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Celebrate fresh fig season with these Oat Crumble Fig Bars made with a rosemary oatmeal cookie dough, fig jam, and fresh sliced figs. This easy recipe comes together in one bowl without a mixer in under an hour.
These simple bars combine the chew of an oatmeal cookie with the subtle sweetness of fresh figs. Inspired by my childhood favorite classic fig bar the fig newton, but with more substance and a lot more figs. I love storing these bars in the fridge for a cold jammy cookie treat.
Key Ingredients
- Whole Old Fashioned Oats: Oats create the classic chewy texture of an oatmeal cookie while also adding sopport for the heavy fruit filling.
- All Purpose Flour: Flour mixes with oats to create a shortbread cookie dough for the base and crumble topping of the fig bars.
- Fresh Rosemary really enhances these fig bars with a bit of piney herbal notes that gives a touch of fall and holiday flavors.
- Unsalted Butter: I use European-style cultured butter with high butterfat, which makes the dough extra tender and rich. You can swap it for regular 80% American butter in this recipe if needed.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar adds sweetness and structure for the crumble. I chose granulated over brown sugar because I really wanted the rosemary and orange to shine through without the extra molasses notes of brown sugar.
- Orange Zest: Citrus zest brightens the fig jam, adding a bit more complexity to the bars.
- Fig Jam: Use either homemade or store-bought fig jam for a delicious fruit filling. I like to use jam that has thick chunks of figs.
- Fresh Figs: A layer of fresh figs on top of the jam will bake down into soft flavorful bites.
How to Make Fig Bars
- Add dough ingredients together in a large bowl. Work together with your hands to form a loose cookie dough that hold together when pressed.
- Place 2/3 of the dough across the bottom of a lined 9×9-inch baking pan. Press into the corners and pack down into a level cookie dough with your fingertips or a spoon.
- Spread the fig jam across the oat crumble dough base.
- Place the sliced figs in an even layer across the fig jam.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the oat crumble on top of the sliced figs. Bake for 50-55 minutes.
- Place baked crumble bars on wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate room temp bars for 1 hr before cutting for clean slices.
Jenn’s Tips!
- Weigh Ingredients: Use a small kitchen scale to ensure exact measurement of ingredients.
- Use Fresh Fruit: Fresh figs will have a nice tender texture when baked into the jam layer. Dried figs will be chewier and I don’t recommend using them. If you can’t find fresh figs just use a bit more jam.
- Bake Until the Jam is Bubbling: The jam will bubble up on the sides of the bars as they bake, once you see the center start to bubble and the crumble is golden they are sufficiently baked.
- Chill the Bars: Cold bars are much easier to cut. I like to refrigerate the entire pan for an hour or so before slicing the fig bars into neat squares.
Leftovers & Storage
- Room Temp: Fruit crumble bars will stay fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature stored in an airtight container. Bars will soften with time.
- Refrigerate: Keep sliced bars in fridge for up to 5 days of freshness.
★★★★★ Please leave a star rating and review below if you make this recipe! THANK YOU!!
Oat Fig Crumble Bars
Oat Fig Crumble Bars have a buttery oat crumble, fragrant rosemary, bright orange zest, and fresh figs layered over luscious fig jam for a sweet, aromatic, and elegant dessert.
Click for Ingredient Details
Weigh your flour: The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
Equipment
- 9×9-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 188 grams (1.5 cups) all-purpose flour
- 155 grams (1.5 cups) old fashioned whole oats
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 3/4 cup (¾ cup) unsalted butter (European 82% butterfat), room temperature, cut into small cubes
- 460 grams (1.5 cups) fig jam
- 5-6 ripe fresh figs, stems removed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃). Line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with overhanging parchment paper.
- Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, salt and rosemary in medium bowl.188 grams all-purpose flour, 155 grams old fashioned whole oats, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- In a separate large bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Rub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingertips to release its oil. Add in the vanilla paste and grated ginger.200 grams granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, 1.5 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- Pour the flour and oat mixture into the sugar. Add in the butter chunks. Using your hands work all the ingredients together until it resembles a loose cookie dough texture that is packable when pressed together.3/4 cup unsalted butter (European 82% butterfat)
- Place 2/3 of the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use your fingers or a spoon to press the dough into an even smooth layer across the pan.
- Spoon the fig jam across the dough leaving a 1/4 inch border bare on all sides.460 grams fig jam
- Cover the fig jam with an even layer of sliced figs, allowing the figs to spread to the edges of the pan.5-6 ripe fresh figs
- Place the pan on the middle oven rack and bake 50-55 minutes. The crumble should be a light golden brown and the fruit jam will be visibly bubbling through the crumble topping on all sides and in the center of the pan.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Refrigerate cooled bars for 1 hour: I highly recommend chilling the bars in the pan to not only helps them setup and hold their shape, but also to make cutting them into even slices much easier.
- Lift bars from the pan by pulling up on the overhanging parchment paper. If any of the jam has stuck to the pan, just cut it away with a small knife. Use a large knife to cut the bars into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- Oven: This recipe was written for a conventional oven (top and bottom heat). For convection fan ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness 75% of the way through baking.
- Storage:
- Room Temp: Fruit crumble bars will stay fresh for up to 3 days at room temperature stored in an airtight container. Bars will soften with time.
- Refrigerate: Keep sliced bars in fridge for up to 5 days of freshness.
Weigh your flour: The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.
Tried this recipe?Mention @twocupsflour or tag #twocupsflour!
