Our easy Fig Newton recipe brings the deep sweetness of figs together with a tender cookie crust. You might just trade in the store bought version for these babies!
Where did Fig Newtons come from?
Fig Newtons as we know them today in America were invented by Charles M. Roser, a cookie maker from Ohio. He sold the recipe to Kennedy Biscuit Co. (now Nabisco) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and they began producing the filled fig cookie in 1891. The cookies were named after Newton, a city just outside of Boston.
Poor figs. We still think you’re attractive.
We don’t know where Roser got the idea for his fig filled cookie, but what we do know is that they seem incredibly similar to a classic British pastry: the fig roll. These classic fig rolls have a more crumbly, pastry like cookie surrounding the filling, rather than the chewy, cakey cookie of Roser’s Fig Newtons.
Homemade Fig Newtons
Homemade Fig Newtons are quite simple to make. The dough is soft and easy to roll. The filling comes together quickly in the food processor. Some recipes will tell you to use a pastry bag to pipe the filling onto the rolled out dough, however we found that the filling was a bit too stiff to pipe. So, we just dove right in and used our hands to arrange the filling.
The dough is then folded over the filling and the cookies are baked just long enough to dry out the outside, while still keeping the inside chewy and the cookie tender.
These cookies are unique from other rolled cookies in that they are not cut until after they are baked. This keeps the edges nice and moist.
Our Fig Newton recipe
For our Fig Newton recipe, we found a nice balance between classic American Fig Netwons and the traditional British version. A mixture of wheat and all purpose flours gives the cookie a nice heartiness and nutty flavor. Our version isn’t overly sweet either. We liked the way the light sweetness of the filling and cookie really made the flavor of the figs shine through.
It is easy to over-bake these cookies, resulting in a Fig Newton that is more crumbly than cakey. We found that the best remedy for a slightly crumbly Fig Newton is to put them in an airtight container while they are still slightly warm. This way, they will steam just enough to soften to the perfect consistency by the time they are cooled.
Homemade Fig Newtons
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 8 Tbsp salted butter, softened
- ¼ c brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp fresh orange zest
- 1 c unbleached all purpose flour
- ¾ c whole wheat flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Fig Filling
- 6 oz dried figs
- ¼ c water
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
For the Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric hand mixer, 2-3 min. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and orange zest until well combined.
- Add the flours, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a soft cookie dough forms. With your hands, shape the dough into a ball. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
For the Filling
- While the dough is chilling, make the filling. In a small saucepan, place the dried figs, water, orange juice, and cinnamon. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, until the figs begin to plump.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then, transfer the mixture to the bowl of your food processor. Add the honey and blend until a thick paste forms. Set the filling aside.
Putting It All Together
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Line a large baking tray with a baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 10 inch x 14 inch rectangle. Use a knife or pizza cutter to make the outer edges even.
- Cut the dough lengthwise into three strips, roughtly 3.5 inches x 14 inches.
- Divide the fig filling paste between each strip of dough, forming it into a line down the center of each strip. Press the filling to roughly 1-inch wide.
- Carefully fold each edge of dough over top of the fig paste, making a log. Press the top to seal the dough slightly.
- Place the logs, seam side down, onto your linked baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 17-20 minutes, until the logs feel dry and slightly firm when touched. Remove the cookies from oven and cut each log into 8-9 cookies while they are still warm.
- While still warm, place the cut cookies into an airtight container. (This will soften the cookies as they cool.)
- Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week.
Hi! How much butter grams it takes
Hi Iara. 8 Tbsp butter is roughly 113g. Enjoy!
Hi there I have about 1/4 of a cup of bought fig jam that I never opened because I thought I’d use to make fig newtons but now I’m reading it’s either dried figs or fresh. Can I use this in your recipe? Do I just add it in and mix at the end when it’s all ready or when?
Hi Carmela. The problem with using fig jam is that the filling for fig newtons needs to be really stiff so that it doesn’t ooze out of the cut ends of the cookie. If your jam is quite stiff, you’d probably be find using it as the filling. If it’s not, I would suggest replacing the orange juice and honey in the recipe with the jam. (If you go this route, definitely taste your filling before putting it in the cookies to make sure you like the flavor and it’s sweet enough for you.) If you give it a try, stop back by and let us know what you did and how it turned out for you!
Sarah, thank you for the recipe…these fig newtons turned out wonderful …they even look like yours in the picture…I switched out the regular brown sugar for Truvia brown sugar to cut down on calories…they taste great !
So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing your substitution!
I don’t usually comment on recipes but… This fig newton recipe is DEEEELICIOUS! Moist, chewy and full of flavor! From three fig newton lovers… tastes just like the real deal but even better! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for commenting Lynn! We’re so glad you enjoyed these fig newtons!
We have a huge fig tree in our backyard and were thinking about making these since our neighbors will only take so many. Picked about 80 this morning… And many more to come!!
How fortunate! We hope you enjoy the cookies!
Hello! I was just browsing Amazon about to purchase The Fig Bar for my granddaughter who loves fig newmans and then I saw the ingredient list and then the nutrition list…Yowza! …almost 3 tsps of sugar per bar! Then I thought I bet I could make them! And voila, here I am on your page and grateful to have found your recipe. I will definitely make these, but I do wish to know which kind of figs did you use? Kalmyrna or mission?
God bless ya,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth. We used dried mission figs. Enjoy!
I made them and they were fantastic! My husband couldn’t stop eating them. He said they were one of the best things I ever made. I have a question. I used dried figs and took the middle out of them (tough task lol ) Do u cook them with the skin on ?
So glad you both enjoyed them! For dried figs, I simply make sure there is no stem. Otherwise, I use the whole thing, skin and all.