The Recipe Critic

Oatmeal Fig Bars

January 14, 2023

So much better than store bought and so fun to make, these oatmeal fig bars are sweet and salty and everything you hope they would be! The sticky fig jam is sandwiched between two delicious layers of oatmeal crumble and crust. You really can’t beat this sweet treat!

I love buying fig bars from the store, especially around the holidays, so I thought I should make them at home. Let me tell you, they were a total hit! They are definitely joining the holiday lineup of my favorite treats. If you want some other ideas for great holiday and winter treats, you’ve got to try these Red Velvet White Chocolate Chip Cookies, this delicious Fruit Cake, and these cute Snowball Cookies.

Fig bars stacked on top of each other and the top one has a bite taken out of it.

Fig Oatmeal Bars

I recently tried figgy pudding for the first time ( I know, where have I been this whole time?!) and it was amazing! I absolutely loved the flavor of the figs, and I realized that fig is the perfect base for a dessert. We actually included a delicious fig and grapefruit cheese on a charcuterie board that absolutely divine, and I realized I needed more figs in my life. So I thought a great new dessert to try would be these fig oatmeal bars!

If you have never had an oatmeal fig bar, it’s kind of like a granola bar meets a linzer cookie. It is seriously the best thing ever! If you have ever had a fig newton, then this dessert is really similar! It is the perfect dessert for anyone who loves oats and a dessert that doesn’t leave you feeling too heavy afterwards. I am seriously obsessed with these oatmeal fig bars!

Ingredients in Oatmeal Fig Bars

Don’t be fooled by the number of ingredients, most of them repeat a few times for this oatmeal fig bar recipe! The crust on the top and bottom are not very different in ingredients, they just need to be prepared differently. The top is more like a crumble where you need cold butter to help ingredients clump together. The bottom is more like a traditional oatmeal crust. You can find the measurements below in the recipe card.

Filling

  • Dried Figs: Dried figs are a must for this oatmeal fig bars recipe. Fresh ones will not work the same! If you are wondering where to get dried figs, I totally get it because I didn’t remember seeing them at the grocery store until I looked for them! I found them in the dried fruit section of my grocery store. If you don’t have any luck there are lots of options online.
  • Water: This is to help rehydrate the figs and to make the sauce.
  • Orange Juice: I love to add orange juice because it has acid in it which really brightens up the filling.
  • Vanilla Extract: I add just a bit of vanilla to bring out all the flavors in the figs.

Crust

  • Butter: Butter helps everything hold together and adds fat, which makes the crust so amazing.
  • Brown Sugar: I like to use brown sugar because it has a deeper flavor than granulated sugar because of the molasses.
  • Egg: Egg will help the crust hold together for these oatmeal fig bars.
  • Rolled Oats: I love the texture and flavor of oats in the crust. It also adds extra fiber and balances out this dessert.
  • All-Purpose Flour: I like to use it because it’s what I have on hand. You could use whole wheat flour in this recipe.
  • Baking Powder: Baking powder helps the crust from becoming too dense and hard.
  • Ground Cinnamon: A little pop of cinnamon in the crust really brings the whole dessert together!
  • Ground Nutmeg: I like to add nutmeg along with cinnamon because they are the perfect pair, and go great with figs!
  • Salt: A little salt in the crust helps to bring out all of the amazing flavors and keeps it from getting too sweet.

Topping

  • Rolled Oats: This is key to a nice and crumbly topping for your oatmeal fig bars. It sticks to the butter and becomes little nuggets of goodness all over this treat.
  • Butter: You will want to keep this butter cold and cube it. When the butter is cold it crumbles instead of blends together, which is how you get the oats to clump the way you want them to.
  • All-Purpose Flour: It’s easy to work with, and helps the oats come together in a great texture.
  • Brown Sugar: I like to use brown sugar because of the molasses, and it adds lots of flavor to the crumble.
  • Granulated Sugar: A little sweetness helps to bring this whole treat together.
  • Salt: I like to add salt to the topping too so it doesn’t get too sweet.
  • Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon in the crust and the topping is the perfect way to bring the whole treat full circle. It’s so amazing!
Process photos showing the fig jam being made, then adding the crust, jam, and crumble to the pan.

Oatmeal Fig Bars Recipe

You will make this oatmeal fig bar in three steps. You will prepare the filling, the crust, and the crumble. Then you put it all together and bake! It’s a little bit of a labor of love but oh my goodness is it worth it! This is a great recipe to make for special occasions. It’s a huge hit and a really unique dessert that I think everyone will love.

Filling

  1. Cook Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the dried figs, water, and orange juice. Over medium heat, and stirring occasionally, cook the mixture for about 10-12 minutes. The figs should be soft and have absorbed some of the liquid.
  2. Blend: Remove from heat and mix in the vanilla, then allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth and no chunks remain. Set aside
  3. Prep Pan: At this point, prepare an 8 inch square baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray and set aside, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Crust

  1. Whisk: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, whisk together melted butter, sugar, and egg. In a separate bowl whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, and spices.
  2. Add Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. The mixture will become hard to mix with a whisk, you may want to switch to a large spoon or spatula to finish mixing
  3. Add Crust to Pan: Spread your crust evenly into your prepared pan, pack down slightly to even it out.

Topping

  1. Pulse: In a food processor, add all your ingredients and pulse until all the ingredients are well mixed and no chunks of butter or patches of dry ingredients should remain.

Put It All Together

  1. Add Ingredients and Bake: Spread your fig filling evenly over the top of your crust lined pan, sprinkle the topping over the top of the filling and bake in your pre heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is an even golden brown.
  2. Enjoy: Enjoy fresh or keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

Tips for Making Oatmeal Fig Bars

This oatmeal fig bar is so tasty as is, but don’t be afraid to switch things up. Putting your own spin on food is what makes it so fun! If you are going to experiment with different versions of this recipe, here are some tips for you.

  • Whole Wheat Flour: You can use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour if you want to! Because it’s a crumbly texture on top and has oats, either flour will work great.
  • Using Fresh Figs: I really don’t recommend using fresh figs! The dried figs cook down perfectly to make a jam like filling. The fresh ones do not! I would stick to dried figs for the best results.
  • Other Fillings: I haven’t tried this recipe with different fillings, but I don’t see why dried dates or raisins wouldn’t work great! I’m sure you could use the same amount of chopped dates or raisins and cook them in the same way you would the figs.
Oatmeal fig bars lined up on parchment paper and cut into squares.

Storing Leftover Oatmeal Fig Bars

These oatmeal fig bars make great leftovers! They are really easy to freeze too, and they are a great make-ahead recipe. Here is how to handle your leftover fig bars.

  • In the Refrigerator: You can store your fig bars covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
  • In the Freezer: Cover and store your fig bars in the freezer for up to two months.

Other Bar Recipes

Sometimes, bars just hit the spot! The dessert kind that is. I love making cookies, but sometimes making bars just makes more sense. I love how you can put it all in a pan and cut out perfectly sized pieces to feed a crowd. If you are looking for the perfect bar recipe, you are sure to find it here.

Print

Oatmeal Fig Bars

So much better than store bought and so fun to make, these oatmeal fig bars are sweet and salty and everything you hope they would be! The sticky fig jam is sandwiched between two delicious layers of oatmeal crumble and crust. You really can't beat this sweet treat!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword oatmeal fig bars
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 12 People
Calories 342kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

Filling

  • 2 cups chopped dried figs
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Bottom crust

  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Topping

  • ⅔ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Filling

  • In a medium saucepan, combine the dried figs, water, and orange juice. Over medium heat, and stirring occasionally, cook the mixture for about 10-12 minutes. The figs should be soft and have absorbed some of the liquid.
  • Remove from heat and mix in the vanilla, allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth and no chunks remain. Set aside
  • At this point, prepare an 8 inch square baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray and set aside, preheat your oven to 350° fahrenheit.

Bottom crust

  • In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, whisk together melted butter, sugar, and egg. In a separate bowl whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, and spices.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. The mixture will become hard to mix with a whisk, you may want to switch to a large spoon or spatula to finish mixing
  • Spread your crust evenly into your prepared pan, pack down slightly to even it out.

Crumb topping

  • In a food processor, add all your ingredients and pulse until all the ingredients are well mixed and no chunks of butter or patches of dry ingredients should remain.

Assemble

  • Spread your fig filling evenly over the top of your crust lined pan, sprinkle the topping over the top of the filling and bake in your pre heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top is an even golden brown.
  • Enjoy fresh or keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 426IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg

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