Gooey, fig jam filling between sweet layers of golden brown oatmeal crust crumble. No electric mixer or food processor is required, and this sweet treat is ready in less than 30 minutes in the oven! This recipe uses store-bought fig jam to save time, making these homemade oatmeal fig bars even easier! The texture of these fig oatmeal bars is soft, buttery and chewy, with a delicious added sweetness from the fig jam.

RECIPE TIPS

• Pre-baking the bottom crust will make these homemade fig bars sturdier when slicing and eating. You can skip this step if you’re short on time, but the crust may not hold up as well.

• If figs are in season, you can definitely make your own fig jam and use that as the filling instead of store-bought jam.

• Allow the melted butter or coconut oil to cool slightly so it’s not hot when adding the whisked egg to the butter and sugar mixture.

• Heating up the fig jam in a small saucepan or microwave will make it easier to spread on top of the baked oatmeal crust. 

Ingredient Notes

Rolled oats: Also known as old-fashioned rolled oats. If you only have quick oats, you could use those in a pinch, but I’d recommend using old-fashioned oats when making these oatmeal fig bars for the best results. 

Flour: You could substitute oat flour, whole wheat flour, or gluten-free flour (but double-check that the oats are also gluten-free if that’s what you’re after!)

Unsalted butter: I tested this recipe with both unsalted butter and coconut oil. The butter gave a more chewy texture, whereas coconut oil made the base and topping crunchier. But coconut oil is a great substitution if you’d like these fig bars to be dairy-free! I haven’t tried using vegan butter, but that could also be an option. When using vegan butter like in these vegan kourabiedes, I find vegan unsalted butter sticks work better than vegan butter spreads because there’s less water in the butter sticks.

Fig jam: You can use store-bought or homemade fig jam. Or substitute another type of your favourite jam. Raspberry jam with some dark chocolate chips sprinkled in there would be so delicious!! 

Sugar: White sugar is refined and has a milder flavour, often resulting in a sweeter and lighter textured baked good. Brown sugar contains molasses, giving a deeper flavour, more moisture, and a chewier texture to baked goods. Overall, white sugar provides a more delicate sweetness, and brown sugar gives a richer, caramel-like flavour, so I love the combination of these two sugars for this recipe!

How To Make Oatmeal Fig Jam Bars: Step By Step

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with parchment paper (this will make it easier to remove the bars from the pan).

Step 2: Make the oatmeal crust. Use a fork to whisk together the melted butter, brown and white sugars, and orange zest in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk an egg with the pure vanilla extract until frothy. Mix the egg into the butter and sugar mixture. Mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon to the wet ingredients. Lastly, add the oats until combined.

Step 3: Par-bake the crust. Press half of the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of a lightly greased or lined 8″ x 8″ baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 350°F. Try not to overbake. The crust will still be soft after this first bake.

Step 4: Spread the fig jam filling, crumble and bake. Heat the fig jam in a small saucepan or microwave until it slightly liquifies.  This will make the jam easier to spread. Spread the fig jam evenly over the baked oat base, including the edges and corners. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the fig jam. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown. Don’t overbake. 

Step 5: Cool and slice. Let the pan cool on a cooling rack for 15-20 minutes so that the jam filling has time to set. Lift the oatmeal bars out of the baking pan using the parchment paper.  Slice into 2″ squares (4 across and 4 down). You will end up with 16 squares.

STORING AND SERVING

These delicious oatmeal fig bars will last at room temperature for 4-5 days.  Cover them with saran wrap or place them in an airtight container.  Or they can last in the fridge for up to ten days. These bars also freeze really well! Before freezing, allow the bars to cool completely, wrap them in plastic wrap, or layer parchment paper in between, and place the bars in a freezer-safe airtight container.

Oatmeal fig bars are great to have on hand when you’re craving something sweet. You can take out however many pieces you want to thaw out from the freezer.  These bars quickly thaw out at room temperature, but if you’re in a rush, simply pop them in the microwave until warmed through.

• Greek Apricot Tart (Pasta Flora)
• Chocolate Orange Phyllo Cake
• Phyllo Pumpkin Pie