Gluten-Free Date Fig Oat Bars – Plant-Based, Vegan Recipe
These plant-based bars are a plant-based version of your favorite childhood fig snack. A gluten-free, vegan oat crust holds a sweet fig filling. Everyone will love these healthy treats!
- Medium
- Servings: 16
- Yield: One 8×8-inch pan
- Ready in: 1 hour
If you like these, you’ll also love: Rainbow Carrot Walnut Salad with Oil-Free Fig Balsamic Dressing, Raw Trail Mix Energy Bars, and Baked Pears with Date Paste, Cardamom, and Orange.
Creating a Plant-Based Fig Bar
I loved the fig bars of my childhood. When the fat-free craze was popular, I was in my teens and early twenties. These sweet treats became my go-to snack because I thought they were healthier than other, more fattening candy bars and sweets.
Well, I know better now. With all of the refined sugar, flour, and processed ingredients, these fig bars were far from healthy. Plus, the natural fig flavor was lost in all of those extra ingredients. My plant-based chef challenge? Create an updated version of this favorite recipe.
Step One: Gluten-Free Oat Crust
The first step to creating a whole foods, plant-based version of this recipe was building the crust. Combining oat flour, almond flour, and dates creates a balanced, delicious crust. You get nutty flavor from the oat flour. Almond adds a layer of richness. And, dates add needed sweetness.
This crust works great for other recipes too! You can use it as a base for gluten-free Pecan Pie, vegan lemon bars, or fill with Vegan Chocolate Mousse.
Almond flour is made from grinding whole almonds. Because it comes from nuts, it has a rich flavor. 
Oats, dates, almonds, and cashews come together for a gluten-free plant-based crust 
Add enough water to the crust so that it clumps together 
Use your hands to press the gluten-free crust into a lined baking pan. If the crust is sticky, dampen your hand with water.
Step Two: Plant-Based Mission Fig Filling
For the filling, I wanted to really bring home the fig flavor! The key for this is using dried Mission Figs. These are the dark, shriveled figs you find in the dried fruits. Unlike California or Turkish figs, Mission figs have sweeter flavor and jam-like texture.
First, you’ll want to remove the stems of the figs. Then, in order to soften the figs, simmer them in water for about 10 minutes. After that, puree them with a splash of lemon and vanilla. What you get is rich, pure fig flavor. I could eat this with a spoon! Alas, I had a Oat Crust to fill!
Simmer the Mission figs in water for 10 minutes helps soften them. 
Softened Mission figs are added to a blender with water. You can add vanilla or sweet spices like cardamom and cinnamon 
The Mission fig filling will be thick, rich, and full of natural sweetness
Step Three: Walnut Oat Topping
After filling the crust with the fig jam, the bars needed a nutty topping. I chopped some walnuts and oats in the food chopper quickly. Then, I combined with a couple tablespoons of water, until I got a crumbly topping that I could sprinkle over the top. It’s important to get the oats damp so that they stick to the top of the Fig Bars.
After sprinkling, it was as simple as throwing the bars in the oven and baking until done! After 40-45 minutes, you should have a golden brown toppings and delicious Fig Bars. A whole foods, plant-based update to a favorite childhood treat.
For a quick Walnut-Oat topping, chop the ingredients in a little food chopper. 
Sprinkle the Walnut Oat crumble over the filling. It will add a nice crunch and nutty flavor.
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:
What are Mission Figs? Mission figs are dried, dark purple figs with incredibly sweet flavor. They are named after the California Franciscan Missionaries, where they were first grown. You can find them in the dried fruit and bulk sections of most grocery stores.
Weigh your Ingredients: For the best accuracy when baking, it’s always a good idea to weigh your ingredients. A small digital scale can save you time and help you create more consistent, delicious recipes
Nut-Free: For a nut-free version of this recipe, substitute the walnuts in the Walnut-Oat Topping with sunflower seeds, coconut flake, or omit. For the crust, substitute the almond flour with coconut flour. Substitute the cashew with sunflower seeds or coconut flake.
Oil-Free: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, like those found in refined oils. This recipe skips oil and uses parchment paper to keep the bars from sticking to the pan. This makes a healthy, low-calorie recipe.
Recipe Inspiration: This recipe was inspired by the Date-Fig Oat Bars at Reform Judaism. It’s enjoyed as part of Tu BiShvat celebrations.
Bake the bars until golden brown on top 
Let the bars cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Gluten-Free Date Fig Oat Bars – Plant-Based, Vegan Recipe
Gluten-Free Date Fig Oat Bars – Plant-Based, Vegan Recipe
Ingredients
For the Plant-Based Fig Filling:
- 2 cups dried Mission figs 180g
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Gluten-Free Oat Crust:
- 1 ½ cups oat flour 120g
- 1 cup almond flour 96g
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup dates 200g
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
For Walnut Oat Topping:
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats 10g
- ¼ cup walnuts 28g
Instructions
- To make the Gluten-Free Date Fig Oat Bars: Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a square, 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- To make the Plant-Based Fig Filling: In a small sauce pot, combine the dried figs and water. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer. Simmer 10 minutes, until the dates are soft. Transfer to a blender or food processor. Puree with the lemon juice and vanilla. While the figs simmer, you can make the crust and topping.
- For the Gluten-Free Oat Crust: Combine all ingredients, except the water, in a food processor. Puree until the dates are blended well into the flours. Add the water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the mixture comes together into a ball. You may not use all the water, depending on how dry the dates are. Transfer the crust to your pre-lined baking pan.
- To make the Walnut Oat Topping: Place the oats and walnuts in a food processor or food chopper. Pulse a few times, until you have small, crumbly pieces. Add 2 tablespoons of water and pulse another 3-5 times. You want a crumbly consistency, with pea-sized clumps.
- When the Fig filling is ready, spread into a single layer over the Gluten-Free Oat Crust. Sprinkle on the Walnut Oat topping. Place the Fig Bars in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan. Remove from the pan and let cool completely before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Servings: 16
Yield: One 8×8-inch pan
Ready in: 1 hour
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 16.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 191 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 5 g | 8 % |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 3 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 97 mg | 4 % |
| Potassium 91 mg | 3 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 33 g | 11 % |
| Dietary Fiber 4 g | 16 % |
| Sugars 18 g | |
| Protein 4 g | 8 % |
| Vitamin A | 0 % |
| Vitamin C | 0 % |
| Calcium | 7 % |
| Iron | 7 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
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I don’t see any carrots in the recipe: You might want to fix this:
Oil-Free: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, like those found in refined oils. This recipe skips oil and uses water to keep the carrots from sticking. This makes a healthy, low-calorie recipe.
YUM, I overbaked these a little and next time I’ll make them softer but still very yum. I think I’ll also experiment with this crust for an apple pie 🙂