Fresh figs may be in season, but dried figs are available year round. And truthfully, I prefer baking with dried figs because they lack moisture. Also, using fruit as a sweetener, like in these Vegan Chocolate Covered Fig Bars, is great for making desserts healthier. Fruit really is nature’s candy!
These Paleo Chocolate Covered Fig Bars are no-bake, sweetened with figs, Vegan, and grain free. They are a healthy alternative to your “standard” candy bar!
Healthy Fig Bar Recipe
Really, you’re not going to find a much more nutritious fig bar recipe than this one. What makes these healthy?
First of all, these Vegan fig bars don’t have any added sugar. You can even coat these bars in 100% dark chocolate to bring the overall sugar content down.
Other nutritious aspects of this recipe include:
- these bars are naturally gluten and grain free
- my recipe doesn’t contain any artificial colors/preservatives/flavorings
- the protein content is higher than any conventional fig bar
Ingredients in Paleo Chocolate Fig Bars
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 fig bars is quite a bit different from the conventional fig bar. Firstly, these treats don’t require any baking. This makes them perfect year round, as I often don’t want to touch my oven during the summer months.
The bulk of these gluten free fig bars are made of :
- hazelnuts
- pumpkin seeds
- dried black mission figs
- collagen/gelatin (optional)
- coconut oil
- salt
- water
These seven simple ingredients create a soft, chewy center. Best of all, there isn’t any added sugar!
The dark chocolate coating compliments the center 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 over one without it.
Chocolate Covered Fig Bars
- Prep Time: 1 hr 15 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
- Yield: 16 square bars 1x
Description
These Chocolate Covered Fig Bars are a delicious, no-bake, grain free chocolate treat. They have a soft, nutty fig center and dark chocolate coating.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 85g dried black mission figs (about 10 figs)
- 2 Tbsp collagen or gelatin*
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil (room temp)
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 oz dark chocolate
Instructions
- Remove stems from figs.
- Combine all ingredients, except water and chocolate, in food processor. Blend, stopping to scrape the sides every so often.
- Add water and then blend some more until dough starts to form a ball in food processor.
- Firmly press dough into lined 8″ x 8″ pan, then place bars in freezer for at least one hour to set.
- Remove bars from freezer and cut into 16 even pieces.
- In a small saucepan, melt chocolate on the stove top, over low heat. Stir frequently.
- Once chocolate is fully melted, remove from heat. Dip fig bars in melted chocolate and let dry on a non-stick surface (I used wax paper).
- Place bars in fridge or freezer for chocolate to set.
- Store in fridge or freezer.
Notes
*Can substitute vegan protein powder for collagen/gelatin, or omit completely
Keywords: fig bars, chocolate, black mission figs, no added sugar, egg free, vegan, snack, dessert
I haven’t actually tried dried figs, but these bars look delicious 🙂