Fig Bars

Name: Fig Bars
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 24
Ingredients: 2 cups dried figs, chopped; ½ cup walnuts, chopped; ⅓ cup sugar; ¼ cup fresh orange juice; 2 tablespoons hot water; ½ cup butter or margarine, softened; 1 cup packed brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking soda; 1¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Recipe GLPR81ad236da6508d

Dessert

50 min

172 cal

Servings: 24

Oven

SNAP eligible

Chewy and wholesome fig bars made with a soft oat crust and crumbly topping, filled with a rich fig and walnut mixture brightened with fresh orange juice. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or lunchboxes. Yields 24 bars.

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Ingredients

2 cups dried figs, chopped

½ cup walnuts, chopped

⅓ cup sugar

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons hot water

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Directions

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before beginning.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch rectangular baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the chopped dried figs, chopped walnuts, sugar, orange juice, and hot water. Stir well to combine and let the mixture sit while you prepare the dough.
In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and packed brown sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the egg to the butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.
Add the flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture, stirring until just combined.
Fold in the rolled oats, stirring until a soft, uniform dough forms.
Measure and set aside 1 cup of the dough to use as the topping.
Using floured fingertips, press and spread the remaining dough evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking pan, creating a thin, even layer.
Spread the fig and walnut filling evenly over the dough base.
Crumble the reserved dough into small pieces and scatter evenly over the fig filling. Leave some of the filling visible between the crumbles.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the baking pan at room temperature, about 1 hour.
Cut the cooled bars into 24 pieces, approximately 2½ × 2 inches each. Serve or store in an airtight container.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.25

Fresh figs are the real constraint here—they're seasonal (late summer into early fall) and inconsistently stocked at Charlotte grocers; frozen figs work but add $3–4 and require thawing, or a second stop at Harris Teeter's specialty produce if you want fresh. The stated 50 minutes overlooks chopping figs and walnuts by hand and cooling time, pushing the real investment closer to 70 minutes. The formula itself is sound and cheap—mostly flour, sugar, oats, and pantry staples—making the cost per serving land around $0.35–0.45, which is excellent for a homemade bar cookie. These keep well for a week and reheat gently, and the recipe yields 24, so it's a strong batch-cooking play for lunches or gifts; North Carolina's walnut access is fine, and the brown-sugar-and-oat base hits Southern tastes without fuss.