Gluten Free Fig Newtons (Homemade, Paleo)
These Gluten Free Fig Newtons are a fun and nostalgic homemade snack! These will bring you right back to your childhood. They feature a soft pillowy crust filled with a naturally sweet fig filling. These Paleo fig newtons are great for back to school snacks, a rainy day baking activity, or any occasion!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These gluten free fig newtons are the best homemade snack!
- They are old fashioned, nostalgic, and a popular childhood snack.
- Figs are not only delicious, but they are healthy too.
- This recipe is made with dried figs.
- The crust is similar to a pie crust. It is cakey, pillowy and so soft!
- This recipe is Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free, and Dairy Free!
History of Fig Newtons
Fig Newtons were first baked in 1891 in Newton, Massachusetts. The bakery was called the F.A. Kennedy Steam Bakery.
In the 1800s, many physicians prescribed a diet of biscuits and fruit to help alleviate digestive issues and constipation. Fig Newtons are the perfect remedy for this!
After being brought to the United States from British immigrants, these popular cookies were then produced by Charles Roser. He was a Philadelphia baker who first included a fig paste into dough. The Kennedy Biscuit Company purchased the recipe from Charles Roser and began producing Fig Newtons.
How To Make
Step 1
First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2
Next, make fig filling. Add filling ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process until a sticky paste is formed. Set aside.
Step 3
Next, make the crust. Add coconut sugar and egg to a mixing bowl. Whisk for 1 minute until combined. Then, add in remaining crust ingredients and stir until a dough is formed.
Step 4
Place ball of dough onto parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with tapioca flour. Use a rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle that is about 12 inches high by 6 inches wide.
Step 5
Then, spoon fig filling down the middle of the rectangle. Filling should be about 2 inches wide. Use parchment paper to help you fold both edges of dough over filling.
Step 6
Then, use a pizza cutter or knife to cut roll of dough every 1 inch. Then, slice every small piece in half to form 1 inch squares. Use your fingers to mend the crust. Arrange on baking sheet a few inches apart.
Step 7
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until crust has started to turn lightly golden brown. Allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes. Then, remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Use dried figs for a delicious filling. They are more naturally sweet and yield a much better texture.
Follow the recipe steps and photos!
I do not recommend making any big substitutions. The only substitutions I can recommend are using brown sugar or maple sugar for the coconut sugar. In addition, cornstarch or arrowroot powder can replace the tapioca flour.
Since the crust is gluten free, feel free to work with it! It will not taste overworked like a traditional (gluten filled) pie crust would. Use your fingers to mend the dough as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Fig Newtons are not gluten free.
Gluten free Fig Newtons are sold in most big grocery stores. Two of the most popular brands are Nature’s Bakery and Pamela’s.
No, Nabisco Fig Newtons are not gluten free.
Yes, Fig Newtons have figs in them. It is the main ingredient used in the fig filling.
Fig Newtons have figs in them, which are great for constipation. They are high in minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron.
Fig Newtons were first baked in the F.A. Kennedy Steam Bakery in 1891. This was located in Newton, Massachusetts, which is where they got their name.
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If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along!
Get the Recipe: Gluten Free Fig Newtons
Ingredients
Fig Filling
- 1 cup dried figs, not fresh
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar, or other granulated sugar
Crust
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¾ cup tapioca flour, or cornstarch
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make fig filling. Add filling ingredients to a food processor or blender. Process until a sticky paste forms. Set aside.
- Then, make the crust. Add coconut sugar and egg to a large mixing bowl. Whisk for 1 minute.
- Once combined, add in baking soda, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup. Stir to combine.
- Then, add in almond flour, tapioca flour and coconut flour. Stir until a thick dough that is similar to pie crust is formed. Form into a ball.
- Place ball of dough onto parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with tapioca flour.
- Place another sheet of parchment paper over ball of dough. Use a rolling pin to roll out dough into a large rectangle that is approximately 12 inches long and 6 inches wide.
- Place fig filling down the middle of the crust dough, about 2 inches wide.
- Use parchment paper to help you fold both edges of crust over fig filling.
- Then, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut down every 1 inch. Then, slice each piece of dough in 2.
- Use your fingers to mend any edges of fig newtons.
- Spread fig newtons over the lined baking sheet.
- Then, bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until crust is starting to turn very slightly golden.
- Finally, remove from oven. Allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Notes
- There are step by step pictures further up in this blog post. I highly recommend following them closely for best results!
- Brown sugar or maple sugar can replace coconut sugar.
- Cornstarch or arrowroot powder can replace tapioca flour.
- This recipe uses dried figs. De-stem figs if needed.
- If you only have access to dried figs, you will need to add a little more maple syrup while mixing to achieve a sticky paste.
- The crust is very similar to pie crust. It is easily mended and workable.
- These gluten free fig newtons taste like the classic. They are slightly dry!
- Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Refrigerating these will harden them. Thaw before eating!
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18 Comments on “Gluten Free Fig Newtons (Homemade, Paleo)”
I love this recipe. I made it over 5 times.
I’m not a cook or a baker at all, but found this to be easy. Thank you!
I have one question, my fig bars always come out so puffy!
The first time I made them it was because I did a table spoon and not a tea spoon of baking soda lol! But even when I adjusted they’re still coming out a bit puffy.
Any advise?
I am so glad you’re enjoying them! They are naturally a little bit more fluffy. I would recommend not overmixing the dough. Hope this helps!
This are the bomb! Way better than boxed newtons. Thank you!
I am so happy to hear that, Connie! Thank you!
My husband was wondering when I was going to bake another batch
Bad dough recipe. I do not recommend this one
This was so good! I was afraid it would be too sweet to my taste, but it’s not. I didn’t have a rolling pin, so I just spread the dough with my fingers, which went really great. Yummmm!
Hi Eve! I am so happy you enjoyed these fig newtons. Glad to know it can be done without a rolling pin. Thank you for making them and reporting back!
Sooooo GOOD!! I do a lot of hiking and loved the Nature’s Bakery whole grain newtons before I was diagnosed with Celiac last year. Their GF ones do nothing to help with energy or hunger. I think these might do the trick! Thank you!!
Hi Stephanie! I love to hike too and these are such a great snack for that. Thank you for leaving such a kind review!
Was so excited to find this recipe for homemade fig newtons! I love Natures Bakery gf fig newtons, but I would like to try making my own at home. However, I cannot eat nuts… Do you have any suggestions of what to replace the almond flour with… And perhaps the coconut flour as well… I do take coconut oil for brain health, but I cannot eat a lot of coconut because of the lysing arginine ratio. Would so appreciate your reply. Thanks again… Debbie Smith… Weatherford Tx. soozynews@hotmail.com
Hi Debbie! Thanks for asking. Almond flour and coconut flour are pretty unique and different than other flours. I haven’t tested this recipe with other flours, but my best guess would be to replace the 1 cup almond flour and 2 tbsp coconut flour with 3/4 cup to 1 cup of gluten free 1 to 1 flour or all purpose flour. Depending on the consistency, you may only need 3/4 cup or you may need to add a bit more and do 1 full cup. Hope this helps!
In the photo of Step 2, the figs shown in the food processor are dried, not fresh. This is as it should be – the figs used in a real fig newton are dried, not fresh. Truly fresh figs do not have the density to be used as a cookie filling without a lot more sugar or other binders. The emphasis on using fresh figs in the recipe not only contradicts the photo, but also the actual fig used in fig newtons. Fortunately, dried figs are much easier to find, especially all year ’round, than fresh figs. In any case, it’s a great recipe. Thank you for posting!
Hi Jane! Thank you so much for the feedback. I will update this post to reflect that. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
These are so fun and nostalgic! Love that they’re gluten free.
Hi, do you know the UK equivalent in grams of 1 cup of fresh figs at all please? I can’t seem to find the conversion online. Many thanks.
Hi Janna! Typically 1 cup = 128 grams. I would use that conversion! Just pack your figs into the measuring cup.
Hi Janna and Addison,
Janna was told to pack the figs into a measuring cup. If she had the cup, she wouldn’t need the conversion. A cup is a volume measure. If you are in the UK (I am in France) then you know that different foods of the same volume have different weights. 1 cup of spinach will weigh much less than 1 cup of cheese, for example. To answer your question, 1 cup of dried figs* weighs about 250 grams. *Note my comment above about using dried figs, not fresh, in this recipe.