Snacks, breakfast, or dessert, California Fig Nut Bars are a sweet treat. The fig and nut bar recipe below is easy to make and great to work into meal prep.
One Bowl Wonder
The first thing you will love is that this is a one-bowl recipe meaning less dishes to clean up later. It also means that this fig and nut bar recipe could easily be a weeknight bake. Any way you slice it, these bars are made for fig lovers.
What Kind of Figs to Use
Golden Figs work so well in the nutty fig bars because they have a delicate sweetness and slight nutty flavor on their own. If you want more of a familiar fig flavor reminiscent of chewy childhood cookies, try our Mission Figs.
Go Nuts
The fig and nut bar recipe uses pecans which bring a toasty fall note to the chewy bars. If you don’t have access to pecans or aren’t fond of them, swap in walnuts or almonds instead.
Baking Tips for Nutty Fig Bars
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. This initial step ensures the leavener gets mixed in well. It matters because then, you can stir in the remaining ingredients until just combined lending a more tender crumb in the final bars. As a side note, the dough may look dry at first, but it will come together as it is mixed.
The bars are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs attached. Cool the bars on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, remove the bars from the pan and cool an additional 15 minutes. After that is when to slice into 12 bars and roll in confectioners’ sugar. Finally, transfer the bars back to the wire rack to cool completely before serving.
California Fig Nut Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs stemmed and shopped into 1/4" pieces
- 1 cup pecans toasted and chopped
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 8-inch square baking pan. Combine brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Stir in figs, pecans, eggs, and butter until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Let bars cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut into 12 equal pieces and roll in confectioners’ sugar. Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Serve.