Fresh Fig Newton Cookies

Use fresh figs in our recipe to make soft and tender homemade Fig Newton cookies. These fig roll cookies are a delicious way to use an abundance of fresh figs and feature a homemade fresh fig jam. 

Fresh figs are such a delight. Soft and sweet. They are a perfect pairing for salty cured meats, pork, or smooth, creamy cheeses. 

There are so many ways to enjoy fresh figs, and today we’re turning fresh figs into fig jam that we can put into a homemade version of the American classic Fig Newton cookie. 

Where did figs originate from?

Figs are native to Asia Minor (current day Turkey and northern India). From there they spread throughout the Mediterranean.

They were much used and revered in ancient Greek and Roman cultures, and these two civilizations spread the little fruit to Africa, Portugal, Spain, and France.

From Spain, the Franciscan Missionaries brought them to California. (Hence the ‘Mission’ varietal.)

Where are figs grown today?

Most of the world’s figs are grown in Turkey. But other countries with high production include Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, and Iran. 

California comes up next, producing nearly all of the dried and fresh figs consumed in the States. 

What month are figs ripe?

In the US, fig season runs from June through October. 

And here’s another fun fact for you. Figs aren’t really a fruit. Rather, they are the flowers of the tree that bloom inside the smooth skin of a pear-shaped pod.

The petals and seeds then mature into the sweet ‘fruit’ that we eat.  

How to choose good figs

Figs should be slightly soft (but not mushy) with smooth skin. (Hard figs will not continue to ripen much on the counter.)

If the figs smell sour or fermented they are past their peak. 

How to make homemade fresh fig jam

The recipe to make fresh fig jam is relatively straightforward. 

First, we stem and quarter the fresh figs. Then, they are slowly cooked until soft with some sugar and a few seasonings (orange juice and cinnamon in this recipe to give the jam the classic ‘newton’ flavor profile). 

We then put the softened figs into a food processor or blender, to create a smooth puree. 

The fig puree then heads back into the saucepan to finish jamming up. During this stage, stirring nearly constantly is important, so that the jam doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. 

No one likes burnt jam. 

Once the mixture is thick, your jam is done!

Our recipe for making “Fig Newtons” (fig roll cookies) with fresh figs

We dive into the history of the Fig Newtons (and why you can’t find “Fig Newtons” in stores anymore) in the article with our recipe to make these fig roll cookies out of dried figs.

So, if you’re curious (or if fresh figs are out of season), definitely pop over there. 

The most important thing about the fig filling for these cookies is that it needs to be stiff. That way it won’t ooze out of the cookies.

So, our jam needs to be a bit stiffer than you typically may cook a jam to (for instance if you were making this apricot jam or our mulberry jam).

Check out the picture above for the soft peaks that your jam filling should hold and below for how it looks rolled in the dough before baking. 

When you make these fig rolls, you bake them in their long logs (pictured above). The filling stays put more nicely that way. 

Then, after baking and while still warm, you slice the rolls into the individual cookies. 

Another unique thing about these cookies that is after cutting them (again, while they are still warm) you put them into an airtight container. 

This lets the steam from the cookies and the moisture from the jam soften the cookie, so you are left with a tender cookie that brings back all the memories of the store-bought version. (But, so much better, because you made them yourself!)