Name: Fig and Orange Crumble Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 c. flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 2 teaspoons salt (divided); 1/2 c. 1 stick butter; 1/2 c. brown sugar; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 1/2 c. dried figs; 1/4 c. sugar; 1/4 c. orange juice; 1 Tablespoon orange zest; 1 Tablespoon lemon juice; 1/4 c. oats; 1 teaspoon cinnamon

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This simple Fig Bar recipe has a buttery crumble base layer topped off with a sweet and tart fig and orange jam layer and is finished off with a spiced oat crumb layer. These Fig and Orange Crumble Bars are great for breakfast or dessert!

Let’s talk about figs. When I was growing up one of my best friends had a fig bush in her yard. Year after year I can remember grabbing a fig, biting into it, and making a face. Every year I thought it was going to be the year I was going to love figs and every year I again would spit it out and throw the fig.

Fast forward 25 years and I started to enjoy figs. Unfortunately they are very difficult to come by in my area and they now cost a fortune! I actually called my friend up who now owns her childhood home and asked if she still had the fig bush. She said they didn’t. I was sad but now I buy the fresh figs whenever I can.

Lucky for me my local market started carrying dried figs year round for a more reasonable price so I try to keep those in my pantry whenever I can. So when I saw a recipe for fig and orange bars I was really excited! I think figs go perfectly with citrus flavors.

Ingredients:

flour
baking powder
salt
butter
brown sugar
egg
vanilla
dried figs
sugar
oranges
lemon juice
oats
cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add in the butter and mix until pea-sized crumbs form.
In a medium bowl whisk together the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Pour the flour mixture into the brown sugar mixture and mix it together. This will be both the crust and the topping for the crumb bars.
To make the fig filling slice the dried figs. Combine the dried figs, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and lemon juice. Pulse until a thick paste forms.

My son just happened to be in the mood to bake so I had him help me gather the ingredients. He still has trouble measuring with fractions so I love that my measuring cup has ounces on the side and I can tell him which ounce to fill the cup up too. He feels like such a big helper.

We made the base layer and crumble first. It was pretty crumbly as I pressed it into the base of the pan but I got it in there in a fairly even layer.

Next came the fig layer. I tried to put the figs in the food processor whole but that wasn’t cutting it. You can either put them in a bit of water for 15 minutes to soften them up or you can cut them into pieces before putting them into the food processor. Either way will help them mix into a sticky jam.

I added in plenty of orange zest and orange juice to give it a bit of tartness against the sweetness of the figs. I think it added a delicious flavor too.

What do figs taste like?

Figs have a really unique flavor and texture. They are sweet and lightly fruity. They also have floral notes to them. Dried figs tend to be chewy, jammy, and have a very sweet flavor.

Can I just use dried figs out of the package?

You can use dried figs right out of the package but you may find them a little hard in texture. I tend to soak my dried figs in boiling water for a few minutes to help re-hydrate them which makes them easier to slice, chop, and work with in recipes.

I don’t have oranges, can I use a different fruit?

You can use a variety of citrus fruits. My top pick would be grapefruit if you don’t have an orange. You can also use lemons or limes in this recipes but it will give the dish a bit of a different flavor. However, don’t skip the citrus as you really need the tartness to balance out the sweetness of the figs.

Can I use fresh figs instead of dried?

In this case you cannot. Fresh figs have a lot more moisture and will not result in the jammy interior that you are looking for in these bars. Dried figs already have a jammy texture and the other ingredients simply enhance it.

When it came to the top crumb layer I didn’t want it to be exactly the same as the base layer so I added in some oats and cinnamon. This turned out the be a really good choice as it added texture and the cinnamon was the perfect spice for these bars.

The resulting fig bars were delicious. The base and the crumble were sweet but not overly so which went well with the sweet fig and orange jam layer. They were somewhere in between a coffee cake and a cookie bar.

While the fig bars are delicious with a cup of coffee or a cocktail after dinner they are also delicious with breakfast. They aren’t too sweet so they go well with a cup of coffee and the fruit in them makes it feel like a breakfast item.

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