Plant-Based Fig Crumble Bars

Plant-Based Fig Crumble Bars combine fresh and dried figs for a sweet treat. Completely whole food plant-based and gluten free!

Have you ever had fresh figs?

Before this year, I hadn't tried them! I looked for fresh figs at farmers markets and specialty grocery stores, but I couldn't ever find them.

Figs are in season for a few weeks in June, and then again from August to October. I think of them as more of a fall food. So I was excited when my mom finally found some at the grocery store and brought them home for us to try.

Pro tip: fresh figs need to ripen before they taste good. If they aren't ripe enough they aren't sweet and they taste kind of like a bland apple.

If you cut into a fig and find it kind of gross, just let them ripen for a few days and then try again. They will be so much better!

You can also bake them! Baking speeds up the ripening process and helps them get sweet.

Jump to:

• How to use fresh and dried figs
• Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
• How to make Plant-Based Fig Crumble Bars
• Recipe Prayer
• Related Recipes
• Tried this recipe?
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• 💬 Comments

How to use fresh and dried figs

Fresh and dried figs have different uses.

Fresh figs are just like any other fruit. They get ripe and then they hit their peak and then they go bad. You want to make sure you use them before they start to get mushy or moldy.

Dried figs are much more shelf-stable. They are meant to last for weeks or months. Because they are dried, the sugar is more concentrated and they are much sweeter than fresh figs.

What's cool about these crumble bars is that we use both fresh figs and dried figs.

Fresh figs get soft when cooked, providing a delightful fruity texture for these bars. Dried figs are already super sweet and they help add an overall sweetness to the bars. I love using both in one recipe!

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Pecans: The base also has pecans. I love adding an ingredient with a high fat content like pecans, because they add FLAVOR. If you don't have pecans you could use almonds or cashews.
• Rolled Oats: We will pulse rolled oats in the food processor to create a flour/crumble texture that serves as the both the base of these bars and the crumble topping. If you only have quick oats you could sub these instead - you won't need to blend as much.
• Almond Flour: Finally, a bit of almond flour helps lighten up the texture of the base. You could sub oat flour or all purpose flour.
• Salt: A pinch of salt brings out the flavor of the pecans and the sweetness of the bars.
• Maple Syrup: We'll use maple syrup to bind the flour together. If you want to have a completely fruit-sweetened dessert, use date syrup instead.
• Dried Mission Figs: We'll also add dried figs to the base. Dried figs add sweetness. And, they won't blend down completely so we'll get some pockets of delicious chewy texture.
• Fresh Figs: Last, but not least, fresh figs are the fruity layer.

How to make Plant-Based Fig Crumble Bars

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 2. Blend the pecans in a food processor until coarsely ground.

Step 3. Add the dried figs and maple syrup and blend until everything comes together.

Step 4. Pulse in the oats, almond flour, and salt.

Step 5. Reserve a heaping ½ cup of the mixture.

Step 6. Using wet hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Step 7. Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges are just golden.

Step 8. After the 12 minute bake, remove the pan from the oven and top the crust with the chopped fresh figs.

Step 9. Sprinkle with the reserved crumble mixture.

Step 10. Bake again for 25 minutes, until the crumble topping is browned. Let cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!

Recipe Prayer

Thank you Jesus for sweet desserts. Thank you for giving us healthy foods to enjoy. Amen.

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