. Set aside.
- Prepare the cookie dough: In a mixing bowl whisk the dry ingredients. Add the psyllium egg, applesauce, maple syrup, and plant milk. Stir to combine, forming a dough.
- Press and roll the cookie dough into a rectangle or two rectangles approximately 1/4-inch thick on a parchment-lined baking sheet. For more traditional "newton"-size cookies, work in two batches, rolling a total of two rectangles approximately 5 inches wide. For longer fig "slices" closer to biscotti size, use all the dough to form a rectangle approximately 12-inches long by 7-inches wide.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the fig paste down the center of the dough (half the paste if working in two batches). Lift up the parchment paper on either side and fold the dough edges over the fig filling until they close. Use the paper to flip the closed dough so the seam is on the bottom. Slightly flatten the roll if needed and slice into cookies, squares or bars depending on your rectangles. Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let cool and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
138Fat
4 gSat. Fat
0 gCarbs
26 gFiber
4 gNet carbs
22 gSugar
15 gProtein
3 gSodium
37 mgCholesterol
0 mg