Healthy Homemade Fig Newtons

These homemade fig newtons have the best soft and cakey texture, just like the store-bought ones, and even better flavor! Unlike store-bought fig newtons which contain corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, and artificial flavors, these homemade ones are made with real figs, honey, and whole wheat flour for a wholesome treat. These fig newtons are perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert! You’ll fall in love with this homemade version of the classic childhood treat!

This recipe includes two versions: one made with a pure fig filling, and another with a fig and red bean filling for extra protein. I love them both!

Why I Love These Healthy Homemade Fig Newtons

Taste: These homemade fig newtons are made with real dried figs for super concentrated fig flavor. They’re so much more flavorful than the store-bought version! They also contain fresh orange zest, honey, vanilla, and ground cinnamon for the ultimate combination of warm and cozy spices. These are perfect for the holiday season!

Texture: Thanks to a special secret step, these homemade fig newtons have the most amazing soft and chewy texture. They’re super moist and tender – not dry and crumbly like some pre-packaged cookies! I love biting into a soft homemade fig newton and enjoying it with a warm cup of coffee or tea.

Healthier: These homemade fig newtons are made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, real figs, and I even have a version including beans for extra protein and fiber. They’re lightly sweetened with a combination of honey and brown sugar, and they contain less processed sugar than store-bought ones. Store-bought fig newtons are also made with corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, and artificial flavors, but this homemade version skips all of those! These homemade fig newtons make the perfect breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Easy to make: Last but certainly not least, these homemade fig newtons are so easy to make! It may seem like a complicated process to make the filling and wrap it up in the dough, but each step is fairly simple. The filling comes together in a blender or food processor, and the dough comes together in just one bowl. To fill the cookies, I didn’t even use a piping bag. A Ziploc bag with a corner cut off worked perfectly!

What are Fig Newtons?

Fig Newtons are a type of cookie made my Nabisco. They have a soft and chewy cookie layer wrapped around a sticky fig filling. You can often find them at any grocery store. Perhaps the most distinctive part of a fig newton is its flat, rectangular shape.

Fun fact: Did you know that Fig Newtons were one of the first commercially sold baked goods in the United States? They were originally made by the Kennedy Biscuit Company and got their name from Newton, a small town in Massachusetts.

Two Versions of these Healthy Homemade Fig Newtons

This recipe contains instructions for two versions of the fig filling for these homemade fig newtons. The first filling is made with just dried figs and taste super similar to store-bought fig newtons. The filling is slightly stickier and chewier than the other version. This filling is also slightly sweeter than version two.

The second version of the fig filling is made with a combination of dried figs and red adzuki beans. Adzuki beans are commonly used to make red bean fillings for many Asian baked goods like moon cakes and mochi. They have a delicious subtly sweet flavor! The red bean and fig filling has a beautiful color from the beans and is slightly less sweet than the filling made with just figs. The beans also give the filling a smooth and creamy texture.

I love both versions of the fig filling, but I think the second version is my favorite. If you want a classic fig newton, go with version one. If you have a little extra time and want to try something new, I strongly recommend trying the red bean and fig filling! Switch up the fig filling: If you want a classic fig newton, try the pure fig filling. If you have a little extra time and want to try something new, I strongly recommend trying the red bean and fig filling! If you want to try the red bean filling, but don’t want to start from scratch, try using premade red bean paste, which is sold at many Asian grocery stores.

The Secret to Achieving the Ultimate Soft and Cakey Texture

My favorite part about fig newtons are their ultra soft and chewy texture. The cookie layer reminds me of a super moist cake and the fig filling is soft and slightly sticky. How do we accomplish this at home? It might sound crazy, but these cookies are basically going to get steamed after they’re baked! Immediately after these cookies come out of the oven, they get transferred to an airtight container for at least 6 hours. This traps all the steam and condensation as the cookies cool, which gets absorbed by the dough for a super soft, moist, and cakey texture. This may seem like a bad idea, but trust me on this one – it really works!

Key Ingredients in these Healthy Homemade Fig Newtons

• Whole wheat flour and all purpose flour: Whole wheat flour gives these fig newtons a delicious nutty flavor and some extra fiber, but feel free to substitute all purpose flour, if needed.
• Unsalted butter: Make sure to use room temperature butter for the best results.
• Brown sugar: If you don’t have brown sugar, try substituting 1/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon honey or molasses.
• Baking soda
• Honey
• Orange zest: The citrus flavor pairs perfectly with the floral notes from the figs. You can also use lemon zest, or leave it out completely if you don’t like citrus.
• Eggs
• Dried Mission figs: Mission figs give the best flavor and color, but you can substitute any other type of dried figs. If using other figs, add 1-3 teaspoons of honey, or until the filling is sweetened to your liking.
• Adzuki beans (optional): If making the red bean fig filling from scratch, you will need dried adzuki beans (see below for cooking instructions). Another option is to use premade red bean paste. Both dried beans and premade paste are sold at most Asian grocery stores.

Tips and Techniques for Making Healthy Homemade Fig Newtons

• How to cook adzuki beans: Soak 1/3 cup dried beans overnight (they will expand during cooking and make around 1 cup cooked beans). The next day, add the soaked beans to a pot and cover with 1 to 2 inches of water. Boil for around 60 minutes, or until very soft. Switch up the fig filling: If you want a classic fig newton, try the pure fig filling. If you have a little extra time and want to try something new, I strongly recommend trying the red bean and fig filling! If you want to try the red bean filling, but don’t want to start from scratch, try using premade red bean paste, which is sold at many Asian grocery stores.
• If you find that the dough is too stiff to roll out after refrigerating, simply allow it to rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. It will become more pliable as it warms up.
• These cookies require at least 6 hours to rest after baking in order to create the classic soft and cakey fig newton texture, so make sure to plan ahead if you are making these for an event.
• When you add the eggs to the sugar and butter, the mixture may start to separate. Don’t worry! Everything will come together once you add the flour.
• To roll up the cookies: Once you pipe a stripe of filling down the center of the dough strips, you need to roll the dough around the filling. You should end up with a long log of dough with the filling running through the center. Imagine pigs in a blanket, except the filling is the sausage and the dough is the pastry. Start by folding one side of the long dough strip over the filling, and then roll the entire log so that the seam side is underneath. Finally, flatten the log so that it resembles the flat bar shape of fig newtons.

Variations and Ingredient Substitutions for Healthy Homemade Fig Newtons

• Switch up the fig filling: If you want a classic fig newton, try the pure fig filling. If you have a little extra time and want to try something new, I strongly recommend trying the red bean and fig filling! If you want to try the red bean filling, but don’t want to start from scratch, try using premade red bean paste, which is sold at many Asian grocery stores.
• Don’t have brown sugar? Substitute 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon molasses or honey.
• Don’t have whole wheat flour? Substitute 120 grams (1 cup) of all purpose flour.
• Don’t have Mission figs? Substitute any other type of dried figs and add 1-3 teaspoons of honey, or until the filling is sweetened to your liking.
• Try a different filling flavor: Substitute dried dates for the figs, or replace 1/4 cup of figs with your favorite jam for a fig and fruit filling!

If You Liked these Healthy Homemade Fig Newtons, You Might Also Like…

• Melt-in-your-mouth Raspberry Crumb Bars
• Healthy Strawberry Coconut Oat Bars
• Healthier Chocolate Whoopie Pies
• Healthier Snickerdoodle Cookies

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Healthy Homemade Fig Newtons

These homemade fig newtons are made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour and real figs. They're also lightly sweetened with honey and contain less sugar and processed ingredients than store bought ones. Best of all, they taste amazing and have the perfect soft and chewy texture!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time16 minutes mins

Resting Time7 hours hrs

Total Time7 hours hrs 46 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: cookie, fig, fig newton, healthy, holiday, whole wheat

Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) honey
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon (3.6 grams) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 cup (112 grams) whole wheat flour or substitute all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups (150 grams) all purpose flour

For the traditional fig filling:

• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (130 grams) water
• 2 1/2 cups (340 grams) dried Mission figs
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the adzuki bean and fig filling:

• 1/3 cup (80 grams) water
• 1 1/2 cups (204 grams) dried Mission figs
• 1 cup cooked adzuki red beans see notes for cooking instructions
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Soak the figs:

• In a small bowl, microwave the water for the fig filling until boiling. Then add the figs and cover. Set aside and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.

Make the dough:

• In a large bowl, beat the butter, honey, brown sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until well incorporated. Then add the whole wheat flour and all purpose flour and mix on low speed until everything is combined. Knead the dough until smooth and form into a flat square, roughly 8 inches by 8 inches. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for around one hour.

Make the fig filling:

• Add the soaked figs and any unabsorbed water to a food processor along with the orange zest, cinnamon, and salt (if you are making the red bean filling, also add the cooked adzuki beans). Pulse until the mixture becomes a thick, smooth paste. Make sure to scrape the sides of the processor to make sure everything gets blended. Transfer to a piping bag with a 1/2 inch tip or Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. Set aside.

Assemble the cookies:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 15 inch square. If the dough is too stiff, allow to rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Trim off any uneven edges. Cut the dough into four identical strips.
• Pipe a thick stripe of the filling down the center of each strip. You should use almost all of the filling. Enclose the filling in the dough by tightly folding one side of the dough strip over the filling, and then rolling the dough strip so the seam side faces down (it should look like a long log at this point). Gently press down on the log to flatten, then transfer to the lined baking sheet. Repeat for all four dough strips.
• Bake the bars until slightly puffed and surface looks dry, around 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately cut the bars into individual pieces (around 1 .5 inches each). Then transfer to an airtight container with a paper towel between each layer of cookies and on top. This will steam the cookies as they cool and make them extra moist and cakey. Allow the cookies to rest in the container for at least 6 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

If you want a classic fig newton, try the pure fig filling. If you have a little extra time and want to try something new, I strongly recommend trying the red bean and fig filling! The red beans give the filling a smooth and creamy texture.

Don’t have brown sugar? Substitute 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon molasses or honey.

Mission figs give the best flavor and color, but you can substitute any other type of dried figs. If using other figs, add 1-3 teaspoons of honey, or until the filling is sweetened to your liking.

If using the adzuki beans: Soak 1/3 cup dried beans overnight (they will expand during cooking and make around 1 cup cooked beans). The next day, add the soaked beans to a pot and cover with 1 to 2 inches of water. Boil for around 60 minutes, or until very soft.