These Oatmeal Fig Bars are one of my favorite ways to use fresh figs! These gluten-free + vegan bars taste like healthy Fig Neutons, but without the guilt or refined sugar. Enjoy them for breakfast or as a snack!
Are you a fig lover, like me? There are SO many fig trees that grow all around San Diego. I see beautiful fig trees loaded with figs in my neighbor’s yards and my jealousy ABOUNDS. One day, I too shall grow my own beautiful fig trees and have bounties of figs to make fig bars with. Maybe you already grow your own figs and you’ve got a plethora you don’t know what to do with…if so, this recipe is for you!
But for now, I go on a fig hunt to the local grocery stores. Luckily, I found a BIG container at Costco, so these new-favorite Oatmeal Fig Bars were in order! They are SO good, easy to make, and the perfect way to use all your fresh figs.
Are you a Fig Neuton fan? Because if you are, you’ll definitely love these Oatmeal Fig Bars. They’re not Fig Neuton copycats exactly, 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.
How do we make these Oatmeal Fig Bars?
These are made up of the most delicious oatmeal crust paired with a sticky sweet fig filling. The oatmeal crust comes together quickly and easily, and it also doubles as the crumble topping. It’s lightly sweetened with a little bit of coconut sugar and a touch of maple syrup. For the dry ingredients, we use a combo of almond flour, tapioca flour, old-fashioned oats, and baking soda to achieve the crispy texture that makes the crust so good.
How do you make the fig jam filling?
The fresh fig filling is kept simple. To make it, we’ll lightly sweeten the chopped figs with maple syrup, and cook them down until thick and jammy. At the end of cooking, you’ll stir in vanilla extract and lemon zest, and juice. They add SO much flavor and brightness to the bars.
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 much-cherished fresh figs. They are delightfully crispy, with a hearty oat flavor, and a sticky fig center. You’re going to LOVE – enjoy!
Oatmeal Fig Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan)
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound ripe figs, washed, stems removed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, plus the zest of the lemon
- 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 firmly into the prepared baking pan. The mixture needs to be well pressed in to avoid crumbling.
- Next, carefully spread the crust with the fig mixture. Crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly over the fig mixture and pat it down firmly to press the crumble into the fig jam.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into 16 equal squares – I like refrigerating mine before cutting to help them keep their shape more easily. They can crumble if cut when warm. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
Comments
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..
Chrissi says
I think I know what you are talking about. When I left my fig bars to cool down, I noticed some darkish parts that look like bluish black mold. It’s actually more on the black side. It’s not mold! It’s the fig fruits that bubbled out between the oats and almond flour mixture that got toasted. :-)
Rachel says
Thanks for sharing!!
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.
elizabeth dickinson says
Just made these, and they are amazing! I’m not a big fan of figs, but these are so sweet and delicious. Hard to believe they are gluten free and vegan. My family loved them and I’ll definitely make them again!
★★★★★
Rachel says
Hi Elizabeth, so glad you and your family are loving them!! Thank you so much for the feedback :)
Charlotte says
Wow, just made these from bunch of figs we had from our tree and yummy, it was perfect! And so easy to make! Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Rachel says
So thrilled you’re loving the bars! Thanks for your feedback, Charlotte.
Sandy says
I would live to make these figs bars but I only have pillsbury flour…can I use that in place of the almond flour.
Rachel says
Hi Sandy, that should be fine!!
Jack Moor says
YUM!! Just made these, still warm sitting on the stovetop! Great simple recipe, i had to sub another gluten-free flour for the tapioca but seemed to turn out! Flavors are certainly there and work perfectly! So refreshing to have so much flavor without all the butter and white sugar most recipes stick to. Only thing I was confused was maybe I should have toasted the oats? Or done something so they weren’t so “uncooked” to say because its bothered my stomach eating them so raw.. maybe i should have added more oil or water into the dough to let them soak up some more flavor but my tummy definitely needed them more cooked. But such a minor issue, i probably also ate too many! :D
★★★★★
Rachel says
Hi Jack, glad you’re loving the flavor of the bars! Sorry that your tummy wasn’t happy with the oats though – I haven’t had that issue personlly, but you could definitely try soaking them in hot water for 5-10 minutes and then draining before use next time you make them to make the oats a little more digestible for you. Hope this helps!!
Khrystye says
LOVE THESE BARS!! I baked another batch and added walnuts and cooked a bit longer—both versions were a hit!!
Since I am blessed with so many figs—
Can these be frozen? Thanks-
Rachel says
So thrilled you’re loving them!! Yes, they can absolutely be frozen. Make sure they’re in an airtight container, and I’d put parchment between each layer so they don’t stick together. Enjoy!
Chrissi says
Is there a replacement for tapioca flour?
Rachel says
Arrowroot flour or just more almond flour would work!
Chrissi says
Thanks! I can’t wait to try it. Someone gave me some figs and I found your recipe Yay!!!!
Rachel says
I hope you love them!! :) lucky you getting free figs!
Christine L. Villa says
Yay! I baked it last night. It tastes sooo good! More almond flour instead of tapioca flour. I added walnuts. I also cooked it longer. Thank you so much for this recipe! I will share it to my friend gave me her last harvest of figs so that next year she can make some fig bars too.
Rachel says
I’m so thrilled you’re loving the recipe, Christine!! Enjoy!
Sara says
I made this yesterday with grated coconut instead of the almond meal and tapioca flour (because I didn’t have those). They were delicious! Thanks for the recipe, I will surely be making these again!
★★★★★
Rachel says
So thrilled you’re loving them! Thanks for the feedback, Sara.
Michelle says
These oatmeal bars are so good! I had an abundance of figs from my tree and had been looking for a recipe to incorporate figs in a way my kids would eat them. Well, my kids (and I) loved them! I was out of coconut oil so I did sub in butter but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks so much for posting this delicious recipe
★★★★★
Rachel says
Amazing!! Lucky you with the fig tree, Michelle. So glad they were a hit with you and your kids.
Mary says
I just made your recipe and these bars are amazing. Thank you so much. I was dx with CD in 1991 and since then have been dx with intolerances to tapioca (I use arrowroot) quinoa, amaranth, and corn. Needless to say, I dont buy any gf items off the shelf. I am also lifetime ww member so substituted the coconut oil with 1/2 non fat greek yogurt and 1/2 applesauce. Thank you again. I used to LOVE fig newtons so when I saw the fresh figs at costco yesterday, I couldnt resist. Then, I got home and started looking to see what i could do with them. Thanks soooooo much Mary 78 yrs old and going strong
★★★★★
Danielle Harris says
My boyfriend is allergic to almonds and I don’t have tapioca flour, would it work if I used Bob’s Redmill GF Flour (sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, xantham gum)? Or will it not come out the same? Should I try a different recipe for my figs?
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Hi Danielle, I haven’t tried using that mix instead so I can’t make any guarantees, but people generally have success using BRM mixes in place of almond flour in my recipes, so it should be just fine (especially since this recipe has a crumble crust and topping, and isn’t something like a cake that will be overly affected by flour types). I hope it’s a hit!
Susan says
These were absolutely amazing!! Never bought figs before and now I need to buy more to make this again!
Loved it!!!
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Thanks so much for the feedback, Susan! So glad you’re enjoying them.
Jennifer says
I’ve made these three times: twice with (fresh) figs per the recipe, and once with cranberry sauce. So delicious for a healthier dessert or with some yogurt for breakfast. Yum!!
★★★★★
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Oooh cranberry sauce is a brilliant idea! Thanks for the feedback, Jennifer!
Cindy McMorrough says
Can the bars be frozen? Or will the consistency be broken down when unthawing?
Bakerita | Rachel Conners says
Hi Cindy, they should be just fine to be frozen! Enjoy :)
Loree says
These are so delicious! My Mom moved to Arizona and desperately misses the fresh Oregon produce, especially the beautiful fresh figs from my fig tree. Will these bars freeze? She will be visiting in October.
Rachel Conners says
Yes, these bars freeze quite well in an airtight container!! So glad you’re enjoying them.
Eva Gajewski says
This recipe is perfect, I am making my second batch today.
★★★★★
Rachel Conners says
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Eva! :)
Melissa O'Donnell says
These sound amazing!! Could I leave out the coconut sugar? Or replace it with more maple syrup?
Rachel Conners says
Hi Melissa, unfortunately, that would mess with the texture of the crumble, making it too wet and so it likely wouldn’t crisp in the same way. It’s generally not great to switch liquid sweeteners and granulated sweeteners. Hope this helps!
Taylor says
So delish and healthy!! Easy to make too! My family has requested batch #3!
Rachel Conners says
So glad you’re loving them Taylor!
Malka says
It was so delicious! Yet, it didn’t thicken enough to cut in bars. Any ideas why it was too soft?
★★★★
Rachel Conners says
Hi Malka, what do you mean by it didn’t thicken enough? Like it wasn’t firm enough? Usually that would happen due to underbaking or a mismeasuring of ingredients (like too much liquid or not enough flour). Placing them in the fridge before cutting can also help firm them up! I hope this helps, and glad they were still tasty!
Candis says
So good!!!! We couldn’t wait for them to cool off. Now I need my coworker to bring me more figs!!!!
★★★★★
Rachel Conners says
So glad you love it, Candis!!
Nora says
I made these! I have a fig tree in my backyard, and supplemented the jam with some bonus plums I got at the farmer’s market. Used honey instead of maple syrup because of cost, brown sugar instead of coconut for the same reason, 1 for 1 GF flour instead of tapioca flour, and they turned out absolutely incredible. These will probably be making a weekly appearance throughout fig season at my house :) thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Rachel Conners says
Thanks so much for the feedback Nora! Super helpful :)
Stacey says
Have you tried this recipe with fresh figs that are frozen? If so, can I substitute 1:1 for fresh figs?
Thank you!
Rachel Conners says
Hi Stacey, I haven’t but it should be okay – I’d just thaw and drain the figs first to remove an excess moisture.
Stacey A Vicari says
Thank you!
J Arden says
Loved this recipe! I really appreciate a recipe for fresh figs.
Do you know if these freeze well?
★★★★★
Rachel Conners says
So glad you’re loving them, J. Yes, they freeze very well! Just store in an airtight container. Placing a layer of parchment paper between layers will prevent any sticking.