Vegan Fig Newtons

Raise your hand if your mom (or other guardians) put fig newtons in your lunch box! Making these vegan fig newtons brought me back down memory lane. That sweet fig filling wrapped in a cakey cookie for the perfect delicious chewy sweet treat. Whether you carry a lunchbox or not, these fig filled cookies are one of my favourite delights.

Now I know some of you may be asking: are figs vegan?

Some people are concerned about the fig wasp who pollinate figs by crawling up inside of the figs. Most of the wasps are able to crawl back out again, but a few may get stuck inside and die. I get it, most vegans wouldn't want to munch on a dead wasp, but I have good news for you.

1. There is only one kind of fig tree that these wasps pollinate and that is the calimyrna fig. The rest of the fig trees are totally self-pollinating, and no wasps are needed.
2. The most common kind of figs in grocery stores are usually the black mission figs. They are self-pollinating so you can enjoy those without worry.
3. If you did decide to eat calimyrna figs, it's rare that there would be a wasp inside the fig. And even if there was, you would have no idea as the figs enzymes would have dissolved the wasp long ago, way before the fig was ripe enough to eat. (Those crunchy bits are fig seeds not wasp bits).
4. The wasps pollinating the calimyrna figs are essential for both the fig tree and the fig wasp to thrive. This is a natural process of nature and is not animal cruelty. It's really no different than finding a worm in your apple, or a bug in your bag of lettuce.

So whether you believe that calimyrna figs are vegan is up to you (personally, I believe they are). Either way, all you have to do is select one of the many other varieties of figs (such as the black mission figs that I used in this recipe), and you can enjoy them knowing that the figs are totally vegan.

Now back to vegan fig newtons.

The cool thing about this recipe is that the cookies get better the next day making them a perfect make-ahead snack. When freshly baked, the cookies are a little crisp and crumbly, but the magic happens when you store them overnight. The moisture in the figs softens the cookie crust, taking these vegan fig newton from crisp to tender cakey cookie perfection!

They keep for about 1 week so you can make them on the weekend to supply your lunchbox all week long. Or if you're like me, enjoy them with a cup of coffee in the morning.

I admit that these fig cookies take a little bit more effort to make than a classic drop cookie, but it's worth it! The classic fig filled shape is so cute. I did my best to make each step as clear as possible to make this recipe as easy for you. So roll up your sleeves and let's make these classic treats!

To make vegan fig newtons:

For the fig filling: in a medium pot add the chopped figs and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes until the figs are tender and there is only 2 - 3 tablespoons of liquid left in the bottom of the pan.

Add the figs and leftover liquid to a food processor along with the lemon juice. Blend to a paste, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.

For the cookie dough: use a mixer to combine the vegan butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla extract and mix. Then add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix to form a dough.

Divide the dough into three even-sized balls. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to use, minimum 10 minutes.

To shape the cookies:

When ready, place one ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll a rough rectangle shape about 12" x 5". It's ok if the rectangle has messy edges like mine does.

Remove the top layer of parchment paper and spoon ⅓ of the fig paste down the center of the cookie dough in a straight line going lengthwise.

From the bottom, lift the sheet of parchment paper that's under the cookie dough to help fold the bottom edge of the cookie dough up over the fig filling. Then use the same method to fold the top edge of the cookie dough down overlapping the bottom edge so that the fig filling is wrapped completely with the dough. (See photo above for reference).

Use the parchment paper to flip the cookie roll over so the seam is on the bottom. Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into cookies about 2" long.

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 13 - 16 minutes until golden on the bottom. Remove from the oven and let cool on pan.

The cookies will be a little crisp when freshly made. To soften the cookies, simply store in an air-tight container for the classic cakey chewy texture.

Bon appetegan!

Sam