Homemade Fig Bars
These Homemade Fig Bars feature a jammy fig filling sandwiched between a crunchy, chewy oatmeal crust. Skip the store-bought and make your own delicious fig bars at home!
One of my favorite things about living in South Philly is the abundance of fig trees. Rumor has it that many of these fig trees were smuggled into the country in the suitcases of Italian immigrants, bringing a piece of their homeland with them.
These trees are huge and produce hundreds and hundreds of figs each season! While our fig tree is still juvenile (it produced a whopping four figs last year), we are lucky to have friends with huge fig trees in their city backyards. When the figs start to ripen, I head over with my giant bucket and they send me home with pounds and pounds of figs.
Anyone who is lucky enough to get fresh figs knows how quickly they spoil. When you’re faced with hundreds of figs ripening at once, you cannot possibly eat them all fast enough. (Trust me, I’ve tried – I LOVE fresh figs!)
So these homemade fig bars are my favorite way to make sure none of the fresh figs go to waste. The fig jam can be frozen, meaning you can make these all year long.
While most people think of a Fig Newton when they think of fig cookies or, these are a little different. Instead, these are crispy and crunchy on the outside, with a fresh fig jam center. I prefer these fig bars because they have a crunchier texture and fuller flavor!
I love making bar recipes for dessert because they are super easy to make and I can share them easily with friends and family. Plus, I can freeze them and get them out for an event or have a tasty treat on hand for my kids!
Fresh Fig Filling
Most homemade fig bar recipes use dried figs. This one, however, uses FRESH figs, which have a truly amazing flavor. If you don’t live near an abundance of fig trees, look for fresh figs in farmers’ markets and grocery stores between late July and mid-October.
Fresh figs only have about a 7-day shelf life after they’ve been picked before they begin to spoil. Store figs at room temperature for a day or two, or refrigerate to extend the life a few extra days. Wherever you store them, keep them away from other fruits! Curious why? It’s time for my favorite subject… kitchen chemistry!
Kitchen Chemistry
Fresh figs produce large amounts of ethylene gas. When other fruits and vegetables are exposed to ethylene, it speeds up the ripening process and can cause other produce to spoil quickly!
If you bought your fresh figs and they are about to go bad, make your fig jam ahead of time and freeze it until you are ready to bake these fig bars! That way, the jam is all ready to go for your homemade fig bars and you don’t waste any figs. The process for making this fresh fig filling is just cooking them down in a pot, similar to a normal fruit jam. It will be chunky, so you’ll want to blend the jam at the end to make a smooth fig jam.
While this fig jam is totally worth it, It is completely understandable if you don’t want to make a homemade jam. You can substitute a jarred fig jam instead of making the filling homemade if you would like!
Oatmeal Crust
The oatmeal crust is a chewy, simple crust that we use as a vehicle to get that yummy fig jam into our bellies. It adds texture and balances out the fruitiness of the fig filling.
This crust is made in just one bowl and mixed by hand. No need for any machines or fancy methods! The crust on the bottom and the top of the figgy filling are exactly the same.
While I do add flour to the crust mixture, you can opt for gluten-free flour if needed! This recipe calls for old-fashioned oats, so don’t use quick or instant oats. When you mix all of the ingredients together, it will be thick and sticky which is just what we want.
You will place a layer of the oatmeal crust on the bottom of the pan, layer the fig jam on top, then sprinkle some more oatmeal crust on top so it gets nice and crispy in the oven. These bars couldn’t be any easier!
Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Fig Bars
Fresh figs are usually in season from August to October and should be easily found in the produce section during these months. If you can’t find fresh figs at a normal grocery store, try a natural grocery store which usually has a wider selection of produce.
It is essential to use old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe. Steer clear from quick oats or steel-cut oats for your oatmeal crust!
These homemade fig bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for 5 days, or you can freeze your fig bars for up to 3 months! When you are ready to eat them, let them thaw in the fridge and pop them in the oven to warm them up.
Yes, if you can’t find fresh figs, store-bought fig jam is a great substitution! I like Bonne Maman Fig Preserves, but I’m sure other brands are delicious, too.
Substitute an all-purpose gluten-free baking mix for the flour and these will be easily made gluten-free!
More Dessert Bars
- Oatmeal Jam Bars
- Peach Pie Bars
- Cherry Pie Bars
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
- Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars
Homemade Fig Bars
These Homemade Fig Bars feature a jammy fig filling sandwiched between a crunchy, chewy oatmeal crust. Skip the store bought!
Ingredients
For the Fig Filling:
- 24 (approximately 720 grams) small to medium fresh figs, quartered
- 1/3 cup (71 grams) brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Oatmeal Crust:
- 1 cup (226 grams) butter, melted
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (178 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup (213 grams) cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the fresh fig filling. Combine figs, brown sugar, lemon zest, salt, and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the figs release their juices and the juices come to a slow boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, occasionally stirring and breaking up larger pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Remove the filling from the heat and cool. For a smoother texture, puree with an immersion blender, blender, or food processor.
- Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with aluminum foil, extending over the sides of the pan, then spray with cooking spray. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add in the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine; no streaks of flour should remain. The mixture will be quite thick and it may be easiest to mix with your hands.
- Assemble the fig bars. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the oat mixture. Press the rest into the bottom of the prepared pan, using the bottom of a glass to push the dough into a solid, flat layer. Spoon the jam over the bottom crust and spread evenly with a knife. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the layer of jam.
- Bake the fig bars. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the jam is bubbling and the top crumble is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. To serve, lift the entire layer of jam bars from the pan using the aluminum foil as a handle. Slice into bars and serve.
Notes
- Make sure to use old-fashioned (also known as rolled oats) and not instant or quick oats for the crust.
- Store-bought fig jam can be substituted for homemade fig jam.
- Homemade fig bars can be stored at room temperature for 3 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
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While looking for a recipe I used last year that was yummy but time consuming, I found this recipe. We added 1/2 cup of orange juice to our figs and reduced the brown sugar to just under 3/4 cup. Super yummy, crispy yet chewy. This will be a go to from now on. Thank you!!!
I would strongly suggest that you put in lemon juice, rather than lemon zest. The zest gave these bars an “off ” taste that wasn’t pleasant. I even had my neighbor test-taste them, and she agreed.
Lemon Juice would work better in the filling.
Hi JB – Thanks for your input. I don’t suggest adding lemon juice to the filling, as lemon juice adds acid which alters the texture. While they are not particularly high in pectin, figs do contain some pectin, and acid causes pectin to set. Adding lemon juice to the filling will result in a thicker, more gelatinous texture; I’ve tried this both ways and my recipe testers unanimously preferred the softer texture of the filling made without lemon juice. Lemon zest, meanwhile, is not acidic and thus add flavor without actually affecting the pH and causing the filling to over-set. I’ve made this recipe several times and we’ve never had the unpleasant taste you’ve experienced but you can certainly omit the lemon zest altogether if you are sensitive to it!
May I suggest adding an expected volume of filling after cooking. A friend gave me some figs which were small, only 18. I planned to halve the recipe and do an 8×8 pan. After cooking the figs, there was clearly not enough filling to spread even a very skimpy layer. I got more figs (12) and ended up with about 1.5 cups. The bars came out delicious! I did use lemon juice, but cut back stovetop time to 30-35 min. and it was very spreadable. The 8×8 size is perfect for a household of two and still give some away, if you like!
This was just the recipe I was looking for, to use up some of my figs. I REALLY appreciated the portions given in grams, as my figs are very small. I brought it to a potluck and the bars were a hit. I love how it tastes, but also thought the crumble topping made it look so professional. Thanks for sharing this keeper of a recipe!
Totally agree with your comment! I just tried the recipe with the lemon zest and the jam tasted quite strange. I then made another batch with lemon juice and it was delicious.
I used both lemon zest and juice. Worked great!
My fig ‘jam’ was not thick at all like jam but I followed the recipe. Was it possibly the type of figs I used? I used fresh ones from my tree.
The bars still taste delicious, they’re just very soft.
It is possible that different types of figs have different amounts of pectin! What kind of fig tree do you have? I use Hardy Chicago figs from our neighborhood trees for mine.
I just made these fig bars. I went right by the recipe and they are delicious! The lemon zest is perfect addition to this recipe! The person who commented about it giving an unpleasant taste may have gone into the white of the peel which is very bitter. I purchased a special grater for zesting because I use orange and lemon zest a lot when baking, great tool. Great recipe!!
I made this recipe and did not have any lemons on hand, I did have oranges so I zested them. The result was a delicious filling with a hint and fragrant orange. I also added some walnuts and salted almonds in the crust. The results were amazing! Thanks for the recipe always looking for recipes that are easy when the figs are in season.
Adding walnuts and salted almonds sound DELICIOUS! I’m glad you liked the recipe and enjoy all those fresh figs!
Hubby and I love these! I rolled the dough on floured parchment paper and used that to fold over the sides, worked really well. Turned out great for me.
This is my first time baking with figs. A friend of mine asked if I wanted to pick figs from his tree and I immediately looked for recipe’s. I wanted to know if you peel the skins or just cut them into quarters and cook them. I’m really looking forward to making these bars… Thank you
Hi Cathy – I just cut the into quarters and cook them! I know there are tons of varieties of figs, so it’s possible some have much thicker skins than the ones I’ve ever used. If you have to peel the skin to enjoy eating the fig I’d recommend peeling it, but for our figs, we just eat them straight off the tree because the peel is so thin, so I keep them on while cooking.
I made these and they were delicious! Best oatmeal bars I’ve ever made – thank you!
I’m so glad you liked them, Misty!
Delicious as is!!! Thank You for the recipe!
I used rolled oats that were quick cooking because thats what I had and they were fine. I also halved the recipe and did 8 x 8 pan.
Update-just made these with figs i cooked and froze last year and they turned out great. Good idea when you have an abundance of figs.
Absolutely the best recipe I’ve gotten on Pinterest . I thought the lemon zest gave it a great taste & every part of the recipe was perfect. Thanks so much for sharing
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Made these fig bars tonight, delicious the only thing I did in addition was to thinly slice fresh figs and place on top of filling then the oat topping.
These were so easy to make and husband loved them. Made a second batch for my Mahjong group. Big hit.
Great recipe! Definitely a keeper.
If I make the jam, how long can it keep in the fridge? Like for toast and stuff
I have made these twice, delicious both times! I’m going to go off the reservation this time and sub half of the butter for peanut butter, so basically a peanut butter and jelly bar. I think it will be SO GOOD. I have eleventeen trazillion figs on my tree atm and this is my fave way to get rid of them.. oh… I meant use them up 😉 Thanks so much for the recipe! My kids steal them as soon as I make them! Delicious!!
Glad you like the recipe – and so jealous of your fig tree! (Mine gave me 4 figs the first year and zero since – ha!)
Oh no! Well please let me know if you live in or near NJ, I will be happy (VERY HAPPY HA) to give you some!!
Julie, I live in the Chicago area (cold in winter!!) and have a beautiful, huge Chicago Hardy fig tree planted in the ground. If you’re in a colder climate, the real key is to protect it adequately in the winter. After first frost and harvest is finished, I trim all the branches to about 4′, put 4-5 sturdy tall stakes around the tree, then run two layers (one on top of the other) of 24″ tall chicken wire around the stakes to make a circle. I then collect dry fallen leaves and fill the enclosure with leaves. Finally, I put a tarp over the top to keep it all dry-ish. This protects the branches enough that when the tree wakes up in the spring, it sends out leaves along the branches, instead of just from the ground. If you, like me, have a shorter growing season, it’s really important to get a jump start like this. Then the figs have time to form and ripen before the first frost. My first year with this tree, I didn’t do anything but put down leaves to protect the root zone, and I didn’t get growth from the ground till about second week of June. When we got our first frost in mid October, I had 75 (!) figs on the tree but lost them all before any could ripen. This year, in contrast, after good winter protection, I’ve probably harvested 50 figs and with our mild fall will probably get 50 more in the next couple weeks! Hope this helps you, or anyone else struggling to grow figs in a cold-winter climate! Soooo worth the effort – YUM!
This is great, thank you! Our tree is growing exponentially – it’s almost doubled in height and width over the past 3 years and puts out loads of new leaves from April through November, but zero figs after the first two years. I think it’s putting all its effort into growing leaves and doesn’t have enough energy leftover for figs – I hope once it reaches full size it will divert some energy into fruiting!
How much store bought fig jam would it take for this recipe?
This recipe looks yum and figs are in season now. Could I replace the brown sugar with honey in this recipie? Also would I be able to use an almond/protein powder mix instead?
Hi Karen – I have not tested either of those swaps so I don’t know if they will work, but I always encourage people to experiment in the kitchen and see what happens!
Grocery store was out of figs so I got strawberries instead since they’re in season here in Texas. Thought the filling could have been a little thicker, but honestly they turned out so good. I can’t stop eating them
I made the recipe as written with the zest and I have to say it is SO tasty. I used a 7X11 pan. It’s a definite keeper!
Just made this. I did not have enough fig filling for a 9×13. Recommend doubling the fig recipe or using a smaller baking dish. Delicious, but skimpy in the fig department
Do these freeze well?
Hi Laura – in the FAQ section I mention freezing!
I love this recipe. I had an abundance of figs from my tree this year and was tired of making jam so I looked for new recipes and found this one.
I made a few alterations to suit my equipment and liking. I used parchment paper instead of tinfoil. I wanted the top and bottom to match so I increased the crust portion so the top and bottom were equal parts or close to it. I lay the bottom first and pressed and molded and then lay an additional piece of parchment paper over that and molded the top. Once I made the homemade jam I I slid the top onto it. It turned out great. I made 3 batches!
I increased everything by 1 part. So the flour I increased to 3 cups, the rolled oats to 3 cups and so on.
All 3 batches turned out great. Next time I think I will add some raspberries or blueberries for fun. Thanks!
Do you *have* to let the fig jam cool first?
-Impatient baker 🙂
I’ve made this several times since I found this recipe I had commented previously on how good it was. Since then, as I had more figs from our tree (finally!) I made a batch of the fig filling with a diced jalapeño added. We spread it on top of Laughing Cow soft cheese and I plan to spread it over cream cheese to serve as an appetizer. Delicious!
Just made these and was really happy with the results! I have a fig tree and am always overwhelmed when figs start coming in. Now I can make fig bars and freeze for later. Thanks!
Part of the problem I didn’t weigh my figs. I assumed most figs were the same size. I had enough fig filling for three pans of fig bars. Not sure if I will make again.
What an awesome recipe! Thank you for posting it. I made it as is and it’s spectacular. I’ll be making it for a friend who is gluten free. Your article and recipe mention swapping the AP flour for GF Baking Mix and GF Flour.
I’m assuming I should use the GF Flour as 3/4 teaspoon baking powder is also in the oatmeal crumb. Agree?
Have you tried both? Is there a difference in the outcome?
Thanks!
Hi Erin – I see the confusion in the post where I mention both flour and baking mix. I’d use a 1:1 direct gluten-free baking mix (I usually test with the King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Flour) which is a direct substitute for all-purpose flour, as it contains xanthan gum for proper binding. I’m so glad you like the bars!
Thank you! And especially thank you for the note about the brand and xanthum gum. It saved me another trip to the store. The one you mentioned is the one I picked up but didn’t realize it’s a “mix” as it doesn’t say so on the packaging. 🙂
Figs are rolling here in NC. Made these this morning and they are perfect!! I made way too much filling, and am canning it to use this winter. I did use the lemon zest! Only thing I added is a tad of fresh ginger to the filling (just because we like ginger with figs) Thanks for the recipe!!
How far ahead of time can you make the filling part? If I make the filling and store in the fridge for 3 days, do you think that would be good to then assemble/make the crust/bars a couple days later? My figs are at peak ripeness on a Tuesday and I’d love to make this tart fresh for the weekend, so I’d like to make the filling tonight but not make the bars until Friday night or Saturday.
PS I made these last year and they were execellent!
Yes, you can absolutely make the filling 3-4 days ahead of time and refrigerate it before baking. You can freeze it as well – we always save some filling so we can make fig bars months after fig season. 🙂
This is the fig recipe hit of the season – thank you. I’ve loved reading feedback and especially loved adding almonds to the crust. Delicious!
Love the recipe. I’m always looking for new fig recipes and we love this one. I agree with using zest. Much more interesting flavor. We just added chopped pecans to the top because they were on hand. The guys said that this is a keeper. Thank you!
These were delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. Glad to see from the comments that you can freeze the filling to make more later in the year – this year our fig tree has surprised us with how much fruit it has produced and this will be the perfect way to use them all!
My bars are soft. I made the recipe twice and they come out soft and when they are picked up they start to fall apart. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Kate – I wonder if your figs are “juicier” than others (I do know this can vary by fig variety). Two thoughts on how to fix this: (1) try cooking the figs for longer to boil out more of the juices, or even adding a pinch of cornstarch while the juices are boiling to thicken it up a little. The other thing you can try is blind baking the bottom crust before adding the fig jam, as this will help crisp it up even more. After you press the crust into the bottom of the pan, bake for 10-15 minutes, then remove the crust from the oven, let it cool slightly, and spread the fig jam over the top before baking again. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your help! Everyone enjoys them. We have a fig tree in our yard. It was my grandparents tree so this is my first time cooking with figs.
Thank you! I loved this recipe.
I did not have lemon so I grated all the green off a lime and used the juice of 1 lime and it made a nice tangy filling.
These turned out great! I did not have enough figs but I did have some over-ripe plums, so I used them together and it made a delicious filling. I accidentally bought quick cooking oats oats but they made a beautiful crust, I just had to add a little more than the recipe called for.
Great recipe! Will definitely try it with other seasonal fruit fillings!
Can you eat these bars like a cookie or do you need plates and utensils? We are having a neighborhood coffee morning outside next weekend with 50+ people and it would be great to have something that is easy to eat – and uses some of my many figs.
Hi Evi – They can be a little crumbly, but I eat them as a hand food! One commenter mentioned that they were a little too soft which I suspect is probably because different fig types have different amounts of pectin and those particular figs may have had less. Just make sure to cook down the fig jam until it’s thick and you can try blind baking the bottom crust for 5-10 minutes if you’re worried.
I made these with the zest and they were delightful! Trying to avoid sugar I left out the brown sugar completely but added a couple of chopped dates to the crust when mixing . It lost some softness obviously but they were still scrumptious!
Great modification – glad you liked them!
Hello! Approximately how much jam do you use for the filling, for those not using the included jam recipe? Thanks!
I absolutely love these figs bars. They are so easy to make and taste delicious. I have made 2 batches of them and can’t get enough.
I’m so glad you love them so much!!!
Made these today with fresh figs from my yard. The top crumble did not really brown and was very crumbly when I cut them leaving a lot of the crumble part falling onto the cutting board. Since the top wasn’t really browning I cooked it longer but they were still light rather than golden on top. Any tips to make that crumble come out better? I did notice I only used 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead of the 2 but not sure if that is the reason.