Fig Bars

MAKES 16 BARS Ingredients Filling • 8 ounces dried Turkish or Calimyrna Figs, stemmed and quartered • 2 cups (480 ml) apple cider • 1 pinch salt • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lemon juice Crust • ¾ cup almond flour • ½ cup coconut flour • ½ teaspoon baking powder • ¼ teaspoon salt • 6 tablespoons (90 ml) coconut oil, softened • ¾ cup palm sugar • 2 large eggs • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract • Coconut oil for greasing foil Preparation 1. Simmer the figs, apple juice, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the figs are very soft and the liquid is syrupy (15 to 20 minutes). Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Purée the figs in a food processor with the lemon juice until the mixture has a thick jam consistency (about 8 seconds). 2. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an eight-inch square baking pan with a foil sling. Make a foil sling for an eight-inch square baking pan by folding two long sheets of aluminum foil so each is eight inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil with coconut oil. 3. Whisk flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. 4. In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil and palm sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (3 to 6 minutes). Beat the egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Reserve ¾ cup of the dough for topping. 5. Sprinkle the remaining mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with the greased spatula. Top with a piece of greased parchment and smooth into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup. Remove the parchment and bake the crust until just beginning to turn golden (about 20 minutes). 6. Meanwhile, roll the reserved dough for the top crust between two sheets of greased parchment paper into an eight-inch square; turn the edges of the dough as needed to measure exactly eight inches. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment, transfer to a baking sheet, and place it in the freezer until needed. 7. Spread the fig mixture evenly over the baked crust. Unwrap the frozen, reserved top crust and lay it over the filling, pressing lightly to adhere. Bake the bars until the top crust is golden brown (25 to 30 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through baking. 8. Place the pan atop a wire rack and let the fig bars cool completely (about two hours). Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares, and serve.

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Fig bars made from scratch start with dried figs simmered in apple cider until they collapse into a thick, jammy purée, then sandwich that filling between two layers of soft almond-coconut dough. Rolling the top crust between parchment and freezing it is the make-or-break move — a frozen square lifts cleanly onto the fig layer without cracking. Deeply sweet, a little chewy, and entirely grain-free.

Pro Tips

• Don't drain the cider — simmer until the liquid turns syrupy, because that reduced syrup is what makes the purée taste like jam instead of fruit paste.
• Roll the reserved top crust between two greased parchment sheets into an exact eight-inch square and freeze it while the bottom bakes; a chilled square lays over the fig filling in one piece instead of tearing.
• Press the bottom crust with greased parchment and the bottom of a measuring cup for an even layer — patchy spots bake unevenly and burn at the edges.
• Beat the coconut oil and palm sugar the full 3 to 6 minutes — this dough's structure comes from that aeration, not gluten or butter.
• Turkish or Calimyrna figs both work; Calimyrna are sweeter and jammier, Turkish darker and more honeyed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the fig filling ahead?

Yes — the purée keeps up to a week in the fridge and actually thickens as it sits. Stir it well before spreading so it flows evenly over the crust.

What can I substitute for apple cider?

Apple juice works, though the filling will be a touch less tangy. For a tarter bar, swap half the cider for water plus an extra teaspoon of lemon juice.

Why is my top crust cracking?

It wasn't chilled enough — the frozen dough bends over the filling without splitting, while a soft one tears. Ten more minutes in the freezer fixes it.

How should I store fig bars?

Airtight at room temperature for a day or two, then refrigerate for up to a week. The fig layer stays chewy and the crust softens only slightly.

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