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!
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.