Healthy Fig Roll Cookies

These Healthy Fig Cookies are full of flavor and nourishing ingredients. They can be made for Christmas to add to your cookie tray or any day of the year as a healthy breakfast or dessert!

Fig cookies are really a treat that I have grown to love in the last few years and these are full of natural sweetness making them so delicious! The cookie makes the perfect blanket to wrap up all the flavors in the fig filling creating a delicious balance between the two elements.

The texture of the cookie is soft because of the creamy fig filling and oat flour cookie. They are free of refined sugars; being only sweetened by figs and maple syrup, and they are vegan!

These cookies are so easy to make! You can throw all the ingredients in a food processor, shape the cookies and slice. You should get about 20 cookies when slicing after baking. 

Features of this recipe

• These cookies are versatile and easy to make, they’re great for Christmas or any time of the year for dessert or breakfast!
• There is no mixing required; just blend all the ingredients in the food processor for both the cookie and filling components. 
• They are made with nourishing ingredients; no refined sugars are used! 
• It’s a simple, follow along recipe that anyone can enjoy making with others. 
• The cookies don’t require any fancy equipment and they come out very soft.

Ingredients 

• All purpose flour: provides carbohydrates and helps create a soft texture for the cookies. Use organic or non-GMO if possible.
• Oat flour: provides nutrients such as fiber and healthy carbohydrates in the cookies to balance with the AP flour. You can make this yourself by blending oats in a food processor or blender. The finer it is in texture, the better for this recipe so you can avoid seeing specks of oats in the cookies. 
• Flax seed meal: a great source of dietary fiber and healthy fats. This also helps to hold the cookies together.
• Coconut oil: provides healthy fats and moisture to the cookie. You can substitute melted butter if necessary.
• Maple syrup: this provides sweetness to the cookies without any refined sugars. You can substitute honey.
• Almond milk: provides moisture to the cookies and healthy fats. Substitute any milk of your choice.
• Pantry staples: baking powder, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Used to develop the flavor and texture of the cookie component.
• Dried figs: provides dietary fiber, natural sugars and so much flavor to the cookies. Soaking the figs in advance or overnight may increase the effects of the health benefits.

Equipment

• Measuring cups + spoons
• Food processor or blender
• Rolling pin
• Baking sheets with parchment paper
• Oven
• Knife for slicing the cookies

How to make: step-by-step

Soak the figs in water overnight, or at least one hour in advance. This will help them soften, making it easier to blend and may have an effect on increasing their health benefits. After soaking, cut off any remaining stems.

Make the cookie dough. First, If you do not have oat flour, blend about 1¼ cup rolled oats in the food processor to create flour. Next, add in the rest of the cookie ingredients: ap flour, flax seed meal, coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Blend it until a cookie dough forms, then transfer to a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

(If you are using oat flour, you could mix these ingredients in a bowl if you prefer or if you are using a blender instead of a food processor.)

Make the filling. Add the soaked dried figs to the food processor and blend. If it is too hard to blend, add 1 tbsp at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl each time. You don’t want to add too much water because the mixture should be a thick paste. Blend until you have reached a thick consistency. 

Assemble the cookies. Roll out the cookie dough on the baking sheet with parchment paper. It should be about ¼ inch thick and about 6 inches wide (see pictures). This will create a shape that you can turn into the cookie roll. 

Add the fig filling to the center of the cookie dough in the shape of a log, spread across the entire rectangle. Using the sides of the parchment paper, lift the sides of the cookie dough to wrap and enclose the filling. Pinch the seam closed and flip the entire log over, using the parchment paper, so that the seam is on the bottom.  

Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Once the log is finished baking and has cooled, slice into individual cookies. You can make these any size you would like, but you should get about 20 cookies. Top with some powdered sugar and enjoy!

Serving and Storage

Store the baked cookies in an airtight container or bag on the countertop or in the refrigerator. Refrigerating will make them stay fresh longer. 

Serve on a platter for dessert; you can top with some powdered sugar for a more festive finish. If making these for a breakfast treat, store a few cookies in a bag or container to take on the go. 

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Matthew 6:33 NLT