Although I am not vegan, I do like to experiment with vegan baking. But sometimes I find it hard to discover great recipes that don’t ask for fancy or processed substitutes. Or use a ton of sugar, making it a vegan but yet unhealthy treat.
These walnut fig bars though are divine – and healthy. The dough is a mix of walnuts and gluten-free oats held together by soaked chia seeds. For the filling, you simply use dried figs, applesauce, and some spices.
Applesauce is the secret ingredient here. It gives both the dough and the filling a great texture and acts as a natural sweetener. These bars come without any added sugars. All the sweetness comes from the figs and the applesauce. Isn’t that amazing?
To make these, you will need a food processor or a high-speed blender. But that’s all it takes.
Enjoy them as a dessert, a quick breakfast or a snack to go. You can store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Check out my other vegan recipes like this chai-spiced plum cake or these matcha gingerbread cookies.
Love,
Marion
Vegan walnut fig bars
A vegan and gluten-free dessert or snack. Without any added sugar, only sweetened with applesauce.
Ingredients
- For the base and the crumble:
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 120ml water
- 520g walnuts
- 400g gluten-free oats
- 150g unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- For the filling:
- 600g dried figs
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 250g unsweetened applesauce
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°C).
- Step 2 In a small cup, mix the chia seeds and water and let soak for 15 minutes.
- Step 3 Place the walnuts on a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Step 4 Place 280g of the walnuts and 200g of the oats in a food processor and ground to a flour-like consistency. Add the soaked chia seeds, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract, and blend until well combined.
- Step 5 In a separate bowl, mix the dough with the remaining oats, salt, and baking powder.
- Step 6 Press two-thirds of the dough onto the lined baking sheet.
- Step 7 For the filling, place figs, cinnamon, ginger, applesauce, lemon zest, and salt into the food processor and blend until smooth. Spread evenly on top of the dough.
- Step 8 Sprinkle remaining dough and walnuts on top and bake for 25 minutes.
- Step 9 Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting it in bars.
