These healthy chocolate fig bars are the perfect no bake dessert! They have a fig and hazelnut filling that's dipped in dark chocolate and topped with a pinch of flaked sea salt. These fig bars are no bake, vegan, gluten free and paleo friendly.
Fresh figs are great when they're in season, but dried figs are great year round. And truthfully, I love them dried even more!
These healthy chocolate fig bars are made with dried Turkish figs (my favorite variety). They are naturally sweet (no added sugars or sweeteners), with a chewy filling and rich, dark chocolate coating.
They're an excellent candy bar alternative - you can get your sweet and salty fix without any questionable ingredients. And my kids, who don't like figs, even gave these vegan fig bars their full approval!
Why You'll Love these Chocolate Fig Bars
- paleo and vegan - made with simple, real food ingredients
- gluten free and grain free - completely flourless
- dairy free and egg free
- no bake - these fig bars don't require any baking
- no sugar added - only sweetened with figs and dark chocolate
Ingredients
Unlike Fig Newtons, these bars are loaded with healthy, wholesome ingredients. Fig Newtons actually contain a long list of unhealthy ingredients such as: wheat flour, corn syrup, canola oil, preservatives, and loads of sugar. Definitely not ingredients I want to be eating.
My recipe for these no bake fig bars is quite a bit different from a conventional fig bar. Here's what you need to make them:
- hazelnuts - may sub any nut/seed but hazelnuts and figs taste amazing together
- pumpkin seeds - may sub any nut/seed
- dried figs
- I used Turkish figs but any variety will work - coconut oil
- salt
- water
- dark chocolate
- flaked salt (optional)
- I used These simple ingredients create a soft, chewy center with a delicious fig and hazelnut flavor. And best of all, there isn't any added sugar!
The dark chocolate coating compliments the filling quite well. Not sure about you all, but I love the combination of nuts and chocolate. Honestly, any bar coated in chocolate will win my heart.
How to Make Chocolate Fig Bars
To make these fig bars, you'll need a food processor.
First, line an 8" x 8" baking pan with foil or parchment and set aside.
Next, combine all filling ingredients, except the water, in the food processor. When chopping the figs, be sure to remove the stems! Blend the mixture for about a minute.
Next, add the water. Blend again until the filling mixture starts to clump.
Firmly press the mixture into the lined baking pan. Note: the dough is oily.
Place the bars in the freezer for one hour to set. This step makes dipping the bars in chocolate easy.
Once they are firm, make the chocolate topping. Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil on the stove top, over low heat.
Once the chocolate is fully melted, remove it from the stove top and grab the bars from the freezer. Take the bars out of the pan and cut into 16 even pieces. One a time, dip the bars into the melted chocolate. I find this easiest to do with a fork.
Place the coated bars on a parchment lined baking pan or flat surface to set.
Drizzle any leftover chocolate over the bars and top with flaked sea salt.
Tip: place the bars in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes for the chocolate to fully set.
How to Store Fig Bars
These bars are best kept in the fridge or freezer. Place them in a sealed container or baggie in the fridge for up to one week or the freezer up to two months.
FAQ
I recommend storing these fig bars in the refrigerator since they are preservative free and made with fresh, whole food ingredients. You can also keep them in the freezer.
Yes! Figs (both fresh and dried) taste great with chocolate, just like most fruits.
Figs are great to eat in moderation. Like all fruit, they contain a decent amount of sugar. However, they also provide important vitamins and minerals.
More Healthy No Bake Desserts
- Mint Chocolate Coconut Cream Bars
- Paleo Chocolate Torte
- Coconut Butter Bars
- Collagen Gingerbread Bites
Healthy Chocolate Fig Bars (No Bake, Vegan)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Freeze Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Description
These healthy chocolate fig bars have a dried fig and hazelnut filling that's coated in dark chocolate. They're no bake, vegan and paleo friendly.
Ingredients
Fig Bars
- ¾ cup raw hazelnuts (105g)
- ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds (50g)
- 1 cup chopped dried Turkish figs (150g)*
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (room temp)
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp water
Chocolate Coating
- ¾ cup dark chocolate (4.5oz)
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- flaked sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with foil or parchment, set aside.
- Combine all fig bar ingredients, except water, in food processor. Blend, for 1 minute.
- Add water, then blend until dough starts to clump.
- Firmly press the dough into your lined pan, then place the bars in the freezer for at least one hour to set.
- Remove the bars from the freezer and cut into 16 even pieces.
- Make the topping. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate and coconut oil. Turn the heat to low, stirring frequently until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Once the chocolate is fully melted, remove from heat. Dip the fig bars in the melted chocolate and set on a sheet of parchment paper to dry.
- Drizzle any extra chocolate over the bars and top with flaked sea salt (optional).
- Store in fridge or freezer.
Notes
*Any variety of dried figs will work. Be sure to remove stems before processing.
boowholefoods
I haven't actually tried dried figs, but these bars look delicious 🙂
Sarah
Do you think 95 grams of hazelnut meal would produce the same outcome as using hazelnuts? If not, I'll order hazelnuts online, my store didn't have any. 😊
Katie
I think it would work! But I have not tried the substitution...so let me know how they turn out 🙂
Katie
This is my favorite dried fig recipe. Hope you all love it just as much as I do 🙂
Barbara Edwards
Could you use fresh figs instead of dried?
Katie
I think they'll have too much moisture for this recipe.