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    You are here: Home | Recipes | Granola Bars

    Homemade Whole Wheat Fig Newtons (Vegan)

    Dec 7, 2022 by Faith VanderMolen

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These Homemade Whole Wheat Fig Newtons are just as delicious as store-bought Fig Newtons, but instead are made with whole grains and less sugar for a wholesome, satisfying snack!

    four homemade whole wheat fig newtons stacked on each other

    I have never liked Fig Newtons.

    At least not store-bought Fig Newtons that is.

    I always felt like Fig Newtons had a weird taste.

    However, recently I had my first real fig and wowza!

    Figs are amazing!

    It got me wondering as to why I don't like store-bought Fig Newtons if I like the taste of fresh figs.

    Then it hit me that I should try my hand at making homemade fig newtons/fig bars and see if I like those better.

    Turns out I do!

    Homemade Fig Newtons are super easy to make, taste delicious and don't have any of the extra ingredients that store-bought Fig Newtons have.

    Let me show you how to make them!

    Jump To
    • What are Fig Newtons?
    • Ingredients In Store Bought Fig Newtons
    • Ingredients In Homemade Whole Wheat Fig Newtons
    • How to Make Homemade Fig Newtons with Step-By-Step Instructions
    • Best Way to Store Fig Newtons
    • Different Homemade Newton Filling Ideas
    • 📖 Recipe

    golden brown healthy fig newtons cooling on a baking sheet

    What are Fig Newtons?

    I feel like people either love or hate fig newtons.

    If you've never had one, fig newtons are basically a soft bar filled with fig puree.

    Fig Newtons were actually named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts.

    Nowadays, Fig Newtons are just called "Newtons" because they sell a lot of different flavors!

    Ingredients In Store Bought Fig Newtons

    If you don't know how to read an ingredient label yet and want to eat healthier, I highly recommend learning how to do so.

    However, prepare yourself to be shocked!

    Store-bought Fig Newtons have a bunch of weird and unneccessary ingredients in them.

    I'll list out all of the ingredients in store-bought Fig Newtons below:

    Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Figs, Sugar, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Soybean Oil, Soluble Corn Fiber, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Oat Fiber, Salt, Resistant Corn Maltodextrin, Baking Soda, Calcium Lactate, Soy Lecithin, Malic Acid, Sodium Benzoate and Sulfur Dioxide (Sulfites) added to preserve freshness, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor), Whey (From Milk)

    Nabisco Fig Newtons

    I don't know about you, but I'd rather not eat a lot of those ingredients!

    Ingredients In Homemade Whole Wheat Fig Newtons

    Thankfully, these homemade vegan whole wheat fig newtons are super easy to make and only require 8 ingredients!

    To make these homemade fig newtons, you'll need the following ingredients:

    • Dried Figs
    • Whole Wheat Flour
    • Almond Butter
    • Coconut Oil
    • Maple Syrup
    • Ground Flaxseed
    • Cinnamon
    • Baking Soda

    I don't know about you, but I'd so much rather put the ingredients from my Homemade Whole Wheat Fig Newtons into my body than all the weird ingredients from the store bought Fig Newtons!

    homemade fig newtons cooling on a baking sheet

    How to Make Homemade Fig Newtons with Step-By-Step Instructions

    To make these whole wheat fig newtons, start by making the dough.

    In a large bowl stir together the liquid ingredients before adding in the dry ingredients and stirring to form a moist dough.

    homemade dough for fig newtons

    Freeze the dough for 45 minutes or refrigerate it for about 2 hours. You want the dough to be chilled.

    Before the dough is completely chilled, soak your figs in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Once they're soft drain the water and add the figs to a food processor and process until a smooth puree forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and remove your dough from the freezer or fridge. Divide the dough in half and place one half of the dough back in the fridge while you roll out the other half. Roll the dough into a long rectangle that is about 5 inches wide and ¼ inch thick. If needed trim the edges to create a neat rectangle.

    homemade fig newton dough rolled out into a rectangle

    Spread half of the fig puree down the middle of the dough from top to bottom, leaving about 1. 5 inches on the sides.

    Lift up one side of the dough using the parchment paper and fold it over the fig puree so that it covers half of the fig puree.

    Repeat with the other side of the dough. Press the middle seam together and press the ends of the dough together

    fig puree down the center of rolled out dough
    a log of fig newtons before cutting into squares

    Place the fig newton "log" into the fridge to firm up while you repeat the process with the second piece of dough.


    Cut the two logs into 6-8 newtons each and spread them out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

    homemade fig newtons on a silicone baking mat before baking


    Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let them cool completely before enjoying or storing for later.

    Homemade whole wheat fig newtons just out of the oven

    Best Way to Store Fig Newtons

    These homemade fig newtons never last long in our house, so usually I store them in an airtight container on the countertop for up to a week.

    If you want them to last longer, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

    Alternatively, you can flash freeze them or wrap them individually in plastic wrap before storing them in a freezer-safe zip lock bag and freezing them for up to 3 months.

    To thaw frozen fig newtons, simply remove some from the freezer the night before you want to enjoy them and place them in the fridge to thaw overnight.

    the inside of a homemade fig newton

    Different Homemade Newton Filling Ideas

    If I'm not mistaken, fig newtons are now just called newtons because the filling isn't always figs!

    That's what I love about this homemade newton recipe. You can use whatever dried fruit you desire.

    Oftentimes, dried figs are expensive or hard to find.

    When that's the case, I love to use dates or prunes or raisins for the filling.

    You could even try to use a thicker jelly as the filling!

    Get creative with your newton filling ideas and you'll have a fun, delicious healthy snack to enjoy every week!


    📖 Recipe

    Homemade Whole Wheat Fig Newtons {Vegan}

    Faith VanderMolen
    These fig newtons have a gingerbread-like taste to the dough which complements the pure, fig filling so well. They're hearty and subtly sweet and are great for a quick snack.
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 12 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 27 minutes mins
    Course Granola Bars
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 fig newtons
    Calories 130 kcal

    Equipment

    • Unbleached Parchment Paper
    • Airtight Food Storage Containers
    • Hamilton Beach Food Processor

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ¼ cup coconut oil melted
    • ¼ cup almond butter
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • 1 flax egg 3 tablespoons water + 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 cup whole wheat flour
    • 1 ½ cups dried figs

    Instructions 

    • Start by prepping your flax egg by whisking together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside for 5 minutes to gel.
    • In a large bowl stir together the coconut oil, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and flax egg. Add in the remaining ingredients except for the figs (cinnamon, baking soda, and whole wheat flour) and stir to form a moist dough.
    • Freeze the dough for 45 minutes or refrigerate for about 2 hours. You want the dough to be chilled.
    • Before the dough is completely chilled, soak your figs in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Once they're soft drain the water and add the figs to a food processor and process until a smooth puree forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and remove your dough from the freezer or fridge. Divide the dough in half and place one half of the dough back in the fridge while you roll out the other half. On a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat that has been lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough into a long rectangle that is about 5 inches wide and ¼ inch thick. As you roll out the dough you may need to use your hands to fix slight tears and keep the edges in a straight line. If needed trim the edges to create a neat rectangle.
    • Spread half of the fig puree down the middle of the dough from top to bottom, leaving about 1. 5 inches on the sides. Lift up one side of the dough using the parchment paper and fold it over the fig puree so that it covers half of the fig puree. Repeat with the other side of the dough. Press the middle seam together and press the ends of the dough together
    • Place the fig newton "log" into the fridge to firm up while you repeat the process with the second piece of dough.*
      Cut the two logs into 6-8 newtons each and spread them out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
      Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.

    Notes

    These homemade fig newtons never last long in our house, so usually I store them in an airtight container on the countertop for up to a week.
    If you want them to last longer, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
    Alternatively, you can flash freeze them or wrap them individually in plastic wrap before storing them in a freezer-safe zip lock bag and freezing them for up to 3 months.
    To thaw frozen fig newtons, simply remove some from the freezer the night before you want to enjoy them and place them in the fridge to thaw overnight.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1fig newtonCalories: 130kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 20mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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    Comments

    1. Janetta says

      February 06, 2023 at 8:43 pm

      Can I use almond flour, or a mixture of almond and oat? I do not have whole wheat flour on hand.

      Reply
      • Faith VanderMolen says

        February 12, 2023 at 12:42 am

        Hi! Unfortunately I can't tell you if those substitutions would work. I'm guessing almond and oat flour would result in a crumbly final product as they don't have gluten. Let us know if you try something out and how it works!

        Reply
    2. Skye McManus says

      January 20, 2022 at 9:55 pm

      These were delicious and my daughter loved them!! Yay!

      Reply
    3. Karyn says

      December 30, 2020 at 11:03 am

      I must say 2 things about the recipe, which is delicious, by the way. In #2 of the directions, you mention dates, but I know you meant figs. Also, in the same line you mention adding vanilla, but it is not in the ingredient list. I estimated a teaspoon for the recipe quantity, and it works.

      My husband loves fig bars with his lunch, and the ones I was buying, which have natural ingredients, has recently gone out of production until they replace equipment, so I searched recipes to make my own. Now I have my own production going! 🙂 making 4x the recipe. I love the coconut oil, it gives it a wonderful sweetness to the dough.
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Faith VanderMolen says

        January 01, 2021 at 3:39 pm

        Hi Karyn! Thanks so much for your comment! I shared this recipe ages ago when I was new to blogging so I'll definitely go back and make those edits. Thanks for making me aware of them! I love these bars, though, and I'm glad you reminded me of them so I can make a batch! Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Jamie says

      October 19, 2018 at 2:34 pm

      I've been trying to find the actual recipe for this fig bar and cannot. Do you still have it available?
      I would love to try to make them as these look much better than most of the other recipes out there.
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Faith says

        October 19, 2018 at 5:53 pm

        Hi Jamie! The recipe should be towards the bottom of the post. I was able to find it. Head over to this post and if you’re having trouble still let me know! https://theconscientiouseater.com/homemade-whole-wheat-fig-newtons/

        Reply
    5. DKGF says

      January 17, 2016 at 7:05 am

      These are delicious! I made them for a ski trip because the kids are supposed to bring a snack to ski school and I wanted something that I could pass of as a treat to them, but that was healthy and wholesome. I changed the filling (I did a date and fig filling with a bit of maple syrup lemon zest and lemon juice), but made the dough and assembled the cookies according to the recipe and it was great! They took a bit longer to cook (about 25 minutes) but that could've been either my filling modification or my oven. The kids love them!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        January 17, 2016 at 8:58 am

        That's awesome to hear! Thanks so much for letting me know! And that filling sounds amazing. I love lemon flavored anything and when you mix that with dates and figs you've got a winner. Enjoy!

        Reply
    6. Cailee says

      October 12, 2014 at 9:10 pm

      OH yum!! Doesn't this look delicious!! SO healthy and tasty! What a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        October 13, 2014 at 12:42 pm

        Thanks Cailee!!

        Reply
    7. Leigha @ The Yooper Girl says

      October 12, 2014 at 11:37 am

      These look so yummy!! FINALLY catching up on your blog.. so many great recipes you've been posting! You are honestly a role model for me, Faith!!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        October 12, 2014 at 2:04 pm

        Thanks Leigha! That's so sweet! It looks like you've been busy and having lots of fun:) Loved your dress for homecoming!

        Reply
    4.50 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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