May 8, 2013May 23, 2017 Melissa King Healthy Cookies, Recipes
Homemade Fig Newtons for you. Before we cleaned up our diet, Fig Newtons were a big staple around here. We all know how fig newtons are often touted as a healthy cookie option for kids. But if you ever looked at the ingredients, most are not good.
My healthy fig newton recipe is so much healthier than store bought ones and a fig newton you can feel good about giving your kids. These fig newtons also taste better in my opinion. You definitely need to try them.
These are made with whole grains and no refined sugars, unlike the real cookies. The real cookies contain high fructose corn syrup. 🙁 You can also use the recipe as a base to add in your own fillings. If you filled these with fruit, they would almost taste like a Nutri-Grain bar as well.
The possibilities are endless. I also added a little cinnamon to the dough to spice it up a bit. I think it turned out well that way. One other thing to note is, using the coconut oil will not make them taste like coconut at all, but it does help add a sweetness to the cookies.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it freezes well. So you can make up a huge batch and freeze some for later. I suggest storing them in an air-tight container with a piece or parchment between each row of cookies. That way, you don’t have to worry about them sticking together.
Homemade Fig Newtons
Homemade Fig Newtons
print shopping list
Prep Time 1 hr Cook Time 15 min Serves 16 cookies adjust servings
A healthier version of the classic cookie.
Ingredients
For the cookie
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour (I think GF flour might work as well)
- 2 flax eggs (I used a flax egg replacement)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground vanilla bean or extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 T almond milk
- 2 T applesauce unsweetened
For the filling
- 15-20 figs (I used dried Turkish Figs I got at Sprouts)
- 1 T maple syrup
- water
Instructions
For the filling
- In a food processor, grind up the figs, 1 T maple syrup and a bit of water. You want the figs to be the consistency of peanut butter so only add a bit of water. I think I used about 1 tablespoon.
- Blend into a paste and set aside.
For the cookie
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In one bowl mix all the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, mix the wet.
- Add dry to wet and mix only until combined. Be careful not to over-mix. The dough will be sticky and a bit wet.
- Gather it in a ball and wrap it.
- Put the dough in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.
- Once firm, roll the dough onto a floured surface. I tried to roll my dough as square as possible.
- Once the dough is rolled out, spread the fig mixture onto half of the dough.
- Once the fig mixture is spread, fold 1 half of the dough onto the other and cut into squares. I cut mine into about 2×2 squares and used a pizza cutter to do so.
- Place on lined baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes.
- I got about 16 out of my batch.
by Melissa King
Recipe Notes
They should last a couple of weeks, but you can refrigerate them to make them last even longer. Enjoy!
Subscribe
Join more than 35,000 subscribers and start gettiing free recipes direct to your inbox!
You may also like
These are not bad. They aren't great, but they are a decent healthy snack. Cookies without sugar are never that incredible. Looking at other recipes for Fig Newtons, they usually add orange zest or juice to the dough. I plan on doing that next time as the cookie part was pretty bland. I think the amount of leavening could be reduced as well, as they were definitely more puffy than a real fig newton.
Reply
Sorry they didn't live up to your expectations, but I do understand that not all recipes are going to be a hit with everyone. :)
Reply
Oh, you misunderstood. I'm totally fine with healthy cookies that are just okay. Cookies that are too good (aka ones with sugar) make you want to eat too many. I just made them again with the substitutions below and they definitely tasted better. Still healthy though. :) These are definitely going to be a staple around here. My substitutions:-1/4 tsp of baking SODA for the baking Powder (It made them less fluffy and gave them a more cookie texture)-2T of orange juice instead of the 2T milk-the zest of one orange (I think the zest from half of the orange would have sufficed.)-I used 1/2 cup of oil instead of the 1/3 cup of oil and the applesauce (that might have also made them a little more crispy on the edges)-I added some dates in with the figs, but that was mostly to combat the less than perfect flavor of my older dried figs. -I also reduced the cinnamon to just a dash of cinnamon.-And I left out the vanilla, but that was an accident.
Reply
Thanks for sharing your subs. :) I may try and add orange zest next time.
Reply
Pingback: Copycat Mary's Gone Crackers! - My Whole Food Life
Hi there! Thanks for this recipe! Do you think fresh figs would work for this recipe? I'm wondering if I need to refrigerate or freeze them beforehand for a stickier recipe.
Reply
Freezing them may work. I am not sure using fresh figs will work though. They may be too watery.
Reply
These are good! I also spiced up the dough and filling with cinnamon and allspice. Added vanilla and lemon extract to filling (would have rather used orange but I didn’t have any). I appreciate that they aren’t very sweet, that’s exactly what I was looking for.
Reply
I love the idea of your additions Stephanie! Yum!!
Reply
