Homemade Fig Newtons Recipe (2024)

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These easy Homemade Fig Newtons have a jammy fig center enveloped by a slightly sweet, soft cookie. Every bite takes us right back to our childhood! Yep, these are pretty much perfect cookies.

Homemade Fig Newton Cookies

There are certain cookies that instantly take me back to my childhood—Dunkaroos, Famous Amos, animal crackers. Lunches where you’d eagerly open up your brown paper bag to see what Mom packed for dessert. Afternoons coming home from school when you’d reach into the snack drawer for a treat.

Though I’d like to believe all cookies were created equal, there was one that always stood out for me. A cookie that I couldn’t get enough of.Fig Newtons.

What are Fig Newtons?

If you haven’t had a Fig Newton yet, I want to start off by expressing my deepest condolences. Fig Newtons are an iconic packaged cookie with a jammy fig center enveloped by a slightly sweet, soft cookie. The crunch of the fig seeds as you bite in. The slight citrus tang you get in each and every mouthful. Yep, they’re pretty much perfect.

So in making my own homemade Fig Newtons, I channeled my inner child and tastedevery step of the way, and wound up with a pretty damn good recipe. The cookies have the same shape and texture as the real thing, and the fig tastes spot on thanks to some fresh orange zest and a hint of cinnamon.

Plus, nearly everyone that sees them will be instantly transported to their childhood, making the sharing of these cookies extra special!

Also, dipping these in milk is not optional 😉

Fig Newton Ingredients

If you’re ready to get to fig newton making then you’re going to need to stock up on the following ingredients:

Butter: any unsalted butter will do, just make sure to fully soften your butter to room temperature
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar will help to deepen the flavor of these
Eggs:Use large eggs at room temperature! This will ensure that the eggs incorporate seamlessly into the room temperature butter.
Vanilla:High quality vanilla is seriously a game changer. It will really elevate your baked goods to the next level and give these fig newtons the perfect flavor profile.
Flour:We used a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat pastry flour to give these homemade fig newtons a hearty chew.
Cinnamon:Cinnamon gives these fig newtons a warm, cozy spice. Don’t leave it out!
Baking Soda:Baking soda gives just the amount of rise for these soft and tender cookies.
Figs:Uh duh! Black mission figs will form the chewy, figgy center of these homemade cookies.
Oranges:You’ll use both orange zest and orange juice in this recipe for a zesty, juice punch to round out the flavor profile.
Honey:Nothing wrong with a little honey 🙂 The honey will sweeten and bind the fig layer together for a sweet, chewy finish.

Tips for Making Homemade Fig Newtons

The individual parts of this homemade Fig Newton recipe are fairly straightforward. Make a batch of cookie dough and refrigerate it for at least an hour. Make the fig filling and blend it up a food processor until it’s the right consistency. Easy, right?Right!

But once you’ve prepped the cookie dough and the spiced fig filling, you have to assemble the cookies. This is the part that requires a little extra brain power. To make these cookies, you’ll first need to roll out the cookie dough into a large rectangle. Then, cut the rectangle into three large strips.

Once you’ve cut the cookie dough, fill a plastic bag with the fig filling. Snip off one edge of the bag and pipe a thick line of filling into the center of each cookie dough strip. Then you simply have to fold the dough over the filling (be careful!) and seal the edges as best you can.

The filled cookie dough logs get baked as is, and then you need to cut the logs into Fig Newton-sized cookies once they come out of the oven. The whole process goes by surprisingly quickly and is really easy! As long as your cookie dough logs are sealed properly you should have no problems making these homemade Fig Newtons.

How to Store Fig Newtons

These cookies keep well in a sealed container on your countertop for up to a week. You can also store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months!

Homemade Fig Newtons Recipe

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These easy Homemade Fig Newtons have a jammy fig center enveloped by a slightly sweet, soft cookie. Every bite takes us right back to our childhood!

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Ingredients

For the cookie dough

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1/4 orange
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the fig filling

9 oz dried black mission figs
1/2 cup water
juice of 1/2 orange
zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, whole wheat pastry flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet, then mix until just combined.
Scoop the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day.
To make the fig filling, place all ingredients except for the honey into a small saucepan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, until the liquids have evaporated and the figs begin to plump up. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then, place all ingredients in a food processor, drizzle in honey, and pulse until a thick paste is formed. Remove paste from food processor, then place in a large ziplock bag.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking tray with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 10″ x14″ rectangle, using a knife or pizza cutter to cut even edges. Cut the dough lengthwise into three 3.5″x14″ strips.
Cut a 3/4 inch tip into the corner of your ziplock bag and squeeze the paste down the middle of each strip of dough. Then carefully fold each edge of dough on top of the fig paste, making a log, sealing the edges as best you can. Roll each log slightly to bond the dough together, then place seam side down onto your baking tray.
Bake for 20 minutes at 325°F, then turn on the broiler for 1 minute to slightly brown the tops of the cookies. Remove from oven and cut each log into 2″ cookies. Devour!

More easy cookie recipes from Broma Bakery:

Cherry Linzers

Softbatch Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

White Chocolate Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies

FAQs

What are the ingredients in Fig Newtons? ›

INGREDIENTS: FIGS, WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, INVERT SUGAR, SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, PALM OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN, SODIUM ...

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Are Fig Newtons good for high blood pressure? ›

Figs. This fruit of the ficus often gets overlooked unless it's followed by Newton. Excess sodium in the diet can lead to potassium deficiency, which causes high blood pressure. Rich in potassium, figs restore balance and help lower blood pressure.

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What happened to Nabisco Fig Newtons? ›

The Kennedy Biscuit Company had recently become associated with the New York Biscuit Company, and the two merged to form Nabisco—after which, the fig rolls were trademarked as "Fig Newtons". Since 2012, the "Fig" has been dropped from the product name (now just "Newtons").

Will eating Fig Newtons help with constipation? ›

Try high fiber snack foods such as sesame bread sticks, date-nut or prune bread, oatmeal cookies, fig newtons, date or raisin bars, granola and corn chips. Try natural “laxative-type” foods- bran, whole grain cereals, and prune juice.

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Do fig Newtons spike blood sugar? ›

Fresh, dried or cooked, the fig contains very few carbohydrates and, therefore, has little impact on blood sugar levels in most any form.

Are fig Newtons good or bad for you? ›

We Recommend. Each serving of fig Newtons contains 12 g of sugar, which is quite a lot for just two cookies. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 100 calories (6 teaspoons or 24 milligrams) of added sugar for women and 150 calories (9 teaspoons or 32 mg) for men.

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What is the number one fruit to lower blood pressure? ›

The top fruits for lowering blood pressure include bananas, apples, pears, apricots, grapes, raisins, kiwis, mangoes, watermelon, pomegranate, plums, prunes, avocado, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, tomatoes, citrus fruit, berries, and more.

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What happens when you eat too many fig newtons? ›

Since figs have a high fiber content, eating too many figs — especially dried figs — can cause diarrhea.

Why did Fig Newtons change their name? ›

Modern Changes to the Fig Newton

In 2012, they once again dropped the "Fig" from the name because, as the Kraft specialist Gary Osifchin told The New York Times, they wanted to change the core of the brand to fruit. "It was going to be hard for us to advance the Newtons brand with the baggage of the fig."

Are prunes better than figs for constipation? ›

Best Dried Fruits for Constipation

A 1/4 cup serving of dried figs contains about 4 g of fiber, per the USDA, which is comparable to the fiber found in one medium grapefruit. Prunes, also known as dried plums, a common remedy for treating constipation, contain about 3 g of fiber per 1/4 cup, according to the USDA.