Fig Jam Crumble Bars
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Last updated on Mar 10, 2023
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Wholesome Fig Jam Crumble Bars you can feel good about enjoying for breakfast, a snack or dessert. They’re loaded with healthy fats and naturally sweetened.
It’s almost fig season and I literally can not wait. I don’t know what it is about figs, but I love ’em. Isaac’s parents have a fig tree and although the figs won’t be poppin’ for a few weeks I’m already craving all things figgy and lucky for me we have a big bag of dried figs in the pantry. It was definitely one of those Costco impulse buys (you know the ones) because as soon as I got home I started thinking, “What the heck am I going to do with this 40 oz bag of figs?” Alas, I’m always up for experimenting in the kitchen so the 40 oz fig challenge has commenced.
Around the same time I came home with that massive bag of dried figs, Laura Lea of LL Balanced reached out and offered to send me a copy of her new cookbook, The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook.
Imagine my excitement when I flipped to page 157 of the cookbook and saw this Fig Jam Crumble Bars recipe… it was obviously meant to be.
I knew from looking at Laura Lea’s site that her cookbook recipes were going to be good, but once the book arrived, I was totally blown away. All the recipes look and sound amazing and each one has a big, gorgeous photo to go with it — all taken by Laura Lea, herself. There are 120 + recipes, most of which are quick and easy — perfect for home cooks.
Laura Lea lives in Nashville and became a Holistic Chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute (NGI) after finding herself in NYC with a corporate job and a city-life social routine — lots of late nights and greasy brunches. Through NGI she learned how to cook nutrient dense, whole-foods meals and fell in love with holistic health, which she started sharing through her blog in 2013. What I love about her approach is the focus on whole, real food, not on a specific diet. That said, some of her recipes are vegan, some are paleo and some are gluten-free… very similar to my approach and all the recipes you’ll find here on EBF.
One section of the cookbook that really spoke to me was the introduction. Here Laura Lea shares her approach to food which can be summed up by listening to your body, focusing on real, whole foods and practicing balance! She also includes a little blurb about why the cookbook doesn’t have a basic’s section with how to cook beans or make chicken stock from scratch. She doesn’t include these basic recipes, because the reality is that she doesn’t make these things from scratch on the regular and most home cooks don’t have time to either! She recommends looking for BPA-free organic canned beans, full-fat coconut milk and low-sodium organic chicken broth. To that I say, preach it girl!
As soon as I received the cookbook I immediately bookmarked a few recipes including one for a healthier ambrosia. If you’re unfamiliar with it, ambrosia is a Southern fruit “salad” made with sour cream and marshmallows. It’s kind of similar to watergate salad. I grew up eating watergate salad and was introduced to ambrosia salad through Isaac’s family. It’s something they have every Thanksgiving and I made it this year for Isaac’s sister’s bridal shower.
I was all excited about trying the healthier ambrosia made with coconut milk, but then I spotted the fig jam crumble bars and knew I needed to try these first. The ambrosia will have to happen soon though! And I’ve obviously been eyeing the section with salad and soups too. All of the salads look divine. Watermelon, quinoa, arugula salad with honey lime dressing… yes please!!
Okay so these fig jam crumble bars! If you like dried figs and crumbly goodness, you’re going to be crazy about these. They’re not over the top sweet so you won’t go into a sugar coma after eating one and as an added bonus, they’re gluten-free and vegan! I followed the recipe completely, but did use Smyrna dried figs over Mission because that’s what I had on hand.
We enjoyed the fig jam crumble bars for breakfast one morning and I shared the rest with friends who came over for dinner and they were a big hit. I like them cold, straight from the fridge, but you can also serve them at room temp or reheat them before serving. If you’re truly looking for a dessert experience, definitely heat them up and serve with some ice cream. You can’t go wrong with figgy, crumbly goodness served à la mode.
Try These Popular Bar Recipes
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Be sure to check out the full collection of dessert recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Fig Jam Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried Mission figs
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats, divided
- 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts, divided
- 4 Tablespoons melted coconut oil, divided
- 1 large egg, flaxseed egg for vegan version
- 8 teaspoons maple syrup, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup packed medjool dates, pitted
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add figs to a bowl and cover with room temperature water. Soak 4 hours in the refrigerator, covered. Drain figs and pull off any stems. Preheat over to 350° F and line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, make sure that the paper hangs over the edges an inch or two.
- In a food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup walnuts, 3 Tablespoons coconut oil, egg (or flaxseed egg), 4 teaspoons maple syrup, and sea salt. Process until mixture forms a dough and you can barely detect separate oat pieces (this will be sticky). Turn dough out into baking dish and pat firmly into an even layer. I dampen my fingers with water to help prevent sticking.
- In food processor (no need to clean), add remaining 1/2 cup rolled oats, remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, and remaining 4 teaspoons maple syrup. Pulse several times until mixture forms a chunky crumble. Empty in a bowl and set aside.
- Wash and dry food processor. Combine figs, dates, lemon juice, water, and vanilla extract. Process until mixture forms a thick paste. Wet a rubber spatula and spread paste on top of dough, in an even layer. Top with crumble; press crumble lightly into the paste.
- Place dish on the middle rack and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 15 minutes before removing from baking dish. Cool another 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into shapes of choice.
- Bars will keep tightly sealed on the countertop for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 5 days. Allow to sit out 20 minutes after removing from the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Learn more about Laura Lea over at llbanaced.com and find The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook on amazon.
Can you make this recipe using real figs? What adjustments would I have to make?
I have three fig trees and I have an over abundance of figs!!!
Looking for recipes
Hey Maureen – Yes, you could make fresh fig jam with this recipe! Let me know if you try these bars and how they turn out.
Is there a way to substitute the dates in the recipe?
Hi, Tanya! This recipe actually calls for figs, not dates. You can certainly use another fruit jam if you prefer, just skip the steps for making fig jam and substitute with another jam recipe or store bought jam! I bet this strawberry chia jam would be delicious!
Hello!
Curious to know what 4 plus 4 means for the maple syrup – is it 4 tablespoons, plus 4 teaspoons? I guess I can experiment on my own with sweetness.
Kristina
Hi Kristina. It actually meant 4 teaspoons + 4 additional teaspoons, I’ve updated it so it’s more clear. A total of 8 teaspoons, divided for different parts of the recipe. 🙂
For the maple syrup, did the original recipe call for more, and if so, how much? You stated that it was an off number but I’m not sure how so. Thank you! I made these once and they are delicious, but wondering if they could use a little more sweetener.
Hi Rosana. Sorry for the delayed reply here. The original recipe called for a total of 8 teaspoons of maple syrup. I didn’t change the amount of sugar and the note was from Laura Lea, the author of the book. If you thought the bars could be a tad sweeter, I’d recommend adding a bit for maple syrup next time. 🙂
WOW these look fantastic. Going to the store to grab some ingredients! The recipe says “1 plus 1/2 cup” or “4 plus 4”, what Iran that mean? Like, set them aside in two separate bowls?
What does* that mean? 🙂
These do look really great. I can’t wait for fig season. Ermagersh.
I love, love, love figs and was excited to see a desert recipe for them. However, I purchased fresh figs and when I looked at the recipe it called for dried. How can I make the bars with the fresh figs, or should I dehydrate them? Thanks for your help.
These look so yummy! We love dried figs and fight over the bag! They’re just such a healthy treat!
Sochal – The Healthy Social Network
GORGEOUS, friend! xoxo
Thank you babe! Not kidding, I was looking at these photos yesterday and they reminded me of you. Thank you for being such an inspiration. <3
I was so excited when I saw this recipe! I also have the giant Costco bag of figs sitting in my fridge, wondering what to do with them all…. Needless to say, I have some soaking in the fridge right now! Love, love, love fig newtons, so I can’t wait to make these. I was also happy to see that the recipe calls for walnuts, as I have a huge bag of those, also from Costco (I may have a slight obsession with that store?!) Thanks for the inspiration today!
These sound SO wonderful 🙂 I love the taste of fig newtons. This cookbook sounds like my kind of resource!
Thanks Tara. And yes… I think you would absolutely love this cookbook. It’s loaded with such amazing recipes!
I love love love figs! But for some reason they’re not so poopular for people under the age of 80! Excited to try out these bars, yum!
Haha. So true. The same goes for prunes! I hope you love these bars, Juliette.
These are listed as vegan. How can that be when the recipe calls for eggs?
For the vegan version you’ll need to use a flaxseed egg. Just mix 1 Tablespoon ground flax with 3 Tablespoons of water. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it starts to gel up a bit and use it as you would a regular egg in the recipe.
These sound amazing, I love figs! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Emily!! I hope you get a chance to try the recipe.