After years of saying to the Gent every time we walked down the grocery store cookie aisle, “you know, I’d really like to create a whole food, gluten-free, low-glycemic version of Fig Newtons…” I have finally done just that. And now, of course, I’m kicking myself for not getting around to it sooner. These slightly sweet, chewy snack bars taste just right alongside an afternoon cuppa, or when grabbed for an on-the-go breakfast on the way out the door. Like most of the other recipes here, they are also gluten-free and dairy-free.
Fig Snack Bars
For the dough:
1 cup almond meal
1 cup certified gluten-free oat flour
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour
3 Tbsp coconut sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
For the filling:
8 dried Calmyrna figs, stems trimmed
6 medjool dates, pits removed
up to 2 Tbsp water, as needed
Whisk the dry ingredients for the dough together to break up any clumps in the flour. Work in the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon or paddle until a uniform, soft dough forms. Divide the dough into two balls, wrap each individually with cling wrap, flatten into disks, and refrigerate for 2 hours (or as long as overnight).
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the dried figs and medjool dates into a food processor with 1 tsp water. Puree until smooth, adding more water 1 tsp at a time as needed. Use as little water as possible to achieve a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Place one ball of dough on a sheet of parchment paper, leaving the remaining dough in the refrigerator to keep it cold. With a piece of cling wrap on top of the dough to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle that is approximately 7″ x 10.” Trim, reshape, and pinch the dough together as needed to achieve a rectangular shape. Lift the parchment paper to transfer the dough to a baking sheet.
Using an offset spatula, spread all of the filling over the rolled-out dough to just shy of the edge of the dough on all sides.
On a second piece of parchment paper, roll out the second piece of dough just like the first, making the rectangle slightly bigger than the first. Using the parchment paper as a support, carefully lift and flip the second piece of dough onto the filling. Seal the edges of the dough on all four sides by pinching together gently. Use a spatula to gently pat the dough smooth on all edges. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the dough looks pale and dry all over.
Let cool completely, or the filling will stick to the blade when you try to cut these! Using a rotary pizza cutter (or a sharp knife), cut into 36 rectangular pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, or freeze.
