These Paleo Fig Newtons are easy, delicious, and healthy. Made with all real ingredients and sweetened only with fruit. Gluten free and vegan as well!
A classic made-over
Fig Newtons were one of my favorite cookies when I was younger. I know it’s a little weird, but I’d pick that over other cookies most the time. I always loved the filling- the slight crunch from the seeds and how it’s sweet and sticky. This homemade version is just as tasty, but with simpler ingredients. The filling is sweet, but not overly sweet. The almond flour outside is so much better than the store bought ones. It’s more moist, is grain free, naturally sweetened, and has a hint of applesauce. It is so good!
These are easy to make! The filling is blended in a food processor or blender in less than a minute and the outside cookie is mixed in a bowl with no mixer required. A mix of dried figs, lemon juice and a touch of cinnamon. It is pressed into a pan and baked and ready in about 30 minutes. So simple!
These aren't quite as sweet as the original, but they're not meant to be. If you're eating paleo then you will find them plenty sweet, if you're used to regular cookies you may think they're not sweet enough. It's all personal preference as well.
Making the fig newton crust
It does take a little time pressing the crust into the pan. Don't rush it! To get that top layer to cover the fig mixture, it's easiest to flatten small pieces out with your fingers then press it on top. Continue until it's all used then press to fill in any small holes. The proportions are also a little different than the store bought kind- the crust is thinner and the filling is thicker. It's a good change.
You will love these paleo fig newtons- made with all real ingredients that fir your dietary needs. Here are some more copycat recipes to try:
- Paleo Butterfinger Candy Bars
- Vegan Paleo Cosmic Brownies
- Paleo Vegan Samoa Cookies
- Oatmeal Cream Pies (paleo)
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Paleo Fig Newtons
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° and line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper.
- Combine figs, lemon juice, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. It will be a thick mixture.
- In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, cinnamon, and applesauce. Stir until fully combined and no lumps remain. Divide in half and press half of the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Top with fig mixture, spreading as evenly as possible.
- Top with remaining almond mixture. The best way to do that is to take small pieces and flatten with your fingers. Place on top of fig mixture and repeat until all almond mixture is used. Press any holes closed once all is on top.
- Bake for 30-32 minutes.
- Cool and cut into squares.
Robin says
Do you think this recipe would be good with dried apples? I loved it with the figs and love it but have other dried fruits in the house and thought it might be yummy
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Robin- I think that would work great. I have had people make them with raisins and they turn out, so I'm sure apples would work. Enjoy!
Mariel says
I researched this recipe because I was really craving fig newtons and I've been paleo/processed sugar free for a while now so I couldnt just go buy them. THEN. I couldn't find figs at my kroger, God knows why, so I substituted dates. Let me tell you, these things turned out AMAZING with dates. They taste like apple pie bars. By far one of the best desserts I've ever had. So if anyone is thinking of substituting dates, it works! 🙂 Thank you for this recipe. I bring it to all my potlucks and dinner parties.
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Mariel! I'm so glad you liked them and that they worked with dates. I'm sorry you couldn't find figs! You're welcome!
Veronica says
I can not find the carb count or nay counts..lol
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Veronica- I don't calculate nutritional info. You can use a site like My Fitness Pal if you need the carb count. Hope you try them!
Kecia says
Wonderful, thank you!
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome!
Kecia says
Hi Jessica,
This recipe looks easy and delicious. I'm going to try this soon. Do you know about how many servings you get out of the 8x8 pan?
Jessica DeMay says
Thanks, Kecia! I cut it into 9 bars, but it could easily be cut into 12. It just depends how big you like the pieces 🙂 I hope you enjoy!
Donna says
These were a huge hit with my kids and even some of their non-primal friends. Will definitely be making again. Thanks for a great recipe!
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome, Donna! Thanks for trying them! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed them 🙂
Traci Underwood says
I just picked fresh figs from out tree. How do I dry them to make this recipe?
Tprim says
I pressed the top layer down onto a sheet of wax paper, then transferred it onto the fig layer.
Jessica DeMay says
That is so smart! Thanks for the tip!
Andrea says
These tasted great, but it was difficult to spread. The crust especially, (both top and bottom) was sticking to my hands and seems too 'gooey'. Maybe I'll try a touch more flour next time? I did try the spatula trick as previously mentioned and that didn't work either. Tasty for sure. Now I have to figure out how to make them "easy"!
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Andrea- thank you for trying my recipe and I'm glad you like the taste. It does sound like you need a little more flour because it should not be that difficult to spread. Just slowly add more until you get a dough that isn't overly sticky and is easy to work with. 🙂
Andrea says
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll add 1 tsp at a time. Can't wait to try them again!
Lynn says
Hi Jessica, I want to make these tomorrow using dried blueberries . Do you think the lemon will overpower the dried blueberries and make the filling too tart? The blueberries are not sweetened with sugar. Approximately how much lemon do you yield from one lemon? Thanks for your thoughts and this recipe! 🙂
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Lynn! I don't think the lemon will be overpowering, but you may want to taste test it to make sure you don't need to add sweetener. I don't think blueberries are as sweet as figs. It's about 2 tablespoons of juice. I hope you enjoy!
Lynn says
Thank you! The filling turned out great with dried blueberries. I needed about 1/4 cup of liquid to get the right consistency. I used 1:1 lemon juice and water. Thank you for the quick reply. It removed a lot of guess work that day. Happy New Year! 🙂
Jessica DeMay says
You're welcome, Lynn! I'm so glad it turned out. Thanks for letting me know how it was. Happy New Year to you 🙂