GLUTEN FREE VEGAN WHOLESOME FIG NEWTONS BARS
A more nutritious gluten free fig newtons made vegan too!! You won’t believe how sophisticated these taste compared to the original!
I absolutely LOVED Fig Newtons growing up!! They were a classic, so figuring out how to make them from scratch was a real bonus!
The addition of the orange zest really blows this filling over the top, it is simply amazing!! So don’t be tempted to leave it out!
To keep the bars wholesome, I stuck to my all time favorite gluten free flour: teff!
Ingredients
Filling:
- 3/4 pound dried figs stems removed and coarsely chopped (about 2 generous cups)
- 2/3 cup water or more
- 3-4 tablespoons maple syrup or stevia, honey
- 2 teaspoons orange zest or grated lemon
Cookie Crust:
- 2 tablespoons chia meal or flax meal
- 1/4 cup milk, non-dairy
- 3/4 cup coconut palm sugar or brown sugar, or up to half liquid stevia
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, or other favorite oil
- 1 cup gluten free oat flour make your own by whirring rolled oats in a coffee grinder
- 1/2 cup teff flour
- 1/2 teaspoon guar gum
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Make the Filling:
- In a small saucepan, cook the filling ingredients over a low simmer for 10-20 minutes. Mash periodically, adding more water as necessary. I always seem to use a cup or more of water as my figs are very dry. You want the end moisture to be thick and moist like a thick jelly. Just keep mashing around until the pieces are mostly broken down. If you have kiddos averse to texture, you could puree the mixture in a food processor.
Make the Crust:
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the chia meal and room temp milk. Add in the palm sugar and vanilla. While continually whisking, pour in the melted coconut oil.
- Sprinkle in the dry ingredients, in order.
- Using your whisk,lightly mix the dry ingredients before whisking more thoroughly into the wet. Stir until a wet dough is formed.
Assembly:
- Roll out one 8 x 8 square. Use at least one piece of parchment, and another piece of either a greased or floured piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Roll the dough out between the two sheets. This keeps the sticky dough away from your rolling pin.
- Remove the top piece, leaving the dough directly on the parchment.
- Lift the paper with the dough and place into an 8 x 8 baking dish.
- Spread the filling evenly over the bottom crust.
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