These Oatmeal Fig Bars are an incredible way to use your fresh figs! These gluten-free + vegan bars taste like Fig Neutons, but without the guilt or refined sugars. Enjoy them for breakfast or as a snack!
So, are you guys on Snapchat? If so…what do you think about the new Instagram Stories? It’s clear that Instagram totally knocked off Snapchat’s story feature. I must admit, I’ve been using Snapchat for years and I prefer Snapchat stories because I love all the location filters and that you can speed up/slow down/make yourself beautiful.
However, I’ve got to admit, it’s awfully convenient having my Instagram followers being able to see everything on one app without having to send people over to Snapchat to “see more” of whatever. I’ve only been using Instagram stories for a day and a half, and there’s no way I can do stories on both, so one’s going to have to give. Any preference from you? Will Instagram or Snapchat prevail?!
If you did happen to see my first day of Insta stories, you saw these glorious oatmeal fig bars being made from start to finish. I had already photographed these after they were a HIT when I first made them, but the photographs were less than thrilling.
I went on a fig hunt and found a BIG container at Costco, so a new batch and photo shoot was in store for the fig bars. Thankfully, these pictures are way better and the fig bars taste just as good as they did the first time.
Are you a Fig Neuton fan? Because if you are, you’ll definitely love these. They’re not Fig Neuton copy cats, and I wasn’t going for that at all in developing the recipe, but they definitely have a similar taste to them. I think these have a leg up though, in the form of a crumbly oatmeal crust.
That oatmeal crust also doubles as the crumble topping. It’s lightly sweetened with a little bit of coconut sugar and a little bit of maple syrup, and uses a combo of almond flour, tapioca flour, and baking soda to achieve the crispy texture that makes the crust so good.
The fresh fig filling is kept simple – the chopped figs are lightly sweetened and cooked down with maple syrup, and at the end of cooking, vanilla extract and lemon zest and juice are stirred in for flavor and brightness.
I prefer these fig bars straight out of the fridge, when the fig filling is cold and thick with a little bit of bite to it. Though they’re also fabulous at room temperature, just a whole lot gooier.
These oatmeal fig bars are gluten-free, refined sugar free, and vegan, so I’ve got no shame in admitting they were a morning snack ;) these are definitely a worthy way of using your fresh figs. Enjoy!
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Oatmeal Fig Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ripe figs washed, stems removed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crust
- 1½ cups gluten free rolled oats
- ⅔ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup tapioca flour
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and grease with non-stick spray.
- Start by making the fig jam filling. In a medium or large pot, combine figs and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally until bubbling and thickened (15-20 minutes). Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if the mixture is sticking to the sides or burning at all. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Let cool while preparing the oatmeal crust.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together oats, almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, baking soda and salt.
- Add melted coconut oil and maple syrup to oat mixture and stir until combined.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the oatmeal crumble and press the remaining oat mixture into the prepared baking pan.
- Next, carefully spread the crust with the fig mixture. Crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly over the fig mixture and gently pat it down.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into 16 equal squares. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
Rhian Williams says
These look so yummy, such a great idea!!
Rachel says
Thanks so much!
marvelous.max says
Definitely stick with snapchat!!! I still can’t view insta stories, my phone won’t allow it…:(
Rachel says
Oh no, how odd!! I’ll try to keep doing both :)
Bethany @ Athletic Avocado says
These bars look soooo yummy! I used to love fig newtons, and ate them for both breakfasts and snacks in grade school!
Rachel says
Then you would love these, Bethany! :) Thanks so much.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I’m still deciding if I like intagram stories! I really like the sc filters and that it’s “in the moment” and all you can use it for, but, instagram has its perks, too! These fig bars look SO pretty, Rachel! I’ve never baked with figs before, so I’ve got to change that!
Rachel says
I definitely prefer Snapchat filters too, Gayle! Thanks so much :) sounds like you need to get your hands on some figs ASAP.
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
Yes, yes, YES! I’m fig newton bar’s HUGEST fan and I seriously cannot even get enough of ’em! So the fact that I can now make them at home myself is seriously just a home run for me. Rachel, these are absolutely beyond gorgeous! I just want to take the whole pan and run. ;)
Rachel says
Your comments always make me smile, Sarah! Thanks so much girl – wish I had some left to share with you! :D
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
I never liked fig newtons because they tasted dry to me, but these look perfectly gooey and amazing! I love to cook with fresh figs but haven’t gotten my hands on any yet this year. Now I definitely need to change that!
Rachel says
You need to track some down! These are definitely in the gooey category, as the best bars always are. :) Thanks, Becky!
Ashley - The Recipe Rebel says
Rachel, these look amazing! I always kind of loved Fig Newtons as a kid but these are a MILLION times better! I’m not sure about this whole IG stories thing… I guess I like being able to show IG all that stuff, but right now I’m trying to post somewhat different stuff on both and watching both is EXHAUSTING. So, I don’t know if I can do both! So torn!
Rachel says
I’ve been lazy and making sort of the same story on both, and then realizing I forgot to do parts of a story on one…yikes. It’s stressful. #foodbloggerproblems, haha! Thanks Ashley :)
marcie says
I’m kind of glad I never made myself learn SnapChat — I’m liking that I can do almost the same thing in Instagram without learning another form of social media! I’m a fig fanatic, and fig newtons were a favorite of mine growing up. I love this healthier version Rachel — these bars look delicious!
Rachel says
Thanks so much, Marcie! Oh so it’s much easier for you to embrace Instagram stories – lucky you!
Laura @ Laura's Cuiary Advenures says
I’m a big fan of fig newton’s, and these look way yummier!
Sue says
These look so yummy! Would these work with dried figs? I don’t have any fresh figs, but I have a whole bag of dried figs laying around.
Michelle says
Hi Rachel,
I made these today and while the bars tasted great, I noticed that some parts of the crust had blue-ish black mold-like particles (are these molds?). I literally just left it on the counter to cool down for maybe an hour and when I was about to cut it down, voila! Seem to have developed molds that quick! Was I supposed to put it in the fridge as soon as it is cooled down? Can I still eat this (though I did taste it already)?
Thanks,
Michelle
Thanks,
Michelle
Rachel says
Hi Michelle…that’s so odd! There’s pretty much no chance that it could’ve developed mold within an hour. I’ve never had anything like that happen, so I’m not at all sure what that could be from. Were all the ingredients that you used fresh? Sorry I can’t be more help – without being in the kitchen and seeing it, I honestly have no idea what any blue-ish black particles could be from.
Michelle says
:-/
The figs were just one day old and were still plump. I checked them today and broke into the layers- it may have been the skin. I was wondering if you used green figs for this recipe? I used purple ones.
Thanks.
Michelle says
I noticed that the black specks were in the middle of the filling and the crust..
Lili @ Travelling oven says
I’m eating a lot of fresh figs this summer as my parents have a fig tree in their garden that is giving us so many figs we can’t keep up! I think I need to make these bars as they look soooo delicious, yum! :-) As for the instagram stories, I think it will be almost impossible to post quality content on both that and snapchat so I think I’ll do everything in one app as it’s much easier that way and also many more followers see instagram stories than snapchat. I do have to say that I feel kind of bad for people from Snapchat as instagram basically took their whole concept and that’s not very nice! :/
Carol M says
These have been on my mind ever since I first saw them on your blog. I love and miss fig newtons! Since fresh fig season has passed here, I am going to try to make them with an imported Italian fig jam that I just found last week. Hopefully that will work!
Rachel says
Fig jam would be a delicious filling as well, Carol! It would definitely work here – just replace the whole filling step with the jam. I hope you love them :)
Sarah says
Hi, I’m wanting to make these bars, but I only have fig puree from fresh figs I had this summer. Do you know approximately how much 1 pound of figs cools down to? They look yummy- can’t wait to make! thank you!
Rachel says
Hi Sarah, you know, I should have taken note of that when I made them! I want to say it was around 1 cup though. I’d start with that amount and add a bit more if you need it to cover the bottom. Sorry I don’t have a more precise answer. If you make them, I’d love an update with how much you used!
Leslie says
These taste great! I’m lucky enough to have a big fig tree in my backyard and the figs this year are huge. I will be baking more. Yes, they are yummy straight from the fridge! Thanks for the recipe.
Rachel says
Hi Leslie, I’m so glad you enjoyed these bars…and I’m also so jealous of your fig tree! Hope you enjoy many of these bars this fig season :)
Kim says
Hi Rachel, from Dylan’s mom, and one of your long-time fans:)
Can I sub anything for the tapioca flour? Oat flour, maybe? And butter would work instead of coconut oil, right?
You make everything look like it’s the best thing I’ll ever eat:)
Rachel says
Hi Kim! Hope you’re doing well :) Oat flour should work fine in place of the tapioca flour and butter will definitely work instead of the coconut oil. I hope you love them, thanks so much for your kind words! xoxo
Kimberly says
I made these today, following the recipe exactly with one minor exception. Instead of tapioca, I used arrowroot (2 tablespoons & 2 teaspoons). It’s a good binding agent replacement. Also, I waited till figs were extremely ripe! This recipe is a keeper!
Rachel says
I’m so thrilled you’re enjoying them, Kimberly! Reminding me I need to make a batch soon ;)
Jeanette says
Can you substitute the almond flour for coconut flour? I’m allergic to almonds
Rachel says
I’d recommend using a different kind of nut flour – coconut flour is much more absorbent than almond flour and won’t perform the same way.
Dana Lasswell says
These were easy, super delicious, and used lots of our super, duper ripe King figs! I added just a sprinkle of cinnamon and clove, doubled the recipe, but didn’t double the lemon ’cause my hubby isn’t a huge sweet lemon fan. Great for our vegan diet and pals eliminating processed sugar and gluten! Yippeeee! Thanks for sharing!
Rachel says
I’m so jealous of your figs! So glad you enjoyed the bars. Thanks for your feedback, Dana.
Brenda says
I didn’t see a reply if dried figs could be used. Yes?
Rachel says
Hi Brenda, I haven’t made them that way but I’d recommend rehydrating them in hot water before using. Enjoy!
nadine loraine says
I’m looking to make these, but I only have dried figs. I was thinking of making them into a jam. Do you know how many dried figs would this recipe use?
Rachel says
Hi Nadine, it kind of depends on the kind of dried figs you’re using, but I’d definitely rehydrate them by simmering them in water or another liquid before moving on with the recipe. I’d probably use about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of dried figs.